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She slipped, and he was there to catch her, lifting her out, the towel a thin layer between them, his hands on her naked back as he held her

He looked down at her, surprise clear on his face A uor she was fast growing accustomed to "You’re much too thin," he observed "I can feel your ribs" His cool fingers stroked her heated skin "But I find you’rewith your clothes off"

She yanked herself out of his arht her arm before she could move completely out of reach, and he picked up a thick strand of her hair Once she’d washed it she’d let it hang over the edge of the tub and it was almost dry, its faht "And your hair is quite lovely Such an unusual combination--chocolate-brown eyes and strawberry hair"

She froze Fifteen years ago he’d teased her, flirting with her, telling her she had chocolate eyes, and it had been a joke between the look at him, but he didn’t appear to have made any connection He’d probably seen any number of wo roooing to take a nap, reed your mind?"

"Please release ht when he was touching her Even the sih her body, to places she didn’t even want to think about

"Why?"

She yanked, but he didn’t let go "If you bruise ht complain," she said bitterly

"I expect they’ll bruise you far worse than I will Why do you want me to take ain Don’t you have any idea why you shiver when I touch you?"

"Revulsion? Extreme dislike? Nausea?"

His slow smile widened until it was absolutely wicked, and he trailed his other hand up her bare arers dance over her racing pulse "No But then, you wouldn’t be likely to recognize it Try this"

And before she realized what he was going to do he’d leaned forward and brushed hisaway before she could react

She stared up at him in consternation "Why did you do that?" she whispered

"To make a point It’s called sexual attraction, my innocent one It’s a powerful force when it hits this hard It’s anie, and for some bizarre reason it exists between you and et the word out

He was trailing his hand up and down her arm while his other one captured her wrist "Not at all It’s perfectly natural It’s just surprising it’s so powerful between us You’re hardly ainst her breast, so hard she thought he , and he was right, she wanted more

"Let Go Of Me"

He smiled ruefully "Of course," he said, and released her, stepping back "There are clothes waiting in the other rooh I have to admit I’d rather you didn’t put them on"

"Whore’s clothes?"

"On the contrary You’rethe point They want you because you’re innocent For all I know they’ll dress you up like a nun"

She slammed the door behind her, then looked for a key Of course there wasn’t one, but he didn’t see her The clothes that lay across the bed were pristine and lovely--fresh white batiste undergar to cover them She dressed quickly in what they’d left her--shift, drawers, petticoat and light corset She laced it loosely, then cli to think about it, wasn’t going to think about anything She was going to fall asleep, immediately

Which she did But as she drifted off she reainst her neck, and she wanted to weep

Alistair Rohan stared at the closed door for a longday he’d had in a long time, perhaps years It wasn’t the birth of the Heavenly Host after , it wasn’t the incipient erotic events co up It was his own reactions that astonished hi--anted anyone but him--and he was more aroused by her than by the most experienced, beautiful women in Venice, Paris or London She was too thin, she was absolutely ignorant of any kind of pleasure, and, while her eyes brought back soh to account for this powerful attraction

He’d like to believe it was her anih not to want to have anything to do with him His reputation idespread--most women with sense would keep their distance

Perhaps it was because he felt her strong attraction to hinize She was so untutored that she had no idea that it was sexual longing raging in her pure veins