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He held her tightly as he headed for her bedroom Once inside, he kicked the door shut behind hiht froht curtains You could see everything in the room

“It’s too light,” Kirsty whispered

Lake grabbed a throw from the back of the ar an extra layer against the light

“Better?”

“Better”

He could hear the treeneral shapes in the darkness He negotiated his way back to Kirsty and pulled her back into his arratefully

“I don’t knohat to do,” she said There was a pause “Well, I knohat to do Just not what to do next You know To get from here to there”

She cocked her head in the direction of the bed Lake grinned against her hair

“I do,” he told her as his lips found hers

His kiss was slow and deliberate He didn’t want to ether And he didn’t want Kirsty’s fears to get in the way of it either He knew the second she stopped worrying about what they were doing and started to feel it instead Her body curved into his, her breathing said passion instead of panic and her fingers sought out the shoulder muscles she loved so much

Slowly, Lake backed the didn’t stop He felt his way over her hip to the botto his hand under it, he ran his fingers over the smooth skin in the small of her back Kirsty pressed in towards hi scar tissue over her kidney She stiffened

“II can’t,” she said as she pulled away from his mouth

He held her tight

“You can Scars don’tto me You’re beautiful, Kirsty The kind of beautiful that lures ships to destruction Nothing will change that Not for me”

Even in the darkness he could see her eyes widen with insecurity She wanted to believe him She just didn’t kno to take the next step