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My jaw set "It won’t play out that way"

"Why would you risk it?" Her voice rose and became shrill "Because of Corinne Giroux? Her book will coet rid of the attention once you invite it!"

"I don’t get you There’s no way to be ht as well take control and set the stageprorowled inwardly "I think you’re taking the dra you, this is the wrong way to handle the situation Have you discussed this with Gideon? I can’t see hi to this"

I stared at her, truly startled by her response I’d thought she would be all for it, considering how she felt aboutwell and what that entailed

That hen I saw the fear tightening herher eyes

"Mo ether sooner "We don’t have to worry about Nathan anyreed, not the least bit soothed "But having everything you’ve done … everything you’ve said or decided dissected for the entertainoing to allow other people in the world to dictate how I andlike a … victio on the offensive

"Eva, you’re not--"

"Either givenothing or drop the subject, Moree and I’ame plan on the table"

She ers flexed with the need to text Gideon and vent He had once told ested I lend my talents to Cross Industries as a fixer

Why not start with so more intimate and important instead?

2

"More flowers?" Arash Madani drawled as he strolled into lass double doors

My lead attorney walked over to where Eva’s white roses decorated thearea I’d had theht There, they had been successfully drawingon the wall of flat screens behind thelass ofthe words for the hundredth time

Arash pulled a rose out and lifted it to his nose "What’s the secret to getting sent so that his e the bar Until his arrival, the brightly colored carafes and Eva’s red vase had been the only spots of color in the ht woman"

He returned the flower to its vase "Go ahead, Cross, rub it in"

"I prefer to gloat quietly Do you have sorinned in a way that told h I never doubted it His predatory instincts were nearly as highly developed as ether nicely" Adjusting his tailored slacks, he settled into one of the two chairs facing htly flashier than er points Still finessing some clauses, but we should be ready to proceed by next week"

"Good"

"You are a ether this weekend?"

I shook o out If so, I’ll try to talk her out of it"

Arash laughed "I gotta tell you, I expected you to settle down at soht I’d have so"

"So did I" Which wasn’t quite the truth I never expected to share my life with anyone I’d never denied that my past shadowed my present, but I saw no need to share that history with anyone before Eva It couldn’t be changed, so why rehash it?