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“That makes no sense” I retort, but the heat has died from my words “You say you want me with you, but you don’t want me with you at all?”

“My life is not ht, from above and below I put the needs of this fa, and the one ti I allowedforand deep, his eyes closing for a e to carry on “It was ift I could never have expected”

He liftsit to the pale underside His lips feel hot, or alloping My anger ht’ve drained, but I don’t feel cal inside me contracts

“I’ve thought of you so ht” There’s such an intensity to his words, and he shakes his head as though he can’t believe it hio away “And then, at the townhouse, there you were”

“But you were angry,” I whisper, confused That cold night in London, his anger ell restrained, but I could see it shi under the surface Just like I can see it now

“Yes, I was angry at ht, done what I wanted to do”

“What you wanted?” I prompt when it seems like he won’t finish Suddenly, I want to hear what he has to say ed high in my chest

“Holland” My nanant “I have very little ti dukedo else But God help me, when I look at you, I can only think of myself Of my own needs Of what I want And that’s why I wanted you at dinner I didn’t think about you, of how being there would , because I can’t see beyond the want of you Every time your eyes find mine, every time I touch you, I want to damn the world to hell just to be inside you”

The hunger in his eyes, in his fingertips, is echoed by a sudden, solitary pulse somewhere deep inside

You are a gift, he’d said once Beautiful and unpredictable, just as life is

I closeout his expression, but it only serves to heighten ertips The cool wall at th in his hands as he’d pinned s sends

I hadn’t iined hoerful the experience ith hi me in knots to this day

My eyes open on a slow blink, though it takes h slides fro from my wrists to lie by his sides One last soft brush of his breath again my hairline

“I’ the space between us “I can see you don’t feel the same This was a mistake”

But reen pesto to the pan instead of Thai green curry paste Regrets, however, are for tomorrow

My ar across his chest like starfish The light overhead glints like a wink froers wrap around the lapels of his jacket

“You don’t want this” His voice isn’t at all uncertain but rather dark and velvety as I begin to tug him closer

“Don’t tell me what I want” Give ainst his nape and pull his mouth to mine

The initiation ainstentrance as his hands tighten on ainst in to unfurl, a harsh breath at , I don’t want you to regret this”

Butto a need so powerful, it feels dangerous not to give in to it