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He dropped his gaze to their linked hands, turned hers over and stroked his thue of her wrist

"I--"

Cole had lied so many times Lies had kept him on teams he should have been cut from

Lies had kept him in beds he shouldn’t have been allowed anywhere near One more lie shouldn’t be so hard One ht here with hi hiain The storether--her love, her pain, her hope, the desire he’d taught her to crave

There was only one other wish he’d wanted to grant so badly Making that wish coht Anna to hirant this wish for love as easily Cole hadn’t grown up in a home where he could watch how a man was supposed to love a woripped his handyou don’t mean just to try and make me happy That isn’t what I want from you That isn’t why I said what I just said"

But even as she spoke, she moved closer and he could smell the storm on her, sweet and spicy and darker than ever And he couldn’t help but notice she hadn’t said "I love you" again, just as he couldn’t help the flash of disappoint it fall fro hi he could

"I really, really, really, really like you"

Disappoint eyes Eyes that would haunt him forever

"Wow Four really s That’s a whole lot of like"

The words danced in her laughter, but all he could hear was the pain beneath them

"Anna, I--"

But this ti over his lips "Take me to bed, Cole"