Richelle Mead

After the bitching I'd done to Abe about going to remote, crappy places, I should have been excited about the prospect of going to Sin City.

Of course, some might argue that one can never know what's in the heart of a woman_ For they are strange and mysterious creatures,and a man must be a mind reader if he ever wishes to make them happy.

My nails dug into his back, and he trailed his lips down the edge of my chin, down the center of my neck. He kept going until he reached the bottom of the dress__ V-neck. I let out a small gasp, and he kissed all around the neckline, just enough to tease.

I wanted him. I arched my back, fully aware of how vulnerable that made me and that I was giving him an invitation. He accepted it and laid me back against the table, bringing his body down on top of mine. That crushing kiss of his moved from my mouth to the nape of my neck. He pushed down the edge of my dress and the bra strap underneath, exposing my shoulder and giving his lips more skin to conquer.

Behaviours and feelings rarely line up.

It does. This is how it should have been anyway.' I caught my breath as he kissed my neck, teeth grating my skin. 'And I'll take back what's mine.

I spent the rest of the day doing little more than that. I skipped dinner. I shed a few tears. But mostly, I just sat on my bed thinking and growing more and more depressed. I also discovered the only thing worse than imagining Dimitri and Tasha together was remembering when he and I had been together. He would never touch me again like that, never kiss me again_

While I'm fine with you two dating and being happy, please try not to break his heart too much when the time comes.

I see how it is,_ I snapped. __ou were all in favor of me breaking the tattoo and thinking on my own__ut that__ only okay if it__ convenient for you, huh? Just like your __oving from afar_ only works if you don__ have an opportunity to get your hands all over me. And your lips. And_._._. stuff.__drian rarely got mad, and I wouldn__ quite say he was now. But he was definitely exasperated. __re you seriously in this much self-denial, Sydney? Like do you actually believe yourself when you say you don__ feel anything? Especially after what__ been happening between us?___othing__ happening between us,_ I said automatically. __hysical attraction isn__ the same as love. You of all people should know that.___uch,_ he said. His expression hadn__ changed, but I saw hurt in his eyes. I__ wounded him. __s that what bothers you? My past? That maybe I__ an expert in an area you aren__?___ne I__ sure you__ just love to educate me in. One more girl to add to your list of conquests.__e was speechless for a few moments and then held up one finger. __irst, I don__ have a list._ Another finger, __econd, if I did have a list, I could find someone a hell of lot less frustrating to add to it._ For the third finger, he leaned toward me. __nd finally, I know that you know you__e no conquest, so don__ act like you seriously think that. You and I have been through too much together. We__e too close, too connected. I wasn__ that crazy on spirit when I said you__e my flame in the dark. We chase away the shadows around each other. Our backgrounds don__ matter. What we have is bigger than that. I love you, and beneath all that logic, calculation, and superstition, I know you love me too. Running away and fleeing all your problems isn__ going to change that. You__e just going to end up scared and confused.___ already feel that way,_ I said quietly.Adrian moved back and leaned into his seat, looking tired. __ell, that__ the most accurate thing you__e said so far.__ grabbed the basket and jerked open the car door. Without another word, I stormed off, refusing to look back in case he saw the tears that had inexplicably appeared in my eyes. Only, I wasn__ sure exactly which part of our conversation I was most upset about.

In an undertone, I murmured, "This isn't over. I won't give up on you.""I've given up on you," he said back, voice also soft. "Love fades. Mine has.

Because...Beacause it's so good, and there's only one chance to read a book for the first time, and I want it to last. That experience. I'd finish it in a day otherwise, and that'd be like...like eating a carton of ice cream in one sitting. Too much richness over too quickly. This way, I can draw it out. Make the book last longer. Savor it. I have to since they don't come out that often.

Love fades, mine has.~Dimitri Belikov~

Sorry,ʺ she said, her face shining with joy when she saw me. ʺShould have put a sock on the door. Didnʹt realize things were getting hot and heavy.ʺʺNo avoiding it,ʺ I said lightly, clasping Dimitriʹs hand. ʺThings are always hot with him around.ʺDimitri looked scandalized. Heʹd never held back when we were in bed together, but his private nature wouldnʹt let him even hint about such matters to others. It was mean, but I laughed and kissed his cheek.ʺOh, this is going to be fun,ʺ I said. ʺNow that everythingʹs out in the open.ʺʺYeah,ʺ he said. ʺI got a pretty __unʹ look from your father the other day.

Do you know what I see in you now? The usual aura. A steady golden yellow, healthy and strong, with spikes of purple here and there. But when I do this. . . .__e rested a hand on my hip, and my whole body tensed up. That hand moved around my hip, slipping under my shirt to rest on the small of my back. My skin burned where he touched me, and the places that were untouched longed for that heat.. The colors deepen, it burns more intensely, the purple increases. Why? Why, Sydney?_ He used that hand on me to pull me closer. __hy do you react that way if I don__ mean anything to you?_ There was a desperation in his voice, and it was legitimate.

Those words, that voice, had more power over me than any phantom ever could.

Aubrey, crouching on a nearby counter, watched me with squinty eyes, apparently pondering why anyone would willingly immerse themselves in water ever, let alone for extended periods of time.

I wished the kiss could have gone on forever. Breaking the embrace, he ran a few fingers through my hair and down my cheek. He stepped back toward the door."I'll see you later, Roza""At our next practice?" I asked. "We are starting those up again, right? I mean, you still have things to teach me.""Yes. Lots of things.

Sydney, don't leave Adrian because of me.""It's more complicated than that," I said automatically."It's really not," she said. "From everything I've seen and heard, you're just afraid. You've always controlled every detail of your life. When you couldn't-like with the Alchemists-you found a way to seize back that control.""There is nothing wrong with wanting control," I snapped."Except that we can't always have it, and sometimes that is a good thing. A great thing, even," she added. "And that's how it is with Adrian. No matter how hard you try, you aren't going to be able to control your feelings for him. You can't help loving him, and so you're running away. I'm just an excuse.