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Nao room Kane followed her and watched as Willow and herat hiht with anticipation and hu now?

Naohter, then walked over to him and held out her hand "You’ve been very kind I don’t kno to thank you"

"Not a proble to be a handful"

As they wouldn’t still be here while they were growing up, he didn’t care

Then she was gone and he was alone with Willow

"Sorry about everyone co by," she said

"No, you’re not You invited them all You wanted the"

"Sprained ankles are rarely fatal"

"At least they brought food" She suy It’s a guy thing"

"I’et the cat food," he said and turned back to the kitchen

"You haven’t fed her yet?" Willow sounded outraged

He held in a groan "Of course I fed the cat I’ to collect the food so you can have it"

"I don’t eat cat food"

She was doing this on purpose He knew that She thought baiting hiame

"It’s for the cat," he said patiently

"The cat’s not co doesn’t allow pets, which is one of the reasons I rented there That and the aarden and it’s so beautiful But there are a lot of plants that would be poisonous to a kitten Not that I wouldn’t love one But I know better If I rescue one cat, soon I’ll want to rescue thes and birds and it could really turn into a disaster"

He rarely got headaches, but he could feel one co the cat"

"You have to," she told hi to be moved They have to be warm and they need their mom Oh, do you have a hot water bottle to put in the box, because that would be great"

He could hear a strange buzzing in his ears "Aren’t there rescue places?"

"Sure, but they’re already busy with real strays This cat has a home, at least until the babies are older"

"They don’t have a ho ive in

"I don’t do cats," he said firmly "Not this one, not any one"

"That’s so mean"

She spoke softly He barely heard the words, yet it was as if she’d slapped him Her blue eyes darkened with disappointht," she told hiure out soerous parts of the world than most people knew about He’d killed to stay alive and had been left for dead more than once Yet never had he felt so out of his element than he did at this ht of him? It was a damn cat Let her take it

He went into the kitchen and put the food into a grocery bag, then carried it into the living roolanced at Willow, he saw she’d fallen asleep

Her head lay on the ar blond hair a contrast to the dark leather One leg curled up under her while the other one was stretched out, ice still strapped to her injured ankle

"Willow?"

She didn’t stir In addition to being a wiht when it came to painkillers No wonder the doctor had told her not to drive after taking it

The roo of theof his own heart

Willooke up and had no idea where she was As if that had never happened to her before, she i But before the adrenaline could really get pu and decided she was probably still in his house

A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told her it was nearly ht Wow--that pill had knocked her out for hours She sat up and looked around A night-light from the bathroo the bed she’d slept on The guest rooe and the furniture looked more neutral thanup in his bed…with hiht, she looked down at herself and saw that except for her shoes, she was coentlehed She was never really like this about guys But there was just soot to her andaround him felt safe As if nobad would happen to her He would be there, protecting her

No one had ever been safe before

She swung her feet over the side of the bed and stood carefully While her ankle was still sore, it was a ton better She could al the bathroom--where she found a brand-new toothbrush and toothpaste conveniently waiting--she made use of the facilities, washed her face, brushed her teeth, then went in search of her host

Kane was in the living roolanced up as she entered

"Sorry," she said "The pill knocked me out"

"I noticed"

"So, you, uh that"

"Apparently"

"You keptto do"

"Okay"

One corner of his mouth twitched "Should I have stripped you nad and taken you while you were unconscious?"

"Of course not It’s just…"

He kissed her before Hadn’t he meant it?

He stood and walked over to her In less than a second, the huerous ga about me"

It was true The sensible part of her brain told her to quietly back away, retreat to the guest room and lock the door behind her Only, he’d wanted her before Really wanted her The sensible part of her brain needed to reered a strand of her hair "Like silk," he murmured