Page 51 of Night's Fall

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Still.

“I don’t get bored easily.Thething is?—”

His brows shot up. “Wouldyou like to come?”

I started laughing asIreached high to press my fingers to his mouth.

Those weren’t hard like his chest; they were soft and lovely.

“CanIfinish a sentence?”Irequested playfully.

He took hold of my wrist, kissed my fingers, then pulled my hand back to his chest.

Mmmmm.

Nice move.

“Continue,” he urged.

“I just wanted to say…”

Dang.

How to say whatIwanted to say?

A breeze ruffled his hair and picked up mine, so he pressed my hand to his chest as indication he wanted me to keep it there, then he reached out and gently tucked my hair behind my ear.

I felt his touch shiver down my neck in a tender way that settled right in my heart.

Okay then.

I knew how to say it.

“Thank you.”

“Pardon?” he asked.

“Thank you,”Irepeated. “Thankyou for being normal.Thankyou for letting me grill you at dinner.Thankyou for taking me somewhere fabulous, but not making a big deal out of it.Itwas an exceptional dinner, but it wasn’t anevent.Itwasn’t, look!PrinceAlekseiis out on the town, squiring his latest squeeze.Thankyou for making it just…us.”

“Thatiswhat we agreed,Laura,” he reminded me.

I shook my head. “Maybeyou don’t understand.WhatI’msaying is, you could do that by just being you.Instead, what you did was you gave meyou, the real you.That’swhat you gave me tonight.AndIreally enjoyed having it.So…thank you.”

WhenIstopped speaking, he made a rough noise deep in his throat.

I felt that noise drive deep between my legs.

And then his hand was sliding along my jaw, back into my hair, andIcould feel the heat from his body beating into mine.

I thought he was going to kiss me.

He didn’t.

“Come with me,” he murmured.

“To see the troll skin?”Ibreathed, so caught up in him,Iwas no longer following.

“ToThoth.”