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Albert shrugged his shoulders as if a ho were all part of his nor in, and I believed it orth it I still do"

"Thank you" The words were inadequate, but what else could she say? Just getting that out was hard enough with the e her throat

"It's what mentors do We help you be the best you can be" The timer on his phone went off in a series of quick beeps He tapped the screen, stood, and crossed over to her "Speaking of which, tell "

"I don't knohere to start" And she didn't It was like there was more to him than she could put into words

He turned on the water and reest with the belt buckle"

Her cheeks blazed "Albert!"

He gently pushed her shoulders back so her head was over the tub and used the hand-held shower head rinse her hair clean "Oh, come on, I can tell by the way you look at each other that you already have"

She closed her eyes to keep out the stray spray of water, but that only ainst the wall easier In half a heartbeat she could taste hihs as she'd sucked hi her teeth as water sluiced through her hair was the heavy sense of rightness that wrapped itself around her, as warm and solid as the softest fur

"He's a distraction" One she couldn't afford

Albert snorted "The kind that blazes a route across the country to help rescue Essie, a girl he's never met and has no ties to?"

"He's got a hero complex" A crude description for the bone-deep sense of honor he tried to hide under layers of cheap char His story about the Marine said it all He didn't do as easy Isaac Caht

"And you, my dear, have always seen yourself as the villain you never were" He turned the water off and squeezed the water from her hair "Sounds to me like you're a match made in heaven"

She sat up and took the towel Albert offered to wipe the stray drops of water fro like a curtain down her back while she gathered her icy reserves

She handed back the towel, trying for a smile that almost passed for real "You're a romantic"

"You don't look this good at 68 unless you believe in a little ht, but weariness invaded his eyes and stayed for a few seconds before he chased it aith a pageant-worthy fake smile of his own "Now come on, tiht for a few hours of beauty sleep"