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"You are so beautiful," he breathed "Still devastatingly beautiful Doing this in the dark was a crime" He tried to push soht back

"It’s unruly" She hoped he wouldn’t notice that his reference to the dark had stirred up her old insecurities about lovers seeing the depth of her ehts on with Porfirio…surely Justin hadn’t progressed to that privilege already, had he? It didn’t seem possible, but as she allowed herself to accept this vulnerability, she discovered there was a rightness in granting him this It still scared her…but it thrilled her too

"It’s glorious," he told her He tucked the hair back again, gave up when it escaped, and instead trailed his fingers along her neck, down to her shoulder, and then along the curve of her breast It was another small touch, another one with monumental effects

"Even without flowers?" she teased

His hand froze

"What?"

She laughed softly and brushed a kiss against his lips "You don’t re for a response, Mae kissed hinited, and the tis so that she could take hiher actions now, one that needed the feel of hiripped her shoulders and gently h to break the kiss "What did I say?" he asked

"What?"

"The proposition in Windsor The flowers"

Mae, adrift in a sea of lust, couldn’t even process the de on priht now, the only thing I want to do is--"

"What did I say?"

The harshness in his voice cast a brief chill over the heat of her desire She frowned "I don’t re so shaped like a star--and you were going to put it incompletely unexpected happened then Justin pushed her away andbeen so close to that fulfillment, only to have it abruptly ripped away But even that wasn’t as bad as the look on his face as he sat up Gone was the humor, the rapture and adoration Even the arousal was rapidly dissipating

Mae’s was still going strong, and she couldn’t figure out what had brought about this change "What’s the h his hair "This is a mistake We can’t do this"

She reached out to touch his arm, but he pulled it away "The hell we can’t We should’ve been doing this a long tili It transformed into a steely resolve "No We can’t I can’t Look…you’re gorgeous, no question And men have every reason to line up around the block for the chance to be in bed with you The thing is, I already have been"

"What…you think someone else needs a chance?" she asked

He shook his head "No, no I’one"

She looked him over "You seem thrilled to me"

"Not in here" He tapped his head "You weren’t a conquest, not exactly, but some of what I said back in the ministry was true I usually don’t see women more than once, not because of some sinister motive, but because I can’t help it Once I’ve been with a woo back once I knohat it’s like And…" He held out his hands helplessly "I knohat it’s like with you"

Any residual lust within her had dried up and bloay "You’re lying"

"The lie would be going through with this, and I respect you too aether and don’t want to ruin our working relationship--which is why you need to know the truth And right now that truth is…I’ sex with you"