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She saw genuine pain flash in his eyes, and tried to lighten things up "We never would’ve worked anyway I mean, a black chick and a white dude? In this Southern city? Good grief, the tongues would wag and wag, especially given your faroup-wide heart failure"

"Sunny, it’s not 1950 anyreed "Nobody cares who I see Besides, I don’t el, be truthful now" She gave hi look

"Okay, okay," he ad "I can’t bullshit one of the heavenly host"

"Jamie!" She claed "So I hit a few of the society parties now and then I don’t belong in that world We have" He leaned closer, sliding his ar her "Theis, I’d have been proud to have you on my arm, Sunny Renfroe So proud"

Her vision instantly blurred and she stared at her plate wordlessly Jamie’s warm hand encircled her nape and he rubbed the cordons of her neck, very tenderlyher "I didn’tshe should force his hand away He couldn’t touch her, couldn’t transgress the rules of interaction

And she couldn’t find the strength to stop hi at her eyes "To be on your arm, to know you were mine But I can’t afford to even dream about that"

He scooted closer, the hardinto hers He slid his hand down around her shoulder, cradling her close "Drea isn’t a criraze the lobe with an almost-touch "God puts drea for the strength to scoot away, but he just leaned a little closer, holding her against his side "I never much dreamed I could fall in love," he admitted huskily "Not ever Not till you walked in my house the other day"

She looked up into his eyes plaintively "Please Don’t azebo"

"Your boss? Yeah, don’t think I’uy, but I realize this is serious business"

She lifted fingertips to his cheek, caressing it briefly "Then stop touchingme, too"

She dropped her hand as if scalded "I won’t Not again"

"How can you be so sure?" he asked, obediently sliding a few feet away along the banquette, putting safe distance between their two bodies

Her throat tightened painfully, but she forced herself to ain, not after tonight It was a mistake There’s too much desire, too much we both wantand can’t have"

Jarily The silver-ware and china clattered; his chalass sloshed some of its contents onto the cloth, but then he slammed his hand down even harder "I’ve spentdemons So tellhis usually bright eyes "Why have I been given this dreaesture, he reached for his cha contents "How can falling for you like this be wrong or evil? Maybe I should burn in hell, but I can’t stop how I feel" He glanced away sharply, wiping his own eyes with the back of his hand

She’d never wanted to touch a huel in that moment Not to arouse him, not to pleasure herself She simply wanted to draw him into her arainst compassion The curtains were closed; they were couessing for another moment, she opened her arhtly in an e his hands about her waist She felt the fast rhythainst her own chest, smelled the masculine scent of his skin, the fresh, clean aroers through that straight, soft hair Just one stroke, maybe two

Surely that would be overlooked

Excepthe ry sound that said one or two nite the fire between theain Make them burn harder and hotter, take them beyond the veil to the place of punish her ainst her jaw, her throat He pulled at her waist, drawing her closer, closer, until she was halfway on his lap, feeling his thick erection beneath her thigh

Had to stop, had to put an end to itbut she didn’t possess the strength of will to do so

"Belong tohers "Please find a way"