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Keira wasn’t sure this last part was true Cody would always carry that scar on his conscience—it was the way he was made

“And I no longer love Mandy,” Cody went on “At leastnot that way She’ll always be a good friend—you can’t wipe out thirty-seven years of friendship—but that’s all So I don’t hate Callahan, either” He hesitated, drew a deep breath, and exhaled slowly “I just envy him”

A tiny sound of pain escaped Keira, and she drew her hand away as she averted her face, wanting to hide from Cody how much it hurt to think

“No,” he said, capturing her chin and forcing her to look at him “I don’t envy him Mandy Not anymore” His blue eyes darkened “I just envy what he has with her It’s what I’ve alanted, but never thought I’d find after I lost her”

He released Keira’s chin, and his fingers slid up, over the curve of her cheek, brushing the curls away fro the shell of her ear Keira shuddered at the unexpectedly sensual touch and caught her breath She wanted to close her eyes, to let herself just feel, but so in his eyes held her spellbound

“And then” he whispered, his voice dark and deep, his fingers trailing down her neck to the hollow of her throat where a pulse beat wildly “And then I met you And I realized that’s what I want to havewith you”

Keira couldn’t take it in at first, but it was all there in his face Love and longing, possessiveness andhope She caught her breath again, and this tiainst the tumult of emotions that swamped her He loves me, she told herself, and the ined it could be

She leaned toward him, but he didn’t kiss her as she’d expected He didn’t even draw her into his ar for a word from her that she felt the same way

Cody had bared his soul to her Could she be any less honest with him? “When I first met Mandy,” she confessed in a low voice, “all I could think about was how much I wished I could have what she had That I could love someone the way she did Then later, when I saw Callahan with her, saw the way he loved her with nothing held back, I thought to h I wouldn’t admit it to myself then, I wanted to be loved that wayby you”

She knew her heart was in her eyes, but somehow it didn’t matter If she could trust him with her life—and she did—she could trust him with her heart “Love me,” she whispered “Please”

Then she was in his arms, and it was like the first time he’d kissed her Desire flashed to life, and Keira exulted in the knowledge that he wanted her this h to hold himself backuntil now

He stood, pulling her to her feet with hiher cheek Then he bent and swept her into his ar, and carried her into her bedroom Keira’s hands crept up around his neck, and for the first time in her life, she accepted that it was okay to feel small and helpless—but only in Cody’s arms He laid her on the bed and followed her down, his body hard and urgent

Chapter 13

Cody’s hands were caressing her everywhere Strong hands, but curiously gentle at the sa the bruises that had long since faded, determined there would never be another Not from him

She didn’t care about that She just loved what it said about him

Since he couldn’t be, she beca the buttons free with an inize in herself, but didn’t question She wanted his bare skin beneath her hands, wanted to glide her fingertips over his taut ht for controland lost it

His belt was next, then the zipper of his jeans She couldn’t suppress a gasp as she freed hie She stroked hirip as she gained courage, loving the way he swelled even larger and the way her touch made his breath rasp in his throat