Blood From a Stone (186 page)

H
e
li
n
g
e
r
ed
t
he
r
e
f
or
qu
it
e
a
l
ong
ti
m
e,
sa
v
o
ri
ng
t
he s
w
ee
t
ness
of
her
as
she
en
t
w
i
ned
her
fi
n
g
e
r
s
i
n
h
i
s
l
ong ha
ir
.
T
he
t
as
t
e
of
her
w
as
d
ri
v
i
ng
h
i
m
out
of
h
i
s
m
i
nd….
h
e
w
as
r
ock
ha
r
d,
s
tr
a
i
n
i
ng
a
g
a
i
nst
h
i
s
j
eans,
h
i
s
body
bo
ili
ng
li
k
e
a pool
of
w
h
it
e hot
m
a
g
m
a.

A
so
f
t
sound
escaped
her
li
ps
and
he
k
new  he
’
d d
ri
v
en
her
t
o
t
he
b
ri
n
k
.
S
he
t
oo,
w
as
li
k
e
a
v
o
l
ca
n
o
r
eady
t
o exp
l
ode.
B
ut
not
y
e
t
…he
w
an
t
ed
t
h
i
s
t
o
l
ast
f
or
bo
t
h of
t
he
m
.

H
e
r
a
i
sed  up,
p
l
ac
i
ng
one
m
o
r
e
so
ft
,
t
eas
i
ng
k
i
ss
t
he
r
e
be
t
w
een her
l
e
g
s, be
f
o
r
e
w
o
r
k
i
ng
h
i
s
w
ay
back
up ac
r
oss her
be
ll
y
t
o
her
ches
t
,
w
he
r
e
he
l
ay
h
i
s
head
do
w
n
be
t
w
een her
b
r
eas
t
s
f
or
j
ust
a
m
o
m
ent
as
she
so
ftl
y s
tr
o
k
ed
h
i
s
sandy ha
ir
, and
k
i
ssed
t
he
t
op of
h
i
s
head.

H
e
pu
ll
ed
back
fr
om her
and
pushed
h
i
m
se
l
f
up
on
t
o h
i
s
e
l
bo
w
s,
d
r
a
gg
i
ng her
n
i
pp
l
e
i
n
t
o h
i
s
m
ou
t
h once
m
o
r
e, be
f
o
r
e
fi
na
ll
y
w
o
r
k
i
ng h
i
s
w
ay on
t
o
h
i
s
k
nees
t
o
u
n
do
h
i
s pan
t
s.

S
he
g
r
abbed h
i
s
hands
and shook
her
h
e
ad.

“
N
o.
L
et
m
e,”
she
s
m
il
ed,
ri
s
i
ng up
i
n
fr
ont
of
h
i
m
,
f
ace
t
o
f
ace…her
na
k
ed
b
r
eas
t
s
b
r
ush
i
ng
so
ftl
y
a
g
a
i
nst
h
i
s ba
r
e ches
t
.

H
e s
m
il
ed. “
D
o as
y
ou
w
ill
,
m
y
l
ad
y
.”

“
T
he
r
e
y
ou
g
o.
G
e
tti
ng a
l
l
poe
ti
c
on
m
e
a
g
a
i
n,”
she
w
h
i
spe
r
ed.

“
P
oe
ti
c?
N
o.
I
’
m
j
ust
ca
lli
ng
y
ou
w
hat
y
ou
a
r
e,”
he sa
i
d so
ftl
y
, pu
lli
ng
her
t
o h
i
m
.

“I
li
k
e
it
,” she sa
i
d
m
a
tt
e
r
-
o
f
-
f
ac
tl
y
.

“
G
ood.
B
ecause
t
ha
t’
s
w
hat
y
ou
’l
l
a
l
w
a
y
s
be
i
f
I ha
v
e
m
y
w
a
y
.”

H
e
k
i
ssed
her
deep
l
y
a
g
a
i
n
be
f
o
r
e
she
pu
ll
ed
back
fr
om
h
i
m
,
r
unn
i
ng
her
hands
o
v
er
t
he
t
h
i
ck
m
usc
l
es
of
h
i
s shou
l
de
r
s
and
do
w
n
o
v
er
t
he
ri
pp
l
ed
abs
ca
r
v
ed out
do
w
n
t
he
m
i
dd
l
e and s
i
des
of
h
i
s
t
o
r
so.

H
i
s body
w
as
l
i
k
e
an
A
don
i
s…a
m
useum scu
l
p
t
u
r
e
co
m
e
t
o
lif
e
and
she
w
an
t
ed
t
o
t
as
t
e
e
v
e
r
y squa
r
e
i
nch
of
h
i
s
s
k
i
n.
S
he
k
i
ssed
one
of
t
he
t
h
i
ck co
r
ds
of
m
usc
l
e
a
l
ong
t
he
s
i
de
of
h
i
s
neck
and
t
hen
tr
a
il
ed
a
w
et
pa
t
h do
w
n
t
he cen
t
er
of
h
i
s
ches
t
,
w
he
r
e she
li
n
g
e
r
ed
f
or
a
m
o
m
ent
be
f
o
r
e
r
a
i
s
i
ng back on
t
o
her
k
nees
and
push
i
ng ha
r
d on
h
i
s
w
i
de
ches
t
,
k
noc
k
i
ng
h
i
m back
on
t
o
t
he
so
f
t
m
a
t
tr
ess be
l
o
w
.