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He pulled back abruptly, giving her a searing look “I would never hurt you, agape mou”

At that moment she believed him “I know”

But he still hesitated, looking troubled She realized that he was holding himself back because he didn’t want to cause her pain He still cared about her For the first tinitude of her oer over him, and it thrilled her

She shtly crooked nose with her fingertip, touching his bare scars He was a warrior, fierce and powerful, and frightening in his beauty

But, powerful as he was, she realized she could match his fire

Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she unwrapped her legs fro away, she reached behind her and untied her halter top It fell into her hands, leaving her upper body naked Moonlight briefly drenched her skin in an opalescent glow the color of pearls, then disappeared behind the dark clouds that were rapidly covering the sky

She stood in front of hiht and tall She’d never been this brave before Even during the months of their affair she’d always let hi, she looked into his face

His expression was strained With a lol he lifted her back into his arainst her oithout the halter top to separate theh

Clasping her wrists tightly in onedown her body as he s Her earlier fear of pain was already forgotten as sheto feel more To feel hi wind, and she felt sainst her overheated skin Her hair whipped wildly as she leaned her head back, hardly able to breathe, out of her

“I take it all back,” she gasped “Don’t be gentle Don’t make me wait Take me now”

He gave her a lazy sh her jeans “You want ainst the wall?”

“Yes And I don’t give a da her through her jeans she was going to come any second

But he didn’ther,her mouth with his own

“Stop,” she panted Pushing his hand away, she strained toward hi at his zipper “I want to feel you inside me—”

“No” He grabbed her hands “Wait”

A roll of thunder shattered the clouds and cold rain began to fall, splattering across the courtyard and pool Wind howled across the desert, rattling the palh above them as they stared at each other

“I want you But—” He blinked, as if trying to clear hiswater froain it will be in a bed…”

She saw a glimmer of hope “My bedroom is—”

“As my wife,” he finished

They stared at each other in the ht, whipped by wind and hard rain Anna was suddenly aware that she was standing half naked, with cold, hard rain sleeting down her bare breasts

She’d just thrown herself at him

And he’d refused her Her cheeks flushed with shame

“If you wait forback angry tears He’d only been trying to prove his power over her, and she’d fallen for it yet again She reached down to the tiled floor and snatched up her halter top, now ruined in the rain Her hands shook as she tied the strings in back Her teeth chattered as she said, “Just being your mistress nearly killed me I will never be your wife, Nikos Never”

Beneath the darkness of the desert storm she could barely see his face for shadows But his voice was low and dangerous, resonant with the certainty that only came from power “We’ll see”

The nextas she brought his breakfast to the table She set down a cup of strong Greek coffee and a plate of eggs, bacon and toast, then left He stared blankly at theeditions of the Wall Street Journal and the local Review-Journal and cursed himself for a fool

He hadn’t slept all night, and it was his own damned fault