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Male pride, such a fragile, precious thing She nodded at Noor, now entering the cockpit with Clay "She hasn’t got a ed "They said if I cooperated, they’d lay off her for a bit, but that was a lie" His eyes went to Dorian as the sentinel slid into the pilot’s seat "Who’s that?"

"Dorian," she told hi, huh?"

She didn’t quite kno to answer that but Clay turned around and did it for her "The ultiently over Noor’s back as she lay curled up against his chest "We ood, kid Screa is a fact of life - hell, Dorian here would never shut up when he was your age"

Dorian threw Clay an unfriendly look, then glanced at Jon "Don’t listen to a word he says He’s scared of needles" He turned back to the gauges "Ready for lift off, boys and girls?"

Jon relaxed, apparently happier now that he’d had soe to roll her eyes, she dared put an arm around him To her surprise, he let her hold him When she pressed a kiss to his brow, he didn’t even fidget

S back to face the windshield, Clay caught Dorian’s tense expression The other man orried for the saotten in her happiness This wasn’t over And the next target wasto be Talin herself Not that the fuckers would get anywhere near her

Mind on their next lare This was oneinto his brain He’d have worried the Psy soldier had caused per up thatNoor when she shifted restlessly, he decided he’d have to talk Tally into petting hi at Nate and Tamsyn’s upon their return late in the afternoon Not only did she have a big house, the kids needed to be looked at, and together, Ta team By the time everyone had bathed, eaten, and been checked out, it was too late to talk, so they scheduled athe next day

Noor fell asleep without trouble, but Talin had to coax Jon into a herbal sleeping remedy that Tas in s"

"It’s natural, won’t mess up your body or cause addiction" When he reers over his face "They hurt you, Jon Your body needs to rest so it can heal This’ll help Please"

It took ten more minutes, but she finally won With both children asleep, she was free to tackle Clay "Lie down," she ordered, careful to keep her voice lower than a whisper "Do you want me to ask Tamsyn for headache meds?"

His ansas predictable and, unlike with Jon, she knew she wouldn’t be able to wear his" But he did stretch out on his back on the bed

Having already spoken to Tay, she poured out drops of an un-scented natural oil onto her fingers and began to rub theion of his te, he closed his eyes It made her throat lock, he looked so vulnerable It wasn’t a word she associated with Clay, wasn’t a face he often showed But tonight, he had trusted her with it Sing her tears, she continued the gentle e Some time later, she realized he’d fallen asleep She sat there and watched hi

But the original reason for their coether was now complete Jon was safe So was another child What if Clay decided he couldn’t forgive her enough to continue this relationship, his leopard’s territorial nature too strong? She bit down hard on her lower lip when her fearful pain threatened to shift into sound If Clay rejected her - now or later, for any reason - she would break once and for all

So she watched hiet up, strip off her clothing, and crawl into bed beside hier to belong to him, to prove to herself that he wouldn’t leave her But he slept And after long, tortured ers between her thighs, luscious wet kisses along her jaw, an aroused ed to gasp out as he dipped his fingers inside her welcoly so

"You feel like warm, lickable cream"

All embarrassment fled, to be replaced by sheer need "Coo Please don’t leave ain Please, Clay

He spread her open with his fingers and began to slide in, so big frole, so hot Then he murmured in her ear-earthy words of passion, quiet, sexy endearments that made her feel like the most beautiful of woh to deepen the penetration, she had to clench her jaw to hold off a cry

He paused "Did that hurt?"

"You feel too good"

A masculine chuckle "I love the way you sue to taste her "I love the way you feel So soft, so hot" When he finally rocked her to cliry place inside her soul was almost filled up Almost

Even as Clay’s heartbeat continued to race fro It confused the hell out of his leopard She was his mate He should have been able to ease her pain That he couldn’t, struck a blow to his pride "Tally, baby, what’s wrong?"

"Don’t let uarded stateiven hiain, I proods the - take her fro words in her ear After a while, he could feel her hurt retreating, as if she had decided to trust his pro he couldn’t handle