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He has a beer lifted halfway to hisat iving me His eyes raze me, and when I lifte, I’m surprised aze

Adrenaline surges through ht impulse, and I wonder why erous But then I stop and think It’s not quite the saenerally makes me either panic or freeze up It’s about fear This is different When seconds pass and he still hasn’t taken his eyes off ofon the adrenaline’s heels

Power

He makes me feel powerful

I drop my eyes, overwhelmed by the rush of pleasure I feel at that idea, and am faced instead with his costume, which I hadn’t noticed before Or more correctly, his near lack of a costume His chest is bare, and I can’t help but measure him with my eyes His chest is broad, hewn in muscles that couldn’t be more defined if an artist sculpted them His skin is a warm bronze, and it looks so smooth to the touch Everywhere Except for the se, leatherlike cloth

God A loincloth He’s wearing nothing but a loincloth

Oh,toward aze His naked chest That cloth that hides onlyoh, enius," he says, and I can hear the s away fro spot on the floor Then he shifts, and soes in his voice when he says, "Nell"

A part ofhim say my name entirely toomy request that you stay away?" I ask stiffly

"If you wanted me to stay away, you definitely shouldn’t have worn that"

A furious blush steals across my cheeks and down my neck "Dylan insisted I wear a costume, and this was all that was left at the store"

"Thank God for Dylan, then And for procrastination Can you do me a favor and say, ‘Hit me, baby, one , I actually hit him But when my palm makes contact with the hard muscle of his shoulder, I wish I hadn’t Because now that I knohat his bare skin feels like, I’et the sensation My brain is already cataloging the feel, co up empty for comparison Is it normal for him to feel so war once about it dilating blood vessels and bringing warmer blood closer to the surface of the skin

Yes, that’s absolutely it

Dylan corateful I latch on to her arm like she’s my port in a storm And frankly, "stor at across from me