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Redeeming-Love-By-Francine-Rivers

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R E D E E M I N G L O V E

of it. All she had to do was make sure he didn’t take a piece of her out the

door.

“Or downstairs?” he said derisively. “Maybe you’d like that better.” He let

the curtain drop back and faced her. “Does it give you a feeling of power to

have me bidding for your favors every night?”

“I don’t ask you to do it.”

“No, you don’t, do you? You don’t ask for anything at all. You don’t need

anything. You don’t want anything. You don’t feel anything. Why don’t I just

go on down the hall to that redhead’s room? Isn’t that it? The one you said

could take me off your hands.”

So that was it. His pride was hurt. “I just wanted to see you leave town

with a smile on your face.”

“You want to see me smile? Say my name.”

“What is your name? I forgot.”

He pulled her up off the bed. “Michael. Michael Hosea.” Losing himself,

he cupped her face.

Michael.

The feel of her skin made him forget why he was there, and he kissed

her.

“It’s about time.” She moved forward against him, setting him on fire.

Her hands moved, and he knew if he didn’t stop her, he would lose—not

just the battle but the whole war.

When she unbuttoned his shirt and slipped her hand in, he jerked back

from her.

“Jesus,” he said. “Jesus!”

Stunned, she looked up at him. It came to her with a shock of clear

understanding. “How did you manage to make it to the ripe old age of

twenty-six without ever having been with a woman?”

He opened his eyes. “I made a decision to wait for the right one.”

“And you really think I’m it?” She laughed at him. “You poor, dumb

fool.”

She finally got to him.

Jesus, I misunderstood. This can’t be the one you sent for me.

He could spend the rest of his life trying to make her understand. He

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