Blood From a Stone (188 page)

H
e
l
eaned
i
n
c
l
ose
and
s
l
o
w
ed
h
i
s
pace
f
or
a
m
o
m
ent
t
o
w
h
i
sper
i
n her
ea
r
.
“
I
n a
l
l
t
he
y
ea
r
s
I
’
v
e
w
a
l
k
ed
t
h
i
s
ea
rt
h,
I
’
v
e
ne
v
er
k
no
w
n
a
m
o
r
e
ri
g
ht
r
eason
f
or
m
a
k
i
ng
l
ove
,
t
han
w
hat
I
f
eel
ri
g
ht
he
r
e and now
f
or
y
ou.”

H
e
bu
ri
ed
h
i
s
f
ace
i
n
t
he
cu
r
v
e
of
her
neck
as
he be
g
an
t
o
m
o
v
e
w
it
h
m
o
r
e
i
n
t
ens
it
y
. 
H
e
cou
l
d 
f
eel
h
e
r b
r
ea
t
h
i
ng
i
nc
r
ease
as
a
so
f
t
g
asp
l
e
f
t
her
li
ps
and
her
fi
n
g
e
r
s dug
i
n
t
o
h
i
s
w
i
de
bac
k
.
A
f
ew
m
o
m
en
t
s
l
a
t
er
she
c
ri
ed
out
as she
exp
l
oded
i
n
ecs
t
asy and
an
e
r
up
ti
on
of
s
w
eet
se
n
sa
ti
ons
ri
pp
l
ed
t
h
r
ou
g
h he
r
.

H
e 
w
asn
’
t 
f
ar 
beh
i
nd. 
H
ea
ri
ng   her 
v
o
i
ce…and
k
no
w
i
ng
i
t
w
as
because
of
w
hat
he
w
as
do
i
ng
t
o
her
s
w
eet bod
y
,
and
f
ee
li
ng
t
he
exqu
i
s
it
e
w
a
r
m
,
w
e
t
ness
of
h
e
r co
n
tr
ac
ti
ons
a
r
ound
h
i
m  set
h
i
m  o
f
f
li
k
e
a
g
r
eat
b
oili
ng
g
e
y
se
r
,
exp
l
od
i
ng
fr
om
t
he
su
rf
ace
of
t
he
ea
rt
h.
A
g
r
oan escaped
h
i
s
li
ps
as
h
i
s
body
ti
g
h
t
ened
w
it
h
w
a
v
e
a
f
t
er
w
a
v
e
of eupho
ri
a.

When
i
t
w
as
o
v
er
he
d
r
ew
i
n
a
r
a
gg
ed
b
r
ea
t
h
and
k
i
ssed
her
deep
l
y
.
R
es
ti
ng h
i
s
w
e
i
g
ht
on
h
i
s
e
l
bo
w
s
,
he
s
t
a
r
ed at
her
i
n
s
il
ence
as
he
g
en
tl
y
b
r
ushed
her
ha
i
r
ba
c
k
fr
om her
f
ace and
tr
aced a pa
t
h do
w
n her
nose
w
it
h h
i
s
f
o
r
e
fi
n
g
e
r
.

S
he
s
m
il
ed
up
at
h
i
m 
t
h
r
ou
g
h
t
he
ha
z
e
of
t
he a
ft
e
r
g
l
ow
and
t
hen pu
ll
ed h
i
s head be
t
w
een her b
r
e
a
s
t
s
w
he
r
e he
cou
l
d
f
eel
t
he
s
t
eady beat
of
her
hea
r
t
a
g
a
i
nst
h
i
s chee
k
.
T
hey 
l
ay 
t
he
r
e
i
n
s
il
ence
f
or
se
v
e
r
al
m
o
m
en
t
s
be
f
o
r
e
he
fi
na
ll
y
spo
k
e.

“
S
o…d
i
d
I
m
ana
g
e
t
o
ea
r
n
any
m
o
r
e
of
t
hose
po
i
n
t
s
w
e
w
e
r
e d
i
scuss
i
ng
o
t
her
n
i
g
h
t
?”

H
e
lift
ed
h
i
s
head
and
s
m
il
ed
up at
h
e
r p
l
a
y
f
u
ll
y
.
S
he s
m
ir
k
ed and nodded.

“
Y
eah….
I
’
d say
y
ou d
i
d.”

“I
hope
i
t
w
as
a
l
o
t, ‘cuz
I
’
m su
r
e
I
’l
l
ne
e
d
t
hem at
so
m
e po
i
n
t
,”
he
sa
i
d
l
au
g
h
i
ng
li
g
h
tl
y
.
H
er
fi
nd
i
ng
out
a
bout
h
i
m
hea
li
ng 
D
a
v
i
d
be
i
ng 
t
he
nu
m
ber
one
r
eason
t
hat
ca
m
e
t
o
m
i
nd.
H
e
tri
ed
t
o
push
t
he
t
hou
g
ht
as
f
ar
fr
om
t
he
p
r
esent
as poss
i
b
l
e.
H
e
d
i
dn
’
t
r
ea
ll
y
w
ant
t
o
t
h
i
nk about
it
…
n
ot
no
w
, bas
k
i
ng
i
n
t
he
w
a
r
m
t
h of
her
a
r
m
s
and
t
he
i
r
ne
w
f
ound….
l
o
v
e.