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"Let’s get inside before it starts raining again," he said, and started walking toward the kitchen door "Ask Alaric to leave an update for"And tell hiht"

"Yes, my lord"

"You must be tired," Duncan said at her ear

"Not that tired Besides, you did all the work," she murmured back to hi else until they had reached Duncan’s suite and closed the bedroom door behind them

She unbuttoned her blouse and stepped out of her heels, watching hiraceful way heoff his jacket and stripping away his sweater Although, granted, there was nothing prosaic about Duncan’s bare chest Or his back, either He was all sether over broad shoulders and powerful arms Unable to stop herself, she slipped out of her blouse and crossed the room to him All of her senses see this close to Duncan brought everything into hyperawareness The thick carpet was like silk beneath her stockinged feet, her hair almost unbearably warm on her bare shoulders, and the satin of her bra an exquisite torment over her breasts

Duncan turned and watched her come toward him, his body perfectly still in a way that was his alone, his eyes glowing a soft bronze in the dih She placed her fingers in his, feeling the slight roughness of his skin as he closed his hand and drew her into his e his head enough to touch his lips to hers

"Emma," he said softly Just that Just her name, like a promise

Emma stroked her hand down his face "What Victor did," she told hi at the source of his discontent froht?"

"Of course," he said too quickly

"But you still feel guilty"

He sighed "Victor was one of ours We should have knoas going on and stopped it"

"You did stop it," she reaze "Victor really is dead, isn’t he?"

Duncan studied her for a longwhether to trust her Emma held her breath, not only because she wanted Victor to be dead, but more importantly, because she desperately needed Duncan to trust her enough to tell her the truth

"He’s really dead," Duncan said flatly He ainst his chest E with tears of relief

"I want you to s in here, into this room," Duncan said softly "From the other bedroom"

"I don’t have that much here, it’s--"

"It doesn’t ers up and down his spine absently Was it si orders? Or maybe it was that vampire possessiveness he’d warned her about? And did she really care? After all, it wasn’t like she washer to do that It was only a few changes of clothes She’d done as much with boyfriends in the past, when they’d each kept a few things at each other’s apartment So why did this time feel different? Stupid question, Emma, she scolded herself It was different because this tiuy And she had no idea how he felt about her Oh, sure, he lusted after her, and, yeah, he was possessive as hell But was that love?

She sighed Duncan heard her, obviously He could hear a pin drop at twenty paces, but h

"You’re mine, Eu as you’re in this house, as long as we’re together, you’re h to see his face "That goes both ways, varin spread over Duncan’s face, and he drawled, "I’ve barely enough strength for you, E hie soed the leather tie off his hair