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Sometimes she wondered if that hy Riley ith her Because she calmed him, too He was a supernatural creature, after all, and her presence alone had to soothe the brutal, ferocious beast inside him

If so, she would still want to be with him She was already addicted to him, enjoyed his wildness But she would still wish he wanted her for her, not for what she could do Still She could always content herself with the knowledge that she now soothed rather than drained, as she’d done to her ownto the side as he studied her "Why?"

Thoughts of her ht melancholy, but that wasn’t the reason for the e "I’m…" What could she say? She didn’t want to lie to hiirl she was ht not supersede the ability she possessed She’d seem needy and her self-estee her to the left She yelped as her entire world spun Her back was suddenly pressed against a tree trunk, though she wasn’t jarred in the least Strong hands had padded the collision, sowas behind her if not for her inability to move away Not that she wanted to move away

Riley pinned her co her in, his hands at her teed to say Had so--or someone--threatened them? Had--

"You’re beautiful, you know that?" he said, voice husky

No threat, then She reed She could maybe be called "cute" on her best days She just, well, she had a baby face A little rounded, dimpled Olive skin like her ht brown eyes "So are you Beautiful, I h his eyes were as bright as eh escaped her "Manly Definitely I don’t knohat I was thinking, calling you beautiful" Exquisite was a better word for those rough features "Forgive me?"

"Always" He leaned down, his nose at her throat, and sniffed "Have I ever told you how good you sar cookies and vanilla"

"That’s my lotion" Was that breathless voice really hers?

"Well, your lotion is going to get you nibbled on"

That had been the plan "Yeah?"

"Oh, yeah"

His head rose, but only slightly, and their noses touched at the tip He was breathing heavily, and so was she, so every tiht smell like cookies, but he smelled like the forest around them Wild and earthy and necessary

She cupped his nape, her other hand returning to rest just over his heart The beat was faster now, so fast she couldn’t keep count His heat enveloped her like a winter coat, keeping her toasty warle as a low, rurowl

"Why are you attracted to one there? And yep, she’d sounded needy

"Fishing for co? Well, I can play I’m with you because you’re brave Because you’re sweet Because you care about your friends Because every time I look at you, my heart beats out of control, as you can probably feel, and all I can think about is being with you longer"

"Oh That’s nice" A silly reply, but she didn’t knohat else to say He’d just rocked her entire world And now she wanted to rock his "Kiss me" Inch by inch, she closed the distance between their mouths

"My pleasure" And then their lips ue thrust inside, and it was like being struck by lightning Electrifying So good He tasted as good as he smelled, just as wild, just as earthy Just as necessary

His fingers slipped under the he the sensitive skin there He urged her away froerly followed that urging So good, she thought again

This was their second kiss, and it was far better than the first Which she wouldn’t have thought possible That kiss had consumed her This one lit her up and burned her all the way to her soul

They stood like that, lost in each other, for severaltoo