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How she wished she could have a proper drink too Just as well she couldn’t—the aro under her nose made her belly recoil Or was that terror of where this conversation was going?

Retreat wasn’t an option Not any more Their time had co his eyes, refusing to let their hold drop ‘When we ree of lust If we’d kept it at sex, I probably would have been fine—lust is intransigent It would have fizzled out eventually’ But as she spoke the words, she realised them to be a lie She’d already been in love with him

‘Instead, you withdrew physically,’ she continued ‘But you’ve beengood to me You look out for me but don’t try and inhibit or stifle me You’re supportive and enthusiastic Youflickered in his eyes at her utterance of the word trust She hardly believed it herself but it was the truth Soht it and fought it but it had crept up on her all the sauy then what is the probleed ive And so do you’

‘Do you hear what you’re saying?’ he asked roughly, his eyes wild as he took a step back ‘All this crap about love e both know all it does is destroy people’

‘No, it does not! Love only destroys if the person allows it My father allowed it and so did your mother We don’t have to be like them’

‘You’re right—we don’t And on’t People who take the risk are weak and foolish and I aht you were better than that too’

‘Then I must be weak and stupid’

‘I can’t be the man you think you want,’ he warned ‘I have no capacity to love and, even if I did, I’ve grown up seeing how dangerous it can be and the knock-on effects it has on everyone else

‘Where are you going?’ he demanded when she suddenly turned away and headed for her bedrooht doesn’t leave until theher wardrobe doors open, pulled out her small carry-on case and placed it on the bed

He didn’t love her

He would never love her He wouldn’t even try

‘Can you callanywhere Not until we’ve talked this through’

‘We’re talking it through right now’ She selected so her phone froht to the apart ‘We can stay hts you want, and then we can divorce I’m sure we can find an amicable solution to custody—’

She started to zip her case but Christian wrenched it fro it to the floor with a slary Not that anger was the correct word for the wildness surrounding hi the future they had planned But that had been a future before she’d fallen in love with hiripped her shoulders ‘We made a promise to each other and our child to be a faree to any divorce’

‘Why are you being so unreasonable?’ she de to get what you want You’re still going to be a father’

His hands slid off her shoulders and balled into fists ‘Why are you doing this?’

Because I love you And I know you will never fall in love withI will never have your love will eventually destroy me just as it destroyed your mother and my father But not to their extent Never to their extent Our child will never suffer for it, I swear