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Alea His beautiful Alea was bare and standing next to Landon, as they looked over a tray of jewelry Not jewelry Toys Clas to decorate a subainst his slacks as though trying to punch its way out

"What the hell is this?" Dane croaked hoarsely

"Baby, you’re on," Cooper said He was obviously in on whatever this was He shrugged out of his shoulder holster and put it within reach, and started to pull off his shirt "Just like we practiced, Lea Dane, lock that door Piper knoe’re in here, but I wouldn’t want the staff to walk in"

Running on autopilot, Dane shut the door, his whole body on the edge He locked it because they apparently had soht They didn’t want anyone walking in

He stared at the dark wood of the door, unwilling to turn around and see her again "Alea, what is this about?"

"It’s about you, Dane" Her voice sounded slightly unsteady "I love you I want to play with you now and for the rest of our lives I want to give you what you need Cooper and Landon want to play, too"

"I don’t need this, Lea" He forced hi breath "We’re fine the e are" He would never force her to do so she didn’t want "I won’t treat you like your captors"

The last few days had been about far more than just the fact that Yasmin had tried to kill his woman He’d read every article that had been written about the crash and all the crap those reporters had dug up Tal had done a good job of keeping it quiet the first tione insane when Alea’s plane crashed Every sordid truth had been detailed Fro to the nastiness of the brothel, to ways she’d been tortured and the fact that she’d been force-fed heroin

He couldn’t take her control again

A soft hand cupped his shoulder "You don’t ever, ever compare yourself to them I won’t have it"

He turned and was surprised at the anger in her dark eyes Tears shiry line "Lea…"

"Not ever, Dane They were evil, and you’re so good You’ve spent your life protecting people You gave up your career to save lives You are a hero, and I will not allow anyone to make you think less of yourself I am so sorry I forced you into a terrible position in front of Talib I really do want to ivedeep inside hi here, naked in front of hi to protect his nasty ass Though he outweighed her by a hundred pounds, she looked ready to take on anything that ht This wasn’t a woave a shit about howto spare him, but he didn’t want to be spared He only wanted her and he wanted her happy and safe and whole After years of living the lifestyle, he finally understood It wasn’t just about putting her needs before his It was about putting her first always She was the center of their universe Alea and their babies were everything to hiive you Alea, baby, I love you I don’t need this I know I’ve been a little aloof, but you just answered every question I had We’re okay Let’s get you dressed and go back to our room, and I’ll entleness she deserved He would let her ive He could handle it

"Properly?" She frowned his way "That sounds boring, Dane I want you, especially that dirty, nasty side you’ve been trying to pretend doesn’t exist"

Dane sighed She seemed deterhten "Lea, you don’t understand what you’re asking for"

She took a step back, and he missed the heat of her body "Yes, I do I was on that island I knohat you want I can handle it, Dane I can more than handle it I want it I crave it"

She was so fucking gorgeous Her whole body was a fucking temple, and he worshipped it From the pitch black of her hair to her round breasts to the sweet curve of her belly and the flare of her hips He loved her fucking feet He usually didn’t give a shit about feet, but hers were so sweet He always had the craziest impulse to rub the beside hih, you don’t need e, Dane It’s part of you, and I damn well do need it I wouldn’t be where I am if you hadn’t pushed me"

Tal had said that Alea needed him most of all, especially his Doht

"Do you knohat I did today?"

His heart was aching because she was everything he wanted in life "What?"

"I set up an international agency to fight for wolobe I made plans to meet omen ere taken at the same time I was so we can talk andto other young women I became more than a victim I became a force that those who took me and everyone like them will have to deal with"

Daain He’d looked at her so long ago and he’d knohat she could be This warrior in front of hie the world if she set her mind to it

"Lea, baby, soht people It sucks and it’s horrible but those people can fix things for everyone else You’re that person You can stand up for everyone else This is why it happened to you" He hated that she’d gone through so much pain, but she had an opportunity toin wars, but Alea was the one ould truly fight the good fight And he would be right there, protecting her

She stared up at hi that happened in your childhood, with the Navy, and with your wife happened to you Dane, can’t you see that? These roads we’ve traveled, they were hard and rough and they ether I couldn’t have becoe you’re talking about…you endured and grew because of it It’s your strength Dath"

She took a step back and sank to her knees in a perfectly graceful move down to slave position, her knees splayed wide and her palms up The black waterfall of her hair reached to her breasts, the ends al her nipples She squared her shoulders The deeply sublorious display Her nipples were erect, pointing his way, as though trying to tempt him to lick theold and pink, with just a hint of the arousal he wanted to flow from her