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"Play nice, ainst him until he released her, but it was already too late, the li the driveway

"I could play real nice with your ass, sweetheart Just give , but his expression, when she glanced at it, was dead serious

"Oh, I just bet you could" She lared back at hihed heavily "I should have awakened you before I left I apologize"

Jaci eyed hiy"

"Then what do you require, Jaci?" He asked the question so seriously, that for a moment she was taken aback

"You know, if I have to answer those questions, then we have a serious proble to return to the hotel and get some sleep We can discuss this one later"

She stared outside the li the fury of the lightning and the clashing force of the thunder inside her

She had to curl her fingers into fists to keep fro him, had to force herinto his lap again

"I’ you back to your hotel," he finally said

Jaci stared back at him in disbelief "Excuseto discuss this, Jaci I’ you back to my place, where we can do so in soe in on us there She wouldn’t have a dahtened his features as he stared back at her, thinning his lips and turning his eyes to green fire

"Have you ever heard of the ter’?" she asked sweetly

He leaned forward slowly "It’s like this Say ‘no’ That’s all you have to say--to anything I’o back to your hotel and I won’t bother you Just one word: ‘No’"

"And if I do?" she asked him "Tell me, Cam, just hoill you play the wounded rowled "No repercussions I won’t bother you again, unless you specifically request so to your aparts are just over? I accept it all, or I accept nothing? Nohy does that little rule just piss me off further? You knohat? Screw it, Ca on her lips, ready to pass the the word

"There are rules," he said softly

"Rules to what, Ca with you? Sorry, I never was one for all those pesky little details Shove your rules, too"

"There are rules to the lifestyle I live, not so much for you as for ht noeetheart I want you, until it’s eatingto do this your way We’ll talk We’ll make this work"

She shook her head slowly "You think we’re going to make this relationship ithout trust, Cam?"

She saw the subtle flinch in his expression

"What trust?" he finally asked "Look, you can’t pay attention to everything Chase rattles on about"

"No, you’re right," she whispered "But I can pay attention to the shadows I see in your eyes Do you think I’ line of brainless idiots to inhabit your bed? Do you think I’ll ever be satisfied with only half of you?"

"It’s more than anyone else has ever had," he told her "And it ive

15

The rain was still pouring dohen the lie of the renovated warehouse

Cam opened the door and stepped out, then turned and extended his hand to her

"Are you going to run froain, Jaci?" he asked her

She should, she knew she should Instead, she let hiers and pull her fro," she informed him, as the liers around hers and led her to the wide staircase that led to the next floor "You need to rest We need to talk You can rest here, and later we can talk"

As if that was really going to happen, she thought with a silent, disbelieving snort They were both so damned aroused it was a wonder they didn’t co to sleep, with him so close to her So close, yet so damned far away

When he told her that half of hiive, she hadn’t had an answer for hiood enough for her? She had proain, she would fight for hiirl she had been before She had promised herself she would try not just her way, but his way as well

But to realize that the ive enough to even sleep with her, left her feeling strangely bereft

As they stepped into the first floor apartazed around at the open, airy layout of the converted warehouse and felt so clench inside her

"This is your level?" she asked, looking toward the stairs "Chase’s is upstairs?"

He stood beside her and stared around the roo back to her with a short nod