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Her mouth was dangerous.

Her tongue a sword.

Quick witted, intelligent, and always on the offensive.

Dangerous—but a good ally to have and nobody would argue with whomever she chose to align with because she was solid, trustworthy, brutal.

Even Dante.

She wouldn’t enter into an arranged marriage—unless it was over her dead body, but could she be seduced into one?

Fuck, is that what Louis did?

My past came slamming into the present.

Was I looking at a carbon copy?

Similar story, different main character?

"So?” She leaned in. “Who tried to kill you?” She tilted her head. “At least nineteen times. Wow, that’s a large number for a large knife.”

I slapped her hand away. “I don’t like touching, least of all from you.”

“Am I that dirty?"

"Tainted,” I whispered. “And off limits. Do you really think I want to give up parts of my body in the name of temptation?”

A small smile spread across her face, a small dimple on her right cheek making itself known. “Does that mean I tempt you? Finally?”

She had tempted me then, but she was young and I was stupid, so I left the country and then lost more brain cells, fell in love, was betrayed and nearly killed.

Maybe I should have given in to that dimple then.

Maybe if I had I could have it now.

"I’m not a monk.”

“Eunuch.” She nodded. “That’s how I’m supposed to think of you, right?”

My manhood could only take so many hits, but I nodded. “Exactly.”

"Mmmmkay, then you won’t mind if I get closer, now tell me my bedtime story, the one with the killing and the knives and you walking away or in your case limping away still breathing.”

She wouldn’t quit.

I knew her.

So I punched the pillow beneath me and began to talk. “A long time ago, in a land far, far away?—”

“Solid start.”

“I didn’t even practice.” I tried to suppress my smile and almost failed but managed to hold it in when she faced me again.

“Alright, so what happened in this far away land.”

"There was a monster who was taken in by a princess. All his life he was told he would never be anything but a monster, but she let him in on a little secret.”

“What was that?”