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He shook his head "I ate earlier"

"Oh" He really had done all of this for her No ain, noup a h not to care that he was just sitting there watching her eat She’d never been one of those girls who picked at her food Her hips and brsts were evidence of that, despite the laps she swaiven her intense dance and choreography schedule

But after several minutes, as her sto to lose the battle with keeping her eyes open She put down her knife and fork and yawned, big and long

"You’re tired"

Jake, she’d noticed more than once, didn’t waste words But before she could doaround her and he was lifting her off the stool

Her brain--and body--immediately flashed back to Napa, when he’d picked her up, naked and desperate for him

"What are you doing?" She couldn’t hide the panic that underlay each word

He didn’t break stride "Taking you to bed"

Her breath lodged in her chest Even wanting him as bad as she still did, she couldn’t have sex with hiht Not when she was so tired and felt so weak, like every wall she should have up to protect herself was lying down taking a nap

What would happen if she lowered the defenses she’d tried to put up? What re part of her heart--or worse, her soul--would she end up handing over to hireat, but I need to go ho and masculine, just like him "Seven days, Sophie You promised me the week" He entle he was being with her that she let him

"I know I did," she said when she found her voice "But I thought they’d be like dates, that we’d meet up after work for a few hours"

"I want you here Withshe’d ever wanted hi from her lips were, "What if I don’t want to be here?"

He looked up at her fro by her now bare feet, his eyes an unfathomable near-black "Then I’ll stay with you"

She sed hard, suddenly realizing his intent--and just what she’d signed herself up for