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“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, honest.”
“Then why did you accuse me of enticing those men?”
“I was angry.”
“Why?”
Because you entice me, too, and I don’t want to be enticed. He didn’t tell her that. Instead he muttered, “Never mind.”
“I want to go home. Where everything is safe and warm and clean.”
He could argue that the streets of Los Angeles couldn’t always be considered safe, but knew that now wasn’t the time for teasing—even gentle teasing.
It went against his grain to compliment her, but he felt she’d earned it. “You’ve done exceptionally well.”
She lifted watery eyes to his. “No, I haven’t.”
“Far better than I ever expected.”
“Really?” she asked hopefully.
The breathlessness of her voice and the feminine appeal on her face was almost too much for him. “Really. Now, ignore the wolves and go back to sleep.” He pulled his hand from her grasp and turned away. Before he could move, however, another wolf howled. She cried out and reached for him again, throwing herself against him when he turned back to her.
“I don’t care if I am a coward. Hold me, Cooper. Please hold me.”
Reflexively his arms went around her. Like that other time he had held her while she wept, he felt the same sense of helplessness steal over him. It was lunacy to hold her for any reason, but it would be abominably cruel to turn away. So even though it was as much agony as ecstasy, he drew her close and buried his lips in her wealth of hair.
As he spoke them, his words were sincere. He was sorry this had happened to her. He wished they would be rescued. He wanted her to be returned safely home. He was sorry she was frightened. If there was something he could do to get them out of their predicament, he would.
“You’ve done everything possible. But just hold me a minute longer,” she begged.
“I will.”
He continued to hold her. His arms remained around her. But he didn’t move his hands. He didn’t trust himself to rub them over her back and stop with that. He wanted to touch her all over. He wanted to knead her breasts and investigate the warm, soft place between her thighs. Desire made him shiver.
“You’re freezing.” Rusty ran her hands over the goose-flesh on his upper arms.
“I’m fine.”
“Get under the covers.”
“No.”
r /> “Don’t be silly. You’ll catch a cold. What’s the big deal? We’ve slept together for the past three nights. Come on.” She pulled back the covers.
“Uh-uh. I’m going back to my own bed.”
“You said you’d hold me. Please. Just until I fall asleep.”
“But, I’m—”
“Please, Cooper.”
He swore, but slid beneath the covers with her. She cuddled against him, nuzzling her face against the fuzzy security of his chest. Her body became pliant against his. He gritted his teeth.
