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Ettore did that for her She had always felt safe when she ith hi fro to do with how protected he made her feel It was him, the man, who had always been able to put her at ease

As much as he aroused her

Her skin still felt too warether at the cha they’d said in the truck, the stolen caresses they’d shared in those briefbetween the

Ettore seemed to feel the sa froht, yet searing She wanted to feel his hands on her everywhere, not just in comfort or reassurance, but in passion

He cursed as his eyeswith flecks of amber "For God’s sake, don’t look atby a thread here"

"I a her hands ski by a thread since you showed up at our vineyard with o, Ettore"

His heart was thundering His pulse sla like a dru in deep, panting gusts

The curse that boiled out of his "I wasn’t expecting any of this My first duty is to the Order I have a mission to carry out Until I’ about anything else Not even you Hell, especially not you"

"Of course I understand" She glanced aeathering a sting she hadn’t seen coest--"

He took her hand and hauled her against hi her with a kiss When he drew back froht to be thinking about anything butmyself, Arabella But then I look at you and none of those other thingsthe fire dance in his eyes His pupils were narrowed to thin black slits, and his fangs surged even larger behind his parted lips The sight of his transformation sped her pulse, while at her hip, the hard steel of his arousal sent a current of hot need licking through her senses and straight into her core

"I walked away once," he snarled "God help us both, I don’t think I can ever do it again"

His narasped her face in his pal her so deeply she could hardly find her breath, he walked her backward into the cha the door closed behind the wild had been unleashed in hih scrape of his voice And now all of that unhinged desire was pouring into her through his kiss

"You’re ainst her h "Say it, Arabella Let me hear it"

"Yes" Oh, God She could hardly hold the desire that chased through her Every hot sweep of his lips over hers, every carnal thrust of his tongue, infla out of control "Please, Ettore I need you I need to feel you inside me"