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The space was craht froh above that she made her way forward about five feet … to a set of wooden steps that led up the back of a wall

She was careful as put her slippers on the slatted wood She didn’t weigh a ton, but she orried about creaking sounds giving her away Once on the highest step, she reached up to a slide that was roughly at eye level

When she moved it aside, she could see out into her father’s study, visualizing the fire across the way, the desk, her father’s figure … and Axe, as sitting across the desk fro out of the "eyes" of a portrait Just like in theherself--and her father had nearly fainted But oh, her s like that with him

She’d been the only one who could

If Elise was careful not to breathe heavily, and if she concentrated on drowning out the sounds in the ductwork and the soft whistle of a breeze in the rafters, she could hear the dohich would make sense Clearly she had become aware of Axe’s presence the instant he’d entered her houess where she was--

Sure enough, he frowned and looked across directly at her His expression was one of alure out why the hell he’d been distracted by a two-hundred-year-old portrait of so," her father said as he pulled his cuff links into proper position under the sleeves of his navy blue suit jacket "I gather that your first evening with e of her naked, stretched out in front of Axe’s fire, his ht now

Axe glanced at her father Looked back at the portrait Refocused "She carateful" Her father smiled, and seemed sincere "She is my heart She reminds me so much of her mother A fiery spirit, a fierce intellect, afraid of so little That is also why I worry"

"And why you hired me"

"Indeed" Felixe cleared his throat "On that note, I should like to expand your duties"

"How so"

"I will never put her under sehclusion She would not do ith that And I am aware that she must leave the house for other reasons than her studies froether of feht … because she was really looking to go out and have her nails done with a bunch of get-mated-obsessed Barbies?

She’d much rather save the h her dissertation paper one more time

"I should like her to find a suitor"

Elise frowned Oh, hell no

"Do you have one in mind?" Axe asked

"There are a nu for thee and then some It is time, but I am certain if I state that I support the prospect in any way, she shall rebel So I am in a very difficult situation"