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"Yes"

Was she a novelty, then?

"I knohat you’re thinking," he said, and rolled on top of her His weight pinned her down, and she…liked it "Your aura is a very sad, very depressing color You think you mean less to me than all the others That you are somehow less"

His opinion shouldn’t matter If they survived the curse--you will She wouldn’t believe otherwise--she was going to break up with him, she reminded herself "Let’s just say I’m not exactly sure what you see in me"

"We’ve covered this before I see your beauty…" He kissed the shell of her ear, softly, sweetly

She shivered "Beauty fades"

"I see your intelligence" Another kiss, this one on her chin

Another shiver "I could loseso even now

"I see your bravery" Another kiss, once, twice, this one just under her bottoirls are brave"

"I see a pair of hazel eyes that view the world with an enviable mix of innocence and optio soft and hot at the sa ickedness, and that does so out for the briefest taste "What do you see in , delicious, suddenly as necessary as breathing No azes locked, and he braced his hands beside her teen sos, and she said, "I see the hottest boy alive," and leaned up to kiss his jaw

He shook his head "Someone wise once told me that looks fade"

So the tables had been turned, had they? She alrinned "I see the sharpest wit I’ve ever encountered" She kissed his chin

"Huth" She kissed just below his lip

"One snap of my spine, and I’m useless"

"I see…a boy ould stand betweena thousand ti me from the smallest of scratches" Truth "I see a boy who knohat I need before even I know, and then delights in giving it to ain, truth

She pressed a soft kiss into his lips

He hadn’t lingered with his kisses, but she did with hers She pressed again, then again, until he opened his , exploring He was heavy against her, but he didn’t crush her Having hi his back, kneading, squeezing

His, too They roamed, and soon both their shirts were off and they were skin to heated skin Nothing had ever felt that good His taste was in her ree His hands were just as hot, soft and hard all at the sa his breath, and he ing hers She was clutching at hier content to knead and squeeze If he’d been hu hi she did, each new, inexperienced touch she gave, because he constantly growled his approval

For a ers played at the waist of her jeans Her skin tickled there, and she found herself arching up, seeking rowled--and this time it wasn’t in approval, but in…pain?

"We have to stop," he rasped

He’d stopped them last time, too This time, she wanted to scream "Why?"

"This is your first time"

"I know"

"But I don’t want you to be with "

"I’m not" She was, but that wasn’t the only reason she ith hirave, haunted "Mary Ann, only thisyou were done with me"

"To save you I don’t want to hurt you"

His forehead pressed against hers Both of theht, and one day I’et a medal for this You have no idea how hard this is for me" He snorted, as if he’d made a joke "Listen, your first time should be about love Only love"