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I wanted to reach out and offer soy that would ainst hiht all along about hirew uneasy I understood when he asked, "What exactly did e burst open across my chest like a tidal wave after a land-shake and I drew in deep shuddering breaths to calm my memories Finally I asked softly, "Are you sure you want to hear about that?"

"Only if you’re up to telling it"

So I told hi in tears and bloodshed and a never ending irew paler and paler as the story went on I even told hirew quiet I hadn’t even realised I’d been crying until Wolfe, eyes bright with sorrow, handed -filled silence descended over us

For a while all I could hear was our soft breathing and blood rushing in my ears

"No wonder you hateover For the first tiain and I didn’t want to be the one that had done that to hi to realise… I didn’t hate Wolfe at all

"I don’t hate you," I replied softly, sure ot worse as our eyes collided, his see to search mine in desperation The colour returned to his cheeks and he licked his lips nervously

"You don’t?"

I shivered at the hoarseness in his voice and shook"No I realise now that this person you’ve been, Captain of the Guard, that’s really who you are I’m sorry I didn’t treat you the way you deserved"

He shed softly "You were just reacting in kind"

He snorted "Yes, I suppose I was It was galling you know You’re so sweet to everyone else"

I wrinkled my nose "Sweet, I’m not sweet"

"You can be"

My cheeks burned hotter I shook hily "You’re a good eous aquamarine eyes of his widened at the praise and he smiled slowly, such a naturally wicked sain "Really?"

I nodded

But then abruptly, his s with sadness

"What?"

Wolfe shook his head "I’m still the man whose father killed yours"

Not for the first time, I didn’t kno to respond My soul was a mess inside, completely confused and bewitched Because now I knew that this sick guilty feeling inside was s for Wolfe, and the subsequent sha for the son of the man who killed the his body in towards me, Wolfe shifted a little closer and I trembled at the look in his eye Unconsciously, despite what I had only beenat myself, I tilted a little closer to him too, drawn to his heat like an addict to opium

He cleared his throat "I wanted to kill him, you know"

I frowned "Who?"

"Kir" Wolfe snorted, shaking his head ruefully "I wanted to kill hiht as our eyes locked Suddenly I knehat that indecipherable look was he soave every woman at the palace a fit of the vapours when he spoke to the incredibly discriossip, he had had a love affair with Vojvodkyna Winter Rada, the wo to; an incredibly beautiful, sophisticated, youngAnd he wantedI would have said was cut off as Wolfe reached a hand out to slide behindto combust The way he looked at me… I shivered… no one had ever looked at me like that before Like I was the most-

"You’re so beautiful," Wolfe told me hoarsely, and maybe I was naive, but as he looked at ht so

And then I wasn’t really thinking much because his mouth was on mine He brushed his lips across mine in soft feathery butterfly kisses, beautiful and frustrating all at the same tiainst e I was gripped closer, his arainst him, my arms trapped And his mouth…

His kiss was hard and persistent now and I pushed into it, intoxicated by the feel and scent of hiled sound erupted froainst my lips and he took the opportunity to sweep intome with the unfamiliar dark pull of the kind of kiss Haydyn had told me about but I’d never experienced Ihi it, but afraid to participate in case I did it wrong Wolfe suddenly stopped, breaking the kiss He pulled back to frown atlike an idiot Wolfe was used to experienced woirls ere as sensual as the strae sat on

"You’ve never been kissed properly before?" He asked softly, stroking ainst him and despite my embarrassment I didn’t want to pull away from hi like a schoolgirl

"But I thought you and Jarek-"

"Me and Jarek, what?!" I snapped back,exactly? Or had Jarek said so? Had Jarek spread lies about me? No, he wouldn’t… would he?

Wolfe arched his eyebrow arrogantly "What was I supposed to think? You’re always flirting with hi to pull away fro nohich " He cutwith lustful intent "Now kissin a puff of s vulnerable I jutted my chin out defiantly "I don’t kno, so maybe we should stop"

Wolfe smirked "Not a chance Just follow rew laboured as he leaned in towards ain and I felt his arentler as I opened ue touched ainst hoverabout The kiss grew more frantic and I freed my arms so I could wrap them around him, my brsts flat to his chest, every inch of et to the heat of his We collapsed back against the blankets, Wolfe’s body covering s apart I shuddered at the feel of hiainst the sparks and explosions that were shooting off aroundhands sliding up and down her or lower When I arched into hiainstfor air as he rolled off of me I didn’t knohat to do withI noticed Wolfe’s were too as he exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair I had mussed up