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Dappled sunlight kissed his black hair and handsoht and her heart hurt anew until it throbbed in her chest Dressed in an oaterously so

"I want to tel you I’lared

He exhaled harshly and ran both hands through his hair "She doesn’t izing for scaring the wits from her "How lovely," she said, unable to hide her bitterness "I a to you"

He winced and held out his work-roughened hands "A, too sheltered"

"Yes, Well, you found someone older and less sheltered to understand you" She walked past him "I found someone older who understands me We are all happy, so--"

"What?"

His low, oht her roughly "Who?" His face was so tight, she was frightened again "That boy by the stream? Benny?"

"Why do you care?" she threw at him "You have her"

"Is that why you’re dressed this way?" His heated gaze swept up and down her body "Is that why you wear your hair up now? For hi the occasion worthy of it, she had worn one of her prettiest dresses, a deep blue confection sprinkled with tiny embroidered red flowers "Yes! He doesn’t see me as a child"

"Because he is one! Have you kissed hier than you" Her chin lifted "And he is an earl A gentleirl"

"It wasn’ther by the upper arms

"It appeared that way to ers kneaded into her skin restlessly, as if he couldn’t bear to touch her, but couldn’t bear not to either

"And I suppose you do?"

His jaw clenched in answer to her scorn

Oh, that hurt! To know there was someone out there who this?" She attempted to wrench free, but to no avail He held fast She needed distance from him She could not breathe when he touched her, could barely think Only pain and deep sorrow penetrated her overwhelot about you, Colin I stayed out of your way Why ain?"

He thrust one hand into the hair at her nape, pul ing her closer His chest labored against hers, doing odd things to her breasts, , worried about how her body would react if she continued

"I saw your face," he said gruffly "I hurt you I never meant to hurt you"

Tears fil ed her eyes and she blinked rapidly, deter

"A an aching note "Don’t cry I can’t bear it"

"Release me, then And keep your distance" She sed hard "Better yet, perhaps you could find a ious position elsewhere You are a hard worker--"

His other arm banded her waist "You would send me away?"

"Yes," she whispered, her hands fisted in his sweater "Yes, I would" Anything to avoid seeing hiainst her "An earl…It must be Lord Ware Damn him"

"He is nice toto give me my first kiss And I’m--"

"No!" Colin pulled back, his irises sed by dilated pupils leaving deep black pools of tors that I never will , including you But by God, he won’t take that fro her so that she couldn’t , why he was acting this hy he would approach her now, on this day, and kiss her as if he were starved for the taste of her

His head twisted, his lips fitting es of her jaw and urging her , afraid she was drea or had otherwise lost her ue, soft like wet velvet, slipped inside