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Cassie braced herself before turning her full attention to Devon Her heart knocked against her ribs and her breath froze as his e casually in the chair; his cards were held loosely in his long fingered hand, his long legs stretched before hih his posture was one of relaxation she could feel the tension vibrating through him There was a hum of power in him that was out of place with a normal human, but she couldn’t resist it

"Cassie" She loved the sound of his voice, the melodic flow of it It did not wipe away the awful events of the night, but it helped to soothe souilt, and fear that had taken up residence in her soul

"I told you she’d be horand forward she e board "Your dinner is still warrab it while I finish beating your friend in cribbage"

Cassie’s eyes flew back to Devon, widening in surprise He was playing her grandrinned back at her "She thinks she’s going to beat "

"Oh, but I will"

Cassie shook her head, turning sloay The whole night had been surreal, but this part of it seemed absolutely ludicrous The object of her obsession, solace, and ture with her grand out loud! She wondered if she had soed to fall asleep in the ceh she was no longer hungry, she robotically gathered the warm plate of chicken fro for Chris, caused a tug at her heart Her gaze darted to the , but nothing had changed across the street Turning stiffly away, she gathered silverware and napkins She was reaching for a glass when she felt hihtly, for he had been as silent as a ghost, but the feel of hi to her raw nerves His chest pressed lightly against her shoulder, his hand reached slowly around her to grab two glasses froainst hied wounds of the night Seeently back; his long fingers caressed her neck as he kissed her teo?"

She had been so lost in his touch that the question took her by surprise "Huh? Oh ah, fine, it was fine"

"That’s good Your grandlasses froaze Ripples of pleasure shot through her It took all she had not to throw her aret all the worries of the world But she couldn’t do it Not with her grandmother in the next room, not with Chris across the street wounded and broken, and not with so their town

"Ok" She e she re have you been here for?"

"Not long I wanted to check on you after today, ht of being outside again, exposed to that evil, vulnerable to it "That would have been nice, little late now," sheher intently when she turned back around Before she knehat he was doing, he reached forward and plucked a blade of grass frootten to take off His eyebrows lifted questioningly as he held it up

"Gym," she lied poorly

He s that he didn’t believe her for a second "Didn’t realize it was that cold out today," he said softly

"I chill easily"

His slasses from her "I’ll have to keep you warm then" Cassie’s mouth went dry, her toes curled at the prorand a s rooht of the board Try as she e It was a fact that her grandame and alanted Cassie to play with her "Thank you Devon, very kind of you"

Her grandestive tilt to her eyebrows as she took her glass fro up her cheeks Focusing on her plate, she picked absently at the pieces of chicken and aressed around the board Cassie didn’t have the foggiest idea inning, but frorandrandain and leaned victoriously back in her chair "I believe that is garinned at her, his black hair fell boyishly across his forehead Cassie’s heart warers itched to brush it back for hiood one, I wouldn’t e team only plays every teeks, and I wouldn’t arin on Cassie "Don’t you play?"

Cassie shook her head as she pushed her plate away "Cassie has never liked cribbage," her grandaht"

Cassie frowned over his words, they sounded so grown up, so outdated Who said truly any any of the sers clenched around her glass as she tried to rid herself of the nagging, awful suspicions lurking in her rasped it," she ad for answers that she kneeren’t there

"Then I’ll have to teach you one day" Though he grinned at her, his eyes were darker, more intense "You’ll enjoy it once you learn"

"I’ve tried, but it’s nothand of rurandma chimed in merrily, apparently unaware of the sudden tension in the roo Cassie’s "Spades and Faro are two of randma perked up "You kno to play Faro?"

Devon turned sloay Cassie found herself able to breathe again as she inhaled sharply She hadn’t even realized that she had stopped breathing until her lungs greedily gulped down air "Yes, , I love Faro! Though, I know almost no one that can play it"

"I have the saa how lost it was She had never played the ga in her dining roorandh her as she realized that shethis stranger into their lives