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"It was good of you," she said, pressing her cheek to the back of his neck "It was good of you to try to help her"

"But she’s fine"

"Yes" And so are you, thank the Lord

Several panting breaths later, he said, "I believe you’re safe to release h to stand"

That hen she realized he hadn’tShe peered over his shoulder The water hit hi his open shirt to his body In the notch of his open collar, little droplets of spray clung to the dark hair on his chest, sparkling in the sunlight Small waves licked at his dark male nipples, perfectly delineated by wet linen

And she was plastered to his back, lied octopus

"Oh" Mortified, she slid off his back She stretched her feet under her and found solid footing "Well, that’s rather eaze up to his face, she realized he was staring at her nipples no predictable Just like a man Here she’d been worried he was dead, and he had the nerve to be alive Outrageously,and alive How dare he How dare he?

What with the excitement of that water rescue exercise, atop several days’ worth of unspoken tension, a revealing haircut, and not least of all, that explosive kissThere was tooinside her, and it had only two possible outlets Irrational anger, or

She wasn’t going to conteer it would be

"You reckless fool," she cried "Youa dive like that? Don’t you see these rocks? You could have been killed!"

His chin jerked "Iout in that horrid getup You could be dragged underwater like Ophelia and drown"

"I swa swi"

She turned her head and spat another h with you"

Beneath the water’s surface, so brushed her waist A fish? An eel? She batted at it, whirling

"Easy It’s just me" His arm slid around her waist, and he pulled her close They sank into the water, up to their necks With a one-ared her between two boulders

"What do you think you’re doing?"

He glanced up at the bluff "Giving us some privacy We need to talk"

"Here? Now? We couldn’t converse in some normal tih his dark, wet hair "I can’t stop thinking about you All the time Everyplace I have work to do up there Men to drill A watch to organize A castle to defend But I can’t even concentrate, for thinking of you"

She stared at him This? This was the conversation he wished to have Well, she could see why he wouldn’t co it up over tea

"You tellto a man who’ll march a hundred miles out of his way, just to avoid a roh An unconvincing string of ha-ha-has "A barrel of warm pitch couldn’t attachperplexed "I even like it when you snipe at un If I were to snipe at you, I promise you’d feel it And you wouldn’t like it one bit" She had to extricate herself fro, brawny arrip, but he only e away Not yet" His deep voice sent ripples through the water "We’re going to have this out, you andto tell you every wild, erotic, depraved thought you’ve inspired, and then you’re going to run home scared Lock your bedchamber door and stay there for the next month so I can concentrate and do ht-out plan"

"Thinking’s notpoint, of late"

This rush of sensual awarenessoh, it was dangerous She could grow to enjoy it To be honest, she already enjoyed it But she could grow to crave it, and that would make for difficult, lonely times ahead She knew he needed a bit of huone without it for too long But at le of body parts, not aof hearts and souls

"I want you," he said sily

See? she told herself He couldn’t be any more plain than that

"I want you I drea a fresh shiver down her spine "To touch you All over" His hands roa you’re wearing?"

"It’s a bathing costume"

"It feels like a shroud And it’s too damned opaque"

"Yes, well That’s rather the point Opacity" Her breathing was quick; her words, stupid

One of his hands slid down to capture her fingers He raised theh they were soloves in the ocean?"

She sed hard "I do"

"These gloves of yours, they drive me mad I want to strip them from your hands Kiss those slender wrists, suck on each of those long, delicate fingers And that would only be the beginning I want to see the rest of you, too Yours is a body ainst nature to hide it"

This could not be happening Not to her She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened theotten yourself"

"No, I haven’t" His green eyes held her captive "I recall precisely who I ae Bramwell, the Earl of Rycliff since a few days back You’re Susanna Jane Finch, and I want to see you bare Bare, and pale, and soaked to the roots of your hair, glistening with ht and drops of seawater I’d lick the salt frole" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>