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"Why are you being so cruel?" she whispered

"The last tiht to protect me…"

His voice faded away, but Caroline needed no words to understand the stark grief etched on his face "Blake," she said softly, "I don't want to argue about this"

"Then pro to ask soree

"Don't put yourself in danger again If so happened to you, I--I couldn't bear it, Caroline"

She turned away Her eyes were growing teary, and she didn't want him to see her e in his voice that touched her heart, so about the way his lipsin vain for the right words

But then he said, "I can't let another woman die," and she knew this wasn't about her It was about hiuilt he felt over the death of his fiancée She didn't know all of the details surrounding Marabelle's deh for her to know that Blake still blamed himself for her death

Caroline choked down a sob How could she co at hi upstairs If you have anything "

But before she could wrap her hand around the doorknob she heard him say, "Wait"

Just one word and she was helpless to resist Slowly, she turned around

Blake stared at her, unable to take his eyes fro; a thousand words crashed through his le sentence And then, without realizing what he was doing, he took a step toward her, and then another, and then another, and then she was in his arain," he murmured into her hair

She didn't reply, but he felt her body groarh It was a soft sound, barely audible, but it eet and it told him she wanted him Maybe not the way he wanted her--hell, he doubted that was possible; he couldn't re a woman with this white-hot brand of need But still, she wanted him He was sure of it

His lips found hers and he devoured her with all the fear and desire he'd been feeling all evening She tasted like his every dream and felt like pure heaven

And Blake kneas damned

He could never have her, never love her in the ways she deserved to be loved, but he was too selfish to let her go Just for this moment he could--and would--pretend that he was hers, and she was his, and that his heart hole

They tu softly on top of hi positions with her He wanted to feel her squir with the sa him He wanted to watch her eyes as they darkened and smoldered with need

His hands stole under the he her supple calf before sliding up to her soft thigh She ht have been his naht have just been a moan, but Blake didn't care All he wanted was her

All of her