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true.
    Cherie didn’t stop to think about how what he said was impossible. She was too glad to have something other than herself to blame her actions on. Sure she’d been a bit too free with her favors when she was younger and probably shouldn’t have had sex with two boys in high school, but she’d learned her lesson. She had also learned that having sex with a man didn’t mean that he loved her. It only meant that he wanted in her pants.
    It had been a long, hard road she’d traveled, but these days, she was a relatively well-adjusted adult who didn’t need to prove anything to anyone and she damn sure didn’t need to make love with a man in an effort to get him to like her.
    “How dare you!” Cherie swiped the back of her hand over her mouth and glared at him. “A woman’s kiss is a favor. It’s something she gives to a man, or woman, she cares about, even loves. It’s not something that you can take, just because you have the strength, either mental or physical, to take it from her.”
    Cherie tugged her shirt down into place and turned to the door. “I’m out of here. I don’t give a damn if I freeze to death outside. I’d rather die than have you take what is mine to give by force.” She headed for the door.
    He followed her. Cherie felt him more than saw him fall into step behind her. “I don’t want you to follow me.”
    Too bad. As I said, this is an experiment.
    A strange languor slid over her as she came to a stop, her hand halfway to the doorknob. “Stop trying to control me.” She gritted her teeth. “I swear to God, if you force me to kiss you again, I’m going to kick your balls up into your throat when you release me.”
    Cherie didn’t know why the thought of him being a vampire didn’t startle her. Maybe it was the fact that the psychic had said her lover would be one, or perhaps because she’d always believed that all legends on Earth came from a grain of truth. Whatever it was, she didn’t find it surprising or as unbelievable as she probably should.
    You will forget everything that has transpired in the last few minutes. I have not kissed you and you are not angry with me any longer.
    “Ha! Don’t kid yourself, buster. I’m pissed and I don’t plan to forget a damn thing. Now let me go.”
    “You don’t understand,” he said with a sigh. “It was a test to see if we were compatible. My people cannot mate with a woman they can control if they can wipe her memories.” He grinned at her. “I can’t wipe your memories which means—”
    “That you can’t control me without my knowledge.” She returned his grin. “And if you try that crap again, I will unman you.”

Chapter Ten
    Hunter knew Cherie meant business. He didn’t need to see her flashing eyes or combative stance. She didn’t even have to tell him she was pissed. He could read it in her mind. “I didn’t mean to anger you.” He hadn’t meant to raise her ire either, but how else would he find out if he could control her, or erase her memory unless he tried? She wasn’t about to volunteer the information.
    “I will not force you to kiss me again.” If things went the way he hoped they would go, he wouldn’t need to.
    “Good.” She reached for the door, obviously misunderstanding his intentions. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to get as far away from you as humanly possible.” She gave him her sweetest, drop-dead look.
    He couldn’t let her leave—at least not until he found out if he could erase her memories and definitely not until he’d dressed her for the weather and found her lodging. As his mother was always wont to say, A gentleman never allows a lady refuse aid. See to it that the woman in question is provided for, whether she wants it or not. Reaching out with his mind, he took control of Cherie’s motor functions and stopped her from turning the knob.
    Her body trembled as she fought him. It was obvious that at first she didn’t know what was wrong. After a while,