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"I really thought there was soination run aith irl who ju when you called me"

"But it was just a deer"

"It doesn't matter It could have been someone anted to hurt you Better safe than sorry"

"I feel like an idiot"

David's hand wrapped around the back of her neck and he pulled her face close to his until their foreheads touched

She could see the gray flecks in his blue eyes as he pinned her with a steady, truthful stare: "You are not an idiot You and I are a tea will be okay Do you trust ue over her dry lips

His eyes locked on to the movement and she saw his pupils expand, felt his shoulders shift with a sudden intake of breath He was going to kiss her and she couldn't think of anything that she wantedto die in the next few days, she wanted to go with no regrets, and ain would definitely be regret-worthy

He took her face between his square, callused hands Her sto noisily against her ribs She could feel the surge of adrenaline sliding through her veins,warm and soft She shivered as his heat sank into her skin and let her eyes fall shut so that she could simply feel

The first brush of his lips was soft, al like the desperate pressure of histheir first kiss He coaxed her lips apart and she welco her own exciteue swept over her botto boldly over her teeth

He lifted her to her feet and she could feel the steady strength of his arms around her A low, needy sound rumbled in his chest and she could feel it vibrate the tips of her breasts, ht His hands slid from her cheeks down her throat and over her shoulders, where they gripped and released her repeatedly as if undecided on as the best course of action

Noelle had no such trouble deciding She let her hands wander over his shoulders, down his chest and around his waist to grip his back and feel the sleek strength of the muscles just below the line of his vest

He felt so good under her fingers--strong and solid and so very warer cold to the core or sweating in fear The si war her bottoh her torso and settled into happy little wriggling knots low in her belly

She sighed into his ood his hand felt, placed so inti froainst hiainst her abdoht, she realized that was certainly nothing like her experience with Stanley

A brief, faint whimper of feminine need filled the air of the cabin and David separated their bodies His eyes were nearly black with lust and his chest belloith labored breathing "We've got to stop," he panted

Noelle knew the words he said, but it took several seconds for her to process the she could understand "Why?" was all she could aze drifted down to her ain "Because this is not supposed to happen"

"It's not?"

She felt his hands tense against her arht

His nostrils flared and he clenched his jaw "I can't focus on my job e're like this All I can think about is the way you taste, the way you feel"

"And that's bad, right?" Her voice sounded far away-- weak and breathless

David cursed and closed his eyes "It's good So daet distracted right now"

The languid war to fade in the face of reality It took every ounce of willpower she possessed, but she ed to peel his hands fro and her body felt like it had had all the blood drained out and replaced with sawdust She was so weak she could barely stay upright, but she found the strength to nod "Neither one of us has any rooet back to work"

Owen found the visitor that night eating dinner outside a tiny tent It was a kid who couldn't have been twenty yet His short blond hair was left uncovered to catch the light of the ht a fire

Aainst the back of the young round in a sloppy puddle, and the boy raised his hands slowly

"Why are you here?" asked Owen

"Take it easy, er's on the brink of puberty

"Lie to ret it What is your na man stiffened and his hands started to shake "Brian Lorenz"

"Why are you here, Brian Lorenz?"

"I was sent here"

Owen's trigger finger tensed "Sent? By whoht find you here, or rather, you'd find , but if you did find me, I was supposed to tell you to hurry the hell up"

Now they were getting so the boy Perhaps both "Why did he send you? Or are you er boy?"

Mr Lark commonly sent fools like this boy on impossible missions If they failed, there was one less fool in the world, and if they succeeded, they earned a coveted spot within the ranks of the Swarm In the past year, only seven people had been offered an invitation, and dozens had died in an effort to earn one Mr Lark was selective and only allowed the anization He believed that everyone should earn their place in the world and Owen's was by Mr Lark's side, helping him steer the Swar to let this fool boy s up