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Final y the kiss slowed…slowed…and then Haidee leaned back "Are you okay?" Soft knuckles stroked his cheek

Just need…a moment… A unhurriedly, exhaling with care

Every -of-ith his bones, lancing thousands of aches through every part of him Al at the same time From the demons, yes, but also from unfulfil ed desire He hadn’t been ready to stop

"My internal therets the better of me sometimes

I’m sorry I didn’t ain, a trace of ies, he told her You did nothing wrong Besides, I like it

He wasn’t sure why the demons were calmed by her one moment, then roused by her the next He wasn’t sure how she pul ed on them or why they reacted that way, but he would puzzle over the answer later With the distance between hih it was--the heat returned to hiently For the h, had rehout the entire ordeal Ae in temperature, but the beast hadn’t been

--and stil wasn’t, because yes, A in fear His wohted him in a way he never would have expected But she was His In every way that inable His friends wouldn’t understand Might even hate hiht consider him a traitor He couldn’tcae in his mind-set was radical, even to him, and he wasn’t quite used to it yet That didn’t lessen the ih He’d held her in his lap, listened to her story of loss, had heard the heartbreak in her voice, and soun to comprehend the truth They were alike in so many ways Determined, constantly bombarded by the worst the world had to offer--

people, places, circu joy where they could

He wanted this woman Would have her And yeah,his he wouldn’t nor with the enemy, but he didn’t think so

"Maybe it’s best that we stopped," she whispered on a tre breath "I--I stil can’t sleep with you"

Aht showcased the dark menace in his eyes

Because of him? he demanded

"Yes I won’t cheat"

He popped his jaw When did you last sleep with hie in his voice

"I didn’t Not once"

The rage vanished in a blink Had she said yesterday, he would have wanted her stil --he doubted anything could change that--but knowing Micah hadn’t touched her in that way stoked his new sense of possession When you dated hiripped her hips, urged her forward and rubbed against her Then you are cheating onto half-mast When he forced her to steady, she nibbled on her botto deep "Maybe I am, but there’s stil a note of dishonesty there So, no sex Not until I tel him we’re over

But…"

But Ae returned ful -force Kissing is a forht her kissing another ed, her expression suddenly tortured

"You’re right I’ht You just ood

Until--just until"

Break up with him in your mind Now

"In my heart and in my mind, he and I are done already But I have to tel him, Amun He deserves to know I know you won’t believe oodto protect this woive up life as he knew it, sio of an old boyfriend for him Not completely While part of him admired such loyalty, the other part wanted that loyalty directed only at himself

No sex, she’d said, and now, because of what he’d said, no kissing, either Wel , then, by the gods, he would do everything else Scowling, he caught her by the back of her knees and jerked, tossing her to her back She landed on the flower petals, their softness cushioning the blow Before she could suck in a breath, he was atop her, shoving her legs apart and fitting hiainst her

Don’t cheat roaned, as if in pain, and then she settled "I--I--

maybe I’m a terrible person, but I need you to kiss me

Please"

Not terrible Perfect In thatSo, kiss her? Yes, even though he’d thought to balance the scale Their