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"There is so stubborn"

"I like her already"

Ria did try to ignore E six feet and a few spare inches of predatory changeling, especially one as quietly dangerous as Emmett, was not an easy task She could feel his eyes on her even while he stood easy task She could feel his eyes on her even while he stood

outside as she walked into a shop with her grand patted her arm "Go and talk to that leopard who looks at you like you’re food"

Heat rushed into her cheeks "He does not" Though she’d found herself fighting the insane urge to stroke hiht caused her stoshe was protesting toous because the Crew poses a threat to DarkRiver’s control of the city"

"Pah!" Miaoling waved a hand "I knohen a ry And if you’d use your woman partsappeared at that instant, eager to lead Miaoling upstairs to his apartment for their weekly tea-conference, as they called it The tere as thick as thieves Ria had no idea what they discussed at these conferences, but her grandmother always had a Cheshire cat s’s

At first, Ria had thought the terewellbut her grandht with an unexpectedly solemn response

"No, Ri-ri I’ve loved only one man my whole life I love the sale sentence had brought tears to Ria’s eyes Her grandfather had been twenty years her grandmother’s senior, and had taken his last breath when Ria was fifteen His death had devastated Miaoling, but she hadn’t ever broken dohere Ria could see her Instead, she’d used thestill spoke to her husband as if he could hear her Though she never did it when pragmatic Alex was nearby, she was open with it in front of Ria Because Ria understood Truly, when she ith her grandrandfather was in the roo over the ho, he’d often co up to heaven, too, aren’t you, randfather had said on his deathbed, his hand wrapped around his wife’s

Miaoling had s hi ascend to the second floor of the shop, she felt her heart contract "Grand looked over her shoulder, her eyes war will you be?"

"Perhaps three hours We’re having lunch today as well"

"Then rand out of Mr Wong’s, Ria found Eot sorandmother?" she asked

"She’s already inside," Erandmother she’s his new assistant"

"The beautiful brunette erous enough to swat a fly"

"Not only can she swat flies, she can kill le blow"

Ria felt a sudden sense of inadequacy "I wish I could do that"

"If you’re serious," he said, looking her up and down in a way that was distinctly professional,

"I can teach you enough self-defense that you won’t ever

feel helpless again You’re fit and you move well You should pick it up quick"

Startled, she stared "You’d do that?" A few tentative tendrils of hope wrapped around her heart--she’d begun to believe that Ely protective as her father, but this argued differently

"How htened away froyet out of the city for a good hard run You’ll need workout gear"

Ria thought about it "I’ll buy some There’s a shop two blocks over" That way, none of her fa Not that their objections would’ve stopped her--but she didn’t have ti Ria’s ar her as she needed to be, and asked hi himself like this Even in the loose sweats and T-shirt she’d changed into, the woman who currently stood with her back to his chest set his body on fire But the little mink didn’t seem inclined to play--she’d been all business since the ym The leopard wasn’t pleased Neither was theto push himself on Ria and make her uncomfortable Not after what that bloody waste of space from the Crew had done to her

"There" He released her "Perfect Now kick"

Ria brought up her leg in a forceful, fast kick It wasn’t graceful or poetic It was hard, rough, dirty E sure she could protect herself "I want you to practice for tenhiinner routine he’d devised She was a fast learner, but as a hu’s Added to that, she was small and female--so the next ti anything at her