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“Do you knohat it feels like when I’m near you?” he asks intensely

I shake my head

“It feels like y that lies inside of you, I need to discover it Tegan”

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” I e toelse Hungry? If only I could affect all men in this way If only I could ha

ve affected Matthew in this way

As Ethan ventures to get close to me my heart is still in recovery It would be reckless to let it fall again It would be very…very…reckless But oh God as he runs his fingers down my bare arm I feel like I’ll explode if he doesn’t continue I seize up for a moment, but then I will myself to relax He puts his hand on the base of ers along the length of h he’s feeling for my heart beat

He looks into my eyes “Your heart beats so quickly,” he says and then exhales heavily, his breath smells like mint and lemons

I shift back, embarrassed by his observation

“No, stay,” he whispers “I want to examine you”

“Excuse me?”

“I want to discover what it is about you that’s different”

“I don’t think you’ll find anything of interest”

Ethan laughs and continues ets to rab both his hands

“My apologies,” he says, “I just – got caught up in acquainting myself with your body,” and then he shoots me a lazy smile

“Well you’ll be acquainting yourself with a slap in the face if you don’t cool it”