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"Elisa--"

"I want to do it now on my own," she said "I’ll be okay"

He nodded, but watched carefully as she hopped forward, then put the other foot back on the pedal He held on long enough for her to get sohed, a delighted, nervous sound "Oh, this is wonderful You can go as fast as you can pedal" When she increased her speed, he kneouldn’t be able to keep pace with her and pass as hu the concrete to reach the beach He stayed at a jog, slowing to a walk as she got farther ahead As he watched, shemore andadvantage of her third-mark balance to let the bike make a serpentine track

When a ht out, she had to try that as well Of course her bike hit a loose patch of concrete, and she went tu Heedless of whether or not he appeared to be more than human, he was there in an instant, but his worry ihter

"Got too cocky, didn’t I? Guess there’s a reason they call it that, because it seems it’s mostly men who try that kind of foolishness before they’re ready"

Mal squatted, lifting the bike off of her, and saw she’d scraped her knee She beaone in a moment, but isn’t it marvelous? Mr Collins’s son fell off his bike one day and had one just like that He told er scab than the one that Tohter becae it up and kiss it, though Boys are funny that way"

"Yes, they are" Staring at her, he felt so full offeeling It took his voice, but at the same tis He’d never been happier in his life than right noith her, like this It was a ood life at his sanctuary, no question, but he’d never felt so full of another person, so in need of them He wanted to share that with her, but didn’t He’d never opened himself up like that, as huotten too used to protecting hi was permanent But he did follow another, safer ione in a few" Bending over it, he placed his lips there, spending several discreeta little quiver through her as he held her thigh beneath the dress hes increase After giving the knee a thorough washing, taking away all the blood, he ravel Then he pressed a single kiss to the center

"You ripped your heht it, and I ruined it, I think it’s just the opposite"

"Yellow isn’t led at hiive herself to such youthful silliness "Well," she said at length, "if anything is owed, I think the bicycling lessons were a fine trade"

Abruptly, her expression changed, her eyes becoe and deep, her mouth soft "I want to speak to the carousel operator, and then I want to go back to Lord Marshall’s I want to pack our bags and go back to the island tomorroant to be in your bed with the canopy, and all the sounds of the lions, leopards, cheetahs and cougars I want to see Jereood news Will you take me there?"

Despite her earlier words, she didn’t say, "Will you takeshe had She understood how things were She always had, alould, and he was supposed to appreciate that in her, not want her to get soft and sloppy over his resolved, he would ask her again if she wanted to be his third-mark, if she wanted to stay with hi at her, he didn’t know if he’d ever ask the question She fairly oozed commitment and family Even if her ansas yes, it would be because of that generous heart and deeply submissive nature It wasn’t what she truly wanted He couldn’t take that away from her