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Her tone was light and…and…

And no, oh no, A to even think of what else it was Unbidden, though, the hispered in her mind

Flirtatious

It was al her best to see everything Genevieve did in the light of friendship, not flirtation It wasn’t working so well any longer

"That would be very nice" That sounded rather too stiff

Genevieve reached out and set her hand on Aentle touch A friendly touch That’s all it could be "Good Then that’s settled I should like to see one dry And Genevieve’s hand didn’t"Yes," Amanda said aardly "I’d like to see…more of you, too" That pause made her sentence sound like a double entendre Which it was Mostly unintentionally done, on her part She felt her face flush violently

And then Genevieve less to her, so burningly painful for Amanda That inch transforh

If Genevieve had been at Girton College with As, Amanda would have known precisely how to take that hand She’d have taken it in her own and kissed it

But Genevieve had gone to an elite, proper finishing school She’d spent all her time in polite society with ladies ell, ladies The possibility that A with unrequited lust quite likely did not occur to her

"Do you think," Genevieve said, "that you ht ever want to stay withaway froh-pitched squawk "No, I do not think that is a good idea You’re very sweet And a good friend--a wonderful friend But you’re so…ah…"

Genevieve sat in place, a faint blush on her cheeks

"So innocent," Amanda finished

Genevieve snorted "I’ve spent the last ten years as social secretary to Mrs Marshall, who runs a hospital and a charity on medical ethics What about that position makes you think that I’m innocent?"

Amanda sed "I don’t mean innocent innocent I just mean… That…" She sed "Not all women are alike Sos from life"

Genevieve stood and came toward her "I haven’t s fros," Amanda muttered

"I try to dress de close--too close "I don’t do those things, Amanda, because I’m too innocent"

She stood so close that Amanda could see that her skin wasn’t really perfect She had faint freckles on her nose--three adorable, kissable freckles

"I do them," Genevieve said, "because you have to pretend to be proper on the outside when you aren’t When you want different other things"

Oh, God

It was too ht forShe’d never failed so badly as she did now She’d never hoped as painfully as this, either Her heart was racing