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"Claire"

Josh Logan stepped closer, and thehis handsome face in silver He looked more like a bloodsucker now than he had in lanced into the house, wondering if I could dive inside and slam the door But that would be childish

Oh well

I ot the door nearly closed, before he grabbed it Josh had always moved quicker than spit

"What&039;s the matter with you?" He followeddistance Calmly he closed and locked the door behind hihts

He appeared exactly the same as he had the last time I&039;d seen him, but then, I doubted he&039;d lost as , blond, buff, Josh was the darling of Atlanta

Born in Washington, DC, which ought be the South geographically but was a far cry froressman who&039;d once been a lawyer Hadn&039;t they all? Josh&039;s mother was a laho&039;d becoht and shining hope of the Logan faone on to Harvard Law, before returning to work for the governor An up-and-co run for that very office would be the next step on Josh&039;s path to the White House

Ah, hell, I was going to have to turn him in I saw that now

"What do you want?" I asked

"The sa I&039;ve alanted, Claire You"

Goose bumps rose all over my body I&039;d dreaht it would happen Why would Josh return to the scene of the cri hiain would make me realize how completely stupid I&039;d been? Make me understand quite clearly that I had to call the police and make certain he never did to anyone else what he&039;d done to me?

Maybe he wasn&039;t as srowl froaze went past me to the cat The sound of her yoas replaced by that of claws scra on hard wood as she fled up the steps and disappeared into the darkness on the second floor

Josh&039;s attention returned to e to turn tail and scuttle upstairs like the cat If I did that, he&039;d grabat any cost What I needed to do was get hiht have a chance

"Why don&039;t we go onto the deck?"

Bracing myself, I turned round and start tearing at my clothes, I walked into the kitchen, then over to the sliding glass doors

The sound of the refrigerator opening ne?" He reached forward and withdrew a bottle of sauvignon blanc "This will have to do"

He helped hilasses, then nodded forwhile he had his head in the fridge; I ht have made it to the woods My ere not as sharp as they should be I needed to focus so I could seize the next opportunity and get out of here

On the deck, Josh set the wine on the table and poured each of us a glass He held one out to me "We need to talk"

"Talk?" I took the wine but didn&039;t drink Maybe I could throw it in his eyes and run

Josh flashed his can smile - courtesy of thousands of dollars in orthodontia - and chuckled "I want you back, sweetheart I&039;ve missed you sowhatever he said

"I knoe didn&039;t date long, but you got to ht here"

A hysterical giggle threatened to burst free Was he serious? Why would he be here otherwise, unless - ?

My ht want I&039;d die first Or he would

"I&039;overnor soon We&039;ll have to tie the knot right away"

"I - uh - what?"

"You&039;re perfect We&039;ll play up the Appalachia thing" He gestured toward thea little over the side as he did "You&039;re froood Don&039;t suppose you&039;ve got an old granny without her teeth we could parade around?"

"Huh?"

He tsked as he caht You&039;ve only been here a feeeks, and already you&039;re losing that polish I love soor perhaps not even noticing ers "It would be better if you were blond We&039;ll take care of that tos"

"You - you actually think I want to marry you?"

Slowly he turned "Why wouldn&039;t you? I&039;ia"

"No," I said quietly "You aren&039;t"

He gave an iht you understood what all this was about"

"All what?"

"I took you everywhere I ether Then ood enough I got the results the day we made love"

I couldn&039;t help it I choked, "That wasn&039;t love"

His face relaxed into an expression of abject relief "I&039;lad you understand At least I won&039;t have to pretend You won&039;t care if I keep a girlfriend? You have to admit you&039;re a little cold in the sack"

All I could do was gape He was insane

"A and" - he lowered his voice - "truth be told, I&039;m not one But you are To coeneral direction of Lake Bluff - "and accomplish what you did, to leave behind your hillbilly past and lose that horrible accent Why, if I didn&039;t know you hite trash, I&039;d never suspect A large percentage of those surveyed trusted you So if you stand beside me, as my wife, if you tell them they should vote for et this straight," I said "You dated me to see how I played to the public You took a poll and then - "

"I otten one thing right He had made me

"I staked "

"It&039;s a rapist thing"