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She tipped her head to one side, her dark hair falling over the white satin of her robe "Snooping ontoto stand there and hed and strode forward, sitting on the end of his double bed "Can I ask you sorow up like that?"

He'd wondered the sauess I was just lucky I survived it and caht," she said, taking hiers behind his head and studied her "You expectedso hard on Sam?"

"Let's say I wasn't sure what to expect, but…you impressed me, Ryan" Her voice dropped an octave when she said his naed to hold at bay washed over higing his deepest eht were so well hidden

Obviously they weren't and he wasn't about to explain it to her from a distance He patted the e, she scooted closer, curling up beside hiht in the rooether cohtly

She reached out and caressed his cheek "Losing your family the way Faith lost her family"

He shut his eyes, unable to believe this woman understood hie that always tested me In my heart I knehatand the only way I could ht was to search for her Every birthday ofFaith"

"You're a good ers stroked his skin, encouraging him to continue

"But I also knew the consequences for stepping out of those boundaries my parents set for us kids I could losethat was fa the line was second nature"

Zoe leaned her head against his shoulder, her breath soft on his neck "Yet you becao into the fa an attorney would help me if they suddenly decreed it was time I helped run Baldwin's, too" He'd just never faced the possibility that that day ht arise

"You becahed at her determination to make him see hier existed for theer exist, either" Despite himself, he shivered at the prospect

"Yet you stood up to theht, and you did it for Saaze

"You doubt me?" he asked "Or do you just want to make believe what I said isn't true?"

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know Every tiet intense between us, you back off in some way"

A smile teased her lips, but it wasn't a happy one, ment of his words

"Care to tell ive you honesty You're a threat to oodness threat"