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That made Aline want to weep, but she set her jaw hard to keep it fro "I wanted you," she adht you were there, holding me…but Mrs Faircloth said they were fever dreams"

The motion of his hands stopped The words seemed to send a tremor across his wide shoulders, as if he had taken a chill Eventually his pal the the insides "So this is what has kept us apart," he said unsteadily "This is why you wouldn’t let me come to your bed, and why you refused my proposal And why I had to hear the truth fro it fro the chair arms on either side of her, his face just inches from her own

Aline had been prepared for sorrow, sye She had not expected the glearimace of a man who had nearly been pushed beyond the limits of sanity "What did you think I ive a damn about your scars?"

Stunned by his reaction, Aline responded with a single nod

"My God" The blood rose higher in his face "What if the situation were reversed, and I was the one who had been hurt? Would you have leftless of me?"

The explosive outburst caused her to shrink back in the chair McKenna leaned forward, following her, his fury now edged with anguish "Da hands, his long fingers cradling her cheeks, his eyes liquid and glittering "You’re the other half of me," he said hoarsely "How could you think that I wouldn’t want you? You’ve put us both through hell for no reason!"

Clearly he did not understand the source of her fear Taking hold of his broad, hard wrists, Aline gripped thelared at her with ardent, angry concern "What is it?" He kept one hand at the side of her face, while using the other to s to s But now that you know…you will find it difficult, perhaps even ileamed in a way that alarmed her "You doubt my ability to own back over her legs, infinitely relieved when they were covered once s are horrible, McKenna"

He uttered a curse that startled her with its foulness, and gripped her head between his hands, forcing her to stare at hie "For twelve years I have been in constant tor it would never be possible I want you for a thousand reasons other than your legs, and…no, damn it, I want you for no reason at all, other than the fact that you’re you I want to shove myself deep inside you and stay for hours…days…weeks I want htfall with you I want your tears, your smiles, your kisses…the smell of your hair, the taste of your skin, the touch of your breath on my face I want to see you in the final hour of my life…to lie in your ar at her like a condemned man who beheld the face of his executioner "Aline," he whispered, "do you knohat hell is?"

"Yes" Her eyes overflowed "Trying to exist with your heart living so that you have so little faith in ony" His face contorted suddenly "To so worse than death"

"I’h" He pressed his wet face to hers, his h half kisses, as if he wanted to devour her "Not nearly enough You say you’ve had to live without your heart…hoould you like to lose your soul as well? I’ve cursed every day I’ve had to live without you, and every night that I spent with another wo that it was you in ," he continued fiercely, "for so away atleft inside I’ve found no peace anywhere, not even in sleep Not even in drea kisses The taste of his tears, hisfrom shocks of pleasure McKenna sees wracked with hard breaths, his hands tightening with a force that threatened to leave bruises on her tender flesh "By God," he said with the vehemence of a man to whom entirely too much had happened, "In the past few days I’ve suffered the torh!"

Suddenly Aline felt herself being plucked out of her chair and lifted against his chest as if she weighed nothing "What are you doing?" she gasped

"Taking you to bed"

Aline squirled in his arms Wildly she wondered how to explain to hirees of acclimation, rather than full and immediate submersion "No, McKenna, I’m not ready for that yet! Please I want to talk first--"

"I’"

"I can’t," she said desperately "I need some time And I’m exhausted…I haven’t slept properly in days, and--"

"Aline," he interrupted tersely, "the forces of heaven and hell coht now"

That hardly left roo, Aline felt a reneeat break out on her face

McKenna pressed hischeek "Don’t be afraid," he whispered "Not with me"

She couldn’t help it The habits of privacy and isolation had been established over twelve long years And the knowledge that he would allow her no retreat, no refuge, made her heart thrash violently as McKenna carried her into the next roo the bed, he lowered her to her feet, and leaned over to pull back the brocaded counterpane As Aline stared at the smooth expanse of freshly laundered white linen, her stoown, his fingersthe front placket to unfasten her bodice After letting the loosened gown drop to the floor, McKenna grasped Aline’s chemise and pulled it over her head Goose bu before hi to cover herself, to hide the disparate parts of her body