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Even now a clammy hand trailed down his spine Safer to keep his distance, to satisfy his dark urges with a whore All he wanted fro And to take her like that would destroy their friendship

"It’s just blood," he said "Don’tin the air "I know exactly what it was Do you think I don’t knohat happens between a blue blood and his thrall?"

That scored a blow "Blade?" His voice roughened, though he knew he had no dao after his hed breathlessly, turning back to the board "It wasn’t like that Not between us Of course I felt desire, but it wasn’t--it was just my body’s response to the chemical in his saliva On some distant level I always knew that And he never neverover her wrist frorip on the cleaver "Who then? You been with soruffly

"Stupid," she whispered "You are so stupid, Rip"

His thurasp "What’s this ‘Rip’ you keep callin’ e of panic curled through him "You always called me John"

He liked the sound of his name on her lips Too much so

"So I did," she said in a toneless little voice that e

He put the cleaver down, his hard body curled around hers with but an inch between theaze dropped to the curl that had coainst the s him to put his lips there But why the hell would a woly hands on her? Rip steeled himself "Esme, come now We’re friends You always could tellfree of his grip, she pushed past in a swirl of dark green skirts "Before I realized you weren’t telling " As he reached for her, she pulled away, hands held out of his grasp "I’ve got to get this soup on"

Rip pressed a hand flat on the kitchen bench and stared at her "Ain’t stoppin’ you And what the ‘ell you talkin’ about? I don’t knohat’s goin’ on You keep talkin’ like this is over – like you ain’t wantin’ to be friends anymore" He stepped toward her but she backed away, a wary look on her face Rip held up his hands incredulously "I ain’t goin’ to ‘urt you You know that, aye?"

Wouldn’t be the first ti hurt that she did He’d never once lifted a hand, never once raised his voice… Growing up the way he did, out in the streets where he’d learned to be brutal, learned to use his size and speed to cultivate a reputation as… It had protected him of course, when his mother couldn’t But it had also cost hiainst the dark side of the ‘Chapel, but he hated the other flip of the coin The isolation The omen avoided him for fear of his reputation and children shied away froreat size He’d survived what others wouldn’t have as a child, but he’d done it alone Even here at the Warren he had friends, but no woman of his own And he ached so much for it that he hurt

"Of course I know that," she said The coldness had leeched out of her expression, just for a ers a s back "You would never hurt anyone sentle man Even if others don’t see it" Her shoulders slu He didn’t think he could handle it if she were afraid of hio I were takin’ me blood cold and I were then It’s only been lately… Just three tiht to discuss it with you" Scrubbing a hand over the roughened stubble on his head, he looked at her, trying to force her to see the truth "Not the sort of thing I’d talk about with a lady, you understand?"

The look on her face made hope die in his chest

"Esme?" he took another step toward her

"I can’t do this anyht you needed so on the part of the conversation that made his blood run cold If he could just understand what the hell was going on in her head

She gave a breathless laugh "Friends, Rip Friends It doesn’t h her hair, she stared at the pot on the stove with a blank look on her face "Soup I need to get the soup on"

He caught her arm as she hurried toward the stove and stared down at her "Friends? You believe me? That I never meant to lie to you? You swear?"

Esave a little tug "After all, what in Heaven’s na from me for? It’s not as if I have any sort of hold over you"

"True," he said softly Their eyes n that she ht have felt otherwise That she wanted hiht have made him step forward and tilt her face up to his

Eslanced doiping her hands in her apron "So that’s settled" She cleared her throat "I’ve got most of this done I really don’t need any assistance"

It felt far fro out the breath he’d been holding "As you wish"

Later that night Rip started knocking on doors