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He frowned. “The eyes of a rogue?”

The question drew her gaze to his mouth. Curious, she traced its texture with the pad of her thumb. His lips were firm yet soft. Would they feel the same against her flesh?

His chest expanded with a sharp inhale. “Alex…” The warning vibrated between them. He captured her hand and held it against his chest, stopping her exploration.

She shivered. Little but a sheet separated her from a whole lot of yummy maleness. Just the thought had her nipples tightening against her shirt.

To hide the effect he had on her, she shifted and grazed her thigh against his…thick erection.

Their eyes locked, and she froze.

Hand on his chest.

Thigh pressed against his length.

Inches between them.

Breathing ceased.

For the span of a suspended heartbeat, the entire world consisted of one man and one woman.

Her heart thumped against her ribs, and the moment shattered. Jericho recoiled, burning her senses with his withdrawal. “Go back to bed, Alex.” The steel in his tone sent a chill tingling through herglyph, leaving her cold and empty.

She sat up, giving him her back to mask her hurt and confusion.

Because of her ability, she was an utter novice when it came to sex. The night she’d given Blaine Sanders her virginity in the back of a Buick while suffocating beneath the weight of his teenage hormones, she’d decided it was an experience she’d rather live without—until now. Being near Jericho made her crave all the things she’d been too afraid to explore with anyone else.

It didn’t take a seasoned veteran to recognize that Jericho’s body was on board with the idea. So why the hell was he asking her to leave? Was Liam the reason?

After storming from Victor’s office, she and Liam had a long talk in which he’d backed Jericho’s claims. She would remain Jericho’s Chosen—with Liam’s blessing. In fact, he’d seemed quite pleased by the situation.

Bitterness rose to choke her, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. She’d like to think Liam’s satisfied smirk was a side effect of the pain medication. After all, he had mumbled something about slaying Jericho’s demons.

Surely, he’d told Jerichoeverything.

She kept her back to him, testing the waters. “When you spoke with Liam, did he tell you about my mom and how he saved me from a rogue attack when I was younger? How he’s watched out for me since I was a kid?”

“We talked about a great number of things,” Jericho responded, his tone disapproving. “It’s a shame I didn’t hear them from you.”

Ouch. She deserved that.

Since Jericho knew she’d lied about their relationship, this rejection had nothing to do with Liam.

And everything to do with her.

Her inner bitch reared up with a sneer, hissing into her subconscious—Get a clue,he’s just not that into you.

Ignoring the hollow pit in her belly, she drew in a breath. “I’m sorry I lied to you. I love Liam, but we were never intimate. At the time, I thought the deception would make things easier for us both.” Well, easier for her, at least. As it turned out, she was the one who couldn’t be trusted.And once again, I’ve thrown myself at him. Pathetic.

For once, she wanted to be touched—by a man who was determined to keep her at arm’s length. Fate really had a screwed-up sense of humor.

To make matters worse, sheneededhim to ground her gift.

Where did that leave them? It seemed all the rules were shifting, and nobody had bothered to give her the handbook. After weeks of deception, full disclosure was probably a good place to start.

She pulled her knees up beneath her chin and hugged her bent legs. “I don’t want there to be any more secrets between us. Before I go, I need to tell you something.” Since Jericho remained silent, she went on unhindered. “Victor told me the reason I have so much control over my ability when I’m with you is that, in some sympathic way, I’ve bonded with you.”Way to go, Alex the Freak.

She gripped her knees tighter against her chest. “I still don’t understand what it all means, and I hope you believe me when I say it wasn’t intentional.”