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‘Don’t be ridiculous…of course it !’ Ella flashed back ‘But you wantedI couldn’t be’

Aristandros closed a strong hand over hers to force her to turn and look at him ‘I only wanted you to be a woman, not a strident feminist—’

Ella sent hi look of bone-deep resentment ‘I was never strident I was sensible We wanted totally different things out of life It could never have worked’

‘No doubt ti his hold on her hand

The silence that laced their return to the penthouse gnawed at Ella’s nerves She was already wishing that she didn’t speak first and think later They were about to share the same bed, and she could barely believe that, never ’s to beit here so to a sudden need to bridge an atmosphere filled with tense, uneasy undertones ‘Because I don’t have anywhere else to live at present’

Aristandros sent her a sudden, satisfied s plus on his terms ‘You live where I live now’

An involuntary shiver ran down her taut spine as the level of dependency that that stateested continued to chill Ella and her independent soul to the marrow

The tall, powerful Greek closed his hands over hers to turn her back to face hiht the inevitable, glikia ht even find that you come to enjoy them’

‘Never,’ Ella swore in a fierce undertone

‘I hear words on your lips that no other woman has ever dared to confront me with,’ Aristandros confided, his deep drawl silky with indulgence ‘You are truly unique’

Recognising his triuht So, when his , her only weapon was her rage But even as she braced her hands to his chest to push hiht better of that ain, and now payment was due While Aristandros kissed her, she stood like a statue, unresponsive as stone But he played with herthe next, and then hot and er clear and her resistance was breaking down, sensual response beginning to quiver through her treacherous body in an ever-swelling tide