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"And you do this why?" He fought the feeling of confusion that swept through him.
She was quiet then. The Christmas lights flickered over her face, multihued and giving her expression an almost otherworldly hue.
"Because I love doing it," she finally said, sighing. "Because i feel close to my family, my friends, and to my beliefs."
He nodded slowly. "You feel closer to your God," he said.
And she smiled.
"Dinner should be ready." She pulled from him slowly, catching his hand and drawing him to the kitchen. "And we have all these cookies. After we eat, i have about ten million paper Christmas bags to start filling with chocolate chip cookies."
"And those are for?" But he followed her, because her smile was teasing, warm and filled with joy.
"For the breeds at Sanctuary. Cassie Sinclair told me once that they go nuts for chocolate chip cookies. So Callan Lyons was kind enough to give me a number for the bags I needed, and I've been filling them for weeks."
He paused, ignoring the tug on his hand. "That's over three hundred breeds at the moment, Haley."
"And just think, over three hundred smiles when they taste my delicious cookies. I make
very good cookies."
She did indeed. She made cookies that melted in the mouth and made a breed think of chocolate ecstasy. But Noble wasn't certain if he wanted to share those cookies, and her smiles, with other breeds. But one thing was certain, he wasn't about to dim the pleasure the thought of it brought to her eyes.
As they shared the late dinner, she managed to convince him, and how she did it he wasn't certain, to make sure those on duty were fed as well.
One by one they came in, ate a plate of heaping roast, potatoes, and carrots, with fresh-baked bread. They were sent off with a handful of cookies.
Even that damned mongrel coyote that trotted at Mordecai's heels was given a bowl of fragrant roast. And he stared at Haley with adoration as he stuck his snout in the bowl and lapped it up.
It was nearly four in the morning before she loaded the dishwasher, and Noble noticed her hands were shaking. He'd smelled the heat building in her, surprised it had taken so long. Normally, the second phase struck must faster, and burned hotter.
"Enough." He closed the dishwasher and took the dish towel she held from her hand.
A fine film of perspiration dotted her upper lip, and the light sprinkling of freckles glared out from across the bridge of her nose, her face was so pale.
"I think I might need you." She was almost panting, her nipples so hard they were pointed into the material of her robe and the sweet scent of her desire filling the air.
The need had lain dormant inside her for nearly four hours, only to strike in a matter of minutes. Which was unusual.
"Have you taken the pills I gave you?" He pushed her hair back from her face.
Haley shook her head. "The first one made me feel funny. I didn't like it."
"Funny how?"
She shook her head. "It gave me a headache. I don't like headaches."
"It shouldn't have given you a headache." He frowned.
"Can we discuss this later." Her arm curled around his bare shoulders, her lips pressed into his flesh. "I'm tired of waiting."
"Why did you wait?" He glared down at her. "You fed every breed in the city rather than taking care of yourself."
She stared up at him somberly. "I wanted to know what you felt for the past year. You held back, even after you moved in here. I needed to see how it hurt you."
Noble stared back at her in shock. "Haley, it isn't the same for the males, sweetheart," he groaned, clasping her face with his hands. "The physical symptoms aren't as severe. Baby, why didn't you say something?"
The endearments slipped out naturally. He barely realized he had spoken them, concern filled him, driving past his lust as he stared into her nearly blue eyes. The gray had almost disappeared, to be replaced by a grayish blue that fascinated him.
