Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

lying next to someone who would play with her so terribly. They

wrestled a bit, but he was much better at it than she was and felt

even heavier than he looked. He easily blocked every attempt she

made to wrap her arms or legs or lips around him.

?Do you want me at all, or do you just think it?s fun to tease me

like this?? she asked, feeling rejected and humiliated. ?Won?t you

even kiss me?? She finally struggled onto her back where she could

at least see his face.

?If I kiss you, I won?t stop,? he said in a desperate whisper as he

propped himself up on his elbows to look her in the eye.

She looked back at him, really seeing him for the first time that

night. His expression was vulnerable and uncertain. His mouth

was swollen with want. His body was shaking, and there was a fine

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layer of anxious sweat wilting his clothes. Helen relaxed back into

the bed with a sigh. For some reason that obviously had nothing to

do with desire, he wouldn?t allow himself to be with her.

?You?re not laughing at me, are you?? she asked warily, just as a

precaution.

?No. There?s nothing funny about this,? he answered. He shifted

himself off her and lay back down alongside her, still breathing

hard.

?But for some reason, you and I will never happen,? she said,

feeling calm.

?Never say never,? he said urgently, rolling back on top of her

and using all of his unusually heavy mass to press her deep into the

cocoon of her little-girl bed. ?The gods love to toy with people who

use absolutes.?

Lucas ran his lips across her throat and let her put her arms

around him, but that was all. He kept her pinned under the