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She shrugged “Not really I wanted to believe you’d see the full potential that Mirraccino could offer you—offer your company, but yesterday you see”

He couldn’t let her stop there “And what have I decided about you?”

Annabelle glanced away “That I’m spoiled and overprotected”

“That isn’t what I think That is what you think, but it shouldn’t be I think you work hard for what you want Setting up everything today couldn’t have been easy, especially when it was done at the last minute”

Her gaze met his “I called in every favor I had here at the school But to be honest, when I spoke to the head of the co for a visit, he wasreputation in your field”

“I don’t know about that, but I appreciate your kind words”

When she gazed deep into his eyes, like she was doing now, it was so hard to reether and not picking up that kiss where they’d left off His gaze latched on to her teazewithin them?

He didn’t kno long they stood there, staring into each other’s eyes In that moment, there was nowhere else he needed to be—nowhere else he wanted to be There was a special quality about Annabelle that sparked life back into him She filled in all the cracks in his heart and made him want to face whatever life threw at him

A motion out of the corner of his eye reuard escorting theuard He recalled Annabelle calling the woman Marta

Having a bodyguard watch over thehts He didn’t like an audience and he preferred not to end up in one of those reports sent off to the Duke of Halencia But that didn’tshould end just yet

“How about we go to dinner? I’d enjoy trying one of the local restaurants”

Surprise lit up Annabelle’s eyes, but in a blink her enthusiasm dimmed “Um, sure”

“What’s the matter?”

“Why does anything need to be the matter?”

“Because it ritten all over your face and it was in your tone”