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"I want to"

He leaned closer, and Maria’s backtree Ellison smelled of sweat and a small bite of blood, and of himself The feral Shifters--all of theoodness

Maria turned her face up to hiive him She couldn’t think of words, but she could show hiainst Ellison’s bare chest, his hand snaking under her braid, he leaning into her Hisbefore Maria was ready Their teeth bu a little, his eyes full of heat

"Shifters don’t kiss much," he said "At least, I don’t"

There hadn’t beenin the feral pack either No tenderness, not even between the , yes" Ellison leaned to her again, his nose touching her cheek, his breath waruess when you have a lot of nose, you tend to use it"

Maria wanted to laugh No, not to laugh To go quiet while he nuzzled her cheekbone

"I never kissed ht, before she’d known he was a Shifter, she hadn’t kissed hientleness Luis had char to a naive and sheltered young woth for her, showing her he’d never let loose and hurt her

"We can learn together," Ellison said, breath against her lips

Maria for as Ellison responded with light pressure His hand, shirt still dangling froainst her h the kiss, like a hum in the air between them as Ellison licked softly across her lips She tasted salt and coffee on him, and a bite of himself

She clenched her hands at her sides She could barely breathe, nothing existing but Ellison’s lips connecting with hers, hisunder her braid, loosening it

Another kiss, another slide of his tongue between her lips Maria flicked her tongue over his in answer, the velvet heat of it stealing her breath

She should be afraid She’d been afraid for such a long ti her with his mouth, his presence, himself Maria should be afraid and want to duck away fro her hand steal to his chest