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Abby s the knowledge that Dante was completely at her mercy

For this moment he was hers As intiardless if he possessed one or not

One heart, beating or not

One body

With slow, deliberate e of frenzy, refusing to increase the pace even as he gasped out a plea for mercy

Only when she realized that herto an explosive release did she give in to his broken corasp her hips so he could puave a shout of joy at the same moment she violently convulsed about him

For a ainst the iainst him in utter exhaustion

She was shaken by the force of her pleasure But oddly coainst the hardness of his body

It was as if she had been thrown froht in the safety of Dante’s e her tumultuous emotions, Dante softly stroked her tousled curls and placed a coht, Abby?"

She snuggled against his strength "More than all right"

"And you aren’t considering any wanton staking?"

"Not at the ave a soft chuckle as his lips absently smoothed over her temple "Unlike most vampires, I enjoy my passion without pain, bloodshed, or the threat of i back her head, she aze "What about Sasha?"

A decidedly s smile curved his lips "I’ve told you there’s no need to be jealous, my sweet I put Sasha in my past the ave a juarded him with a frown "I don’t believe you"

He arched a brow, his unworldly beauty starkly pronounced as the rosy dawn outside the cave began to dispel the gloom

’That Sasha is in my past?"

"That you even noticed me when I arrived on Selena’s doorstep," she clarified in dry tones

His fingers traced aimless patterns over the bare skin of her back, his expression softened with amusement

"Oh, I noticed How could I not?" His lips twisted with a hint of self-derision "Froued by that daet you out ofto seduce you even before I knew your naance "Could you possibly be a little s that are inevitable"

Abby paused She wasn’t much of a philosopher Hell, she didn’t even knohat a philosopher actually did But she did know that inevitable or fate or providence were not words in her vocabulary

"No, there is no such thing as inevitable," she said firmly

"Why do you say that?" he demanded, more curious than offended

"Because if fate was set in stone, then I would be a drunken whore working the streets for a cheap bottle of whiskey"

Her tone was light, but she felt hi into her skin

"Don’t say that," he rasped

She pulled back to regard hih My parents were both alcoholics who shouldn’t have been allowed to have a dog, let alone six children My father spoke with his fists and did us all a favor when he forgot to return ho enough to get a fresh bottle of whiskey My brothers took off as quickly as they could, and I was left alone to watchfor ainst his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head

"Destiny has nothing to do here you caht be," he said fiercely "Destiny co less than extraordinary, Abby Barlow"

Wrapped tightly in his arrubby little girl who roao hoer who kept people at a distance because she didn’t want them to know the truth of her faled just to keep a roof over her head

She was bold and daring A vampire’s lover The woman who held the fate of the world within her

A weary sed at her lips