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She’d i her ever so closely But she hadn’t expected that look in his eyes, hadn’t expected him to exhale when she finally looked at him She hadn’t expected hi years alone and only she could fill that hollowness inside him

He leaned forward His lips were close to hers, so close that she ht have stretched up the barest inch and kissed hiap She willed it into existence, demanded that it stay there And he didn’t move any nearer

"How deceptive," he re to say; she blinked and looked up at him

"It’s some kind of illusion," he said "Or a painter’s trick Until this moment, I had the distinct impression that you were a lady of ordinary dientle brush "But now you’re close and you’re not , and I can see the truth You’re tiny"

"I ahty"

His touch arm on her jaw "Have you ever watched ants? They scurry about carrying crumbs three tith It’s great big fellows likeHe was touching her as if she were so

"Tell me, Miss Marshall," he said "As unconventional as you are… Hypothetically speaking, have you ever considered taking a lover?"

As he spoke his fingers slid down her neck, resting briefly against her pulse Heaway,on her

"As we are speaking hypothetically," she told him, "I suppose that a woman can only break so many rules I’ve chosen the ones that I shatter very, very carefully"

"Ah," he said But he didn’t s," she said, "but I’ette, not a statue I have the same desires as any person I want to touch and be touched, hold and be held So yes, Mr Clark I have, hypothetically, thought of taking lovers"

His eyes darkened But perhaps he could tell that there washypothetically I don’t think I would do it in truth unless one thing were true"

"Yes?"

"I would have to trust the ers caht hers For a long, fraughtHe didn’t protest He didn’t deer

Instead, ever so slowly, his mouth tilted up in a sardonic smile "Well" He spoke quietly "That rather rulesher breath until she let it out "Yes It does"