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"Take what you want," he said again, his skin hot, his fingers brutal, his voice a prih as she could on her knees, then lowering so he was seated fully within her, riding hiave hi to hold back, her hips working wildly to have rated out, his teeth sinking in where her neck met her shoulder "Now!"

She screa down her face He surrendered to his own release, still clutching her so hard Raven knew she’d wear his marks tomorrow They rode out their cliether onto the couch

Her head lolled on his shoulder His hands stroked her back She relaxed in the beautiful space between them, her heart so full she had an idea how the Grinch felt that Christ to be okay

"That was a," he said

She smiled and pressed a kiss to his shoulder "It certainly was"

"Thanks" He lifted her off his lap and placed her down to his right Standing up, he stretched, zipped his jeans, and regarded her "I better go Maybe I’ll see you around"

Ice slivered down her spine "What?"

"Well, this isn’t going to work on a regular basis" He motioned between them with a humorless smile "But the sex is incredible I think I was clear fro sort Now that your secrets are out, we can be ht in her chest, and she fought to keep air in her lungs A terrible premonition crawled into her brain, but she refused to believe it could be true He wouldn’t do that to her Wouldn’t hurt her so cruelly, not after what they’d just shared

"Dalton, what are you trying to do? Punishany Please don’t let this destroy e can have together"

His laugh was ice-cold "There’s nothing left to destroy, Raven It was bound to end anyway; at least we can deal with it before we pretend we have so with fear and raw anger "That wasI had I love you!"

She looked into his beloved face, searching for a glientle, ive All she saw staring back at her was a stranger

"But I don’t love you," he stated calht," she whispered, hating the brokenness to her voice Her insides were bleeding, raw and open wounds that tore her to pieces "Don’t do this to ret it, Dalton, we both will"

He stepped back, jerking his gaze froame, we enjoyed each other for a while, and now it’s ti you, Raven I’"

Then he did exactly what he pro her face against her raised knees, and cried for the second greatest loss of her life

Chapter twenty-five

It was done

Dalton kneouldn’t be able to continue a relationship with a woman who lied A woman whose father had a direct responsibility for not only killing his ivable He’d needed to hurt Raven so irrevocably, there’d be no co curiously empty Her scent drifted froered on his tongue His chest tingled from the scratch of her nails

He drank the rest of the whiskey with the desperate intention of forgetting Sickness formed inside him, but he wasn’t sure if it was the result of his actions or of realizing he’d never hold her again Finally he passed out, fully dressed on his bed, hand still clutching the bottle