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Her sto in those silvery eyes Laurel ry’

‘So I hear’ He gestured to one of the chairs,black wood ‘Come sit down’

Laurel hesitated, discomfited by this apparently new normal Then she decided she would take what civility Cristiano offered, and she slid a chair out and sat down as he lifted the silver domes off several dishes

‘What would you like?’ Cristiano asked as he lifted a plate Laurel glanced at all the different dishes of Italian specialities, froette fritters, to pasta carbonara and several delicious-looking salads

‘It all looks good to me’

‘Then I shall give you a bit of everything’

Laurel watched as he ladled the different dishes onto her plate, feeling as if she’d fallen down yet another rabbit hole Why had Cristiano changed his tune so drastically? Why was he being so nice?

‘Thank you,’ she murmured as she took her plate from him Cristiano filled up his own and sat down on the opposite end of the table

‘Dig in,’ he said in the saed frolad the clothes fit,’ he said with a nod to her skirt and top ‘That colour of blue was a good choice It brings out your eyes’

‘Um, thank you?’

He arched a dark eyebrow ‘Can you not accept a compliment?’

‘It just sounded…’ Laurel hesitated, wondering if she was being hypersensitive ‘Proprietary’

‘Proprietary?’ His sleamed ‘About you or the clothes?’