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It was ’s roof, probably because he wasn’t trying to hurt entleness without malice--nice He tasted of apples, which he must’ve eaten on his way back from town, and radishes, which were not so pleasant I didn’t mind I felt his eyes on ht, but then I hadn’t closed h, and until he’d taken hold ofaze had implied, I didn’t realize what it was that had asp, and I realized Shiny’s kiss had been just a kiss Just one mouth on another, with no i on unseen winds It had been so long since I’d kissed a otten we couldn’t do that

That was all right, though There were other things we could do just fine

I slept well into the small hours, until a dream made me start awake I kicked Shiny in the shin inadvertently, but he did not react I touched his face and realized he ake, untroubled by

"Did you sleep at all?" I yawned

"No"

I couldn’t reiven ered I pushed myself up from his chest and rubbed my face, bleary and painfully aware of the unlovely taste of inning their h the chill in the air told me it wasn’t yet dawn Otherwise it was quiet--that eerie, not-quite-co quiet one finds in small towns before dawn Not even the fisher sadness, the birds would not have been so alone

"Everything all right?" I asked "I can make some tea"

"No" He reached up then to touch my face, as I so often did with him Since his eyes worked just fine, I wondered if I dared take it as a gesture of affection Maybe the room was just dark He was always a hard man to read, and now I had to learn a whole new set of interpretations for the things he did

"I want you," he said

Or he could just tell h I nuzzled his hand to let hi to have to work on your bedroo me easily to his lap, and pulled me into a kiss before I could warn him about my breath His was no better But it was my turn to be surprised, because as he deepened the kiss and s the A flicker A trickle of heat--real heat Not passion, but fire

I gasped,as he pulled back

"I want to be inside you," he said, his voice low, implacable One of his hands pinned ed elsewhere, just right I think I ht break across your skin I want you to scream as the sun rises I don’t care what na I’ve ever heard, I thought giddily He touchedHe had learned much about me in our previous session, which this tirazed my throat, I cried out and arched backward, not quite voluntarily The way he was holding my wristsme--I could feel the care he took to avoid that--but I couldn’t break his grip I treI had , but this was different I could no longer see the glow rise in Shiny’s body, but I had tasted the first stirrings of ic in his kiss He was not quitelikeof heat and intensity and absolute power

Could I lie doith soet up whole?

"I want to be ainst my skin "Just once" Not a plea--never that An explanation

I closedh

So he lifted us, turning to putthat he needed this The control He had so little power these days; what he could claim was precious to hiaze was like feathers on my skin, a torht of command I arched and shuddered and opened ainst me, into me, I felt the impossible heat of his body rise HeGodwords, like a prayer, alic would not work for him, would it?