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"I could stay, if you wanted" Balthazar looked back at her, his fighter’s fraht? In my room?"

"Yeah--oh Or downstairs Around So you’d feel safer"

"I don’t know"

Skye wanted hiht now it felt like she , only to escape the fear beating within her like a second pulse

"Are you okay?" Balthazar said Only then did she realize she’d begun treht, tension, exhaustion, desire--all of theether--just that there was only so much she could take in a couple of days, and she’d taken it

She reached out blindly with one hand, and Balthazar’s ar her in his eripped the lapels of his coat as she buried her face in the curve of his neck He held her tightly as she breathed in and out, steady and slow, calh this" He spoke as if they were truly in it together, as if she weren’t the hunted and he the protector "I’ to let the She pulled back to look at Balthazar, at the strong lines of his face so close to hers The ht off the snow had painted hi, she tilted her face up and kissed him

It was the softest touch, only for an instant Balthazar didn’t move The reality of what she’d done rushed over Skye, and she ized--if Balthazar hadn’t kissed her back

This time she wound her arms around his neck, closed her eyes, and let the world fall away His h to electrify It was only a few seconds, but it felt like she’d escaped all the danger and fear forever

When they broke apart, though, Balthazar took her ar his head "I shouldn’t have done that I’ave him a look "Because you don’t like me that way?"

"What? No That isn’t--no" One of his hands stroked through her hair, a brief, sio, Skye No getting involved with huerous for theer," she pointed out, but she stepped away froht to have felt rejected, she didn’t Balthazar’s eyes never left her face; his body remained taut from the tension of their brief kiss And that kiss--

No, he wasn’t rejecting her He wanted her He just wouldn’t let hio, I think"

"Yeah" Balthazar had obviously been expecting her to ask hi for that? Hoping she’d give hiive in? "I’ll keep watch outside for a while, though Make sure you’re safe So you can sleep"

She smiled at hi to say soto keep the connection Then he was gone--not like a normal person, but vampire fast, as if he had flickered into shadow instead of walking out She gasped, both fro