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	Amber was now at one of the windows in her living area of the house, and although the shutters were closed, one of the louvers were loose and angled low enough at one end to form a crack she could peek out of. From there, hunched over and peering wide-eyed, she had a great view of the man, Jack. Yes, he was still standing on her front landing. Just standing there. Why? He wasn’t facing the house anymore, though, he was facing the street, he looked a bit confused. His brow was creased in thought. He rubbed his whiskered chin with thumb and finger. He took a moment to stare wonderingly at each building across the street. He spent more time staring at the Inn than any other building. He must have been wondering were to go from there - the Inn being the most alluring option at this point - as apparently being turned away from her store had set his plans off balance. 

‘Typical eccentric,’ she said in a cussing tone.

[i][b]‘Let him in,’[/b][/i] spoke the voice in her mind.

'No!' she hissed, 'just you shut up now, you hear?' 

[i][b]‘You know you want to,’[/b][/i] rebuked the voice, [i][b]‘why abstain from the things you desire?’[/b][/i]

‘Shut up!’

[i][b]‘You know you want him bad - just look at you, crouching and staring out the window at him. What the hell is wrong with you? Just let the poor guy in. He only wants to do some shopping.’[/b][/i]

‘Just stop!’

[i][b]‘I won’t stop, I know what you want.’[/b][/i] 

‘No, no you don’t!’

[i][b]‘Yes, I know.’[/b][/i]

‘No! You don’t!’  She snarled, hands forming into tight fists of frustration.

[i][b]'Yes, I do,’[/b][/i] the voice insisted, [i][b]‘you want him so bad, so very bad, you want him in your shop, you want him in your house, you want him inside[/b] you.'[/i] 

‘SHUT UP, YOU PERVERTED FOOL!!’ 

The man outside suddenly turned his head to look towards the window with an expression of both curiosity and caution. Not surprisingly, he had heard her shout. Now, even though he couldn’t have been able to see her in the darkness behind the crack in the louvers, it was like his eyes made direct contact with hers in that short moment before she found herself staggering backward, both hands covering her mouth. She tripped over a bucket and landed hard on the floor.