““What are you doing?” she gasped. “Taking you to bed.” Aline squirmed and struggled in his arms. Wildly she wondered how to explain to him that this would require slow degrees of acclimation, rather than full and immediate submersion. “No, McKenna, I’m not ready for that yet! Please. I want to talk first—” “I’m tired of talking.” “I can’t,” she said desperately. “I need some time. And I’m exhausted…I haven’t slept properly in days, and—” “Aline,” he interrupted tersely, “the forces of heaven and hell combined couldn’t stop me from making love to you right now.” That””
