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He watched her face closely, suddenlywordswI proe bubble of joy began to rise within hiod had chosen to bestow her upon hi mat he needed to be a bit more attentive next tiain, "because I' down at her as if she were the most wondrous creature ever to walk the earthwI love you," she whispered "I've loved you for years"wI know," he said, surprising himself with his words He had known, he supposed, but he'd thrust it from his mind because her love made him uncoood when you didn't return the emotion He couldn't dismiss her, because he liked her and he'd not have been able to forgive himself if he'd trampled on her emotions And he couldn't flirt with her, for much the same reasons

And so he had told himself that what she felt wasn't really love It had been easier to try to convince himself that she was merely infatuated with him, that she didn't understand what true love was (as if he did!), and that eventually she would find someone else and settle down into a happy and contented life

Now that thought--that she ht have married another-- nearly left him paralyzed with fear

They were side by side, and she was staring at him with her heart in her eyes, her entire face alive with happiness and contentment, as if she finally felt free now that she had spoken the words And he realized that her expression held not one trace of expectation She hadn't told him she loved hi for his answer

She had told him she loved him simply because she wanted to Because that hat she feltwI love you, too," he whispered, pressing an intense kiss against her lips before azed at hi Finally, with an odd, convulsive s, she said, "You don't have to say that just because I did"wI know," he replied, s eyes the only movement on her facewAnd you know that, too," he said softly "You said you know me better than you know yourself And you knoould never say the words if I didn't mean them"

And as she lay there, naked in his bed, cradled in his embrace, Penelope realized that she did know

Colin didn't lie, not about anything i

He loved her It wasn't anything she'd expected, nor anything she'd even allowed herself to hope for, and yet here it was, like a bright and shining miracle in her heartwAre you sure?" she whispered

He nodded, his ar When I asked you to stay"" But she didn't finish the question Because she wasn't even really sure what the question was

How did he know he loved her? How had it happened? How did it make him feel?

But somehow he must have knohat she could not verbalize, because he answered, "I don't know I don't knohen, I don't kno, and to be honest, I don't care But I know thisthe real you all these years"wColin, don't," she pleaded "No recriht"

But he just ser on her lips to silence her plea "I don't think you changed," he said "At least not verydifferent when I looked at you" He shrugged "Maybe I changed Maybe I grew up"

She placed her finger on his lips, quieting hirew up, too"wI love you," he said, leaning forward to kiss her And this time she couldn't reply, because his , and very, very seductive

He seeue, each nibble of his teeth sent shivers to the very core of her being, and she gave herself over to the pure joy of the moment, to the white-hot flame of desire His hands were everywhere, and she felt hi its way between hers

He was pulling her closer, rolling her on top of him as he slid onto his back His hands were on her bottoainst him that the proof of his desire seared itself into her skin

Penelope gasped at the astounding intiht by his lips, still kissing her with fierce tendernessAnd then she was on her back, and he was on top of her, and the weight of hi the air fros His mouth moved to her ear, then to her throat, and Penelope felt herself arching beneath him, as if she could somehow curve her body closer to his

She didn't knohat she was supposed to do, but she knew she had to move Her mother had already conducted her "little talk," as she'd put it, and she'd told Penelope that she must lie still beneath her husband and allow him his pleasures

But there was no way she could have remained motionless, no way she could have stopped her hips fro around his And she didn't want to allow hie them, to share them

And she wanted the inside of her--this tension, this desire--it needed release, and Penelope couldn't is wouldn't be the encyher voice hoarse