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Instead, she could see that he auto anywhere Go see who that is"

She pressed a quick--and grateful--kiss to his lips before rushing off to grab the phone from its cradle "Hello, this is Mary"

Yvette’s cheerful voice cairl’s rush of excited words "Slon, Yvette," she said with a laugh She grinned at Jack, as in the kitchen filling herso that I ht You were playing cards with your aunt and uncle in your Iowa farot a call about a last-minute shoot in Switzerland?"

Mary had just kicked off her shoes and was tucking her legs beneath her to relax on the couch when Yvette said the one naain,model friends "Romain?" His naain, "You’re working with Roer in Switzerland?"

Yvette continued to chatter in her ear, while Mary’s hand went numb on the phone as she was hit with a crystal-clear flashback to that horrible day she’d walked into his penthouse and found hi model who had looked an awful lot like Yvette…and one who hadn’t lasted any longer in his bed, or life, than Mary had Models, they’d all learned the hard ere totally dispensable objects to Romain He was, in fact, a thousand times more faithful to his French chef than he was to any of the woht when Mary should have been basking in the glow of finding a man like Jack Sullivan, she was forcibly reminded of what a fool she’d been when it came to matters of the heart She’d believed every one of Romain’s false promises and had been so desperate for someone to love her that she’d turned every one of his pretty lies and every single kiss into soon the couch speaking with Yvette on the phone while Jack was just feet away in the kitchen, Mary couldn’t stop her past and present froain

Jack and Romain, Mary and Yvette, love and loss, heartbreak and recovery…she siure out how to separate them

Belatedly, Mary realized that Jack had left the kitchen and was kneeling in front of her, her free hand in his His eyes were full of concern and silent support

A week ago she probably would have run, would have done anything she could to push hi and too frightening But, aly, as she stared into his eyes and felt his thuin to untwist Enough that she finally realized Yvette was saying her naht or if they’d been cut off

Working to refocus her thoughts on the bright, vibrant young woman on the phone, Mary knew she needed to warn Yvette to be careful with Roirl was drawn in by his false promises and ended up hurt and disillusioned At the same time, however, Mary re young woman Whenever anyone had told her to be cautious, there had been nothing more she’d wanted than to prove she could deal brilliantly hatever risky situation had been thrown at her

Very carefully, in as easy a voice as she could e, Mary told Yvette, "I worked with Roo The photo shoot was excellent, but--"

Oh, how she wished she could find exactly the right words to keep Yvette safe Barring getting on a plane to Switzerland and watching over the photo shoot to , it was si models who had come to mean so much to her And wasn’t it true that they would soon co?

Mary took a deep breath All she could do was tell Yvette the truth of her feelings and then trust her to do the best she could with the information "Romain is quite a ladies’ man I know that because I didn’t just ith him," she admitted in a voice she worked hard to keep steady "I dated hirounded as she told Yvette, "It didn’t end well, and the reason it didn’t is because he cheated onivelike that happened to you--I just wanted you to know"

"He sounds like scum," Yvette said in a passionate voice "And stupid, too, for cheating on you What guy could be that du?"

Mary wasto sirl said, "Besides, I’uys like him," she could all but see Yvette’s nose scrunch up as she added, "E"

Mary couldn’t keep her laughter froreed with a sio, when Mary had been telling her rand opportunities to model in New York City, all she’d wanted was for her ood decisions Now, she realized, it was her turn to do that for Yvette

Of course, Mary had known all along that Yvette had a good head on her beautiful shoulders Which hy sheto knock them off their feet in Switzerland, honey I can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back And thank you for sharing this great neith me"