But she did. She was honest enough with herself to know it. "Roni." His voice was softer now, resonating with a power, a heated emotion that had her heart tripling in speed. "Look, I don't need any sweet little speeches," she said as she fought to hide her humiliation. Damn, when would she learn to keep her mouth shut? "Why don't you just take me home and we'll forget I ever said a word..." "Do you think I wouldn't love anything more than to take you to my bed? To give you what I know we both want?" She stilled. She whimpered. Oh God, that pathetic little sound did not come from her throat. She turned back to look at him, feeling the desperation that she fought inside her welling to the surface. It was there on his face. Heavy lines of regret, the hunger she only glimpsed occasionally in his eyes. "But you won't," she whispered, her heart breaking. "Will you?" "Look at you," he said gently, though his voice was rough. "So innocent and sweet and you have no idea the animal you're trying to set loose here." "You wouldn't hurt me." She knew that. Knew that if she gave herself to him he might break her heart, but he would never hurt her physically. "You can't be sure of that, Roni." He lifted his hand from the steering wheel, reaching out to touch her cheek. The warmth of his calloused fingertips, the touch of his thumb at her lips had a sobbing breath of need escaping her throat. She had to touch him, to taste him. Her tongue peeked out, swiping over his flesh as they both groaned. The sounds were hot, hungry, filling the interior of the truck with a tension that tightened every cell in her body. "You make me ache." She couldn't hold back the words or the need. "Sometimes I can't stand it, Taber, I need you so bad. I love you." They had been friends for years. His cabin wasn't far from hers and he had been a presence in her life for so long that she wondered if she could survive without him. He swallowed tightly. "You don't know what you're saying." "I've loved you since I was eleven, Taber. Ever since you carried me out of the damned