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He turned away, shoulders sluone out of hi Last week, I didn’t walk away only because I was feeling sorry for myself, but because I did think you’d be better off withoutwho I am, even before you found out about that stupid bet, before I exposed you to my mother’s abuse”

He turned back to her, his eyes fevered “But you were right to reject ive, but I won’t I can’t I was all or none in the past, and I haven’t changed When I came back to Az myself I now only wanted you Then we had our confrontation, then last night happened—and that control is gone I can’t and won’t be satisfied with less than all of you, forever Itto you in the heat of passion, when you thought I was talking about sex But after you realized Ifor real…I don’t blame you if that put you off”

“It doesn’t,” she whispered, the enor her “Not if it’s a tay street…?”

His eyes narrowed, his body going still “It is You have all of me If you’ll only take it”

Havoc filled her eyes, quivered on her lips with the poignancy of letting go of doubts, seeing her way clear and sure, and perood, huh?”

The hope flaring in his eyes died hith “Not anyet there, it’s because you’re so full of contradictions, you made it almost impossible to knohat you’re all about You also overwhel rational where you’re concerned” She looked up at him, her heart in her eyes for hi to read beyond the obvious You were so confident I thought you had no doubts, no weaknesses The rest of your assets painted an inhus or eht you’d never be satisfied with one woht you probably couldn’t and shouldn’t be”

He stiffened in her ar I don’t suffer fro in her heart “I know that, now that I see you for who you really are I thought you were do, but you’re only do, but you can be flexible where it et your way over anyone’s dead body, but either you grew out of it, or you never actually walked over anyone who didn’t deserve it You’re scarily serious about work, but it turns out you have this supreme ability to be fun and funny, too And you have insecurities like the rest of us mortals, behind that imatist in you shares your body with an incredible romantic”

His eyes idening as she spoke Now he sed “You see good sides to me?”

“I see fantastic sides to you But most important, they are fantastic to me I would have loved you—I have loved you—for far, far less I love you now for everything you are and aren’t”

“But…you told“I don’t even re I needed ht then For you to shut up and let asted “You ined because you were sleep-talking? Ya Ullah…when I said , deht in the eye, said an emphatic no, then turned your back and went to sleep”

“I probably would have said no if you’d asked eance of ecstasy” She laughed, threw her ar “I think we can now say we have one of the most unique proposal tales on record”

His arms convulsed around her, his expression still jittery “You can laugh I was considering leaving civilization for good”

She cupped his cheek, reveling in the freedo in her heart at last “Ju to conclusions where the other is concerned seems to be e do best”