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He leaned back Fortunately, the lass was too short to reach his face without his cooperation Or a step stool

"You are so stubborn," she said, with a gusty sigh "Fine, let’s talk then It’s pretty clear we have a lot to talk about" She paused, then, "He doesn’t knohat kisses are," sheher head "That’s never happened inon the end of the bed, her feet dangling, she patted the space beside her "Come Sit by me"

"Nay" When the kitten jumped daintily onto the bed and spilled across the velvet coverlet, he scowled at it "You or that bedraggled mop of fur--I’m fair uncertain which is more useless At least the beastie doesna prattle on so"

"But the beastie can’t kiss either," she said archly "And it’s not bedraggled Don’t insult h value to these kisses of yours I scarce believe they are worth much," he said scornfully

"That’s because you haven’t kissed eance moved, in spite of his best intentions, to stand at the foot of the bed between her legs He stared down at her She scooped up the kitten and pressed her lips to its furry head He closed his eyes and fought a tide of ies that made no sense to him

"Perhaps you’re afraid," she said sweetly

He opened his eyes "I fear nothing"

"Then on’t you letso harled with the answer for a moment, then said simply, "You may not touch me ’Tis forbidden"

"Why not, and by who And ’tis none of your concern why"

"I think it is I thought you were a ht for himself A warrior, a leader Now you tell me you follow orders like some little puppet"

"Puppet?"

"An imitation of a real person fashioned of wood, pulled this way and that by itsbut a servant, are you?"

Her delicate sneer cut hi a servant? He was Vengeance, he was perfect and strong and… Och, he was his king’s servant Why did that chafe? Why did he suffer the odd sensation that once he’d not been anyone’s serf but a leader in his own right?

"Why do you obey hi of yours ood to you? Tell ain, and left the roo?" she called after him

"To prepare a rowled over his shoulder

Jane ate in bed, alone but for the kitten Aedan brought her fish roasted over an open fire and a blackened potato that had obviously been stuffed in the coals to cook, accompanied by a similarly charred turnip, then left in silence No salt No butter for the dry potato Not one drop of lemon for the fish

Warily, she conceded that she was probably not drea--the fare had never been so unpalatable in one of her dreah she’d attendedat any of them Now, she choked it down because she was too e for herself over an open fire Toer-striped kitten, who beneath her tail) because of the way the little tyke sashayed about as if outrageously pleased with herself, hungrily devoured a tender fish filet, then busied herself scrubbing her whiskers with little spit-moistened pahile Jane puzzled over her situation

She’d been astonished to discover Aedan had no idea what a kiss was, but the ht about it, the more sense it made

Aedan not only didn’t knoas Aedan, he didn’t remember that he was a !

She wondered if that in of sorts When they finally made love--and there was no doubt in her mind that they would, one way or another, even if she had to ambush and attack hie to think that she ht have to teach him, he who’d been her inexhaustible drea provoked, she itated when she’dand had visibly bristled at the idea of being areactions, he had a for to be difficult to penetrate It would help if she knehat had happened to hi," and find out when and how they’dhad enchanted his considered, she supposed she couldn’t suspend disbelief without suspending it fully Until she reached so on, she would be unwise to discount any possibilities