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- "I’m proud I stood up to a lieutenant and forced hiness, tension snapping "You also clawed hi kiss that told him she was utterly unrepentant, even as her hands stroked over the already healing cuts "But deep inside," she continued,

"the wolf already knew you’re built to protect rather than hurt those like esthat’s new, unexpected, and the vulnerability it asks forit frightens ets e’ve already shared and retreats into the rules of the hierarchy"

Fingers on his nape, petting gently before worried eyes ive up, will you?"

"Hell, no You’reyou" Conscious all at once that she’d softened around hiainst the tree, his hips nestled intiainst her, he brushed his lips over hers She opened on a sigh, her hands sliding to grip his shoulders

Much as he wanted to use his own hands, he kept them on the tree trunk, and in spite of the fact she wore his mark on her throat, he didn’t attempt to move his mouth down to that sensitive area Not today, when he’d inadvertently frightened her wolf in his impatience

Today, he’d just kiss herand plan the next step in their dance of courtship

COMING hoht-to-six shift on the perihtripped him in its jaws the instant he closed his eyes and shook, until he woke screary and frustrated, he punched the wall until his knuckles bled

It took teeth-gritting control to shake off the dark effects, and he kept his distance froe with those too-perceptive eyes of hers

Instead, he sent her ot a note in return saying he would make her fatas well as a pink cupcake decorated with their initials in a frosting heart Laughing when he hadn’t thought he’d smile today, he bit into the cupcake and sent back a note saying he liked soo to her that afternoon, her eyes danced at hi her hips the entire time Her touch warmed the ice-cold places deep inside hiainst his cheek "You didn’t sleep well" She brushed at the s her brow

"Yeah, I’ll sack out early tonight unless you want to crawl into bed with me? Then I’m sure I could be motivated to stay awake"

The frown didn’t disappear

"You’re doing it again"

"What?"

"Using sex tohis face, she rose on tiptoe and kissed him until he was breathless "Talk to me"

Declaration of Courtship Chapter 11

HE ALMOST BROKE, but he couldn’t, wouldn’t, taint her with his pain, didn’t want her to feel caged by his need "Why don’t you talk tocrew"

"Yes, a dinner to celebrate our early completion of the section 4B rehaul" She petted his shoulders in that affectionate way she had of touching him "Want to coo shoot some pool" He would not monitor her life just because it drove him insane to not be certain if she was safe "I’ll coet in at a reasonable hour"

Dark eyes watched hiotten"

He knew she hadn’t He also knew this was his cross to bear "There’s nothing to worry about"

The night was excruciating

Returning froot stuck in a traffic jaet back into the den till after eleven Aware it was too late to wake Grace up, he nevertheless went past her quarters, hoping against hope to see light under the door But she was asleepor not in

And there was no one he could ask to confir too much, so instead he waited for dawn and turned up to take her out to breakfast

Where he held her for so long, she knew soh he knew it couldn’t go on this way forever