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 So you said last night, but I didn t believe you. I really
did wonder about a drone lying, but then I knew&  Her
voice trailed off in a tiny squeak. Her lovely eyes rounded into
alarmed brown saucers.
What?
Dallas gawked at her. Her shoulders squared. Her chin
lifted defiantly.
The truth hit him like a ton of bricks.
She d known all along!
He tried to speak, but the words clogged in his dry
throat. Coughing several times, he accepted the glass of wine
she handed him before she pounded on his back. His thoughts
whirled out of control.
 You& you knew? he finally choked out.
 Now, Dallas, I can explain.
 Explain! I ve been dying here! I ve walked around all day
feeling lower than whale dung and you knew? His legs went
weak and he plopped down on the chaise.
Good thing, too. All the better position to spank her from.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to sprawl
across his lap, then brought his hand down on her rump with a
most satisfactory twack. Madelyn bucked, twisting out of his
grasp and onto the floor. She scurried away from him on her
hands and knees. He dropped to all fours and stalked her.
 What do you think you re doing? She gasped indignant-
ly as she backed away from him.
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He inched closer.  Pretend I m the big bad wolf, Ma-
delyn.
Her lip curled, showing him her pointy canines.  Pre-
tend? I have to pretend?
Dallas lunged. She scrambled to her feet and scampered
out of his reach. He rose fluidly and followed her, grinning
broadly as all the implications of his situation began to clear
the fog from his mind.
She d known and she d wanted him to come back to her.
She wanted him, the flesh-and-blood man with all his quirks
and foibles, and not a drone programmed for the guilt-free
fuck.
 You re backing yourself right into the bedroom, Ma-
delyn. Would you like to explain that little bit of subliminal
behavior?
Madelyn s eyes narrowed.  Why you egotistical, con-
ceited, self-centered, arrogant m-m-man! Oh! The back of
her legs made contact with the bed and she sat down to keep
from keeling over.
Dallas gaze never left hers as he knelt in front of her.
 Madelyn, let s cut the chase. We need to talk about what
happened last night and what just happened on your balcony,
and where we go from here.
A discreet knock sounded. Hazel spoke softly from be-
hind him.  Miss, dinner is ready.
Damn.
 I ll talk better on a full stomach, she murmured.  Hon-
est, I will.
He shook his head.  I won t. You re afraid to talk to me,
afraid to hear me out.
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She pursed those pretty, pouty lips and glared at him.
 That s not true. I m not afraid to listen to you! Talk fast be-
cause I m hungry.
* * * *
He was right. Madelyn was afraid of what Dallas would
say to her. What he d done wasn t right, but she had known
and allowed his deception to continue. And now, hadn t she
invited him back and maneuvered him into having sex with
her without confessing she knew he wasn t a drone? He was
here, but what if he left?
Don t be stupid, Madelyn. You know where to find him.
 You go first, Dallas. I don t know where to start.
He stared at her, his sinfully blue eyes glittering with fer-
al intensity.
  You go first, Dallas. Is that all you can say? He licked
his lips, slowly, teasingly. She shivered, thinking about that
tongue and what it might do. She tore her gaze from his
mouth and looked in his eyes.
 I m sorry, Dallas?
He snorted rudely.  That s better, but still not enough.
 What else do you think I should say? She planted her
clenched fists against her hips. He rolled to his feet and mi-
micked her, forgoing the safety of his throw pillow to put his
hands on his hips.
 I think you should tell me why you didn t tell me you
knew I wasn t a drone.
 I don t want to tell you that.
 Don t make me spank you again, Madelyn.
She sprang to her feet, ready to defend herself if neces-
sary. He hastily took a step backward.
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 Don t you even think to lay a hand on me again! You ll
be sorry if you do!
His eyes narrowed, his gaze never leaving her face as his
head cocked to one side. A slow smile bowed his sensuous
mouth, spreading into a wide grin. His eyebrow lifted.
Oh, bugger.
Of course he d take that for a challenge! How stupid
could she be? She sprinted for the door.
In spite of how quickly she moved, Dallas caught her and
spun her back to the bed. She scrambled across it. His grin
widened smugly as his strong hands closed around her ankles,
ending her escape attempt.
 You knew I wasn t a drone and you wanted me, Ma-
delyn. Admit it. You wanted a real man with sweaty, hot skin
and everything. Not a drone. You were as intrigued by me as I
was by you, so just say it.
She couldn t deny it, couldn t lie. Last night was as much
deception as she could live with. Here was a chance to close
the door to the past and open one to a wonderful future if
she were brave enough.
He pulled her closer, the comforter sliding along beneath
her, bunching up between them. It didn t matter. Let it wrin-
kle for all she cared. Dallas mattered and the myriad possibili-
ties that stood before her. She made a half-hearted effort to
kick free of his grasp.
 You re absolutely right. Now let go of me.
 Let go of you? I don t think so. He pounced, catlike,
landing on the bed straddling her.  I don t think I ll ever let go
of you again.
His mouth came down on hers, hard and bruising, refus-
ing to accept any dissent she might muster.
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Any notion of protesting fled as his lips moved on hers.
Gentle now, his kiss burst into her awareness to find and
summon forth those echoes of their shared passion that reso-
nated within her, ones that refused to fade from her existence.
Madelyn wrapped her arms around his neck and answered
with her own demands. A low rumble sounded in his chest,
the sound so purely male, her nipples puckered painfully in
unspoken reply. Every pore in her skin opened to soak in his
essence.
Madelyn sucked in a deep breath as Dallas pulled his lips
from hers. When had she last breathed? It didn t matter, not
when to breathe now was to absorb his scent. The mix of spi-
cy cologne and slightly overheated male sent shivers along her
nerve endings to settle at her center. The tiny bud at her core
throbbed with wicked anticipation. Only&
 Do you forgive me? she whispered.
 There s nothing for me to forgive, Madelyn.  Do you
forgive me is the question. I lied to you.
Did she forgive him? He d not lied to cause her harm or
embarrassment. He hadn t lied for financial gain. His sense of
humor, occasionally, might need a little shove back to center,
but she could handle that.
She weighed her actions against his and decided it didn t
matter to her how they d met. All that mattered was what
happened now. They were both guilty of deception, but nei-
ther of them had been hurt by it. That fact didn t make it
right, of course, but the past couldn t be changed. What did
she want for her future? Dallas looked worried, truly wor- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]