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“You don’t need to”

“But I want to,” she said with a sether briskly “It’s still cold in here Perhaps the syste with the extreme weather It shouldn’t be, but—” As if on cue, a loud pop and a crashing sound on the roof hts flickered and died “Geez, talk about asking for it,” he ” Piper hunched into the armchair for safety

“Give it a minute or two and the backup systems will kick in”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I aentle as she heard hi around “You sound scared”

She felt a warm hand find her ankle in the dark “If I was the cat, I’d be crapping all over your sofa” She felt a ripple of exciteers stroked upwards underneath the hem of the sweatpants

She heard hi to be just fine”

“Is that why you’re stroking ?”

“Oh, is that what it is? So silky and soft…”

“Stop it” She giggled as his fingers tiptoed even further up her leg “You know da a defenseless woman in your lair in the dark”

“Defenseless? I’d take the cat on before I picked a fight with you, darling”

She sighed and closed her eyes even though everything was in darkness, acutely aware that he was kneeling at her feet “Actually, it’s very soothing considering how stressed I am It’s been quite a day”

“It’s the least I can do” She heard him shift closer, sensed his warmth, and then felt his breath feather her hair Her own breath hitched as he brushed his lips on her forehead “Your skin is very cool”

If she had any guts or self-respect, she’d put a few feet between theood idea where this would end if she let it “It an to feel jittery, and she lifted her chin until she could feel his breath on her lips