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"Julian," Eleanor breathed.

"I know what you're doing," he whispered against her, inching further until his breath tickled her lips. Her heart slammed into her chest hard enough to hurt, and her head spun.

The proximity was messing with her, and his scent. It was strangely intoxicating.

"And what do you think I'm doing?" Eleanor whispered, unable to draw her eyes away from his moving mouth.

"You plan to use me to escape your sure death."

He knew, and Eleanor could tell it didn't particularly matter, because he was not pushing her away or telling her off. She detached her fingers from his grasp slowly, and trailed a soft line along his jaw, letting it trail down his neck.

He didn't move out of her reach. He merely watched her lazily, as if trying to read her thoughts.

"Would that be so bad then?" she asked.

"What?"

Her fingers drifted further down his chest. She stopped moving when her thumb touched his hard nipple, never taking her eyes off him, a