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"Azriel--"

"What you want is not wise, Risa"

"I don’t care"

"I know" There was a hint of resignation in his voice, but he still refused to turn around

I letthe outline of a corew "Tell me," I said softly "If you and I were both reapers, would you be standing there with your back to ht now?"

"No, I would not"

"Then don’t do it now"

He sighed "You do not understand the risk--"

"If assimilation is our fate, Azriel, then it will happen whether or not we make love"

"I was not talking about assi about?"

He didn’t answer He never did when it came to questions like that I tried a different tack "You once said that reapers ies Can we at least atteainst physical loveht now?"

"We could" He hesitated "But I doubt it would be any wiser, and for even more reasons"

"Daet reason? What the hell do you want?"

For a hed and said, almost inaudibly, "You"

And with that, he turned around, took me in his ar sweet about this kiss, nothing soft, because it was filled with all the hunger of a man in desperate need I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned it in kind, and for what see but the kiss and the desire that exploded between us

When he finally pulled back, his eyes burned with a hunger deeper than anything I’d ever seen before "Just so you know, reapers do not engage in kisses like that"

"Well, they sure as hell should"

He sree that there is so about flesh-on-flesh contact, be it lips or so h uess"

"I a if not polite" He released ed on the bed, then ainst mine"

"If a reaper’s idea of sex doesn’t involve oing to like it very iven I’m naked and you’re not"

"Trust me, our state of dress will not matter" His smile creased the corners of his eyes and made my heart do a happy little dance "And I ah there is enough Aedh in you that it should--so behave"

"I ah his voice was bland, it held a hint of sadness that tugged at so deep inside "Because you are still flesh based, ill have to take this slowly Are you ready?"

I suess that answer"

"True" A smile briefly lifted the corners of his ain "Close your eyes and concentrate on nothing "

"That hardly sounds like fun"

"Stop talking and concentrate if you want to do this" It was softly said, yet held a note of iron

I shut up

"Now," he continued "Let go of the awareness of all that is around you, until there is no sound, no scent, just you and every intake of breath"