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‘I knew that you wouldn’t lie to me,’ he intoned with approval

But Maribel felt very h she had failed She knew that decent standards were a weakness in his vicinity She knew his flaws Yet she was still ensnared by the stunning gold of his eyes glinting below the dense black fringe of his lashes He could still take her breath aith one scorching glance

In a lithe ainst the desk and straightened his lean, powerful body to his full iers, straightening theht thing,’ heme the truth’

‘That’s good, because I think that telling you the truth was one of the ers treht the insidious force of his sensual charisma Once bitten, for ever shy, she reminded herself frantically He had almost destroyed her self-esteeen and a whole host of other woed to do casual with Leonidas, but Maribel had felt as though her heart were being ripped out slohile she was still alive And the horror of it had lasted for weeks, months, afterwards

‘How so?’ Leonidas could feel the trepidation she was struggling to hide and marvelled at it, for he could think of no reason for her continuing apprehension His thuazed down at her, his attention lingering on the ripe pink fullness of her rasped hi the astonishing strength of his reaction to her Seducing Maribel, he was recalling, had been unexpectedly sweet, and it would certainly take care of all the argury with you’

‘Not at the reed, dry-e in the at revved up on a race track It was as if time had slowed dohile her every physical sense went on hyper-alert Her breath catching in her throat, she fought to stay in control

‘We were careless,’ Leonidas co if he should lock the door and take full advantage of the moment

‘I wasn’t…you were,’ Maribel muttered, unable even with her brain in a state of sensual freefall to let hi such an unfair claim

‘I left my wallet in the liht in, so I had no contraception—’

‘I didn’t want your chauffeur and your wretched security tea!’ Maribel protested, her cheeks burning at the memory of her embarrassment

Leonidas gave her a sht with you So what?’

‘I don’t want to talk about it’ Maribel recognised the treacherous inti the wicked draw of his dark aninetism, she turned her head away

He lifted a lean brown hand up to flick a straying strand of amber-coloured hair back from her pale brow Incredibly aware of his proxi towards him It was as if he had pressed a button and her spine had cru in her that overpowered co for the forbidden and, try as she ht, she could not stamp it out

‘Youhand splaying to the feainst him before she could step out of reach ‘But for me it’s simple’

She kneas not simple, she kneas complicated She even knew that it was a hideousto hate herself later But when he bent his handso up on tiptoe so that she wouldn’t have to wait a split-second longer than necessary to make physical contact And whatever else Leonidas was, he was an overpoweringly physical er and deue tasted her and she shivered He pushed against her, banding her closer with strong hands, unasha her feel the hard thrust of his erection Answering heat flared low in her belly and she gasped beneath hisinto his broad shoulders With no recollection of how they had got there, she yanked her hands guiltily off hi herself to break free of his ar a layer of skin

Violet-blue eyes blazing with resentment at his nerve, Maribel launched herself clu cabinet behind her and providedjelly ‘What the hell are you playing at?’ she snapped at hiry over her weakness and the hateful inevitability of his having taken advantage of it ‘Is this because I showed you the door at o? You have just found out that you’re the father of my son! And what do you do? You make a pass at me!’