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As the wind slid lovingly through his hair, he looked at her with such toraze, as if he’d stabbed her with the weapon he wielded with such obvious agitation

Ani ohev otach, tzel, he’d said to her dream self I love you, shadow But I cannot have you You know this Why do you tempt me? Why do you flaunt what I crave, yet am forbidden to possess?

Her sorrow over his pain had constricted her lungs and created an ache so overwhel it roused her fro her face and pillow, and the re in her sto to her, as if she was the source of his agony, yet she couldn’t i to elicit that devastated look on his face She would die before she ever wounded hiht alone in her suite at the Belladonna had felt nearly as desolate as when she’d talked to Adrian on the phone four days earlier The urge to call hi too forceful to resist She orried about him and missed hihting through a rush of greedy desire and feelings of possession she had no right to She’d lived her entire life struggling to find a place for herself on the outside looking in at the "noret irrevocably used to fitting in so it alone after that accli equally adrift was even harder

Lindsay hit the DIAL button on her phone and lifted it to her ear

He picked up alht?"

The knot in her stomach loosened at the sound of his warm, confident voice "I called to ask you the same question"

"Ask me?" His voice faded "I--"

"Adrian? Are you okay?"

"I’ asked that question It’s been a rough couple of days, but it’ll soon be over"

Her heart faltered a beat He was so collected and sether and in command of himself and others; she could see how easy it would be to assuht Whoone, did he have anyone?

He’d given her an outlet for her private self If she could return the favor, if he trusted her enough to do so, she’d consider it an honor "You don’t sound happy about that"

"So, and I will have to inflictits claws into her, a response so alien and unwelcome it unsettled her deeply "I’ I could do"

"Just hearing your voice and knowing that you’re thinking of h"

Lindsay felt a fierce rush of pride that she ht continue to be a source of co that stood between theht"

"Did you?" His voice took on a seductive smoothness "Will you tell me about it?"

"You askedheavily, she slumped over the table "And so you by uish It made me feel powerful to have such a hold on you I wanted you--whatever the cost"

He exhaled slowly "The dreaht it did! I hate that I would think that way for even a moment I don’t feel that way I won’t"

"Lindsay" He paused "I know you don’t It was just a dream"

"Which ht exists" She shoved a hand through her curls "I don’t want to be that person, Adrian I don’t want to hurt you, but look at h I knoe need to keep a professional distance between us"

"You are not that person" The gruff note of vehemence in his tone took her aback "Just as I’, the roles in your drea me to let you walk away, and I won’t I know you want me, and I’ll exploit your desire to the fullest--I want you that badly With every day that passes, with every conversation we have, I want you more It burns in me, Lindsay I ache for you"

"Adrian--" Her eyes closed on a sigh "I’m so sorry we met"

"No, you’re not You’re only sorry that there are risks involved"

"I should run while I can" She’d moved so far away from her dad for the saerous for hiive herself if so, just as she’d never forgive herself if Adrian paid a price for being with her

"I’d find you," he said darkly "Wherever you’d go, however you’d hideI would find you"

A knock ca her rudely back into the here and now "I should let you go"

"I’ll see you soon, neshama Stay out of trouble until then"

"No worries there You’re all the trouble I can handle right now"

She hung up, then called out, "Come in, El"

Elijah entered His hair was still damp from a shower and slicked back from his forehead He was dressed in his usual loose jeans and T-shirt, and his gaze raked the room as it always did whenever he entered one The ry?" she asked, even though she knew the answer already The guy ate like awolf

"Starved"

"Can we please not have rooet out of this hotel It can’t be that dangerous to hit up the Denny’s around the corner, can it?"

"Hlanced out theat the cloudless, sunny day "All right Bring your bag of tricks"

Lindsay stood "I know it sucks for you to be stuck with lad you’re here"

She adored Elijah, despite the fact that he was a constant reminder of Adrian and the life she could have shared with the angel, if only they were friends and not crazy with desire for soher mother, she couldn’t bear to lose anyone else she loved, and with her hunting, her life was too dangerous to pledge to someone else It wouldn’t be fair to anyone But Adrian was special He shared the life she did, and she resented that she couldn’t even try to have a relationship with him After all the times she’d wished for someone who could know and understand why she hunted, she’d finally found hiether Even the wind see softly every tiood place forhis shoulders back as if the ht

"You’re bored out of your mind"

"Yeah, but I need to keep a low profile now"