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Clad in white linen trousers and a fitted white waistcoat top, Maribel eainst her pallor Across the depth of the rooed look The atressive undertones He tossed a newspaper down like a stateoing to annoy you and give you the wrong impression’
The tip of her tongue snaked out to moisten her full pink lower lip ‘But I’ll alonder if I don’t look at them now’
‘It’s a question of trust,’ he breathed tautly ‘Who do you believe?’
At that, Maribel lifted her chin ‘I would have believed you if you’d told me about this before I heard about it on television’
‘Was that how you would have preferred our wedding day to begin? With a load of tabloid sleaze ai a few more papers?’
Discomfiture oing to tell me?’
‘I foresaw this scenario, glikia mou I have to admit that I wasn’t in a hurry’ Golden eyes seed her
‘So…er…what are you asking me to believe? That you were kidnapped and forced aboard your friend’s yacht where you were subjected to the unwelcome attentions of loose women?’
‘Sergio happens to be very into partying right now…he’s a friend, a good one It was a stag do So, it wasn’t to my taste!’ Leonidas proclaiular lines of hostility ‘Theos er doesn’t mean that you own me or that you can tell me what I can and can’t do!’
‘So if I decide to go partying on a yacht with a bunch of half-naked men, that’ll be fine with you You won’t ask any aard questions afterwards You will fully respect ot that established,’ Maribel retorted crisply
Leonidas froze Scorching golden eyes locked with hers on a powerful wave of anger It was like sailing too close to the sun, but she stood her ground The silence soed to howl around her, laced as it ith inti vibrations Finally, Leonidas spoke ‘That would not be acceptable to me’
Maribel was not at all surprised by that news ‘And ould that be?’
‘You’re rated
‘So you do as you like and I do as you like, too?’
Leonidas refused to take that bait He surveyed her with dark glittering intensity as if daring her to disagree
Maribel wondered how they had contrived to roa away in fear of asking as undoubtedly the only important question ‘Did you sleep with anyone on that yacht?’
His black brows pleated, the forceful angle of his hard jawline di ‘Of course not’
Maribel didn’t say anything She was studying the beautiful rug beneath his feet She felt sick with tension and terror, and dizzy with relief With a rather jerky nod of acknowledgeh the open doors onto the terrace She was ashamed of how shaken up she was and the reality that her eyes ith tears
Leonidas, who had not been prepared for her to walk out, raked his black hair back off his brow, dissatisfaction seething through him If he went after her there would be another scene He had a lifeti messy confrontations All his early memories were of the constant hysterical scenes his late ed with everyone in her life It was sensible to give Maribel time to calm down So why, he asked hio after her? Why did the very knowledge that she was alone and unhappy bother him so much? A few minutes later he strode outdoors, only to discover that she was no longer within view
Maribela path below the mature trees that shaded her fro brand under her arm When she reached the beach, she kicked off her shoes and sat down on a rock The photos weren’t quite the shock she had expected It ht have been a party in his honour, but Leonidas looked downright bored There was one shot of him, lean, bronzed features cold and set, a beautiful ski beside him Maribel knew those facial expressions of his; she knew the too close and, inthemselves at him Drunken familiarity really repulsed him He was a Pallis, an aristocrat born and bred, and he was both fastidious and intolerant of lower standards