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Beyond all that, experiencing such pleasure ain To feel Cristiano’s hands on her, his body…

Yet she knew she wouldn’t For her own health and sanity And in any case she doubted Cristiano would ask He’d got what he wanted She was undoubtedly out of his system now, and he would be on to the next woman, another conquest She’d fallen so easily

With a sigh Laurel curled up on the bed, fatigue crashing over her She’d barely slept all night, her one attehtmares She’d sleep now, if she could, and then she’d deal with Cristiano No matter what had happened between them, she needed to find a way forward A way back home

When Laurel awoke bright, leh the s and the room ar muddle-headed, Laurel took another shower, and when she came out she saw Cristiano had moved all the clothes to this bedroom They lay on the end of her freshly uely uneasy If he was sending a e, she didn’t knohat it was

She dressed in a simple sheath dress of lavender linen, which felt too fancy, but there wasn’t anything more casual Then she put her damp hair up in a twist, took a deep breath and headed out

Cristiano wasn’t in the living area as she expected, and she wandered through the sprawling space before she found hilassed-in alcove on the far side, clearly a study area He was seated at a desk, his laptop open in front of hirey trousers He turned as she approached, and Laurel had to suppress a stab of desire at the sight of him freshly showered and shaven, his hair still da as twin blades

‘Good ’

‘Good afternoon, actually,’ she returned with an atte’

‘I’lad you did’ He turned back to his laptop, pressed a few buttons and then shut it with a decisive snap ‘So’ He swivelled back to face her, his gaze coolly appraising

‘So’ Laurel took a deep breath and buoyed her courage ‘I think I can brave Bavasso’ She kept her voice light but firo home’ Her voice wobbled a little at the last, but she kept her gaze steady on Cristiano’s inscrutable face Why did he have to be so beautiful? He was all sharp angles and clear, hard lines, the purity of his silver eyes a perfect foil to his olive skin and inky dark hair It aze Hard too to keep her nerve

‘Where is home, incidentally?’ He’d reverted to that mild voice that hid so much Made her wary

‘I told you, a small town in Illinois’

‘Canton Heights?’