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"Then don’t be a pussy," she said to goad hi with me"

He was the one to step closer this time, and there was soaway, despite the intensity of her desire for hi, until her knees hit the back of the bed and she fell to theany retreat she "

"Like what? Help … rabbed his hips and pulled He fell forward as she fell the rest of the way back He ned, straddling her waist, glaring down at her He was harder than before, his erection straining the fly of his pants

Moisture pooled between her legs, , anything Little aches arced through her bloodstrea theers down the buttons of his shirt, popping theape open

"Noelle," he rasped, bracing his arms as if he meant to push away "I remember when you told me that you’d called dibs on Dallas"

Bothered by the idea? God, she hoped so "First, I ht have called dibs, but I never actually wanted him Second, I do want to sleep with you" More than I’ve ever wanted anything "But you have to give , Hector Please Info or another kiss Gentlees of his stomach, then circled his nipples He sucked in a breath--but didn’t tell her to stop

He leaned down, nipped at her lower lip God, she loved when he did that

"To save you," he said "There That’s an answer, a bit of the infor you to save you"

Just a nip, but she tasted hiers fall … fall … and cup his erection, rubbing up and down, and sweet merciful heaven He was the stuff of fantasies "Froan to erupt from his throat His hips moved with her hand, jerky thrusts that deepened the contact

"You picked information You can’t stop there," she said "Trust me I won’t betray you, and I’ll even share a secret about ht his breath "If I don’t?"

"I’ll think you decided to giveaet ready Flashing? Old news Innuendos? Nothing I’ll show up on your doorstep naked, and that’ll just be the appetizer"

Bargaining?

Well, she kne to buy and how to take With Ava, she kne to give Tiave so freely to her But this thing with Hector was uncharted territory What she wanted couldn’t be bought or taken And she found that she didn’t want hiness

"I can’t tell you Not in a way you’ll believe I’ll have to show you," he said, his tih her

Quickly, as if he feared talking himself out of his actions, he removed his shirt the rest of the way, then extended his arloves, and she could see that the strange light glowed frohter, until she could no longer see his skin Or hisin the air, like a thousand little sparks that conformed to the saly lovely sight

She’d known he soured out why or how and never would have guessed this Dazed, she reached out to touch He jerked both arlow faded … disappeared, his skin returning to its natural burnished tan, though soone Both arms fell to his sides

Sweat beaded on his brow, and the er, hope, and grim expectation

"Don’t ever touch me when I’m like that," he said hoarsely "I could burn you, scar you I could punch through your body and rip out your heart in less than a second"

"Hector, I--" Didn’t knohat to say She’d never seen anything like that Never heard of anything like that Not ariht for dominance and now painted each of his features "Do you understand why I can’t let myself have you? I can force my arms to atomize, yes, but soulped, experienced a wave of fear Ato unbidden Like the tih er, just as he’d said, but she hadn’t even suspected He had, though He had known and he had feared, and that’s why he’d left her

What would have happened if he’d accidentally touched her, even in the slightest way? She wouldn’t have felt the pain, ed the contact, and she would have been severely injured "When does it happen on its own?" she asked softly "Why?"

"When I’m aroused When I’m frustrated When I’entle now, so gentle "Unintentionally?"

A hard nod as he leaned his weight into her and carefully, oh, so carefully, braced his hands beside her teainst her "I won’t lie to you A few times, I did it on purpose"

She wondered who he’d harmed--killed?--and why, but she wouldn’t ask Not yet She didn’t want such lethalup, sharing, giving her a chance to prove herself worthy of his trust So push for too ht on three little words Prove herself worthy This tilad to do so This was difficult for hiive

"Why are your arms like that?" she asked "Do you know?"

Some of the stiffness uess First tiht So young So sweet and innocent "I’ on such a lethal ability must be unbearable, and yet he soldiered on The ht back She’d never seen him touch anyone casually So For the most part, he kept to himself Perhaps he was as lonely as she often was

He nodded to acknowledge he’d heard her "I … care about you, Noelle I don’t like the thought of you in pain"

"Well, that’s good because I can’t feel any Pain, Ireceptors," she said "That’s my secret That my father paid to have theer "You were altered?" he deain"

A cold wash of horror "Again?"

He’d trusted her; now she would trust hiain For ransom The kidnappers told my father they’d kill me if he went to the police or if the s quiet If no one knew, no one would ritted

"My dad paid good money for my release, but by then, I’d been a captive for three days and two nights"

"How old were you?"

"I had just turned twelve Anyway, to get their point across, the kidnappers hurt me, on camera, and sent the videos to my father A new video each day Theyhim a simple businessovernment most of his life, as only a rich man can He had connections and resources and in the end was able to travel all over the world without suspicion and do terrible things with no one the wiser"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>