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"Ouch Harsh, Elle Harsh"

"Honest" Elle All the men in her life eventually called her Elle A soft nicknairl they assumed her to be Or rather, wanted her to be Little wonder she longed to punch every one of them in the face when they used it

Not that she’d ever ad your displeasure with so to be tortured by it

Dallas’s hand slid down her back and landed on the curve of her ass His fingers splayed, covering as round as possible "Besides the pedicure, what do you consider better than this?"

Where to begin? "Long walks on the beach, even if it’s freezing outside Good--or cheap--wine in front of a crackling hearth Chicken noodle soup But it has to be made from real chickens, and not that syn-shit, or I’ll have to strike it from the list A lukewarm bubble bath, a h "You are hell on a guy’s ego"

"Yours needing so," he o"

"Yeah, I can feel your so already? It’s annoying"

"Annoyingly big, you "

Another warm, rich chuckle left hih to reach into his pants pocket Her mouth fell open

"I didn’this erection in front of everyone!

Only he withdrew a pyre-gun, the crystal dull rather than sparking, indicating the safety was on, and stuffed the weapon in the waist of his slacks, behind him Then he drew her back into his embrace

"Now Is that better?"

The shock had yet to leave her "Noho’s hell on an ego?" she grumbled, her cheeks just a bit hot

"Then let’s help each other out and revisit the whole stroking issue, hible sex fiend And she wished, really and truly wished, she desired him Even in the ood lover

"You know, Dallas," she said, straightening to gauge his reaction "I have this friend …"

The light in his eyes expanded, only to be crushed aJust as Hector’s had done each tiain yesterday when he’d eyed her black leather "Is she a ent by day and an insatiable nyain? Because this shit was a "Her name is Hope Van Der Pyke"

"And does she--wait" The pupils retreated to norlaze of excitement and desire "What?"

"She’s very pretty Very wealthy Kinda snobby, though Anyway, you’re exactly her type"

"Are you trying to seton the words "With so my best moves on you?"

"These are your best? Wait, never mind Don’t answer that I’d just have to feel sorry for you So, to answer your question, yeah I am" His incredulity was adorable, and she couldn’t help but twist the knife deeper "Is there a problem?"

"But I sae’re supposed to …"

One of her brows rose This wasby the moment "We’re supposed to what?"

A pause Then a heated, "Fuck"

O-kay "Do you mean that as a verb or a curse?"

"Both" He released her to run a hand down his face, once, twice, three times With the first, he revealed confusion With the second, anger, and with the third self-deprecation tinged with humor

His ar her in Not this time

"Want to tell rumble

"Do it anyway before I show you the blades I’"

At least his hu at the corners "Violent women really crank iveup and down her spine In reflex, she thought, rather than in a bid to arouse her "This is just so new to ently?"

"Not that You’ll find this difficult to believe, I know, but I’m turned down flat all the time I’m not sure why, either"

She snorted She just couldn’t help herself "Yeah, that’s a real mind puzzler"

"Hey Is that sarcas up to pat his cheek "Somehow you have turned the blackest day of loomy Thank you"

He frowned "Blackest day? Why? You look happy to me"

Damn She shouldn’t have let that slip out "What are you talking about? I am happy"

"But you just said … I just … Never mind You’ll only tax my poor, abused brain further So, here’s an admission for you, and an answer to one of your earlier questions I saw this day … saw us … and we ended up in … Oh, neverended, and his ar contact "Uh, I’m needed elsewhere, so I’ll see you around, Noelle" Off Dallas raced, never once glancing back

"Well, okay, then," Noelleup at McKell with utter adoration

I want that, she thought

Suddenly done with the party scene, and craving afor the back door No one tried to stop her, and for that she was i lot was spread out around her The sun was hidden behind dark, gray clouds, the air daainst the wall She’d lived through the worst of the day She could deal with anything else