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Just the h her and quickly she turned away, afraid that Cristiano would see her uncertainty He’d seen toowith this skimpy dress

‘Thank you,’ she ony, she hurried down the hall

Cristiano watched Laurel scurry down the hall like a frightened rabbit A sexy frightened rabbit, wearing far too little clothing for his co, the flare of sexual attraction arrowing through hi hily, especially now that he knehat she was like

When he’d seen Laurel Forrester swan into La Sirena this evening, dressed like a hooker and on the arm of a h him It was ten years since he’d last seen her; she looked a whole lot nised her Instantly

That second of stunned amazement had ut, a leaden weight that was absurd, because if he’d had to think about it for a second he’d have known Laurel would be just like herfor her best chance She’d shown her true colours at just fourteen years old, after all, and heaven knew the apple didn’t usually fall far from the tree

Which hy he had been so determined to cut off all his ties with his own father The last thing he wanted to do wasafter so increasinglyhimself be used, hurt and humiliated, and for what? An amorphous emotion that didn’t really exist, or at least shouldn’t Love

Cristiano strolled towards the , shoving his hands deep into his trouser pockets as he mused on what lay in store for Laurel…and for him He’d watched her on the casino floor, draped on Bavasso’s arly over the top and obvious She ood actress

Bavasso, of course, had lapped it up and demanded more A lot more, apparently, because after Cristiano had left the floor he’d stayed by the bank of security ca—but for what? He was acting obsessed, which was stupid, but he hadn’t been able to keep hi it

He’d told himself it was because of their past—because he knew herher fleece any of his customers, even one as unpleasant as Rico Bavasso He’d told himself that, but he didn’t completely buy it

Then everything in him had frozen and clenched hard when he’d seen her leave the casino floor, Bavasso holding her hand, practically dragging her towards the lifts But she’d gone She’d been s For some reason that sht of even possessing

Cristiano didn’t knohat had happened upstairs in the hotel suite but he could guess all too easily Still he’d stayed by the ca for the lifts, as if the hounds of hell were chasing her—or just one lascivious one Whatever ga, she’d decided not to see it to the finish And, while Cristiano certainly believed in a woe his opinion of Laurel Forrester one iota

On the ca the one for the penthouse The lift doors to the penthouse were always locked, but with one flip of a switch Cristiano had sent Laurel straight up to him

And now here she was

The only question that re to do with her?

He narrowed his gaze as he looked out of the , the Colosseuht Laurel up here because she’d needed rescuing and he was a man of honour

But honour only extended so far And noith the lift doors locked again, the only person Laurel needed rescuing from was him

CHAPTER TWO

LAUREL PEEKED INTO the first room on the left, a sumptuous bedroom with an en suite bathroom, and then she tiptoed over thick, white pile carpet, past a huge king-sized bed on its own dais with a rumpled black satin duvet This here Cristiano slept, and she sensed him in every sleek and powerful line of the roo else, soh her senses and ignited fireworks in her belly Fireworks she was going to do her best to ignore