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She felt the intensity of his cliuttural shout of satisfaction

When he collapsed on top of her she could barely breathe She stroked his back froiving off so ing fever

All in all, she thought, it was a wonderful way to go

A cold draft woke her so froht her wide awake She scra the chenille throw around herself

"Nick?"

"Right here" He closed the door "I just brought the flashlight in from the car I'll leave it here on the hall table"

"Oh Thanks" Maybe she'd been a bit hasty in assu out on her already

"No probleht I'd better be going"

He was leaving Couldn't wait to be on his way Outrage and pain knifed through her Well? What had she expected? This was Nick Harte, after all He wasn't exactly fa around until breakfast It wasn't as if she hadn't known exactly what she was getting into when she went into his arms earlier

But it still hurt far more than it should This hy she preferred to avoid risks, she thought There were good, solid reasons for not opening yourself up to this kind of pain

Nick crossed the shtly

"Carson and I will stop in at the gallery e co for a response, slung his jacket over his shoulder, and went back toward the door

"That would be nice," she mumbled

He paused, one hand on the doorknob "Is there a proble?" she asked evenly

"Such as?"

"The Talk"

A terrible stillness came over him

"You know about The Talk?" he asked carefully

She was beginning to wish that she had kept her mouth shut Maybe she would have had the sense to do just that if she hadn't been jolted out of her very pleasant dreams to find him already dressed and headed for the door