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Chapter 13

Author: Lauren Smith
last update Last Updated: 2022-06-15 14:04:36
Heat. Searing kisses. The melding of bodies and the twining of limbs­ Felicity moaned and shifted in bed. A sharp ache grew inside her, filling her with desperation.

"Jared!" Her own gasp woke her up.

She jerked and blinked several times as she realized where she was. In Jared's bed. Again. Only this time she was alone. Was he on the couch where he said he'd be? For some reason, she hoped he hadn't kept his promise. Being in bed with him, surrounded by his warmth and strength, was better than feeling alone in bed. Chivalry be damned. After what had happened between them last night, he should have stayed here with her.

The mere memory of last night had her blushing and burying her face in her hands with a little sigh. She'd come apart in his arms. But he hadn'tthey'd still been fully clothed. Mortification churned her stomach and made her hands shake. This was just what she needed, to show an older guy how much of a virgin she was, that she couldn't even wait before they­

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    She couldn't breathe.Jared was somehow at Sabine's. And he was angry. At her. Why else would he act as if they were just acquaintances? Was he upset because she'd left? Because of the note? Surely that wasn't it. He had to understand why she'd left, why she hadn't said goodbye. But she looked at his face, and he was glowering and raking one hand through his dark hair.Maybe he didn't understand why she'd left after all.Sabine looked up from her pattern books and sketches, winged brows raised in concern."I'll just put some more coffee on," Felicity muttered, then spun out of the conference room.She took refuge in the small part of the gallery just off the hallway where several paintings hung and a nice couch offered a place for her to collapse. Which she did, immediately sinking into its pillowy depths. Leaning forward, she braced her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands. A tiny tremor worked its way through her.She hadn't expected to see him so soon after las

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    She swallowed hard. "I­I'm sorry about the note." She shored up her confidence, knowing she had to own up to the fact that she had run this morning. "I had to leave because I was running late to get here. There wasn't time for""For goodbye?" He cut her off, and the way he whispered the word, she heard the hurt in his voice, the wounded acceptance of what they'd shared coming to an end. He shrugged, as though trying to rid himself of a great weight that rested there."Yes." It felt like she was sinking into the floor. She'd just left him without an explanation, yet it felt as though they were talking about something deeper, a more permanent issue that lay between them. It was scary as hell to think about."It's just one little word, Felicity." His tone was still soft, hurt, and it shocked her. Her leaving really had upset him.It was supposed to be this way, this goodbye­but suddenly the idea was unbearable."I'm sorry," she replied, her voice shaking. "We both know that this thin

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