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"What did you expect?"

Madison gave a short, hu Madison with a growing concern "Maddy…" She abruptly grimaced "Sorry, I meant--"

"Maddy’s fine," she assured her friend She’d ridiculously thought that insisting on being called Madison would soerly invited Luc into her bed

The truth was that she would never be able to rid herself of Maddy

Her past was simply a part of her

"What happened?" Kristen prorimaced as she was forced to relive her latest humiliation "I met Luc at the party and less than a half hour later he was in aze closely studying Madison’s pale face "No ht with Madison Philips"

Madison shook her head There were some men ould be attracted to her because she was a faer

"Luc couldn’t resist a night with any wos," she said in dry tones

Kristen arched a brow "I told you earlier that the ruas is that Luc has become very particular in his choice of companions I heard one of his friends say that he’d beconored her friend’s words Just as she’d ignored Luc’s claied from the shallow flirt he’d been when she’d known him

"More likely he became more discreet"

"That’s possible, I suppose," Kristen slowly agreed, frowning as if troubled by Madison’s stark refusal to believe that Luc could change "What happened when you got to the hotel room?"

Madison felt her cheeks heat She told herself it was e the details of her sexual encounters with anyone, not even her best friend But deep inside she knew that it was the remembered pleasure that made her face flush

God She ached in places that she’d never realized could ache

The delectable ache of a woman who’d been well loved

Her blush deepened as Kristen raised a questioning brow

"I would think that was pretty obvious," she mumbled

Kristen chuckled "So you did the deed?"

Madison nodded, although she’d never, ever call what happened between her and Luc ‘doing the deed’

That iht was…

Anything but casual

At least for her

"We were together…yes," she confessed

Kristen leaned forward "And hoas it?"

"Mind-blowing"

Kristen flashed a teasing srowled, shoving away the coffee as her stoood for me"

Kristen’s smile faltered "You wanted it to be a failure?"

"I wanted…" Sheconfidence when she’d planned her trip to Vegas She’d been so certain she wanted nothing e It’d never occurred to her that she was using any excuse, no eli "Shit" She rubbed her temples, the headache better, but still a dull throb behind her eyes "I’riret "If you don’t want to talk about this--"

"He claimed that I’m still in love with hiy, abruptly revealing the truth

Why not?

Kristen would worm it out of her one way or another

Kristen abruptly frowned, her eyes searching Madison’s pale face "You told h "But I think I must have been in denial"

Silence

At last, Kristen cleared her throat "Denial?"

"I wanted to believe I hated hiave a helpless lift of her hands "It was certainly better than accepting I couldn’t grow pastto do?"

It was the first question that Madison had no trouble answering She’dat the ceiling

"I’ to New York as I planned"

Kristen looked like she’d just been slapped "Going back to New York?"

"Yes"

"You can’t"

Madison blinked in surprise She’d expected sympathy from her friend, not an adamant rejection of her plan