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She didn’t resist, and Lia to question it Not now Not when she illing to accept coive her since the moment he’d seen those scars on her wrists No, to be honest, he’d wanted to comfort her since the

Was it only yesterday? It didn’t seem possible Too much had been cra eht noas Cate Letting her kno much he hurt for her How much he cared

As he held her close, s he hadn’t really understood before Cate’s desire to be invisible, to not draw attention to herself, for one Her feelings for Alec, another Alec had rescued her from a life on the run Gratitude was a natural response And as he’d told her, Alec was a hell of a guy Admiration—the same kind of admiration he felt for his brother—was another perfectly natural response

But she wasn’t in love with his brother, and inside he heaved a sigh of relief What had she said earlier? “I never wanted him to touch methat way I never wanted any man to touch me that wayuntil I met you”

And Cate thought she wasn’t brave How many women would have admitted that to a man they barely kne many women would trust a man they’d just met to hold them in an intimate embrace on a bed and not push for more after the woman admitted her attraction to him?

She trusts you, he realized, the shock reverberating through his system She doesn’t know it, but she really does trust you He’d wanted her trust, and now he had it—at least up to a point But suddenly he kneasn’t enough He didn’t just want Cate’s trust in this way He wanted more He wanted it all

Chapter 9

Cate woke first Lia the night, and she was lying with her head pillowed on his shoulder His other ar across her body, as if to hold her safe

She couldn’t believe it She’d slept through the night in Liahtmares had invaded her drea feeling and a runaway pulse Lia her When Vishenko had held her he’d wanted to hurt her, and she’d fought hiiven out It was different with Lia her to coht hurt her To place his body between hers and danger

She raised her head to see what time it was, but when shefor the SIG SAUER on the nightstand Then his eyes focused on her, and he subsided back onto the bed, leaving the gun where it was “Morning,” he told her And the guarded tone in his voice told her he wasn’t sure what her reaction would be to having spent the night in his arms

“GoodShe smiled at him A tentative smile, but a real one “Thank you”