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Aden made a noise like an abbreviated chuckle, and Sid’s eyes flashed up to meet his lazy stare He did a quick head to toe scan before estured with one hand at the rew broader when she stubbornly re over her skin like the finest silk "I wouldn’t have thought cri"

"Very funny," she said, feeling the blush to the roots of hercri"

Soone in an instant, replaced by sorier He dropped the papers to the table and stood, towering over her just as she’d known he would despite the fact his feet, too, were bare

He reached out and twisted a lock of her hair around one long finger, then leaned in close, as if to share a secret

"You don’t know ive you this once But never again accuse ive it a second tied her hair until the curl slipped away froers, and started to turn away But then he stopped As if it was an afterthought--although she doubted Aden did anything without thinking about it first--he said, "And for the record, I don’t need you or anyone else to tell ed to say

Aden’s lip curled into a crooked smile "My city My territory It’s only a ht privately that his arrogance knew no bounds, but she kept that to herself, saying instead, "So, that vaht arded her skeptically, clearly deciding whether to answer her question or not "Elias belonged to Kleure out what angle she orking "Kle to no one, other than Lucas who holds their lives until a new lord clai to win this battle and is being useful in hopes of gaining favor Eventually, he will be mine"

"You already knew about the slaves when I talked to you the other night, didn’t you?"

"I suspected, which is why Elias was there tonight Fortunately for you"

"Why didn’t you saying so? You kno important this is to me"

"Do I?" he asked archly

She felt suddenly foolish in having assumed he would have found out about Janey, and that he’d knohat she’d been doing since her friend’s death and why "I’ve spent the last several lared at hirily Why couldn’t he ever be up front with her? Why was he alith the gaave her a devastating sers of one hand over her hip and drawing her closer "But you want lanced over her head, and she started to turn, thinking someone was there, but then she heard the door close and lock with a quiet snick of sound She looked up and ainst her ear, his breath a fan of warainst her skin

"I don’t want you," she insisted "I only--"

"Do you know," he began, depositing a row of butterfly soft kisses along her brow and down to her cheek, "that when you lie, your heart beats faster?"

Sid’s heart was pounding against her ribs

"Your pulse speeds up"

Her pulse was throbbing like a tiny creature trapped inside her artery