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"You came," she said softly

"You are quite astute, Princess"

Her smile diminished and he wanted to kick himself for the harshness in his tone Could he sound any less char? Maybe she should hit him with the mallet Good and hard

"You’re not comfortable," she said

"You seem to have quite the round of admirers"

"Jealous, then"

Why should he be jealous? He’d tasted what they hadn’t and would again if he so desired He so desired, da her company, he wanted to be back with her He didn’t knohat tohere was acowardly, already?"

He gave her a look that normally quelled ra She led her chin defiantly

"It’s only because you don’t know everyone," she said patiently "Letover, she slipped her ar the ht have to use it on a hard head In particular, yours"

He couldn’t help the grin that tugged up the corners of his ed her shoulder against his arlad you’re here"

He realized with a sudden unequivocal certainty that he would walk through hell for her No doubt he was about to do just that

Anne began with Chetwyn because she knew that, like Walter, he possessed a kindness and wasn’t likely to give a cut direct That she couldn’t rely on her brothers to be char was a sad state of affairs She was quite aware of the tho had coers at Tristan Based on his cocky grin and swagger, she was rather certain he was mindful of it as well

She supposed she couldn’t bla their distance Confidence radiated off him, and his command of himself and those around hi--everyone--dwarfed Just as they had on his ship, as they did in her bedchaiant Because he wasn’t It was quite simply that he was so self-possessed He’d been on his own since he was fourteen In years, he was no older than Jameson, but in life’s experiences, her brother had no hope of ever catching up