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All flights were grounded until further notice The airline would try to ers anted them
Lara cleared her throat “Well,” she said, and gave a forced laugh, “well, that’s that”
Slade nodded, and she was sure he understood what sheto wait it out here?”
“Uh-huh How about you?”
“Yes,” he said, and then, so quickly that she wasn’t sure it had happened, his eyes went froray to deepest charcoal “The hell with this,” he said “Come with me”
Lara didn’t pretend not to understand “No,” she whispered, “I can’t”
“Are you ain Slade moved closer, until she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face “Neither a anyone” He reached out and took her hand She let hih she kneas a mistake “Come to bed with me, Lara”
There it was, out in the open What he’d been thinking, what she’d been thinking And here was her chance But she wouldn’t take it Sleep with a strange nant without his knowledge…
“No” She shook her head and said the words again “I can’t”
“We’ll be incredible together,” he said in a husky whisper
“I couldn’t,” she stammered “I—I don’t even know you”
“Yes, you do You’ve known h and low “As for the details…I’ht, I’ht years old, I just had h to outlive Methuselah And I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you”
Lara looked at him She felt as if she’d stepped into another di was possible and everything was acceptable Who would she hurt, if she ith him? He wanted her She wanted a child
No No, it orse than crazy, it was immoral Wasn’t it?
She sed dryly, then licked her lips
“It’s—it’s crazy Even talking like this”
He put his finger lightly across her mouth She shuddered at the feel of it on her skin A lazy lick of flah her blood Oh, it would be so easy…
“I’ll get a taxi,” he murmured “There’s a hotel not far from here They know me They’ll find us a room”
“A taxi And a hotel, in weather like this?” She h “You’re very sure of yourself, Slade”
“If I were sure ofmy breath while I wait for your answer”
She looked up at hio with him To have him touch her Not just because she wanted a child but—be honest, Lara—but because he was theto be in his arms…
“Lara?”
She took a deep, deep breath And she said, “Yes”
He took her to the hotel His ar her to hie her mind and run away He started to stop at the shop in the lobby and she kneas so he could buy condoms
She took an even deeper breath and told him it wasn’t necessary
He didn’t question her, but the press of his hand at her waist grew more possessive as he led her to their room
She didn’t panic until he shut the door and locked it When he turned toward her, she looked at hier
What aht frantically Her heart thumped with fear
“No!” she said, “no, I can’t do this”
Perhaps if he’d tried to talk her into it, or if he’d pulled her into his ars would have ended differently But he did neither of those things He took her face in his hands, his touch sure and gentle And he kissed her so tenderly that it made her feel breathless
His mouth onderful, soft and war fro take its place She wrapped her hands around his wrists and, slowly, the kiss changed, grew hungry and de, and she moaned and looped her arms around his neck