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He was definitely going to begin irritating her soon

"That’s your own fault," she infornored Shayne, her voice brittle now "And rather beside the point"

Turning froht to hold back the eh her

"I needed to think," she finally told hi across her nerves "And I need to work I want to find out who the hell thought they could take shots at ret your decision to come to my bed," he told her with a flash of dominance "If this is part of why you need to think alone, then you can forget it"

Unfortunately that do inside her

She arched a brow "Did I say I regretted it? I believe I’ve made my position fairly clear, Khalid It’s been et into your bed You’re the one as determined to keep rowl in his voice surprised her "I’m no notch in a bedpost, love You don’t want to atteame with me"

They had an audience, an a to care Shayne et into his thick skull sooner or later No man dictated to her

"Then perhaps you should put yourself out to stay in that bed as well," she snapped back "I’m no notch, either, Khalid, and I won’t be made to feel like one"

She felt too delicate, too feent; she felt like a woive thehe wanted, and she couldn’t decide if she was pissed off or resigned to that

"Be patient, Marty" Khalid shook his head at her accusation "There is s I must take care of soon That will require many hours away from you And perhaps from our bed"

"Patience isn’t one ofaway, only to turn back to face his, the dire predictions I’ for the truth fro closer The truth was there; at least at this point he illing to ad on here than whatever work he was doing for her father

"A woman’s patience is an inspiration, just as is her tenacity" A small smile tipped his lips as he watched the suspicion flicker in her eyes He was evading her question, and they both knew it

Glancing at Shayne, she saw his knowledge of it as well What the hell was he keeping froames with me, Khalid You want too much from me to insult me in that manner"

She watched his eyes They flickered with the truth of her stateive my own life to save yours," he said, his voice harsh "And soon, I will give you the answers you need Until I can, I ask only that you stay here, within the house, and allowto you not just the answers, but also, hopefully, the knowledge of who targeted you and why"

She wanted to rage at him The ansere there in his eyes and she knew it; he wasn’t even trying to hide it

"You can’t trust me with your secrets, yet you can ask me to trust you with er "Where’s the fairness in that, Khalid?"

"I did not say there was fairness in it, Marty" Frustration was beginning to line his voice "Very soon, the ansill be given to you That I proive me those answers now, but you want lanced at Shayne, watched his gaze darken, the lust in his expression deepening

Khalid’s lips tightened "No, it is not simply your body that I want, but if this is all I can have at this ive"

This answer surprised her

There was an edge of soer, a need she didn’t kno to interpret So deeper than she had expected from him

"What if I just want you?" She pushed him They both knew better, but the co hi ladly take what you offered," he said finally "But we both know that that is not true"

She couldn’t evade him; she didn’t even try His ar her to hi hers without hesitation

The instant his lips touched hers, Marty felt herself ht the need or herself any further She wanted this kiss; she wanted thisabout his touch that made her weak, that tore aside the shields she had built around herself for so long She hadso had only driven the hunger for hiher

She could sate herself with hiht desperately, as his lips, his kiss, began to devour her It didn’t have to be a lifetime of strife or conflict It could be just this Just what they wanted, what they both wanted And when it was done she could go on with her life

She could do that

Her arue met his in a sensual, sensuous dance that becaers and she entwined them in the silkiness in order to pull him closer His hard, lean, muscled body sheltered hers, surrounded her as his arms held her close to his chest, his head bent to hers

She felt sucked into another world A world where nothingthrough her

Pleasure rushed through her syste kiss Khalid shared with her It built, beca in her bodyover her back, feeling the heat of his flesh through the thin material of her robe