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Fluidly swinging his feet to the floor, Rolt straightened, his hand gliding upward, briefly catching the heh before the ht once more When he towered above her, the hand rested on her waist Her nerve ends throbbed at his closeness She pivoted sharply, knowing she et away

But his hands gripped her waist, drawing her shoulders against his chest He buried his face in the soft tawny curls about her neck Alanna closed her eyes against the heady wine of desire His hands slid across her stoers pushed weakly at his hands

"No," she protested huskily "This is crazy It's only a physical…an animal attraction

"But isn't it better, Alanna," he ainst the sensitive cord in

her neck, "to know that e're married, you won't be revolted by my touch?"

"It isn't enough," she breathed, feeling herself being swae couldn't be built on lust alone

"To start with, it is" Rolt nibbled at her ear when she twisted her neck away fro exploration of his enuine fondness will groeen us"

"I don't know," Alanna sighed in confusion She couldn't think straight, not when he was holding and caressing her the way he was

"Believe me," he commanded,

Exerting the slightest pressure, he turned her into his ar wind, Alanna had not the ability to dictate her own direction She let herself be drawn into the vortex of his deepening kiss, her hands clinging to his hard shoulders to keep some measure of equilibrium

When he finally lifted his head, she could see the light of victory glittering in his eyes Not by word but by deed, she had involuntarily given him the answer he wanted

But it wasn't the answer she ive, she didn't want to marry him He had forced her to choose between her father and Kurt She wanted to take back her responses to Rolt's kisses She didn't want to choose She wanted thee her ative

Wrenching her gaze away from his, she broke free of his loose hold and stepped past hi in her ain that she would marry Rolt

As she lifted her head, she stared directly into Kurt's face, cold with conte in the opened doorway, she was barely aware of Rolt co arm around her waist

Kurt's gaze raked her fro front of her blouse Instinctively her hand reached up to cover it, a fiery war her cheeks It wasn't the only part of her disheveled appearance that bore signs of Rolt's love She wanted to curl up in a little ball and die