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"We h runted but said nothing more Ahead of them less than a block was the Charles River, one of Tess’s favorite places to walk She led the way across the street and onto one of the paved trails thatthe riverfront

"You don’t really believe that," Dante said when they neared the dark, rippling water of the Charles " You say he’s a good friend, but you’re not being honest Not with me, and not with yourself either"

Tess frowned "How could you possibly knohat I think? You don’t know anything about "

She started to say as aze stripped her bare He did know God, hoas it possible that she could feel so connected to him? How could he read her so clearly? She’d felt this same awareness--this instant, peculiar bond with hiht, at the exhibit," she said, her voice quiet in the cool darkness, "you kissed me" "Yes"

"Then you all but vanished without a word"

"I had to leave If I hadn’t, Iyou"

"In theto deny it And the slight, inviting curve of his lips sent arrows of fire licking through her veins Tess shook her head "I’m not even sure why I let you do that to me"

"Do you wish I hadn’t?"

"It doesn’t matter if I wished it or not"

She picked up her pace,away again, Tess"

"I ahtened tone of her voice And she was running, her feet trying to carry her as far away fro else within her was drawn to hinetic field She forced herself to stop To remain still as Dante came up next to her and turned her to face hi, Tess"

She couldn’t help scoffing a little "Even you?"

"Yeah Even aze came back to her "You want to know the God’s honest truth? I’ve been running all er than you could know"

She found it hard to believe Granted, she knew very little about him, but if she’d been asked to describe him in one word, it likely would have been fearless Tess couldn’t iine what could make this immensely confident man doubt himself for a second "From what, Dante?"

"Death" He was quiet for a , if I don’t allow ht tempt me to miss a step " He exhaled a curse into the darkness "I don’t know I’m not sure it’s possible to cheat fate, no ht about her own life, the da She had tried to outrun it, but it was always there Always shadowing every decision sheher of the curse that would never permit her to truly live Even now--ht be time to move on, start over

"What do you think, Tess? What is it you run from?"

She didn’t answer, torn between the need to protect her secrets and her longing to share theht understand what had brought her to this place in her life, if not forgive her for it

"It’s okay," Dante said gently "You don’t have to tell me now Come on, let’s find a bench so you can sit and enjoy your sugar and caffeine Never let it be said that I’d deny a woman any of her favorite vices" Dante watched Tess eat the thick, cara her pleasure radiate across the small space that separated them on the river-walk bench She’d offered hih his kind could not consu more than a mouthful, he accepted a small taste of the sticky chocolate confection if only to share in Tess’s unabashed enjoy bit of pasty sweetness with a tight sers, slipping one after the other into herthe her with his own brand of hunger

"You can have so his head "No, it’s all yours Please Enjoy it"

She finished it off, then sipped the last of her coffee As she got up to toss the e and cup into a park trash bin, she was distracted by an elderlythe riverfront Tess said so to the old s clih as the pair of theuard he was so unsuccessful in breaching with her was gone now For a few brief minutes, he sahat Tess was really like, without fear or lorious, and Dante felt an insane stab of envy for the twofroave a nod of greeting to the old an to , as she watched the beasts trot off with their master

"You have quite a ith animals"

"They’re ht

"You’re good at it That’s obvious"

"I like helping aniuess"

"Maybe you could shohat you do sometime"

Tess cocked her head at him "Do you have a pet?"

Dante should have said no, but he was still picturing her with those two ridiculous furballs and wishing that he could bring her so Like those"