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"If by ‘help’ you ainst his shoulder, "I would rather not I have reasons you don’t know about"

Lord St Vincent studied her half-hidden face "I’ll be interested to hear theered a tendril of hair at her teertips "Let’s use first nareat deal to talk about in a short amount of time The more honest and direct we are with each other, the better No secrets, no evasions Will you agree to that?"

Reluctantly lifting her head, Pandora gave hilance "I don’t want this to be a one-sided arrangement," she said, "in which I tell all ed his lips "I pro we say will be confidential?"

"God, I hope so," he said "My secrets are farthan yours"

Pandora didn’t doubt it He was a seasoned, self-assured man, well acquainted with the world and all its vices There was an almost preternatural maturity about him, a sense of authority that couldn’t have been er tempers

This was the first tiuilt He was so large and substantial that she felt like a se She let out a quivering sigh of relief, a regrettably childish sound, and he began to stroke her again "Poor mite," he murmured "You’ve had a ti for you to worry about"

Pandora didn’t believe that, of course, but it felt so lovely to be treated like this, soothed and coddled into a good humor She tried to absorb every sensation, every detail, so she could remember it later

His skin was srain where he’d shaved There was an intriguing triangular hollow at the base of his throat, near his collarbone His bare neck was very strong-looking except for that one shadowed place, vulnerable ah construction of ht occurred to her What would it be like to kiss hiainst her lips His skin would taste as nice as he smelled

The insides of her cheeks watered

The tenore It was the feeling that so that she had to obey it or die That lightly shadowed hollow had its own gravity It was pulling her closer Blinking, Pandora felt her body cae was too much to resist Helplessly she leaned forward and closed her eyes and just did it, kissed hi than she’d thought it would be, hertender warht hard, and his body jolted His fingers sank into her coiffure and he eased her head back, his wide, wondering eyes staring down into hers His lips parted as he struggled for words

Pandora’s face was scorched with shame "I’m so sorry"