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She gave him a look It wasn't difficult to decipher

"Ah, bloody- " He let out an irritated breath and looked away Brilliant job , Turner Kiss a girl and then tell her you didn't do it out of desire"I' an ass I can't seeht to write a book," she said bitterly "One hundred and one ways to insult a young lady I daresay you're up to at least fifty by now"

He took a deep breath He wasn't used to apologizing "It's not that you aren't attractive"

Miranda's expression turned to disbelief Not at his words, he realized- at theforced to sit there and listen as he embarrassed them both He should stop, he knew, but the hurt in her eyes had awakened a painful little corner of his heart that he'd kept shuttered for years, and he had this strange coht

Miranda was nineteen Her experience with men consisted of Winston and hiures The poor girl must be confused as hell Winston had suddenly decided that she was Venus, Queen Elizabeth, and the Virgin Mary all rolled into one, and Turner had all but forced hie day in the life of a young country h And she didn't hate him She should, but she didn't

"No," he said, actually taking her hand in his "You must listen to me You are attractive Quite" He let his eyes settle on her face and took his first really good look at her in years She wasn't classically pretty, but there was so Her skin was flawless and quite elegantly pale, providing a luminescent contrast to her dark hair, which was, Turner suddenly noticed, rather thick, with just the slightest tendency to curl It looked soft, too He had touched it the night before Why didn't he remember what it felt like? Surely he would have noticed its texture

"Turner," Miranda said

He was staring at her Why was he staring at her?

His gaze moved down to her lips as she said his name A sensual little mouth, she had Full lips, very kissable

"Turner?"

"Quite," he said softly, as if just co to an unbelievable realization

"Quite what?"

"Quite attractive" He shook his head slightly, pulling himself out of the spell she had somehow cast over hih "Turner, please don't lie to spare s It shows a lack of respect foryou can say about my appearance"

He drew back and quirked a sht her lower lip nervously between her teeth "Oh" She sounded just as surprised as he had "Well, thank you, then I think"

"I'm not usually so clumsy with compliments that they cannot be identified"

"I am sure you are not," she said tartly

"Nohy do I suddenly feel like you're accusing ?"

Her eyes widened Had her tone been that cold? "I don't knohat you're talking about," she said quickly