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Captured between the heat of his hand and the promise of his sover her, and he could have taken her there—she wanted hilimpse of his passion, one taste of his proed as she pulled her head back, was she ending this? Why, when her body screa her to stop?

‘We can’t’ Utterly unable to meet his eyes, she attempted an explanation

‘We very nearly did,’ Vaughan pointed out, his hand still on the sainst her, her own body still live with desire in his arh her veins and she pulled away ether But not quickly enough to aze on the crea hopefully, and she kneas taking it all in—the glittering eyes, the flush of arousal on her cheeks—kne contrary her words sounded when her body clearly wanted him

‘You don’t mix business with pleasure, remember?’

She needed help here—needed Vaughan to take so shoulders, to offer a voice of reason that would stave off the onslaught of disaster But Vaughan wasn’t helping Vaughan was onlyit worse

‘I er traced her cheekbone, drew around the contours of herthe flesh still swollen from his kiss She ached to relent, to part her lips on his command, to resu, couldn’t do this again and hope to come out intact

‘It’s a good rule’ Snapping into business mode, she attempted a brittle smile ‘And one I intend to keep’

‘So as that, then?’

‘A goodnight kiss,’ Ahan, it was just a kiss’

‘Just a kiss?’ The preposterousness of her statement was there in his voice ‘Tell me, Amelia, do you kiss all your subjects like that?’

‘Of course not’ A was easier Keeping her distance was safer than letting hi him see her naked truth

How could she tell a le kiss he hadevery shred of strength she could summon to keep her hand on the door? That she had to physically force herself not to run to him?

‘It’s just safer, that’s all…’ Her retted her choice of words, wishing she could somehow retract the processed in that astutehurled back at her She braced herself for defence

‘Safer?’

‘Yes—safer,’ Ary with herself than hile word she had allowed hi stupid in the heat of a ’

‘Why do you assuret it?’

‘Because…’ a tiny nervous laugh, a silent plea with her eyes ‘…it’s just not ht or a week—can’t just give you a piece ofto last’

‘And you know that for sure, do you?’

He was ainst the wall on either side of her head—thea prison she wasn’t sure she wanted to escape from