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Ti intointo an iers relaxed, her pal up Slayde’s shirt to the breadth of his shoulders, her ar about his neck In turn, he lowered himself until his shirt just brushed the soft swell of her breasts, balancing himself on his elbows so as to carefully avoid her ribs His own hands, unable to remain still, roamed up and down the silken skin of her ar the quivers of response his touch evoked

“Courtney” He said her na hers to feather across her cheeks, his tongue absorbing the tears still glistening there He kissed her nose, her lids, the corners of herthem in a slow, eloquent wisp of motion “Don’t cry”

“I won’t,” she promised, her voice breathless, swamped in sensation

Her innocence, her honesty, intensified Slayde’s raroan, he buried his lips in hers once iven, taking in a way he’d never longed to take

Later, looking back on this unprecedented madness, Slayde wondered ould have happened had Courtney not, at that precise moment, winced with pain But she did—and the motion was like a slap to his unfocused senses

“Courtney?” He raised up, searched her face “Is it your ribs or your head?”

>

“My ribs” Her lids lifted, her eyes still dazed onder “ ’Twas only a sting I’ertips brushed Slayde’s azed up at him as if to verify the events of the past few minutes “Did this really just happen?”

He felt as incredulous as she “I think it did, yes” He inhaled shakily, lowering hi her closer until her head was tucked beneath his chin “I should apologize”

“Don’t”

“Are you all right?”

Courtney nodded “A bit dizzy, but fine More than fine, actually I feel as if I’ What’s round Or to reality, for that iven me”

What in God’s na to happen? “Courtney—”

“I must sound absurd,” she interrupted self-consciously “ ’Tis just that this was ine what it would be like, nothing prepared ic—” She broke off, and Slayde could feel her face flaainst his throat “Did you ever notice that in the darkness you can say things you could never say in the light? ’Tis almost as if time is suspended until dawn”

Slayde sed, staring at the ceiling “That applies not only to words, but to actions as well”