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Withwith a white, fluffy robe over his arm He held it at the ready as he freedarainst him as he removed one wrist cuff and kissed the damp skin beneath it He repeated his kiss with the other "You’re free now"

Such loaded words; I’d already been freed He’d described this kind of behavior as a descent It was just the opposite With this man, I had flown I’d soared In a way, to sub Everything seehts dimmer

"How do you feel?"

"Little dizzy," I said in a scratchy voice "What happens now?" There would be tiht I was just going to roll with it

"I’uided my limp arms into the robe sleeves "I expect you to relax and worry about nothing while I cosset you"

I could deal with that

He bundled ainst his chest, then carried me froh the ballroo out a private exit, love The car’s waiting"

Even ere ensconced in the back of the li me on his lap He removed my mask and his own, then reached into the cooler for a bottle of orange juice "Drink" He held it up to my lips

I quirked a brow "No warht I want you to come down softly"

I took a sip of the juice--had to be the best I’d ever tasted It was everything I could do not to chug it like a frat boy on a keg nozzle "What do youdown?"

He eased closer to lick a drop of juice frorow even heavier "Your blood is flooded with endorphins That’s why you felt--"

"High?"

"Precisely But what goes up must come down"

"You’ll be here to catch er under ured out Surely hurdles had been cleared Noould e of his nose, then buried h his thick hair, clutching it as I hugged this big, brave man close I’d never felt so cherished So protected

He was el, my friend,Everything