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Or did he want to know what I thought about Jared？ My feelings on the experiment？ More details about
my responses to physical contact？ I shuddered。
Or my thoughts on Melanie？ Melanie’s thoughts on their conversation？ Whether I agreed with Jared
abouther rights？
I didn’t know what I thought。 About any of it。
“I really don’t know；” I said。
He nodded。 “That’s understandable。”
“Only because you are very understanding。”
He smiled at me。 It was odd how his eyes could both scorch and warm。 Especially with a color that was
closer to ice than fire。 They were quite warm at the moment。
“I like you very much； Wanda。”
“I’m only just beginning to see that。 I guess I’m a little slow。”
“It’s a surprise to me； too。”
We both thought that over。
He pursed his lips。 “And… I suppose…that is one of the things you don’t know how you feel about？”
“No。 I mean yes； I…don’t know。 I… I —”
“That’s okay。 You haven’t had long to think about it。 And it must seem… strange。”
I nodded。 “Yes。 More than strange。 Impossible。”
“Tell me something；” Ian said after a moment。
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”
“It’s not a hard question。”
He didn’t ask it right away。 Instead； he reached across the narrow space and picked up my hand。 He
held it in both of his for a moment； and then he trailed the fingers of his left hand slowly up my arm； from
my wrist to my shoulder。 Just as slowly； he pulled them back again。 He looked at the skin of my arm
rather than my face； watching the goose bumps that formed along the path of his fingers。
“Does that feel good or bad to you？” he asked。
Bad；Melanie insisted。
But it doesn’t hurt；I protested。
That’s not what he’s asking。 When he says good… Oh； it’s like talking to a child！
I’m not even a year old； you know。 Or am I now？I was sidetracked； trying to figure out the date。
Melanie was not distracted。Good； to him； means the way it feels when Jared touches us。 The
memory she provided was not one from the caves。 It was in the magic canyon； at sunset。 Jared stood
behind her and let his hands follow the shape of her arms； from her shoulders to her wrists。 I shivered at
the pleasure of the simple touch。Like that。
Oh。
“Wanda？”
“Melanie says bad；” I whispered。
“What doyou say？”
“I say… I don’t know。”
When I could meet his eyes； they were warmer than I expected。 “I can’t even imagine how confusing
this all must be to you。”
It was forting that he understood。 “Yes。 I’m confused。”
His hand traced up and down my arm again。 “Would you like me to stop？”
I hesitated。 “Yes；” I decided。 “That… what you’re doing… makes it hard for me to think。 And Melanie
is… angry at me。 That also makes it hard to think。”
I’m not angry atyou。Tell him to leave。
Ian is my friend。 I don’t want him to leave。
He leaned away； folding his arms across his chest。
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”
I laughed。 “I doubt it。”
Ian tilted his head to one side； his expression speculative。
“Melanie Stryder？” he asked； addressing her。
We both started at the name。
Ian went on。 “I’d like the chance to speak with Wanda privately； if you don’t mind。 Is there any way that
could be arranged？”
Of all the nerve！ You tell him I said no chance in hell！ I donotlike this man。
My nose wrinkled up。
“What did she say？”
“She said no。” I tried to say the words as gently as they could be said。 “And that she doesn’t… like
you。”
Ian laughed。 “I can respect that。 I can respecther。 Well； it was worth a try。” He sighed。 “Kind of puts a
damper on things； having an audience。”
What things？Mel growled。
I grimaced。 I didn’t like feeling her anger。 It was so much more vicious than mine。
Get used to it。
Ian put his hand on my face。 “I’ll let you think about things； okay？ So you can decide how you feel。”
I tried to be objective about that hand。 It was soft against my face。 It felt… nice。 Not like when Jared
touched me。 But also different from the way it felt when Jamie hugged me。 Other。
“It might take a while。 None of this makes any sense； you know；” I told him。
He grinned。 “I know。”
I realized； when he smiled then； that I wanted him to like me。 The rest—the hand on my face； the fingers
on my arm—I still wasn’t sure at all about those。 But I wanted him to like me； and to think kind things
about me。 Which is why it was hard to tell him the truth。
“You don’t really feel that way aboutme； you know；” I whispered。 “It’s this body。… She’s pretty； isn’t
she？”
He nodded。 “She is。 Melanie is a very pretty girl。 Even beautiful。” His hand moved to touch my bad
cheek； to stroke the rough； scarring skin with gentle fingers。 “In spite of what I’ve done to her face。”
Normally； I would have denied that automatically。 Reminded him that the wounds on my face weren’t his
truth came out in a rush； more heated than I’d meant it to be。 “Youcouldn’t care about me。 If you could
hold me in your hand；me； you would be disgusted。 You would throw me to the ground and grind me
under your foot。”
His pale forehead creased as his black brows pulled together。 “I… not if I knew it was you。”
I laughed without humor。 “How would you know？ You couldn’t tell us apart。”
His mouth turned down。
“It’s just the body；” I repeated。
“That’s not true at all；” he disagreed。 “It’s not the face； but the expressions on it。 It’s not the voice； but
what you say。 It’s not how you look in that body； but the things you do with it。You are beautiful。”
He moved forward as he spoke； kneeling beside the bed where I lay and taking my hand again in both
of his。
“I’ve never known anyone like you。”
I sighed。 “Ian； what if I’d e here in Magnolia’s body？”
He grimaced and then laughed。 “Okay。 That’s a good question。 I don’t know。”
“Or Wes’s？”
“But you’re female—you yourself are。”
“And I always request whatever a planet’s equivalent is。 It seems more… right。 But I