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I’ve tasted her Been inside her "I thought you said this thing was black and white," he ain Soon

Have to make it safe for her first

A wanton smile that started his heart back up, but it was jacked into an unsteady rhythaze swept over hi" There was reverence in her tone

He actually felt himself blush like some stupid kid "I won’t eht embarrass you" She closed the rest of the distance to trace her polished fingernails up the lapels of his jacket The scent of jasmine and honeysuckle acco as a htened "I don’t think I’ll be able to keepthe connection Her expression cleared, and he had to fight the urge to return her to where he wished she could stay forever In his ar in a tailored tux, but nothing could have prepared her for this He was perfection personified Sexy and devilish and utterly irresistible Jacket, vest, tie--no bowtie for him--in black Italian silk, and he wore every piece with confidence

During the entire twenty-minute drive to the old Glasskyheld, she stared at hi He hadn’t bothered to style his hair, yet the results were stunning Those dark strands were exquisitely disheveled, the locks of flax like ave him a don’t-mess-with-me vibe, especially since one of those eyes had been blackened during his fight with Gordun to fade

She wanted hiht, and wake up to hi she wouldn’t do to ed to keep his distance But everyat the office, when he’d first spotted her, he’d looked a littlelocked their relationship down, his teree Any day he would break And when he did, she would retted it

Their car stopped at the base of a hill Just outside her passenger door was a pier of steps that led to the front doors of the home A red carpet had been rolled out, and reporters consuhts in the darkness

The ular s The sides stretched wide and wrapped backward, as if hugging the jewel-toned gardens just beyond Steepled layer after steepled layerto the height

"Are you ready--" She stopped Hector had turned an unpleasant shade of green She leaned over, ainst his ear, and whispered, "I want you so et out of the car and coot to wear any panties"

He nearly tore the door of the hinges during his hasty exit, but when he reached her side of the vehicle and helped her out with a gloved hand, he was steady as a rock, his expression blank, even bored Good boy

The night was colder than usual, and he wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her war, Noelle?" "Are the two of you dating?" "How’s the baby?" "What does Corban Blue think of you seeing another man?"

Without a word, Hector tossed his remote for the car to the valet A reerprint controls, allowing sorammed in to operate the panels

They ascended the steps, and Noelle tossed an easy smile this way and that She made a mental note to download every newspaper in the city toic, and she’d replace Hector’s tux with a bunny suit and her dress with skin, and tease hih The undertones were still rusty, still gravelly, but much easier to evoke now than when she’d first lass of bubbly frolow of pink--uncaring what anyone thought about her feeding alcohol to her bun in the oven She scanned, but caught no hint of Phillips

The crowded ballrooly carved fro the sides The chandelier in the center was tiered, each tier wider than the one above, thousands of crystal teardrops cascading into a shimmery waterfall

Alabaster columns opened into separate rooms, some with tables of food, soardens No round, blending with the sound of idle chatter and clinking glasses

"Ava’s happy I dragged you to this rather than her," she said to Hector "She always hated these things"

He snorted, relaxing into the conversation "I more than hate it"

To be honest, Noelle would rather be at ho love Would that stun Hector? Horrify hiuy doesn’t show?"

"He will AIR hasn’t approached hiiven us his name And won’t"

"True, but--" From the corner of her eye, she spotted hera beeline for her Da because they were too enancy

"Will you excuse , she looked back and forth between herto run to the ladies’ room"

He frowned at her, didn’t appear to believe her, but all he said was, "Don’t be long"

"So coue and took off like her heels were on fire After placing her e tray, she e of location and followed her

As she prepared herself for war, she led theeous arden No one meandered about, the air perhaps too cold and damp Hadn’t stopped the vultures out front

"You shouldn’t be here"

The unfamiliar male voice came from behind her, and she whirled Someone had shut the doors before her family had reached her Frouy she’d seen in Alfonzo’s, when she and Hector had interrogated Brenda Marks

He wore an expensively cut tux, polished loafers "You shouldn’t be here," he said again

"And why is that?" She didn’t see a weapon on hiers reached past the side-slit in her dress and closed around the butt of her pyre

The moment she touched the handle, he disappeared frorab onto her wrist, shocking the hell out of her

"I don’t think so," he said "No weapons"

Threat! Throwing her head back, she nailed him in the chin and he released her

She spun, airowled "You want to play, because I’ll play Prison rules"