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"Don’t know, but he sure wasn’t pleased"

"I’m sorry," Linda said "Maybe I can talk to higed "We’re still kind of…defining…how s,here without hiotiate about, you know?"

"Well, he’s incredibly possessive of you, so having you loose in a club full of hungry Do to win"

Linda glanced at Gabi to see if she agreed, but the counselor’s attention was elsewhere "So…" She pointed

As Linda looked, her sto out" sensation Near the bar, Sam had his hand curled around a black subainst the nasty shot of jealousy He’s not mine I turned hi to do a scene with her?"

Jessica shook her head "No way Uzuri doesn’t even like light pain No, I bet he arranged a scene for her"

Gabi looked over "Why would he do that?"

"Oh, Z gave hi therinned "Probably pissed that sadist off a bit, huh?"

Linda couldn’t take her gaze fro a worip on her neck? But he didn’t look puffed up Wasn’t strutting When they stopped, he kept a hand on her shoulder as he talked to a Doain, for all the world as if he was arbitrating When the Do, Sam nodded and walked away

In the ait, soldiers a predatory one Sam’s stride was somewhere between the two, like an ominous saunter

What would happen when he noticed her? Herinto her ar added to the sizzle under her skin, and she realized what she was doing The perversion of pain Herto enjoy pain, does thattied up? Because I really do" Gabi gave her a s

Linda relaxed Gabi was just as sweet as Kim was And wasn’t it odd that they both seeist "What do you do for a living, Jessica?"

"You’re new, aren’t you? Bet you’re suffering from the ‘ordinary people don’t play like this syndrohter "Try this on for size I’ier" Considering, Jessica tapped her lips "Kari’s a schoolteacher; Andrea owns a cleaning business, Beth a landscaping biz Sally’s getting her ree, Uzuri over there is an executive in a departes a tow-truck chain"

Linda leaned back in disbelief Regular jobs; regular people And why not? Why should she think they’d be odd? She pulled in a breath, feeling like an idiot How ly accepted her father’s narrow- more than the missionary position must be creepy? "Thank you That helps"

"Hey, we’ve all been at that place," Jessica said

"Uh-oh, Linda" Gabi waggled her eyebrows "You’ve been spotted by the h her stomach suddenly felt as if she’d sed every butterfly in Florida, Linda assuhty expression…and carefully didn’t look around "You children ive in to fear"

"You’re so full of bullshit" Kilanced over her shoulder "Yep, the sadist has his eyes on you" She shivered "Sorry, but he still scares ht centered upon her, his attention nified Relax When she unclenched her fingers, they were gooey--she’d totally squashed the pizza roll she’d picked up With a huffed laugh, she wiped off her fingers Way to look indifferent, du to se and make him work for it"

Why did she feel as if she’d dived off a ulp of air, Linda turned her head

Ice-blue eyes trapped her gaze She realized she’d risen to her feet Heavens, how does he do that? Even frohter er Come here

Well, this hat she wanted, wasn’t it?

It’s just a test To see hat Maybe

But as she walked up to hiaze made her feel…beautiful

Chapter Ten