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A close examination of her scalp in the h Simone found some flecks of dried blood in her hair She had a blurredhier; the blood was likely his That would explain herinjury, if he had offered soht a few strands to her nose and breathed in his scent

She stepped into the shower to scrub the assassin’s sweat from her body and the smell of Korvel from her hair Once she dried off, she co off the end with a piece of ribbon from the basket

Calmer now, Si by the shower and readied herself to face Korvel again Now that she had defined as happening to her, she could pass through it and move beyond it Desire was hardly different from a knife wound; both simply caused weakness and pain Given tiotten

She stepped out into the bedroom to see that he had drawn all the drapes and switched off the lamps It took her a moment to locate him where he lay on the bed She moved silently until she could see his face, his brilliant eyes closed now, his chest barelyshe was relieved, not disappointed, Sie by the s She sat on one end, where she could see Korvel and the door The padded armrest made a somewhat comfortable pillow for her head, and when she curled up the robe covered her bare legs and feet

Si but the need to wake in a few hours, and then drifted off

Chapter 9

K

orvel watched the nun fall asleep His own need to rest reht inside his head, but it could not overcoer, more immediate deain with his conscience: When she returned to the bed, he would deterhtened by him If she feared his attentions, he would take his rest in the other room If she wanted him, he would show her every pleasure that convent life had denied her

Now she slept ten feet away, and his curiosity remained unsatisfied

Because Simone was mortal, Korvel could not enter her dreams, or lure her into his Nor could he bind her to hih it would have been easier, he was glad Simone remained immune to his abilities and influence If she ever chose to coive herself to him, it would be of her own accord

He reached down to pale beneath the front of his trousers His penis felt like an iron club, his pulse ha Korvel alined the depths of the hell he would burn in if the nun woke to find hiht it a fair trade and swelled another inch

He got up to htly The white robe she wore fell open just enough to show the bend of her knee and the curve of one thigh The fragrance of her body altered as well, growing deeper and sweeter, like herbs covered in dew at the first touch of dawn’s light

That is not the scent of fear

Korveldown beside her, not certain of what he meant to do but unable to stop himself just the same He reached for a fold of her robe so he could cover her legs, and watched his hand draw it back, exposing s, smoothly muscled, the pale flesh sheened by tiny, almost invisible blond hairs Like the women in the time of his s

Korvel wanted to feel that sweet velvet against his cheek, his lips, his belly His dents acérées slid slowly into hisanother taste of her, and he had to look away until he could master the beast inside hi his attention back to her, and he saw that her eyes were open but unfocused "Captain?" shehis scent so he could see her eyes go dark "It’shis hand to her cheek "Thought you were sleeping"

If she only knehat had kept hio I will return soon"

"Don’t" She held on to hiain"

He could release hirip with barely a flick of a muscle; yet he felt as bound to her as if they were chained in copper "The drugs are still affecting you"

"No" Her eyes, clear and bright now, held his "Not any"

Her scent did not change; she was speaking the truth He wouldn’t allow himself to take her, but he could attend to her needs "I want to touch you and give you pleasure This will please me as well If you do not want this, I will leave and see to el"

Her hand left his wrist, and Korvel started to rise He stopped as he watched her hands move down to the belt of her robe and untie it