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Her lips parted with surprise He could not tear his eyes from the?"
He gave a little shrug, even as his body tightened at the sight of her tonguea dry spot just to the left of the center of her upper lip "You’re a creature of habit," he said "And I’ off her routine e who she was "I did not realize I was so predictable"
"Not predictable," he said He reached across her and took the silver brush in his hand "Consistent"
"Con--"
"And before you ask," he interrupted gently, "that is a compliment"
"You don’t need to brush my hair"
"Of course I do You shaved my beard, if you recall It’s the very least I can do"
"Yes, but I don’t--"
"Shhh" he adh her already shining and untangled locks
"Edward, I--"
"Twenty-nine," he said before she could complete yet another protest "Thirty"
He could pinpoint the moment she finally surrendered Her steel-backed posture softened, and a soft breath--not quite a sigh--crossed her lips
To himself he counted thirty-two, thirty-three, and thirty-four "It’s nice, isn’t it?"
"Mmmm"
He smiled Thirty-five, thirty-six He wondered if she’d notice if he went past fifty
"Does anyone ever take care of you?" he asked
She yawned "That’s a silly question"
"I don’t think it is Everyone deserves to be cared for Soine, more than others"
"Tho since I last saw hireat care of h so that he could see her puzzled expression "Of course"
"Not everyone would have done so," he pointed out
"I am your"
But she did not finish the sentence
Forty-two, forty-three
"You are ale of her face, not even a true profile But he knew that she had stopped breathing He felt the instant she went still
"Forty-eight," he murmured "Forty-nine"
Her hand ca the moment? Freeze time so that she did not have to face their inevitable move toward intimacy?
She wanted him He knew that she did It was there in the soft moans he heard when they kissed, sweet sounds he doubted she even knew she ainst his, artless and curious
He took her hand, still resting atop his, and brought it to his mouth "Fifty," he whispered