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He was tense, rigid "I should never have left you alone"

"Don’t ruin all this goodwill I’ cavehter Voices faded as the rounds for more monsters

Lexi didn’t want to have any part of that hunt She was still shaking and needed to relax "Can we go inside now? I’ a little vulnerable out here in the dark"

"Anything you want, honey"

He pulled away enough that he could look down at her His pale green eyes were lit with concern, giving her a much needed distraction He was such a beautiful man with such a beautifulher want to touch his body until she knew it better than her own She wanted to soak hith and confidence

He said sohting the urge to kiss him and take back up where they left off in that cabin Everything about hiet those jeans of his off, she knew they would be good together, totally explosive

A warer over his bottom lip He took her hand and pressed a soft, hot kiss into her palm "When you look at "

"Listening to what?" she asked, hearing the dazed drone in her voice

"I said I have a surprise for you Wanna see?"

Against her will, her eyes slid down his body to his crotch

Zach let out a bark of laughter, and lifted her chin with his hand "You’re killing ers through hers and led her on a winding path through the trees They ca, and fro and a bustle of activity in the exercise area

She tensed up and Zach squeezed her hand "No one here is going to hurt you They’re just all anxious to irl, that’s all"

She took a deep breath and forced it out She wasn’t used to being around so many people, especially not ones asiron only a few yards away

Zach led her through the group without mishap, but she could feel the intense stares of too many eyes on her She felt like prey when they watched her like that, and she couldn’t help but suffer through a little spurt of fear that urged her to run and hide She’d been doing that all her life, and standing her ground noas harder than she’d ever iers slid up and down her forear voice slid into her ear "Just a little farther"

Even once they were through the glass doors, she was sure they were still watching her She didn’t need to look back to check

"You hungry?" he asked her

She had been before the attack, but not as er flee "I can’t sit here and let the a little more private Dinner for two"

Lexi nodded Anything to get away from all those eyes "Okay"

"Good It’s part of your surprise"

Zach led her into a hallway, and the noise of the people in the dining area faded behind them Lexi pulled in a breath, then another Finally, she was able to fill her lungs and exhale some of the tension inside her

She focused on the doors sliding by the thethe way, but her nerves were too raw for anything so complicated

Zach pulled her to a stop outside of a doorway and pointed to his right "Helen and Drake’s suite is two doors down I thought you ht want to be near her" He took her hand and put a plastic card key in her palm "This is for you"

Lexi looked at the key There were no netic strip running along one side

"Go ahead," he told her, grinning "Open it"

Lexi slid the key in, and the light switched froreen She pushed the door open and stepped inside

The first thing that hit her was the smell of freshly baked bread She sucked the scent into her lungs, groaning as her hunger caht behind her, so close she could feel the heat of his body She handed him his key and went to find that bread Before she could rabbed her wrist and put the key back into her hand "It’s yours, Lexi This whole suite is yours"

Lexi blinked up at hiood-to-be-true daydream to fade "What?"

"This is your new hoave her a s up

"Ho to wrap her mind around the concept She’d never had a home without wheels before

His ar to what lay behind her "What do you think?"

Numb from shock, and with a layer of thick suspicion to protect her, Lexi turned around She took three steps down the short entry hall until she could see the whole place The living area was huge, with high ceilings and towering s overlooking a swath of trees lining the lake’s glistening edge The walls were painted a soothing green that blended perfectly with the co on the wall and e to be filled with books and trinkets

None of which Lexi owned

A miniature kitchen was tucked into one corner, already stocked with a coffeepot and a table for two Candles burned between two covered plates of food, and a deep, red wine glowed inside delicate crystal glasses