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“Who all tried to kill you That was the point To run you down and aames, that’s just a ruse for what they’re really about Dev turned his gaze down to her, found her half-open eyes watching hiht?”

“Mht smile touched her lips “There are places I could take you, where I could chain you up, and tease you to hardness, over and over, until you’d beg for the barest friction of a wet pussy against you Make you mindless except to my commands

Work you so hard I’d break down your mind, let all the shadows escape After that, all you’d have is h rest from the chatter in your head that you’d becorown much smaller, warmer, as his body warred with his mind over the unlikely words He noted the faint sheen of moisture on her lips, and wanted to taste it Instead, he curled his hand into a knot and stared down at her “Promise me you won’t do that Chain me up”

She held his gaze “I proh to let me do it”

“I wouldn’t hold your breath forpersonal”

“I didn’t say I’d be waiting for your permission I said I wouldn’t do it until I know you trust h That day will come, Dev

And when it does, you’ll be scared, and furious, and gloriously violent, but you’ll also be yearning toward , your heart, mind and soul, and make it part of myself Then, when I unchain you, it won’t matter” Her hand reached up, traced his throat “The collar will still be there Forever It doesn’t take anything away from those you’ve loved before Every experience you’ve had before this moment has made you who you are, what I want What any woers settled on his shoulder, the dangerous light weight of a spider, drawing his attention to the coolness in her eyes “But which I alone will claim”

Turning his head, he brushed his lips over her fingers “I told you, I’m no one’s possession”

“That’s only because you hear the word and you think of a loss of freedom With surrender comes release, Dev Remember that” When she slept at last, he was loath to , he came up with Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass He wondered if she cared for it, or if she’d brought it fro he would find it enjoyable

Taking hi points of philosophy with fellow students, or playing English rugby Of course, he’d also introduced his class, the chaotic Australian footy rules In wry hindsight, he realized his knowledge of that sport had been good preparation for the battlefield He’d just begun to teach Rob before

As the train rumbled, he opened the cover and et pulled into his own dark one

I have perceiv’d that to be with those I like is enoughHis hand drifted over her hair, down her back How often he’d had thoughts about that, when he took his trips in to Elle’s place, or walked with the clan for a day Or when crossing their tracks, he’d stopped to exa as heavier or lighter, who bore a burden and who did not

Who was in good health and whowith them

This the nucleus—after the child is born of woman, e of sain

Then, regarding woates of the soul

“The gates of hell and heaven both,” heupon her “And when you possess our soul, ill follow you to either one” I knohat being possessed is, Danny I do He just didn’t know if he was that strong

By , Or in front, and I following her just the same

She shifted then Moving with her, synchronized with her body as if he were the wind and her liht her up into his lap Leaning against the back of the sleeper, he let her dreas, her upper torso propped against his One ar in her lap, her cheek pillowed on his abdoh the curtain’s crack, he could see Uluru in the far distance—or Ayer’s Rock, as most of the whites called it—the vast for to spill out over it, an awe-inspiring sight, even at this range He’d stood in its shadow, knehat had once rested there, so ines, many of those spirited away before others could remove them for museums, souvenirs You had to protect what you treasured Otherwise it would be taken ahen you least expected it

No, he couldn’t afford to be possessed again But he ell aware the choice er be his to make

17

IN some part of her subconscious, Danny are of theher pillow upon him while he read The rails clacked beneath theain for the few stops along the way, a comfortable rhythm

After watching him deal with the aftermath of Ruskin in his own stubborn way for the week, then seeing the darkness pour off him at Bob’s, she’d realized it was past time for her to lance the boil The verses he’d found in the poetry to stir the things festering in his soul were the final sign She let it percolate in herwhile the brooding man remained oblivious to her state of wakefulness