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Hearound nad friends," he said

She did her best to squelch the burst of emotion those words caused "Then talk to me"

He made a restless movement with his shoulders, like he was to-the-bone exhausted "If you’re mad at me," she murmured, "I think I deserve to knohy"

He stared at the wet paint on the wall above her head "It’s not you I’m mad at"

"Then who?"

"Me" He drew a careful breath "I’m between a rock and a hard place here hat I can say"

"Okay"

"It’s DEA business We’ve been waiting on a break I’ht, our lead went underground and took any evidence with him"

Chloe closed her eyes, stricken with guilt This was because he’d been at theon her and her sisters "Oh, Sawyer I’aze swiveled to hers, and he studied her meditatively "That’s your only question?"

"No, I have at least a dozen, but I’ an ih to hiood for me, and yet so bad at the same tiut "It’s a special talent of aze roa for hih Because that’s where this was going, she knew it She felt it Everything about his voice and expression told her so, and she knew that she should have left when she had the chance, left and pretended she’d never found contentment and security in his ar you could do for me," he said quietly

She nodded numbly

"You could co her cheek against his war, steady beat of his heart against her ear, as his arms surrounded her hard "I’m not the ," she said and pulled hiht you were" She kissed hiainst the one dry wall, holding her there with two hundred pounds of solid, hardbetter, then?" she whispered

"I’ Where’s your inhaler, Chloe?"

"In my purse by your front door I just used it" She slid her arain pulled his head down to hers "As a precaution" The wall behind her was giving her a chill, but Sawyer’s ent on her throat The hard curves of his back burned warht, Sawyer So sorry"

"It can’t happen again Not ever again"

The words skittered down her spine, causing a shiver Because it was going to be over She’d known that A part of her had always known that But it was going to destroy her

Toht He wanted her, that much she knew, and she wanted him

More than she’d ever wanted anyone in her entire life

Not willing to waste another second of it, she slid her hand between the hers His expression softened, and he took over, stripping out of his jeans He was commando, and she took hi

Breathtaking

He unzipped her sweatshirt and groaned at the strip of skin he exposed fro waistband of her jeans Then he tugged the sweatshirt off, letting it fall to the floor on top of his jeans Her bra went next "Turn around"

When she didn’t h, he spun her so that she faced theto frisk her Instead, he pressed up close behind her

Together they looked at her body in thea little faster than his usual hibernation rate of breathing, and it gave her a little thrill "What?" he asped as his hands skiers plucking at her nipples "I s," she said

He rocked into her "Yeah You sure as hell do" He unfastened her jeans and nudged the all the fallen clothes away froain, one foot nudging her legs farther apart When he had her arranged to suit hiaze in theto search me now?" she teased

"Mm" He skimmed one hand up her belly to cup a breast, the other between her thighs "I could look at you all day," he said

She soaked up the war body behind hers "Look later" She wriggled "Do now"

He didn’t hesitate He plunged into her, and she cried out in sheer,the counter hite knuckles as she thrust back against hiroan, he pushed even deeper "Open your eyes"

She hadn’t even realized she’d closed them, but they flew open now and , much like thebeneath his strained breath, he bent her over the counter, one hand on her hip, the other between her thighs, using it to drive her straight to the edge There were no other words for what he did to her He controlled theirIn no ti her head back, he kissed her deep as he followed her over

Her legs obbling, and he felt like her only anchor in a spinning world They sank to their knees there on the bathroom floor, his arms hard around her as if maybe she was his anchor as well

After a few minutes, he kissed her sweaty temple "Okay?"

If she didn’t let herself think "If I say no, can we do it again?"

He let out a low chuckle and leaned over her, pushing da pretty hard"

"Yes, but that’s your doing," she said

"It’s okay It’s going to be okay" He rose to his feet in one quick, econo her up in his arms

"Sawyer--"

"Save your breath" They were on the move down the hallway He snatched up her purse in the entryway and kept hts, he set her on the countertop

It was icy cold on her bare ass, and she squealed He h her purse with the other Yanking out her inhaler, he thrust it into her hands She took a puff and held it in, watching hione from her lover to the cop in a blink, cool and cale "Iood in an eency, right? I was just…" She let out a low laugh "You’re pretty potent, Sheriff You sentdown, that’s all"

"I thought--" He shook his head "I thought you were having an asth you--"

"No" She ran her hands up and down his tense arms "I’m sorry I scared you, but I’m fine"

He stared at her, then backed into a chair, iven that he was nad, too "I thought you were in trouble," he said

Oh, God Hoas she going to give hio there, not now Tomorrow…She hopped down off the counter, walked over, and straddled hiers into his hair

His hands went to her ass and squeezed