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A delicate bone structure registered first, followed by the heartwarasp He realized it was Tink after he’d thrown her on the bed She bounced up and down, and when she stilled she scra down her shoulders

The vase she’d held shattered on the floor Several pieces found their way into his shin

He stood there, glaring down at her "I could have killed you"

"Well, what do you know? You almost kept the first proers at hiers that pierced him soul deep He’d always experienced some kind of ache around her, but this was different This affected every cell in his body, tearing hiht noant you to die!" she huffed

"Is that so?" he asked quietly

The anger drained froaze fell to the floor "No Okay No I’m sorry I said it But I do think you need to learn a lesson You trapped h! I don’t know a na you in my clothes would have verified what everyone already thinks"

"What does everyone think?"

He arched a brow

"I knew it! They don’t just think I’m your property, they think I’ainst the covers When calm, she said, "But it doesn’t matter It wouldn’t have mattered No one would have seen me I could have snuck to irl who can be overlooked, Tink" And he would have utterly destroyed any ans would have littered the floor

"Don’t be ridiculous I’ve been overlooked all my life"

"Not by Leopold"

"Yes, well, he’s out of coht now, isn’t he?"

"Actually, no He’s already healed" Kane eased onto the side of the bed, trying not to allow her nearness to affect his body this ti, as always "Don’t tell me you’re upset about what I did to your brother"

"I’rateful It’s just that I had--"

"Chores I know They’ve been outsourced"

She blinked with incredulity "You told the other servants to do them, and they obeyed you?"

"Yes" Drily, he added, "Some people actually fear my wrath"

Her lips turned down at the corners Such lush, pretty lips, even when she was frowning "Are you saying I should?"

Lord, save me "No, Tink You never should" He clasped her wrist and lifted her arerous, especially now, as the adrenaline of their clash burned the leash holding on to his desire "Now that we’ve gotten the pleasantries out of the e’re going to test out what you can do with your hands"

She tried to tug froht hurt you"

"That should thrill you"

"Well, it doesn’t"

"You don’t have to sound so defeated about it" He relove, then the other

He’d never seen her hands before, he realized They should have been soft, but they were bruised and scarred Despite the barrier she alore, calluses littered her pal away

Again he held fir uncoht, because they’re so beautiful"

"They are Actually, they’re beyond beautiful" And that was the truth Her hands spoke of hard work and a strength of character possessed by few He placed a kiss on each of her knuckles, realized he should have waited until he knehether or not she’d drain hi eyes

"Touch me," he commanded

"Youyou trust me not to purposely take from you, just to escape your room?"

"I do"

"But why? I just tried to bash your skull with a vase And what if I take froed "What happens will happen We have to knoe’re dealing with"

Evento risk you"

Did she have any idea how telling those words were? "Either touch o find Synda I’er, Tink juainst his cheeks "You are such a jerk, and you deserve whatever happens"

He wanted to laugh But he couldn’t They were skin-to-skin, heat-to-heat, and all he had to do to get her underneath him was lean forward She’d fall back, unable to maintain her balance, and he’d stretch out It would take him two seconds to strip her Two et inside her

The painting hanging over the headboard shook, fell Its fraood?" Tink asked, too intent to notice the destruction