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"Why not?"

"Because it pleases ood" As he cupped her elbow and started for cover, she thought she heard him mutter, "For once"

Beneath the boughs of the cherry tree, she asked, "So other than holding your hand and looking adoringly at you, what else doesrituals?

He brushed his knuckles over her cheek "It ive you anything you've ever wanted I doona have a career, but I've money to spoil you I crave to"

His words were bri with his typical confidence Yet she sensed an underlyingnervousness?

He drew in even closer, again looking like he was going to kiss her Theinto overdrive Her face flushed, her nples hardening She stared at his lips, i how they would feel on hers, how they'd taste Up close, she could see the bottom one had the faintest crease in the middle She wanted to lick it

"You've pointed out a lot of pros," she said absently "So what's the downside?"

Chapter Seventeen

Downside? I canna bed you, even though you dearly need me to

When Chloe had gone soft with desire in the security room, it'd taken every ounce of Will's self-control not to tup her on the desk Even now the delectable scent of her arousal filled his senses

"I've got to control myself with you If my beast rose, I could hurt you" What would be a teeth-clattering rush for a Lorean fe for Chloe "You're verramortal"

"What would make it rise?"

"If you were in danger Or if I bedded you That's why I canna take you today Even though I think you would receive me"

Her cheeks blooroaned with loss Why can I no' be right?

Earlier, when Chloe had said she'd been corown more convinced that she was innocent He had wanted to hoith satisfaction that he would be the one to introduce her to love

Then he'd reminded himself, You doona make love Doona even kno to

Now, as then, ive her release, while re detached and in control, seemed impossible

"I don't understand," she said

"If I get too excited, it surfaces It takes me over completely"

"What's that like?"

A crutch "I' feels altered It's kind of like a drug Though I'd experience pleasure and I'd re that occurred between us, I would have zero control over its actions"

"Actions?"

"It'd want to take you hard, Chloe"

Her breath hitched, but she didn't glance away In fact, he saw interest in her vivid gaze That look heated his blood, hardening his cck until it throbbed, waking the beast he warned of

Will leaned down to say at her ear, "It'd want you on your hands and knees as it fked you from behind"

She bit her lip, al a soft whimper

The soundaroused by his talk? "Ah, lass, you're needful, are you no'?" The wind began to co petals like snowfall

She didn't seem to notice them "Yesneedful"

He laid his hand on her cheek It shook as he cupped her face "You doona kno much I want to pleasure you" This was his mate, and from the scent of her, he'd find her nice and wet But he was too screwed up to see to her?

His gaze narroith realization His beast should be nigh risen now It roared inside him; it seethed

It reed

His Instinct spoke, pinging hishis body

-Your female aches Tend to her-

The Instinct was infallible And it was telling him to touch Chloe "Do you ache?"

She gazed up at hi helplessly

"What color are my eyes? Are they blue?"

She shook her head "Flickering a little"

He knew he couldn't claim her, but mayhap it was possible to tend to her "If I said I'd ease your ache, would you lether wrist to his lips A grazing kiss across her rapid pulse-point asp Then he used her arm to draw her closer, so he could run his lips up her neck

She sighed, "Yes"

This was probably a bad idea, but at that le reason why If he stopped this, she was fairly certain she'd slide-tackle him

He didn't stop His lips were hot on her, scorching a line up her neck

Exciteh her, her dread completely absent, her senses overloaded She smelled the rain, the blossoood?

When his clever tongue flicked rain froht this?

She was as eager as she'd been during her first pro soccer ga stand in her way that day, just surrendered co need to experience everything

She would do the same with this Don't be a coward See where this path leads you

So far this path waswithout MacRieve her entire life

Not living Siame to the next

He looped an arently took her earlobe between his teeth Her knees eak

Just as she wondered if he could feel her nples pressing against his torso, heyour neck, I wonder ill happen when I set my mouth to those pretty nples"

She gasped, as much from his words as from the burst of lust they caused She couldn't think How did one answer a statement like that? Her mind cried: With a kiss!

He read her thoughts, kissing across her cheek, the corner of her lips, then fully on her mouth When she parted her lips in surprise, still so unused to all this, he took the opportunity to flick his tongue between them

Her hands flew to his shoulders, squeezing with delight Thoseher a previehat she'd see if he removed his shirt

With his pal the entire back of her head, he eased his tongue into her ainst hers When sheher to distraction

But then he drew back, gazing down at her with a look oflonging?

"Why'd y-you stop?" If her sex drive had been ra

Why wasn't heto feel her boobs or souys with octopus hands

She wanted MacRieve touching her in eight places at once!