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Strange, but she couldn’t remember why.

Her heart raced, and she wavered, leaning close. His tempting lips pressed into a hard line, and she imagined softening them with a slide of her tongue. She slid her palms over the front of his chest, savoring the heat of his skin beneath the silk dress shirt.

He inhaled, nose flaring, drawing in her scent. Then his eyes pinched closed, and he exhaled a tortured growl. “Don’t.” The denial rumbled against her palms, completely at odds with the yearning she sensed in their connection.

Jericho was hungry.

Hungry for her.

Something locked deep inside of her broke free. She clasped the back of his neck with both hands and pressed her mouth against his in a searing kiss.

Jericho sucked in a breath and froze, the target of her tender assault.

Lost to the moment, she brushed her lips against his—unresponsive mouth.

Her heart sank, and her eyes flicked open. Tight lines of pain creased his face.

No,her mind recoiled.

Too late, she noticed the way he kept his arms at his sides while she clung to him in wanton abandon.

Heat crawled up her cheeks. She eased her grip on his neck and pulled away. “I’m so sorry. I never should have…” Words failed her, so she settled for a groan of shame.

At least one thing had worked in her favor. Her heels were already off.

She spun and tensed to run.

Before she could bolt, he grabbed her arm. Jerked her to his chest. The collision knocked the air from her lungs. Oh God, he was angry. What was she thinking?

“Damn you,” he cursed, staring down at her, his expression haunted.

Then his hungry mouth collided with hers. The bruising pressure stole the oxygen from her lungs. His kiss consumed her, seared with a passion that curled her toes. Her head spun, and willpower fled with her sanity. Jericho wrapped her in a bone-crushing embrace, and an explosion of sparks tingled along herglyph.

Rough fingers tore through her hair, clasping the curls at her nape. He held her captive to his ravaging lips. Warning her the time for running had passed?

Yeah, screw running.

She clung to his broad shoulders, molding her curves to his harder frame.

Jericho demanded she open to him, and she yielded with an eager moan. He plundered her depths, tasting, devouring. She met each stroke of his tongue with one of her own. His growl of approval rumbled against her mouth, sending ripples of need pulsing through her core.

She sensed darkness rising inside of him, overpowering his restraint, and shivered at the sensation of him losing control.

He scraped her bottom lip, his fangs dragging with a sensuous sting along the swollen surface. Would he? She held her breath, waiting, hoping, curious to see what her blood would taste like on his tongue.

Bitter emotions shot icy tendrils down her spine, shocking her senses.

Jericho drew back, and she whimpered at the loss.

“Can’t… We can’t do this,” he grated, pressing his forehead against hers.

She blinked, pulling him into focus. Deadly fangs flashed behind his lips, and his golden eyes glittered with the depth of his torment. Guilt etched his chiseled face, pain spilling through their bond.

She braced herself for his rejection. Still, it hurt when he wrapped his hands around her upper arms and set her away from him.

The distance between them spanned miles.

Something deep within her core reached for him, needing to share his pain. She closed her eyes and exhaled, allowing the connection to deepen. Due to his distraction, she encountered little resistance. The guilt stemmed from his loyalty to Liam, but the torment… She sensed it was rooted deeper. A jagged wound that had never healed.