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His gut clenched He ht still have doubts, but he aded froirl who’d once looked to hi irown up in his household--more of a family member than a casual friend She deserved his respect, and it was tiive you that," he said "I want us to be able to work together Move forward I can try if you will"

"I can try" Her husky voice scraped across his nerve endings The tentative ser, until those lush lips were stretched into a joyous grin that did strange things to his insides She’d always been an eiver--never afraid to soothe, nurture, touch She cried big, laughed loud, and refused to shy away fro ti end of one of her true smiles, and he remembered how special it felt, as if he were the only man in the world to make her happy

He sround exploded full force, filling the e that practically charged the air Suddenly lust hit hie to close the distance between them and kiss her, strip her, claim her Because she’d always been his

He stuled with his arousal and put hireed to a truce, and he wasn’t going to get sidelined again by a connection fueled by the past

"Can I ask you so?"

He shuddered and prayed she wouldn’t What if she felt the sa between them? What if she asked him questions he couldn’t answer--questions that haunted hione? His voice came out rusty "What?"

Her beautiful face tilted up toward hi

"You don’t happen to have a granola bar in your pocket, do you?"

He blinked "Huh?"

"I’hts

And then he laughed She joined in, and for a little while, everything was good

"What tiht "About five roaned "It sry And bored What tiht wrist "Five twenty-five Six minutes after the last time you asked me"

"Why do you wear expensive suits and jewelry to a job site?"

He frowned "I don’t wear jewelry You must have confused ," she pointed out "And yourcuff links can be spotted a h hi and a ive him a hard tirumbled