Chapter 10: Mine for the Year

He carried me up the stairs.

I told him I could walk, and he said he knew that.

He kicked the bedroom door shut with his heel and set me on my feet beside the bed.

For a second we just stood there breathing.

"Rule one," he said, low. "Separate bedrooms."

"The registry made us break it."

"The registry doesn't get to be in here."

I pulled his shirt out of his waistband.

He let me.

I undid the buttons from the bottom up, because I wanted to see him slowly.

He stood very still and watched my hands.

His chest was broad and warm, with a line of dark hair down his stomach.

I put both palms flat against him and felt his heart going hard.

"Silvan."

"Yes."

"I'm not doing this because of him."

"I know."

"I'm doing it because I want to."

"Tell me again," he said, and his voice broke on it.

"I want you."

He reached behind me and found the zipper of the green dress.

He drew it down slowly, to the small of my back, and the dress fell open and slid off my shoulders.

I stood in my bra and underwear in the lamplight, and I waited for the old habit of covering myself.

It didn't come.

He looked at me the way he had looked at Walter's chart, with total attention.

"God," he said. "Look at you."

He laid me back on the bed and knelt over me.

He kissed my mouth, my jaw, the hollow below my ear, and then lower.

He took his time at my collarbone and my ribs.

He pulled my bra aside and put his mouth on my nipple.

I arched off the sheets and made a noise I'd never made for anyone.

"Don't stop," I said.

"I wasn't going to."

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