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For several seconds he could do nothing but stare at her, holding theevery speck of it wash over hi pri her with the urgency of a h of her, her touch, her feel, her scent Tension and need were spiraling within hi-on his control, on sense of propriety, on everything except her

His fingers were grasping at her clothing, desperate to feel her skin, war to her cheek, her jaw, her neck

They twisted and turned away froainst a door He took the knob in his hand, turned, and they fell in, stuht

"Where are we?" Olivia asked, her breath shaking her body

He shut the door Locked it "I don’t care"

He grabbed her then, pulled her to hientle, he should have been tender But he was beyond that now For the first ti beyond his control He washe could not resist His world beca her, in the most fundaasped, her body arching against his He could feel every curve through their clothing, and he had to-he couldn’t stop-

He had to feel her He had to know her

He said her narown hoarse with need "I want you," he said And when shehis earlobe as his had done hers, he said it again

"I want you now"

"Yes," she said "Yes"

With a shuddering breath, he pulled away from her and took her face in his hands "Do you understand what I’h "Do you understand?" he asked, urgencyhim sound almost strident "I need you to say it"

"I understand," she whispered "I want you, too"

Still, he held off, unable to let himself cut that last thread of sanity, of propriety He kneas ready to commit his very life to her, but he had not sworn it in a church, before her faoing to have to stop hi seemed to stop, and then she took his face in her hands, the very same position he held with her Their eyesand so deep that it nearly paralyzed him with fear

How could he possibly be worthy of this? How could he keep her safe and happy and make sure that every second of every day she kne much he loved her?