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"I can’t," she whispered

"Why? For God’s sake it doesn’t concern or affect you, Jaci"

She sments of his heart A brutal reminder that she could affect him as no other woman could

"But it does," she said softly "I love you, Cas you want from me, not like this Not without the truth between us"

"And you’re being so honest with ressman Roberts?"

She shook her head "Richard and Annalee have nothing to do with us I need to stand onwith the on inside you does affect us, though It affects us because you hold yourself back; there’s always so between us"

"It doesn’t affect us, and there’s nothing between us but toohirowl of rage at the pain in her eyes

"You don’t even hold me, Cam," she said then "You leaveht on that damned couch Do you realize that? Do you realize that unless you’re fucking me, your arms aren’t around me? You hold yourself so distant fro you noould hurt worse"

"I hold you" He knew he did His ar himself to hold back, to pull back, because he didn’t want to se to pull her to hio To shelter her To protect her To ain

"When do you holdsex, Cam, when do you hold ative movement That wasn’t true As bad as he wanted to hold her, as ht He hadn’t held her

"Holding you is all I think about sometimes," he admitted, his voice hoarse "I hold back Jaci, because I don’t want to hold too hard I don’t want to frighten you away before I even have you, sweetheart"

He pushed his fingers through his hair and gri to do The very thin line he was trying to walk

He turned andhis hands on the hood before turning back to her She watched hi his heart, so filled with life, with a purity of spirit, that sometimes she terrified him

"I love you, too" He watched the shock that filled her face "I’ve always loved you, Jaci And I always let you go when you needed to, because I was always afraid of holding you too tight If I held you too tight, if I wrapped ht leave forever And where would I be if you left forever?"

She took a step forward, then stopped She stared back at hile tear slipped from her eyes, and he ached that he had caused it He would have killed any other man that made her cry, but how did he punish hih with emotion "Why would you even think of it like that, Cam? I want to hold you, as often as I can I want you wrapped around me however you can bear it as I sleep I want every one, if you ever walk away, or God forbid so of you to hold onto"

He tightened his jaw and turned away fro, so determined to enjoy every memory he made Then he remembered the destruction His parents deaths, the father that had been so strong, so filled with laughter His petiteA woman far different from her sister Davinda had nearly destroyed hihly and shook his head Jaci didn’t need to know the horror of what he had endured Neither did Chase It was bad enough that he knew, that he re hi she wanted

"You’ve had seven years," she stated

"And if I need seven oing to spill his sha to Sheriff Bridges had torn a part of his soul free of his body He would always, always re the other et that bitch away froet Cae and shaatives He hadbut the clothes on her back, and he had made certain she left town And he had used his connections to block every investigation Chase had attempted in the past years to find out what had happened to his brother

Jaci’s lips parted, but then the pouty curves pursed in anger and she stared back at him with all the fire and passion he’d always loved about her

"I can’t make you talk," she snapped "But I’ll be daht now, Ca, on not just et really old"

"Bullshit to you," he growled back "It’s not bullshit toto do e have together"