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This ht be the best day of my life, Caleb announced

"My pleasure" Aden tuned Caleb out and pressed his lips to Victoria’s; her head tilted, and she i into herThe heat, the electricity, they ht-socket, every cell he possessed sparking to life

"More," she whispered

They strained against each other She was so soft All the while shehi hi hi that could fly, hetheir solid anchor Victoria’s hands were in his hair, though, her nails scraping his scalp--which he loved, needed more of--so he didn’t care

"I want to bite you," she said, and she sounded intoxicated, her words slurred

"Yes" He didn’t hesitate He loved when she bit hiain, he didn’t care He loved this girl Would be anything she needed him to be

"I shouldn’t"

"Please do"

She trailed little kisses along his cheek, his jaw, then his neck, her tongue flicking against his skin Yes This is what he’d drea and taking like this Kissing on and on, forever "Sure?"

"Do it Please"

Her teeth sank into his vein, sharp and insistent There was no pain Her , a cheh his body, caressing him from the inside out Yes, yes

His eyes opened to half-er outside Four walls surrounded hi in the rooe, canopied bed hite fur draped over the top A vase of white roses that scented the air rested on a vanity There was no dresser, but there was a coh neither looked as if they’d ever been used Too ood," she whispered "So…" She jerked away froerous"

A bead of blood trickled down his neck, he felt the heated glide of it, but he didn’t wipe it away "I like it," he reminded her, and he, too, sounded intoxicated

She cleaned her mouth with the back of her hand "I like it far too much Next time, you have to tell y swept through hihts, all the tension, the worry, the battles, that drugging kiss, suddenly caught up with him and his knees buckled

Victoria rushed to hi him up She helped him walk to the bed He fell on the

"Sleep," she said "I’ll take care of you"

He believed her, and so he obeyed He slept

TWENTY-ONE

I’M IN BED WITH RILEY And he’s not in wolf forht Giddily He was huether For the ht now, things were innocent They were dressed, they weren’t kissing They were si on his chest, his heart beating against her ear, his hand caressing her back They were talking Or had been

They were silent now His bedroom was next door to Victoria’s and they’d heard the vampire return With Aden There’d been a short,silence A silence that had drifted into this roo tension with it

Sexual tension Awareness

Mary Ann tried to distract herself fro next door--and what could happen in here She studied Riley’s inner sanctum, a place of absolute relaxation and comfort Ga Only thing that kept her froed to a bored hu himself was the wall of weapons Knives of every shape and size covered every inch Cleary, he took his duties of protector seriously

"How long have you been Victoria’s guard?" she asked

"Since her birth"

"That’s a long time"

"Not in this world"

True "What’d you do before that?"

"Trained, e, he dies with that charge Therefore, a wolf is only ever given one charge She was mine"

"So you’re connected?"