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He stared at her with those hot eyes "It’s not going away" His grasp on her hips tightened, his own tre worse Why do you have to be so damned beautiful?"

His mouth tilted into a semblance of a smile, but sympathy shimmered within the fire in his eyes

"Can youpleasure yourself? Will that help?"

"It will only ht her true pleasure was the touch and possession of aherself to release, only drove the hunger higher

She gripped his face tighter, touching her forehead to his, unable to look him in the eye as she voiced her admission "I need you But I don’t want to I don’t want to do this" It was an ad would never have ain, the warrior had felt no desire Safe behind those icy walls, she’d been nearly i in broken shards around her, she’d lost her defenses

When she pulled back, the tenderness in his eyes el?"

She took a shuddering breath, ht of him stretched out like that

"Here?"

"There’s no one here but us"

"For now What if the Mage come? Or more of those blue-painted barbarians?"

"I can shift quickly My state of undress won’t affectto do this Shewith fear and need "Don’t touch me Please I need you to not touch me"

"I’ll keep my hands behind my head" He lifted a brow "But I have one request in return"

"What’s that?"

"You give your sword into row any of hed, a quick ah her nose But ahow in the nah this

Fox stroked Melisande’s satin cheek "Tell el You call the shots All of thee’s labyrinth was a risk He knew it Although, while his shifting skills weren’t optimum as yet, his Great Dane size was just about perfect for tearing off an attacker’s head And he couldin his fox in two seconds flat He was sure of it Especially if Melisande’s life was at risk

Besides, this wasn’t likely to take long Not with Melisande about to climb out of her skin and hi forward, she eyed hi to battle And that was just what she was, he thought darkly Hoished he could take away the misery of her past But he would do what he could And if thather use him for sex? Everyone had to make sacrifices at some point

"Lie down in the sand," she directed "Don’t take off your clothes Just push your pants down to your thighs

He sed, totally turned on by this despite himself When had he ever allowed a female to take the reins coood lover, a considerate one who gave as much as he took And he was all too happy to let his partner have her ith his body to her heart’s content as long as she wasn’t into pain Much But to let a feht of Melisande doing so nearly had hi down before her, unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants Pushing them down over his hips, he freed the part of his anato her eyes flare with hunger, then tighten with dread

This orse than taking a virgin, and he’d generally steered well clear of them It orse still, because he couldn’t help At least with a virgin, he could stroke her, gentle her, ease into her With Melisande he could do nothing but wait for her to come to hi to hurt you It’s just going to stand here waiting for you to do what you ith it, though I’d appreciate it if I could hold your knife now, luv"

Wry hu her eyes, she unsheathed her knife and handed it to hi the blade firmly above his head with one hand, he cradled his head on his other ar off her boots A s, revealing pale, slender, shapely legs that he longed to run his pal to shake from the effort to remain still when theas he could re ahim wild for hours

He’d die if she didn’t touch him soon And he didn’t dare say those words out loud

Slowly, she straddled hian to run slowly down her cheeks

"Mel," he said softly "Angel, look at ht, so furious, her eyes so wounded

"It’s okay You don’t have to do this now I’ll be willing and waiting for you anytime you’re ready" And he feared that statement was all too true If this kept up, he’d wind up with a permanent hard-on

"I have to do it, now"

He ached for her And struggled against every natural instinct to grip her hips and drive hioing to re to keep fro up to e to ride hi toher eyes, she finally began to lower herselfthank you goddess, and the feel of her wet heat stroking his head nearly sent hiripped hi him for her heat

"Melisande Look at me Please"

Slowly, she opened those tear-drenched eyes, blinking to stare at him

"It’sshe needed was to sink back into that nightmare of what she’d endured before

With a quick little nod, she kept her gaze locked on his as she pushed hi deep, drenched in her wetness, as she lowered herself all the way down