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Whoever owned this bed was a sex fiend We had stolen a real Love Boat The red velvet everywhere suddenly ht?" Criminy called fro, I wrappedmy damp skin

"I’m fine," I said "I just startled myself"

"What happened?" he said, and the air suddenly see panel between us bent in a little bit, and I could iainst the black wood, his sharp eyebrows dran in concern His nostrils flaring wide, catching h

I clutched the blankethappened," I said nervously "I just saw so the boat?"

"I’ve programmed it already," he said, his voice low and soft "It’ll take us to the open water around the islands and stop If anything shows up on the sonar, we’ll hear an alarain, then exhaled with a soft hum

"So we’re alone Love"

Despite myself, I felt drawn to the door My deter

I felt as if he were pulling an invisible string, as if there were a golden hook around htly off the bed, trailing the red coverlet behind me It was over my shoulders and crossed in front of s wrapped possessively aroundthe tension of his body pressing back through the flimsy wood I breathed in I could s sharp above the brass and new-cloth odors of the sub Raspberries and blackberries, sweet and sun-warm, but with a fierce herbal undertone, crushed weeds and thorns Burgundy and wine and the green of shadows Eyes shut, velvet coverlet drawn up toin the scent with such deep breaths that I was starting to get a little light-headed

The wood bent in against me a little more I took a step back

The door slid to the side, and there he was

We studied each other in stillness He leaned against the door fraer than I, but I suddenly felt quite sly captured the intensity of his gaze and the single-ray and storh the portholes, captured and infinite at once The eyebrows that had at first see volule His mouth was just a little open, and I wanted to kiss it

No, I wanted to bite it, worry it

I wanted to bite it? That was strange

But it didn’tin more of the scent My eyes were drawn to the open neck of his shirt, so rebellious in its carelessness His hair had fluttered loose, drifting over his shoulders It was sled itself from the blanket to reach out and brush it back He closed his eyes as my naked skin brushed his jaw

I half-expected a jolt, but none caht I didn’t need a glance to tell ht in my throat as the blanket fell around me, and his hand snatched it just in ti his face, his hand holding the blanket, the air between us hu

I looked down and reached to take the blanket back fro too of the blanket and wrapped his arht

My head was tucked under his chin, and ashis neck I felt drunk, woozy, swooning As I rubbed my cheek on his collarbone in a daze, he sed hard, and I felt his muscles tense He was like an animal held in check, barely contained

Then he stepped back a little, his gloved hands liftingmy jaw I shivered, but I kept my eyes closed

"Look at