and heavy-lidded, held hers captive. The look in them was a raw, elemental thin

did not release her wrist. With his free hand, he cupped her

k with a desire that sent a tremor

his lips parting slightly. She could see the flecks of silver

. Her mind was a white-hot blank. The world had narrowe

ss her. And she wa

hen i

than anything she had felt before. It surged up from t

instinct oblitera

of pure desperation,

ction, stumbled back a step. The raw hunger in his eyes w

d over her mouth, spun around, and bolted for the ba

and unmistakable. She was retching, her body

n. The last vestiges of desire vanished,

emembered the fierce determination with which she had lied to him, the panic in her eyes as she fled his car, the absolute terror on the sidewa

k than kiss him. The very thought

ejection a man could experience. A comple

les straining against the fabric. The wound throbbed, a d

f her apartment, pulling it shut behind him with a sharp, defin

e cool tile, weak and trembling. After a few minutes, she flushe

tranger stared back. And in that moment, a single,

is wasn't a hangover.

. Beck was gone. A part of her was relieved, but a much l

n had dumped on the sidewalk. Her fingers

it over, her eyes searching for t

04/

. The current month was June. T

d down the wall, landing in a heap on t

he back of her medicine cabinet, bought ages ag

tore open the foil packet, her hands shaking so badly she could barel

of the sink, preparing for the l

dn't n

began to bloom in the small window,

li

iti