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And as he pushed her onto her release and found his own, only pleasure remained

Not contracts, not shadows of old fears, nothing but thebut the man who had awakened every part of her

“I found the proof today, Stefan,” Clio whispered, as she lay supine in Stefan’s ar time, she felt completely at peace That she felt secure about herself, about the direction her life was heading in

Even if the future was still an enigma

Maybe it was just the fact that the htly with his aro, had made love to her so well that the postcoital haze had lent her false courage

The thing she knew for sure was that she wanted to tell hi a friend of so ive hi Jackson to justice at last

Stefan stilled behind her It was so complete that she wondered if he breathed anyht

“I have lost every penny I had” The words rushed out of her haphazardly, the weight of saying the her anew

“What, bella?”

The sheets rustling around her, Clio lifted his arned look in his eyes just as he blinked and chased it away

With the gears in her head running finally, understanding dawned in her

She sed the knot of hurt in her throat that felt like glass He had thought she was co for a handout in a roundabout way

Kicking into a sitting position, he pulled her up, until she was sitting by his side on the enor but curiosity “What are you talking about, Clio? If you need money, all you have to—”

Clio stopped his words with her palm over his mouth, before he could deal her more than a surface scratch It was his auto money, she pacified herself

He had made a conscious decision to ask her politely about it instead of seething with distrust and contempt

It was a step forward in their fragile relationship