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"Well, I can guess" Hector slath to crack the iron Noelle had left AIR with Corban Blue, oh, about six hours ago No one had heard frolow eave Dallas could have slain an army "She better not still be with that Arcadian"

"Dude, calm down I’ve never seen you act that way"

No one had Except Noelle She’d seen every side to hi, cruel She’d liked him anyway Until he’d pushed her away that last time And now that he’d confessed about his past, she wouldn’t want him no matter how hard he tried to win her back

Not that he could try to win her back

"Usually you’re the guy with complete control of his eon Man, able to spew fire and burn an innocent man to ash"

Closer to the truth than he probably realized Hector pulled gloves out of his back pocket and stuffed his hands inside the his skin, his tats

"So have you slept with her yet?" Dallas asked

His scowl returned "Came close before you told me about … Anyway, there’s hardly been the ti a case since the otten Devyn’s threat on her life And most ied "I’m sorry I really am I know you want her"

Want Too tame a word for what he felt for Noelle

"Was she any--"

"Do not go there, Dallas," Hector said after tossing back the rest of his scotch

"You’re right Bad form"

Possessiveness was like a spiked collar around Hector’s neck He wanted to hold the memories of what he’d shared with Noelle close Especially since there could never be a repeat

"What about your arms?" Dallas asked "How’d they react to the sti after"--thislike that again So I’d ruined things with her even before your little announce time

For the best and you know it

"I’ain

"Clearly, you’re the betterit aloud rankled His throat clogged up with a h "No, I’m not the better man for her She never wanted me, and that’s a fact She even tried to set ht he took in that "Really?"

"Yeah Don’t get , I want her, but not as intensely as you do Besides, I’ve never had a relationship last ht save my life, but it would ruin yours and probably hers"

Yeah, because if Dallas slept with her then tossed her aside, breaking her heart, Hector would probably flip out Violently

"I won’t touch her," Dallas added "You have my word I just … I can’t hurt you like that"

His head snapped up "But your vision--"

Electric blues dulled "If one vision has to happen, it’s going to be the one of you and Noelle Hell, maybe that’s the one that will save me"

Or maybe not Guilt ate at him, but he couldn’t deny he experienced a flood of relief "Thank you I--"

"Nope You don’t have to go there We’re friends And I’ll take care of Devyn, don’t worry He won’t go after her"

"Thank you," he couldn’t help but say again He should let the subject drop at that, but couldn’t "Tell -up-naked part Please"

A shrug "Nothing else to tell You were naked, she was naked, and you were both asleep She woke up, sat up, and said, ‘Thank God Not a dream’"

Disappointment joined the relief "That’s it?"

"Yeah"

So … Dallas hadn’t seen the act itself Which meant, there was a chance the act had never even happened Maybe, as Hector had previously suspected, he and Noelle had merely fallen asleep beside each other

"Then I still can’t be with her" He worked his jaw back and forth "I can’t risk harnaled the waitress for another round A few minutes later, she delivered

She wore a short skirt that stopped just under the curve of her ass and flared out at her hips like a ballerina’s tutu Her red hair was split down the center and swinging over her ears in pigtails, and there was a heart painted in the center of her lips

"Anything else?" she asked Dallas with an eagerness that had nothing to do with the tip she hoped to get Well, not the cash one

"How about your phone nu to prove to Hector that he wasn’t going to pursue Noelle

She grinned, the heart bloo rose "Already ahead of you, gorgeous Check your napkin" With a wink, she sauntered away

"Way to get over your heartbreak," Hector groused

"I know, right But if everything goes according to plan, I’ll be getting under it"

Hector downed one of the shots, eulp

"Listen," Dallas said "I’ve been working with Kyrin, learning how to deal with my own abilities He says it’s all about control Mind overMaybe that’s all you need to do to keep yourself leveled out when you’re with Noelle"