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He placed a finger between her eyebrows "Why so worried, chérie?"

She shook her head then laughed, that falling laughter of frustration "I fear waking up bound again"

"Oui Of course you do That will not go away very soon So tell me, what more can I do to ease you?"

His s of hiht releases "Kiss me," she said

He didn’t wait for further invitation but swept the few inches of his extraordinary height down to ainst hi an arlorious hair She took what he gave and gave roan

He waved a hand She wasn’t sure what he meant by it until he lifted her up on the table and instead of feeling wood beneath the thin silk of her underwear, she felt a soft fleece blanket He was so daan to hurt as she put her hands on his shoulders

He looked down very low and eased her knees apart The crook of his finger drifted over her clitoris A gasp left her throat

He aze "Your body, ma chérie, is a finely tuned, delicate instruazed into her eyes and continued that soft intie led then sed hard

Fear began tocreature that his touch, his nearness had awakened Were they going to do this? Were they really going to make love?

She didn’t understand that san to swi her stomach, her chest, her throat

"Chérie, what is it? What is the matter?"

She shook her head and clutched at her throat "I don’t know I don’t know" Strange tears burned her eyes

He covered the hand over her throat "Regarde-aze squarely on his but she couldn’t breathe

He searched her eyes for a long " He eased back froasped and shook her head "No This wouldn’t be fair to you"

"I do not care what is right or fair I worry only that you are in such sudden distress"

Fiona forced herself to breathe, to rip of so like steel bands around her chest She forced the creature back into her sto in swift threatening circles

She should leave, but she hated the idea of leaving like this Soht since she’d been rescued Even after fivehad to give, had to change

When he took another step back, and his gaze fell from hers, when she could feel not just his despair but his resolve as well, she thrust her arht his neck at the nape She would not let hio "Enthrall me," she cried

"What? I do not understand"

"Put me in thrall I’ve heard tales of it I know you can do it All Militia Warriors enthrall the women they dance with and make love to at the Blood and Bite Enthrall me"

He shook his head "Non I will not take you like this"

She understood what needed to happen next if they were to move forward She understood the way the sun rose and set each day, the way the tide came in and went back out She had to be enthralled Her fears, not of her own , wouldn’t allow her one more step with him

Her resolve deepened and she let her araze in a hard stare and overlaid his hts I have been held captive by a quiet monster and ht onthose fears overpower the moment But, Warrior Jean-Pierre, mon homme, ould be my breh, you ht onin the world I want to be connected body and soul with youin the world, here and now, on this table fro of you to enthrall me and make me yours Please

The last word had resonance, and she watched him close his eyes and weave on his feet

When he opened his eyes, she saw his new resolve and the creature fled to the darkest recess of her soul His aze in waves of exquisite peace