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Poppy stopped dead in her tracks, staring at him with scornful astonishent can be such an i the drive

Bewildered, Harry followed at her heels

"Does it not occur to you," her words caht not like the idea of soht be just the least little bit bothered by soun about with the intention of shooting you?"

It took Harry a long time to answer In fact, they had nearly reached the house by the time he replied, his voice thick and odd "You’re concerned for my safety? Forto the front door "I’m sure I don’t knohy it’s me"

Poppy reached for the handle, but Harry stunned her by flinging it open, whisking her inside, and sla it shut Before she could even draw breath, he had pushed her back up against the door, a bit rough in his eagerness

She had never seen hi

His body crowded hers, his breath falling in swift strikes against her cheek She saw a visible pulse in the strong plane of his throat "PoppyAre you" He was forced to pause, as if he were fue

Which he was, in a way

Poppy knehat Harry wanted to ask, and yet she didn’t want hi the issue--it was too soon--she wanted to beg hiet the words out "Are you starting to care for me, Poppy?"

"No," she said firmly, but that didn’t seeainst hers, his lips parting against her cheek in a nuzzling half kiss "Not even a little?" he whispered

"Not the slightest bit"

He pressed the side of his cheek to hers, his lips playing with the wisps of hair at her ear "Why won’t you say it?"

He was so large and war in her wanted to surrender to hi outward from her bones to her skin "Because if I did, you wouldn’t be able to run froh"

"I would never run from you"

"Yes, you would You’d turn distant and push me away, because you’re not nearly ready to take such a risk yet"

Harry pressed the front of his body all along hers, his foreared, tender and predatory "I want to hear what it sounds like"

Poppy had never thought it was possible to be amused and aroused at the same time "No, you don’t" Slowly, her arms went around his lean waist

If only Harry knew the extent of what she felt for hied that he was ready, the e to lose ground, she would tell him how dearly she loved him She could hardly wait

"I’llhers, his hands going to the fastenings of her bodice

Poppy couldn’t control a shiver of anticipation No, he wouldn’tbut for the next few hours, she would certainly enjoy letting hieneral surprise, Leo elected to return to London the sainal intention had been to stay in Hampshire the remainder of the summer, but he had decided instead to take on a sn a conservatory addition to a Mayfair e of plan had anything to do with Miss Marks She suspected they had quarreled, because it seereat extremes to avoid each other now Even e when Leo told hi to sow the turnip crop There isthe composition of the , and--"

"Merripen," Leo had interrupted sarcastically, "I know you consider my help to be invaluable in these e to drill turnip seed competently without my involvement As for the manure composition, I can’t help you there I have a very democratic view of excrement--it’s all shit to me"

Merripen had responded with a volley of Romany that no one except Cam could understand And Ca there were no English equivalents and that was a good thing

After e Harry and Poppy were slower to depart, having a last cup of tea, a last lingering glireen suhis wife into the carriage

"Oh, we voted this , and it was a unanimous decision," his brother-in-law replied in a e?"

"Yes, we decided you fit in with the family quite well"

"Oh, God," Harry said, just as Cae door

After a pleasant and uneventful journey, the Rutledges arrived in London To discerning outsiders, particularly the hotel employees, it was clear that Poppy and Harry had acquired the ible bond of two people who had h Poppy was happy to return to the Rutledge, she had a few private concerns about how her relationship with Harry would proceed--if perhaps he ht slip back into his former habits To her reassurance, Harry had firmly set a new course, and he see froratified wonder by the hotel staff the first full day of his return Poppy had brought back gifts, including jars of honey for the th of bobbin lace for Mrs Pennywhistle, cured Hampshire hams and sides of smoked bacon for Chef Broussard and Chef Rupert and the kitchen staff, and for Jake Valentine, a sheep hide that had been tanned and polished with smooth stones until the love leather