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She cried out, dragging hi her long legs around hiether so cos All that had been slow became desperately fast, subtle beca so urgent it was almost cruel, and yet there was still time for kisses of liquid fire, caresses and whispers as tender as the softest breeze

He held himself in check as he held her, felt her shudder and jerk and cli last he allowed hi volatility that he had held in check, the entire world darkening and then exploding along with hiainst him, drenched and liquid, spent and li as if he actually had a heart hi with hers as they both eased down froether, they lay entwined on the bed, with the soft white light slowing bringing the world into focus again He didn’t want to leave--ever

She stirred against hi her head down to his chest, gently threading his fingers through the tangled ht Where she went, he thought, there was sun A sun that didn’t burn or hurt, just brightened the world

She could be the -headed, actually But being with her was a beside her, just being near her

Hewith her was the most wonderful experience in his memory, in his life, in his deathin his entire existence But he needed to be careful His e rampant

He didn’t care He didn’t think all the powers in heaven or hell could have stopped hiht

And then he stopped, ahts He was a vampire

And he was falling in love

She ainst hiht have to face as he continued to stroke her hair in silence Then, he couldn’t stop himself

"Are you sorry?" he asked softly

She shook her head "Noactually, I haven’t felt thisI don’t knowso"

"Sowhat?" he asked, setting a finger on her chin to lift her face so that she had to look at hi "I was about to say ’at peace’ I haven’t felt so at peace in years But I didn’t want you to think that your love was peaceful I mean, I’m not sure that would be a compliment, and I wouldn’t want to insult you At all" She was suddenly flushing, but he laughed, not in the least bit offended

"I won’t take it as an offense against my masculinity, I promise," he assured her

Her smile suddenly faded "I want you to knowI mean, I have no expectations Idon’t think I ht II don’t mean to intrude on your life I oes So far"

"So far," he said fir his ar we can do until ht, I’ive up a minute of the tiet light"

"Then hush, and letin her mind

Of course, he hadn’t meant it as "love" He’d meant it as "make love" But still, she believed with her whole heart that there was so between them more than sex She really hadn’t wanted to want him

But she had And she did

She’d drea when others had talked about him

She had admired him

But he was a vampire, and she shouldn’t have been with him

Why not? It wasn’t forbidden Just because her parents had died to stop a war because beings from two different societies had fallen in love

Hadn’t they learned from that war? People were people, even when they were creatures of the night or the underworld Surely they had learned that society’s dictates could never control the heart

After all, look at her She was lost in a ind over hi deeply She didn’t have affairs; she had never been the type Sex was the most intimate act possible between a htly

But

She didn’t even kno old Jagger DeFarge really was, or how long he had existed, or

If he kne to feel emotion

She started to roll over, certain that he would still be there, when she was stunned as her door flew open

She pulled up her covers, suddenly self-conscious

Jagger was gone

But Caitlin, wearing a look of pure fury was standing in her doorway

Chapter 6