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I don’t recalla noise, but I must have, because Dary and sad, both cold determination and tender vulnerability

“No,” I say “This isn’t your fault”

“The hell it isn’t”

“We’re married,” I say “What the hell do we care if it’s on Facebook?”

“It’s everywhere,” he says “Sylvia says it’s gone viral They’ll be dragging out the story about the painting soon, too,” he says, referring to the way the press vilified e for a nude portrait of myself

My stomach twists, but I tell myself it will be okay “All that picture shows is that I love you and I want you That you turn me on desperately All it will do is make every other woman in the world jealous that I’m the woman in your bed I can live with that,” I add with a sharp thrust of my chin

“I don’t like seeing you exposed,” he says “Especially when I’m the one who exposed you”

“I can deal with it,” I say I don’t mention that can deal and want to deal are two entirely different things

“Doesn’tmy mind as always

We’re in the elevator now, and it slides to a stop at our floor I take Dahtly “We’ll be fine,” I say “We’re together How can we be anything else?”

His answering smile warms me Yes, I think as the doors open inside our suite This will be okay

And then I see the room

“Back in the elevator” Daerous, and he is in front of istered the state of the rooe wide open, our clothes scattered everywhere We hadn’t taken the time to unpack Apparently someone decided to do it for us

“Damien—”

“In,” he says, backing er on the button to close the elevator door before pressing the button to ring security

“I think they’re gone,” I say “Whoever did that to our rooone”

“I’”

I fall into his outstretched arainst him

When the elevator doors open on the ground floor, we are one up in the main elevator already, we are told We wait, and I can see frohtness in his cheek and the stiffness of his body that waiting is not sitting ith Damien He wants to be up there He wants to knohat is happening He wants action And the only reason that he is not already in full motion is because of me

Static bursts fro of French uard responds, looks at Daer in your roolish “We cannot at this ti other than the … intimates”

“Intimates?” I repeat