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He stopped in front of his bedroom suite "It’s yours So I am very interested"

Novo did the job with the knob, probably as a way to duck the intensity that he was throwing out That was another thing he was learning about her--she was big into diversions, and this was not a surprise The fe hihtest provocation

She did seeh

God, she was so different Unexpected Fascinating

With a whistle under her breath, Novo walked into the enor out his bed, his movie screen–sized TV, his sofas, and the bathroohed "If you’re co this place to a hotel lobby, sure"

He walked over to his dressing roo on their own thanks tohamper

When he came back out, he was naked "You have way too er have that probleleamed as she kicked off her combat boots, disarmed, and peeled that muscle shirt and those ruined leathers Then she stood before hi Lean, muscled…incredibly sexy

"Fuck," he heard himself say "You are the most beautiful feht You don’t have to compliment me--"

"Shut up" He came forward and took her hand "Until you leave this house at nightfall, just let me say what I want and be who I a you to pretend that you’re one of those doormat females in a dress with their pinkies in the air over a teacup But for the next bunch of hours, leave me alone with the corrections, okay?"

She looked away Looked back "Fair enough"

With that settled, he pulled her into the bath and started the water flowing into the tub And in the ated sinks and towels, bathrobes and s She was so stunningly sexy, he nearly let things overflow onto the floor

"That is a pool," she announced "Not a tub"

"Wait," he said as she lifted a leg to get in "Your hair"

With a graceful twist, she turned to him "What about it?"

Peyton ca rope where the band was "Take it out"

Before she could shake her head, he whispered, "Please I just want to see you with it loose Once"

As a haunted look came into her eye, he braced hiers "Let th around and there was so the braid apart, unleashing acres of gorgeous black hair

When she was finished, she pivoted to him and pushed it all over her shoulders so that he could only catch sight of the part of it where the indent of her waist was With her downcast eyes, and tense body, it was as if she were braced to be slapped

Reaching out, Peyton fanned her hair back into place

"You take arded the waves cascading down below her breasts, nearly to the cleft of her sex "Now…and forever odsakes, Novo thought

But the truth was, no one had seen her with the stuff loose since Oskar And in the end, the only way she could stay with it doas by reain, that this was just for the day ahead As soon as the sun lowered itself on the far edge of the horizon, she was going to tie everything back up again and set herself to rights oncebuttoned, braided, and bound, her e to her, she heardher things that in her lonely, battered heart she was hungry to hear and believe--but which her self-preservation told her to shut out

She could not ignore the way he looked at her, though

Or the fact that he got down on his knees

His hands were like a suhs, her hips…her breasts And his lips were velvet soft as he brushed the andhiood, too good, slick against slick, heat against heat