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She must have finally sensed the threat in him as he stood before her near the bed She retreated a couple of steps, only until the backs of her thighs hit the e She sed hard as she looked up at hilow of his transformed irises

"You’re afraid," Nathan said, the stateave a s around her like a bridal veil "Not afraid," she murhten runted, incapable of speech as heat spiked into his bloodstrea the flihetti-strap tank did nothing to conceal the buoyant shape of her breasts, nor could it hide her nipples, which stood erect and far too te shorts were nothing but a whisper of fabric that covered her hips and the tops of her thighs

Jordana’s legs were naked and seeo on forever Nathan followed the line of the in every flawless inch

He could hear her breath racing now He watched the rapid rise and fall of her chest and the frantic ticking of her heartbeat at the pulse point in the hollow above her sternu past his teeth and elongated fangs "I only know one way to do this, and that’s , he wasn’t sure "Do you trust me, Jordana?"

"Yes" No hesitation No waver in her voice or her beautiful, brave eyes

Nathan swore, low under his breath He e to pounce on her He took off his weapons belt and let the blades and other lethal tools of his profession fall to the floor beside hiht truly trust hi to say for himself He needed to keep a steady hand on the reins; he owed that to her for her trust in him His focus would be entirely on her

Nathanthem to part wider, and wider still He dreard, until the heavy bulge of his erection was brushing against the daazed up at hiel By contrast, standing in front of her now, he felt dirty and unfit As profane as a demon come to pray in the center of a cathedral

For the first time in his life, Nathan realized he felt afraid--afraid that he would hurt her, disappoint her That she would suddenly realize how unsuited he was for the gift of her body, of her passion

Most especially, for the gift of her trust

He reached out to move a thick wave of blond hair froh his fingers, sleek and shiny as pale, liquid gold

"Everything about you is so soft," helock around his hand "Soft but strong"

He released the errant tendril and hooked it behind her ear, exercising a care he never iht, I need to see that you’re okay at all times I don’t want you to hide your reactions fro you too far Do you understand?"

She nodded

"No," Nathan said "I need you to say it out loud I need you to be clear, Jordana I don’t want to guess at anything Not this tiain, then surprised him with a smile "I understand, Nathan"

"Good," hehis thumb over one lovely nipple, then the other "I shouldn’t be your first Then again, I don’t think I’ve got honor enough to stand aside and let you give yourself to anyone else Not now"

"I want this," she whispered resolutely "I want you"

She reached for hi hold of his face before he had the chance to elude the her in a firave a s his hold

He didn’t relent, not so much as a fraction Uncertainty flashed in her eyes

"Last night, in the elevator," he said, trying to keep the hard edge from his voice "I told you that e did this, it would be on my terms"

He could see the question in her eyes now Apprehension washed over her face, flattening her lips andheartbeat dru

"My terms, Jordana"

"Yes"

She relaxed at once Her hands lay in his grasp easily, her fineto hirowl

Guiding her down onto the bed on her back, he pushed her arside her head "Don’t move I want to look at you"

He drew back slowly, and siazed upon her

And Jordana didn’tHer bare inner thighs were open, wars Her heat was intense, per the taut erously close to breaking

God help his slowly He wasn’t sure he could now either She was so beautiful, so arousing

Everythinghard with the need to take

To possess

To vanquish

He bent over her and drew her robe off her shoulders, letting his palm rasp over the top of her little silk tank The pebbled points of her nipples teased the underside of his hand as he caressed her breasts He almost hated to leave them as he skated his touch lower, over the flat plane of her abdoth in every flex and contraction of her stoers He lifted the hem of her paja and feed his craving for her nakedness