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"I needed to Not everything was totally bad She lovedme so hard I could feel that love deep inside" She’d only been able to talk about this to Rosie and Chi And now, after all these years, she was telling Matt "How do you res they’d spoken of so far, they hadn’t shared this

His hand flexed over hers, and she thought he ht not answer until finally he said in a quiet voice, "I prefer to remember what it was like in Susan and Bob’s house"

She melted for him, for the little boy who’d never found what he needed in his own ho that made her feel even closer to him "Everyone’s different" She offered hi o round and round on his hand, and the heat of his skin penetrated deep inside her Finally, he raised his gaze fro to reme go of her hand, he picked up his phone again and tapped the nu her throat, she listened to his gentle voice, his careful explanation, and finally his thank-you

"Tomorrow," he said "She’d like to talk to us We can be down there before noon"

Ari wanted to throw herself at him, cover him with kisses, and show him how much what he’d done for her really meant Howback

Chapter Nineteen

"Thank you," she said at her hotel room door "Not just for dinner" She put her hand on his ar"

The way he gazed at her had the breath catching in her throat But instead of kissing her the way she so badly hoped he would, he said, "Breakfast at eight sound okay? And then we’ll get on the road"

Of course she nodded "It sounds great" It seemed a crime to sleep alone after all they’d shared today, but unfortunately this wasn’t a decision she could e bed to the sitting area with its s in a circle without sitting down, she finally realized the connecting door was still open Crossing to close it, she saw Matt standing just beyond the door, his gaze on her as if he hadn’t looked away since she’d entered her roos she’d learned about Gideon today, the potential for what she enerosity, his caring

"I alot to tell you" His voice was raith eht kiss"

That was all it took She didn’t think rationally, didn’t want to remind herself that this relationship could never work unless they were both fully on board

Her body cared only about what she wanted, needed

Craved

She threw herself at hi her high against hihtly around his waist and curled her ar door shut and shoved her up against it, his led with his as though they were one