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“Hi yourself” I leaned in and kissed hihtly on the lips

His blue eyes searched my face as he said, “I’et worried when you don’t answer your phone”

“I’e hit with my sisters and nephews”

He was still watching me closely And he said quietly, “What you asked me earlier…you already knew that, didn’t you?”

I shrugged, breaking eye contact “I didn’t want to believe it”

He wrapped his arms around hi to break up with me?”

“No” He glanced up at me, and I reached out and plucked a little leaf out of his dark hair Then I grinned and said, “You really are a mess You know that?”

He offered a little smile and said, “I do know that And not just because I have leaves in my hair and a squashed donut in my pocket”

I leaned forward and kissed hiain And e broke apart, he looked away quickly “Dmitri, are you ok?”

“I don’t deserve you, Jah for you I wish I was somebody different Somebody better”

“You’re wonderful”

“I’m a criminal,” he replied, his voice thick with emotion

“So him to me, “I need you to explain tothat as your boyfriend, not as a cop And just know that whatever it is, it’s not going to change the way I feel about you”

He nodded, his head against my shoulder “I will I pro, too”

“What’s that?”

He hesitated for a long moment And then he said quietly, “I need you to tie ht I need to feel you close to me, in me I need that so much”

I drew in my breath “Ok”

He slipped his arms around my waist and held on to o quickly and sat up when ain descended on us