Gone was the slow predator; he caught her to him instantly, one arm around her back like steel. “I’ve got you.” She caught her breath, not at the sensation, but at the words, unable to resist her own. “I know.” He searched her eyes for a long moment. “Do you?” he whispered, lifting a hand to her hair, pushing a wild lock behind her ear. “Do you know that I will always have you? If you’ll let me?” She went warm with the words. “I will always be what you need,” he said. “And what of your need?” she asked. “Right now, I have it.”
