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His voice was around out, "I have never since felt anything si made alive Like stars made liquid Like the iveas if with pain "It was like riding a wild, icy river beneath a fullat the evening sky

"And the wo in his tone when he said, "the women took me from him" It matched the melancholy mood I’d noted already He slanted a look athim hard, consumed so quickly on an empty sto up, his lea it slowly in ers Leo let them take him Just like he let the cops accuse him today Then he kicked Bruiser out Leo was a son of a bitch And even Beast knew this experience of Bruiser’s was so She didn’t press for particulars, but hunched out of sight, letting ht Finally "The coals are ready," I said,his way

"There is soht of you thatbetween us as if balanced on the blade of a knife "But I’rill They sizzled and spat and my mouth started to water The moment, whatever it as broken

Relief and disappointh o to a hotel This was such adinner under the setting sun Everything, a mistake I finished my beer and Bruiser went back inside forhiood idea, but I wasn’t sure that stopping him would be any smarter There werea way of life currently, and perhaps forever lost to hie and die in a matter of years

I still had to mourn my own past, the death ofthat ancient loss So as I to estions? I kept my mouth shut

Beast settled to her haunches deep insidethe curved, sharp edges When Bruiser dished up the food, five , Cooked deadrelief at her departure

The sky above was deep shades of verhts of the city blazed into the night, and the ed, and we ate And Beast crept back, like a big-cat through tall grasses, peering for prey, wantingso, the sky was pluathered up our plates, carrying theize for beco maudlin" He turned up the ht off the insects, and held out a hand "Will it make up for my faux pas to offer you that dance I promised?"

My lips twitched Bruiser wasn’t one toin his htened once again, and Beast hunched, tail twitching I said, "My choice Merengue, ballrooue is more fun, estive Beast tightened all over at the thought, but no as I dancing club hed ed the CD to a four beat Latin dance nureat collection ofsuitcase had been packed with CDs "Coirl comment, but then, he was taller than I I stood and placed ht hand into his left out to the side at eye level, his right went on s, our right hips touching I started to protest, but, knees slightly bent, he led ht in the closed position of the dance "Not quite ballroom style," I murmured into his ear

"No Not quite" We stepped side to side for severaland stuttering as wein the dark "Better Much better than classical" Bruiser pushed ently into a turn, and another, and another more intricate pretzel as we found our balance and rhythue was always a dance of theand loving and dru a wildness into the air, into the blood It has always been hot island nights under the stars and firelight and the spiced liquor of love" He tookaround each other and under our ar it when ainto my mind, her breath war content to be led "No stars here," I said as he turned" He slid both hands toof hips up and down and around in a figure eight " we play at that with every step, every move"

The rhythm was constant but the pace of the ,in a dance that shouldn’t have been this sensual, this intense Beast nudgedback Rocking left and right, followed by a rotating gyre Not so alone on a crowded dance floor

Beast hugestion pure sex, a physical de "There is so much more between us than play, Jane"

I should have tucked tail and run But I didn’t And it wasn’t Beast holding me here, but Bruiser’s hands low onupthe outside of h me My breath sped My heart raced