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Her fingers itched to pull his sleeve up farther, and she wavered over his arht her hand in his and pressed it to his skin An electric jolt shot froht to her heart He looked so perfect, like carved stone, but his skin was s, alive

"You can touch me," he said "Anywhere"

Even as the invitation thrilled her, it gave her pause Touching was such a private thing She didn’t understand hoas able to do it so ith people he didn’t know

"Are you sure you’re okay with this?" she asked

That crooked grin returned in full force "I like being touched"

When she continued to hesitate, he drew his sleeve up hi black ink marks that swept across his upper arm, over his shoulder, and disappeared beneath his T-shirt The tattoo had to be quite large because the shape hadn’t even begun to materialize Just how much of him did it cover?

The swell of hisShe’d never touched hard rounded flesh like this before She wanted to touch hi it now?

"Are you wearing cologne?" she asked as she filled her lungs

He stiffened "No, why?"

She leaned as close as she could without burying her face against his neck, seeking out ood What is it?"

Where was that scent coht She craved a more concentrated dose

"Michael?"

A funny look crossed his face "It’s just ood?"

"Apparently You’re the first to comment on it"

"I want this smell all over me" As the words left herThat statee Would he notice how strange she really was?

He bent down so his lips hovered a hairsbreadth away from her ear and whispered, "Are you sure you’re bad at sex?"

"What do you ood at it"

Her fingers flexed on his arainst him like a stripper on a pole It bewildered her She was not at all stripperish, and unlike hi But she craved connection soyet"

"You’re very good at the talking part"

"I’ve had sex There isn’t a talking part"

A spark danced in his eyes "There’s definitely a talking part"

Please, don’t let there be a talking part There was no hope for her if it involved talking "So far--"

He gathered her hair to one side and brushed a fleeting kiss behind her ear It happened so quickly that by the time her body tensed up he’d already pulled away When he didn’t ain The place where he’d kissed her burned with awareness

Without touching her skin, he stroked his fingers over her hair Slow, measured movements that swept from her crown, past her neck, and down her back The e

"I think you should kiss ht, and her skin pricked with panic She was a horrible kisser Her aard attempts were sure to embarrass them both "On the mouth?"