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She stared back at hiht," he said softly

She shook her head "It doesn’t work like that It’s not dial-a-ghost and connect to the right spirit No, no…but we’re close to the truth and I know it I knohat I have seen, I knohat I’ve learned, and it all has to do with that damned costuhbors, after all these years We still don’t see each other clearly We can’t tolerate, we can’t forgive strangeness…but it’s there, and we are close and…"

"And we’re just about going to have to pray that someone runs into the uilty!’"

"Saan

"Shut up!" he cried "What?"

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"I’ to!" he shouted

She stared at him, stunned And then she noted the look in his eyes, and he was suddenly close against her and she could feel the dath of him, and she opened her mouth to speak but she couldn’t

"I didn’t want you to try to explain anything to John tonight, that’s true But I was behind you Whether I believe or understand or not, I was behind you And you’re not really angry with me"

"The hell I’m not"

"That’s not why you’re here"

"Why am I here?"

He lowered his head and found her mouth His lips captured hers, and his kiss was fir over hers with a liquid fire, desire see to burn in the very way that he touched her She felt the incredible vitality and supple strength of the length of hirateful for the wall, thinking that, for her, it had been far too long since she had let herself even begin to feel such sensation

His tongueand coercive and seductive, and she was even rateful that he pinned her there This hat she had wanted, yes, but she hadn’t iined that she would feel so deliriously weak, and so at a disadvantage He was a good lover, she thought, because he was a practiced lover; she had seen fro that he moved with a confidence and ease thatan alpha ance that was undeniably attractive She felt like an inexperienced teen again, unsure and uncertain, and afraid she was far out of her league

His lips broke from hers, and his ain, and she was stunned that they see that ht have been honesty and even humility

"Is this why you caht have si how to even begin to ask"

She nodded, not trusting her voice, and felt the brush of the back of his fingers on her cheek She was astonished to see that his fingers treainst his chest, then lifting her head and finding hisherand terry, she could feel the rise of his sex, he was so instantly aroused She slipped her hands beneath the terry of the robe, fuainst hiether they pulled off her sweater, and she realized then that his clothing was strewn about She looked at him, puzzled for a moment

"Cold shohen you left h, and crashed into his arh at first, delirious wet kisses that seemed both too an to half lead and half carry her into the bedrooether onto the large canopy bed there Jenna got one boot off before he pulled her back down, and she let the other go Their ain, and his lips trailed to her throat and her shoulders while his fingers eased around to her bra strap She ran her hands down the length of his naked back, tre every minute, every sensation that led to the pent-up desire she’d been so eager to suppress His hands andin all that he did, as if he were fascinated beyond measure by every aspect of her skin, every inch…

She touched hi her hands down his ers around his erection and bringing a gasp from his lips "Not fair, I was half-naked already," he whispered, rising above her For a lint of his eyes in the shadows cast into the darkened rooht, and she was mesmerized by the dusky shade of the rooical realht? She didn’t know, but she reached out, taking hiain and then inch down the length of her body, kissing, caressing and stroking while he found the waistband to her jeans and shimmied the denim down her body and, at last, rid her of her last boot, the last vestige of clothing

And then he rose above her, looking down at her again He lowered hiers with hers, and eased hiain, more deeply and deeply, until it seeh to her heart, and her body--core and liainst his entwined around his back, and she marveled at the miracle of sensation and sensuality and sex, because it wasbut the touch, scent and taste of hi, wet, slick movement between them

She climaxed with a desperation that left her body drained She felt hihten, and she felt his weight, and then the way he eased down beside her, and brought her back into his arain The drumbeat of their hearts seemed ridiculously loud in the room, and the bed’s comforter seemed cool, and still her body seemed to be on fire

And for a moment, she winced inwardly It was sex, just sex

But she liked him so much; she didn’t want to…

She did She was fascinated by the way he ht, and the tone of his voice, and his little idiosyncrasies, the way he paced and put his hands in his pockets, thought out his words and didn’t think out his words…

For a moment, she must have eased away

He pulled her back, his voice husky "Come here, Red"

"Oh, please! Don’t call me Red"