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r m?”
    He p u sh e d his sl ee ve u p re v e aling a mild tan o n his fair f re ckl e d skin. T hat skin was n o t m e ant to b e tan. I t was m e ant t o b e pale as c re am s o that the f r agile skin u n de r his e y e s l o o k e d bru is e d al m o st. He re ally was be a u tif u l. She s h o o k h e r h e a d , sta r i n g at the b l u sh pink ma r k o n his s kin. “Fin e . S ee . I t o ld y o u .” He p u sh e d the do o r s h u t and l o o k e d a r o u n d . A lm o st s ee m e d to r aise h i s h e ad as if t o sm e ll the ai r .
    “ Bu t I st u ck it in y o u! ” L iv h e a r d h e r o w n w o rd s a h e a r t be at aft e r s he said th e m and t u ck e d h e r h e ad d o wn, la u gh i ng. H e r face h o tt e r than h o t bu t all the re st o f h e r pl e asantly wa r m. She f e lt n o f e ar o f him as b ig as he was. A s o d d as his e y e s app e a r ed . D e spite h o w u n u s u al his n i ghttime app e a r ance s ee m e d j u st a s she h ad bee n gi v ing in t o the f e ar and the st re ss o f the d ay and l e tting h er s e lf have a g oo d wal l o wing c r y. She inhal e d dee ply, cl e a re d h e r th r o at. “ W hat I m e an is, y o u w er e b l eed ing.”
    “ I’ m a fast h e al er . I a lways h ave bee n. M ind if I l o o k a r o u n d ? S e c ur e the p er im e t e r as it w ere ?” He m o v e d t o wa r d the li v ing r oo m bu t still e d u ntil s he gave h i m a sh o r t n o d .
    L iv gath ere d h e r sw e at e r t i ght a r o u nd h e r m i dd le a nd f o ll o w e d be hind him, wa t ching him t e st the l o cks and the b as e m e nt do o r . He t u gg e d the kitch e n do o r and p u sh e d b ack the c ur tains to m a ke s ur e the win d o ws w er e d o wn.
    “ Bu t y o u w er e b l eed ing, G a rre t t.” His n a me f e lt h e a v y o n h e r l ips. L ike she was sayi n g m o r e than j u st a w o rd . M o r e than j u st a nam e . I t f e lt v er y m u ch l i ke it h e ld p o w e r and she lick e d h e r lips t o c o v e r the n er v o u s tingle i n h e r m o u th.
    “I was. Bu t I cl e an e d it u p and it w a sn ’ t n e a r ly as b ad as it s ee m ed .” He t ur n e d and she was r ight o n h i s h ee ls. T h e y w er e v er y c l o s e . C l o s e r than s he had re aliz e d a nd L iv c o u ld s e e h o w l o n g h i s e y e lash e s w er e and h o w white and n e at his t ee th w ere . She saw the ca r am e l spatt er ing o f f re ckl e s ac r o ss the fine br i d ge o f h is n o se and the s mall b its o f g r ayish s i lv e r mix e d in t o his d a r k c o ff e e hai r . U p c l o se h is bre ath s m e ll e d l ike n ighttime
     

    and g r ass and cinnam o n. “ I …”
    He p u t h i s han d s o n h e r a r ms, s o ftly. N o thi n g ha r sh a b o u t his t o u ch. T he c o ntact re ach e d o u t wa r m t e n dr ils o f s e nsati o n. Sh o o ting d o wn h e r a r ms i nto h e r f i ng er tips. Sp re a d ing th r o u gh h e r be lly and l o w e r still. L iv cl e nch e d h e r thi g hs t o g e th e r to sti l l the wa r m be ating p u lse that had sta r t e d be tw ee n h e r l e gs. I t d i d n ’ t q ue ll the s e nsati o n, it o n l y ma d e it w o r s e . She ma d e a s mall l o st s o u nd in h e r th r o at and he smil e d d o wn at h er . “ M ind if I ch e ck m y han d iw o r k u pstai r s t o make s ur e it ’ s o kay?”
    H e r v o ice w a s g o ne be ca u se his han d s w er e still o n h e r and f o r the fi r st tim e , she st o o d v er y cl o se t o a man w h o se e vi de nt p o w e r s ee m e d t o b e int e nti o nal l y p r o t e cting h e r inst e ad o f bu llying h er . “S ure ,” she said bu t it was m o r e o f a s i gh.
    He g e ntly m o v e d h e r to the si d e and walk e d past h er . Bu t his v o ice had g o ne dee p e r and he s ee m e d a b it p re o cc u p i ed . “ G o o d . T ha n k y o u , it will make me f ee l be t t e r and th e n I’ ll g e t o u t o f y o u r hai r .”
    “ Y o u’r e n o t in my hai r ,” she said and th e