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Justin lowered his voice "Are we going to talk about what happened?"

Mae didn’t look up, but he kneith certainty she was no longer focused on the ego "A lot of things have happened, Dr March"

"I’ht, the one where you and I were in bed and I--"

"--pretended to be an EA diplo to?"

He scowled "It didn’t take that reater scheme It just kind of…happened by accident"

Now, at least, he warranted o "How can you have on a fake diploive a fake naued "Huan’s a real guy"

"I’m not sure that ht "In fact, I’m pretty sure thatI was so with it Besides…" He still had a truht a ;torian"

She at least had the grace to look e;torian?" Shaking her head, she pushed forithout waiting for an answer "Yes, of course Of course you would have"

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means I know all about you I heard plenty of it fro wonderful Cornelia Ki used as his character reference

Mae’s lovely face was full of scorn as she continued "I know all about hoell you can play people and how fast you go through wooal was to bag a patrician soldier through lying and ratulations I’ll obey my orders to protect you No one’ll lay a hand on you But what happened in Panaain Not Ever"

Justin was rendered speechless for a few reasons One was that he was usually the person doing the breaking up The other was that this conversation wasn’t going as expected He’d wanted to s were cut off, in order to reduce future temptation--but not this way He wasn’t used to rejection Hearing her so ada hi her back to him

I can’t, he re out just how binding the bargain is I’ain It was ti blow If she was pissed off at him, so much the better He put on what he hoped was a rakish expression

"Of course it won’t happen again," he said loftily "I don’t go out on second dates--although ‘date’ is kind of a generous terht I didn’t have to buy you dinner Or even ask"

She didn’t blink "I don’t go out on first dates with plebeians You’re so curious about Nordic nines? They don’t give a second thought to fast backwoods flings"

"It wasn’t that fast," he repeated "Unless you count how fast your clothes cahty expression were textbook castal debutante, triggering unexpected anger in hied by his deception, but he, of all people, was the one who’d been tricked The charht he’d seen It had been an act, a game for this bitchy ice princess to play with a plebeian

"And," Mae added, voice pri to believe you No one will believe someone like ut punch It was also the last word, because he couldn’t muster another response If he’d wanted to ain, then he’d accomplished that mission brilliantly

The technician finished Tessa’s profile and synched it to both a chip and the National Registry Justin dragged his gaze fro brain focus on the screen It was about what he’d expected, containing Tessa’s citizenship, basic info, and visa details After that, there was nothing left to do but insert the chip into the space between the thuh it hurt, but he had a feeling it was ers afterward and seemed surprised they still worked

"Welcoave no indication that he was bothered or even cared about his stinging conversation with Mae After all, he had a nation of civilized--and far ertips now