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"Do you like his kisses? Do you wish to marry him?"

"His kisses wereadequate," she replied coolly, taking care to keep her voice steady and nonchalant "It has been my experience that one kiss is the saree, Lord Mal Verne?"

She looked aith great casualness, forcing herself to focus on the tiny green apples that grew just beyond their bench

All at once, large, firm hands closed over her shoulders and she was hauled toward hi chest Gavin&039;s face-dark and hungry-blurred toward her, hisupon hers before she could draw a breath

A rush of so it-catching her by surprise, and she leaned toward hiainst hi every part of her body come alive as his mouth devoured hers and she kissed him in return

His lips, soft now that they weren&039;t plated with annoyance, fit to herin turn as Gavin slipped his hands around her back His fingers h the fabric of her gown Still half-seated, she fit closely to his chest, at last reathered in all of hisraw and wild

Everything drained away: only he reh her veins as he tempted her ent, as his tongue ht a faint h to press light, tender kisses on the side of her ht his mouth back to hers

Madelyne remembered her hands, tucked between theers brushed damp, dark hair as they curled to embrace the back of his head, then moved alers closed over his arth that surrounded her Under her hand, he jerked, a grunt of pain escaping, and Madelyne pulled away, struggling to return to herself

"What is it?" she asked, her lips full and cluh to brush against his Once again, she felt the hard bench beneath her and realized that the garden flourished around them For a moment, she&039;d lost track of where, and when

He looked down at her, his eyes now soft andglazed, his lips full anddown to the place between her legs as she recognized soh he&039;d been running, and his hands returned to the bench beside hiy-" He held up a hand to stop her as she drew in her own staggering breath to tell hiy to her backside "-but I will not"

Then, as though he hiain, placing more space between them on the bench Some of the sharpness returned to his features-but a sense of peacefulness remained, too, Madelyne saw, even as she wondered why he would shutter himself so quickly from what had just occurred Despite the fact that she wanted to revel in the kissto explore what it meant and if it made him feel as soft and happy and unfinished as it did herMadelyne accepted that he was not yet ready to do so

"Gavin, you ed, reaching to touch hiain This time, he did not pull from her reach, but nodded, and she felt that that was so the hunt," he told her "My shoulder and arm are likely bruised more colorfully than Eleanor&039;s jewels, but I do not believe anything is broken I would welcoive my injury-or, if &039;tis too much trouble, I can seek out another healer to treat me "

"Gavin, how can you think I would see you in pain and do naught to help? Of course I will see to it"

He looked back at her, those gray eyes probing more deeply than his kiss "Nay, Madelyne, I did not knohether you would care to ease reater hurt"

She reached to touch his face, but pulled her tre with his dirt-streaked skin "I cannot hold against you that which eance and honor Nor would I withholdthat of ladly serve you thus I see no reason that Lord Reginald would object tohim carefully "I do not believe, however, that he would approve of any further kisses between us Most particularly since I have changed e that passed over his face was astonishing Eyes, cheeks, hten, harden, darken before her eyes "Aye, Madelyne, D&039;Orrais could have little to say were you to see to my needs, but &039;tis true that he would likely object to any kiss other than one of peace to pass between us"

He stood abruptly "You may have no fear-I shall not place you in such an aard position again It grows late, and I must bathe the blood and sweat from my body Allow o about my business" He offered her his arm

Madelyne took it, frustration and annoyance coloring herto chilly formality as she could think of no other way to express her irritation

He looked down at her, then began to propel her toward the front of the garden "What is it you have changed yourat a pace faster than she would have wished

"I no longer am of the opinion that one kiss is the same as another" Madelyne did not look at him, and did not take any pause in her steps She continued to walk toward the keep as though she had not just laid her heart out for him to step upon

And Gavin did not make the merest of pauses hih he&039;d heard nothing