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“I’m tired…”

“Elizabeth” His voice was faintly chiding now “Do you think I’ to hurt you? Even now?”

She shook her head No She kneasn’t going to hurt her At least, not deliberately It wasn’t the pain she feared now, it was the closeness developing between them It had become a bond she didn’t understand and one she feared she would never escape

“Come on” He held his hand out to her “We’ll hear Cassie if she wakes up”

She took a deep, steady breath She had known the time would come when they would have to talk Had known there would be so ret it? Why did she suddenly wish the world would just go away and leave her and Dash alone, surrounded by darkness, fla with heat? But it wouldn’t And noas the time to deal with it

Chapter Eleven

Elizabeth followed him into his bedroom, suddenly nervous, too aware of Dash as ato life in her body It had been so long since she had felt any need to be touched, any interest in a man But the year Cassie had written to Dash, Elizabeth had been interested, as greedy for the letters as her daughter had been The loss of that fragile connection had been missed not just by Cassie, but her mother as well

She knehen he drew her into the bedroo Knehen he closed his door and went to the intercom installed between the two rooms what he intended He turned on the receiver only Elizabeth licked her lips nervously

“This ht be a bad idea,” she whispered as he turned back to her

She could easily read the intent in his gaze, the sexual hunger radiating in his large body If a man could devour a woman with his eyes alone, then Elizabeth considered herself devoured

“Might be” He walked to her purposely, never taking his eyes off her as her breathing began to increase

“Dash, it lanced down, seeing how the denie

He was aroused and ready Aas he could, and Elizabeth feared she would never find the strength to deny him once he touched her

Her eyes flew back to his face as he stopped in front of her His lips were tilted in a wry little smile

“I only had to look at you and you knew I needed to touch you,” he whispered darkly “I caht, Elizabeth, that was all I looked at you and I saw the need to touch NothingBecause that’s all you need right now All you can handle, I think”