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'I…I was only teasing,' she said, flustered into sobriety

He sue Do it soainst herin his sweet taste, Clare slid her arms up his back, under the soft caress of cashmere His skin was hot and dry to the touch, a contrast to the moist silk of his mouth She had to explore his chest, too, to see if the thick growth of hair was as soft and springy as it looked It was, and Clare slid her fingers through it as David ainst her palms His mouth hardened, as she slanted her head back over his arm so that her back arched and he could feel the tension quivering through her body His mouth moved down her exposed throat to where the silk blouse was thrown back froered in anticipation, thebeneath her hands as he supported his upper body on his elbows His head dipped and he kissed a slow line across the taut flesh rising from the basque The kisses were followed by an equally slow string of erotic bites, and then by kisses again as he , but the verbal stroking aroused her alhs pressed against hers, parting them, the two layers of deniainst the sheepskin to seek the low back of the basque He ran a fingernail down the long line of little hooks—and groaned

'Hooks… hundreds of them,' he despaired thickly 'This damned erotic piece of underwear is a chastity belt!' He punished her with another bite on her breast, this one hard enough to sting and make her cry out involuntarily He soothed it i the place until she cried out in another kind of pain—his kind—the pain of frustration His hand moved to the dome of her jeans 'Clare?'

A faint cry came frouages, continuing to hold her down for a moment 'Dammit You see? I told you this would happen'

'David—' It was a sigh and a plea He knew there was no contest and wasn't about to argue He shoved hi deliberation, hard against the secret woman's heart of her as he did so

'Go, das when it see both her own desire and his

The cry became a shrill scream of terror, and Clare's body was doused in an icy chill of dread She and Davidbolt upright, screa at his throat, his eyes wide open and unseeing

'What is it? Another asthma attack?'

'A nightmare' Clare sat on the bed and took Tiently 'Wake up, darling, it's only a dream Tim? Wake up! Mummy's here, Tim You're at home in bed, your bed'

'Heavens, does he have this kind of thing often?' David asked, appalled

Clare was concentrating on waking Tiently and quickly as she could 'Not astrapped so able to breathe… often in a hospital bed I told you, his father's death worried him'

'But I didn't realise it was to this extent' Tian to cry He didn't even hear or see David, only hishiist?'

Clare stiffened, alert to the implied criticism Did he think she was such a poor mother that she wouldn't seek professional help when it was needed?

'I think you'd better go It'll take a while to settle hiain'

David drew his own conclusions from her stubborn evasion 'Perhaps I can help—'