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"I don’t date, period"

Oh "Then …" She chewed on her botto the dile "What?" she et out, unsure how to phrase her next question

"What do I do when I need to get off?" he asked, even as he rubbed the hard, thick length of his erection between her legs, just as he’d done the last ti that on purpose, urging her need for hi on instinct?

Having trouble filling her lungs with oxygen, she nodded

"I used to pay for it Does that shock your privileged sensibilities? Offend you? And stop nibbling on your mouth" He leaned down and sank his own teeth into the sensitive tissue Not enough to sting, just enough to stake a claim

Oh, God He was a biter She really wished she hadn’t learned that fact No doubt she’d start fantasizing about those teeth clai …

Have to … touch him …

"No response?" he demanded

She flattened her hands on his chest His pectorals ju

"Noelle" A snarl

What had he asked? Oh, yeah The prostitutes "It confuses me" His intensity probably scared a lot of women away, but it would draw some, too There was no reason for him to pay for what he wanted "You kissed me, and I liked it You shouldn’t have to--"

Wait He’d said used to, hadn’t he? What did he do now?

"Too bad," he snapped "I won’t explain"

"Will you tellme?"

Such a tortured expression "Yes No Daain"

Oh, really? "Challenge accepted," she purred, already rising on her tiptoes

He opened his mouth, maybe to tell her off, maybe to welcoue over his lips

An agonized moan left him, and just like before the kiss iether, and they both angled for deeper, better contact He tasted sweet, decadent, and she thought sheshe had, feeding hi the h her, and she arced against hi fuel on her own need because, with every forward glide, her clitoris brushed against him

This was far better than the first kiss, and that had been spectacular But she knew more about hiht after night

"Hector, touch me Please" Knead her breasts, pinch her nipples Give her more

The rock wall behind her shook … shook …

"Hector Please" She slid a hand down his chest, to the waist of his pants So long and thick, his erection strained past the ht This is mine

He wrenched his round that erection against her, and she closed her fingers around it as best she could "I can’t do this!"

His skin was like a lick of fla heat at her Little beads of sweat broke out on her brow She loved it, wanted more Wanted it to be hotter "Liftto me?" he snarled "Do I have your full attention?"

"Yes" Yes, yes, yes She could feel his heartbeat, pounding against her other pal ceased abruptly, and sheyou not to even speak to me Not to even look at me And I’ll extend you the same courtesy That’s all I’ve ever wanted fro all contact, and walked away

Walked away frolanced back

What The Hell? She’d suspected, but …

Noelle rested against the wall, her knees weak, her blood on fire, with fury … with passion … She’d wanted hisShe’d wanted to relearn his taste--and not just froroan as the pressure becaht to prove a point To huet his wish, she thought She wouldn’t spend anotherhim She wouldn’t even allow herself to think about him They were done Before they’d ever really started, they were done

His loss

Squaring her shoulders, deterht to her feet She spun, would have marched back to the bunk, but a thick waft of smoke, scented with burned syn-cotton and spiced with azed around, searching for the source

Not her this time, but the wall Two perfect handprints had been burned into the brick Big hands, a , confused, she reached out and ran a finger over the indented stone She hissed at the , she knew the h to blister her skin

So, the aze returned to Hector Or rather, to where he’d once been He was gone now, no sign of him in the darkness Was he … could he be an otherworlder capable of flah he appeared one hundred percent human?

Maybe Many races possessed special abilities that their human counterparts did not She’d always embraced those differences, and she would have eiven her a chance

But he hadn’t By his own ader than have Noelle for free So, he would get his wish, she thought again She would leave hiht forether, and she’d have to act cool, collected, as if this night had never transpired And really, that should be easy to do Ulti with her So, in that regard, Hector was no different than the rest He’d simply been more upfront about it than the others

I’m fine This is fine She’d suspected they wouldn’t suit, and he’d proven her right No big deal Except her chin wobbled and her eyes blurred with tears Shit She never cried! Why here? Why now? Why over him?

The answer didn’t matter Like every time before, she stuffed her hurt deep inside and pasted an unconcerned smile on her face She strolled back to the bunkhouse, to Ava, the only other constant in her life

Twelve

A year later