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Noah stood and wrapped his arms around Raven's waist before she could fall. Half carrying, half dragging her, he stumbled backward into the living room until his calves hit a chair and he collapsed with her straddling him. She buried her face in his neck and he remembered, almost too late, to keep his hands on the chair.She licked his neck, sucking her way to his jaw. Her hands fumbled with the elastic of his PJs, tugging them down. He raised his hips in assistance until the bottoms pooled at his ankles. And then she had him in her hands, stroking with the perfect amount of pressure to make the world stop."Ah yes, baby." He pushed a few strands of hair away from her face that broke loose from her ponytail and set his hands on her thighs. When she didn't object, he slid them up her belly to cup her breasts. Either she was lost in what she was doing or the touch didn't bother her. Wishing he could get a better handle on her triggers, he caressed her body, warily watching her to mak

Raven looked up when Nicole climbed the steps to her office. Not that she was getting much work done anyhow, but the intrusion grated on her raw nerves. She needed alone time, needed to think. It had been almost a week since she'd moved in with Noah, having agreed to continue on, and even though things were going swimmingly, she sometimes had trouble breathing.The intimacy of sharing space with him was both jarring and comforting. They went from understanding each other as friends to knowing the tiny details only lovers could obtain. He liked to sleep in the nude on his stomach but, by morning, he was curled along her back with a possessive arm around her. He hated the sound of teeth brushing and eggs cracking, but loved the click of her heels on the hardwood floor of his living room and the rustle of clothing when she undressed. He listened to soulful jazz when trying to unwind, country when he was happy, and cranked angry rock when attempting to drown out his day.After he arriv

A week later, with an Elements exhibit starting in twenty minutes, Raven turned away from the door in her office and sat on the edge of her desk, listening to her mother blubber about a recent breakup. She cradled the phone in one hand and plucked dead blooms from her potted plant with the other.When there was a pause, Raven said, "I thought you were seeing someone named Daniel."Her mom sniffed. "Oh no. Daniel was weeks ago. I thought things with Richard were going so well."They always did, until a few weeks passed and Willow Crowne fell head over heels. Surprise, surprise, it ended shortly after that. Raven had had this conversation so many times, but it still pained her that her mom was hurting. "I'm sorry.""Me, too." She blew her nose. Loudly. "Enough about me. How are you? Are you seeing anyone? Why are you calling me on a Friday night?"Her mother liked Noah, but the two of them were a temporary thing, so no sense in telling her because it would only get her hopes up. The

How fitting her and Noah's last day together be Valentine's-a holiday they both despised and was the epitome of everything they rejected about romantic love. In the past, no matter who they'd been dating, she and Noah spent Valentine's Day together, usually watching an action movie in her apartment. Except this year, he demanded they do something different.She glanced down at the dress laid out on her bed. This morning, she'd packed up her things and told Noah she'd return to her apartment after work. Their time was up. Other than a clench of his jaw and a tight nod, he had no response. She'd come home from the gallery to find the dress and a note. She'd tried to sever the physical aspect of their relationship cleanly, just as he'd wanted-as she'd wanted, even though a tiny part of her hoped-Wear this tonight. I'm taking you out. How did he even know the right size? And shoes, too. A thin slip of a dress, it was ankle-length and dark red, with the neckline coming to a V between h

To HaveRaven grabbed the armrests of her seat and pinched her eyes closed. She'd been in Noah's float plane before, but this was different. The helicopter didn't offer the same smooth ride or peace of mind. Sure, she was being silly, but with her stomach in her throat it was hard to think rationally.After his rather cryptic announcement back at her apartment, Noah had told her to change into comfortable clothes and then ushered her out the door. God. He had a helicopter. His own helicopter. At his disposal. They'd taken off in Anchorage and were heading to destinations unknown somewhere north. He refused to tell her where.She wondered what he meant by meeting his family. Having been introduced to his parents a few times in college before their fatal car crash, she'd known he had no other living relatives besides some distant cousins on his mother's side. What could he possibly have meant by that statement?From the seat beside her, Noah patted her hand. "You okay, baby?" His voi