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I think I love you

Her words clanged around in his skull so hard it hurt Sweat popped out on his brow

I trust you

Eed his throat and cut off his breath Only Shade had ever really trusted him and even then, the trust had liainst hi hi him on the inside, a place that had been a dark, cold cavern for as long as he could remember She was beautiful inside and out, and she didn’t deserve what he was about to do to her Not without a guarantee that she would survive afterward

His brothers would never forgive him, but he couldn’t take her life

"I can’t," he panted, rearing back "No"

"But--"

"I can’t give you what you want, Serena I’ll never be able to Not like that" Gods, he was a fool, a fool who had just signed three death warrants "I’ll h I promise you that"

He kissed his way down her body and dove between her legs, used hishim burn like this His punishment made her come over and over, until she couldn’twith a combination of extreme arousal, exhaustion, and not a little fear, he crawled up beside her and pulled her into his ar eased into sleep He thanked his lucky stars he’d shot up with the anti-libido drug before dinner, because although he was experiencing some serious blue balls despite the earlier release, he wasn’t in crippling pain This would ease off eventually He winced as he adjusted himself Hopefully, it would ease off soon

He didn’t kno long they lay like that, her sleeping peacefully and hian to stir, the sky outside thehad lightened Aca his phone out of the pocket

No cure

The text on the screen frout There truly was no hope now He lifted his other wrist, which felt way too heavy, checked his watch

And knehat he had to do

Carefully, he eased out of the tangle of their nad bodies and dressed Every joint, everythat, this ti to help

"Hey," she ?"

He jammed his foot into a boot, and when he didn’t answer, because he didn’t knohat to say, she sat up and brought her hand down on his shoulder He jerked away

"The train will be pulling into Cairo in half an hour I’aze unfocused "I don’t understand Why?"

"We almost had sex"

"No, we didn’t"

She didn’t re or not

"Yeah, we did"

She rubbed her eyes "Even if we al?"

A shudder wracked his body as he exhaled He bent to pick up the wooden top that had fallen to the floor "I’ because I’m afraid that eventually, ill, and I can’t be responsible for killing you"

"What?" She caed the bed sheet to her chest, as if that would hide anything Her body, her curves, every freaking detail was ih to resist you? You think you have to play martyr and keep yourself away from me so I won’t weaken in your presence and force you to have sex with ?"

"Ah… no I’m not exactly the martyr type--"

"So you just don’t want to have sex with me?"

He opened his mouth, but before he could deny that particular question, she slammed her palm into his chest Hard

"Answerdown frons of a drug crash, had lived them himself

"I can’t risk your life, Serena I won’t And I’h to promise that I can be near you and not want you"