There it was again, and not for the first time. It was the the subtle uptick in his heartbeat, the tightness in his chest that felt like a million impulses pushing up against the wall of good sense. He didn't like the way she'd phrased it, as if he'd done anything wrong to her. Most women would treat him like a hero, but no—not her. She seemed to take pleasure in being obstinate.

In some twisted sort of defense mechanism that he already knew was a bad idea, Raphael reached out and gently flicked the back of his pointer finger over the high point of her cheekbone where the pink was still visible. "Unwanted?" he challenged, cocking a brow up.

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