page37 (1/2)

She’d said way tooshe said could and would be used against her, no doubt She’d just given him ammunition, but she felt too weary and heartsick to care

The doors opened and Laurel started to scraown Cristiano reached a hand down to help her but Laurel jerked away

‘I don’t need your help—’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he snapped, and helped her up ‘I don’t think Bavasso will bother you, at any rate If it’s any consolation, I think he received the e anted him to’

‘It isn’t,’ Laurel tossed over her shoulder, and stalked into the penthouse

Cristiano watched as Laurel kicked off her heels, her whole body tre the pins from her hair It hat he’d wanted to do earlier, to dis, but now that she was the one doing it he felt annoyed so him when it came to this contrary wo her

‘I don’t really understand what you’re so upset about,’ he said levelly as Laurel shook out her hair She grabbed a tissue fro on her face, leaving raccoon-like circles under her eyes

‘Of course you don’t’

‘This is e agreed on The ot yourself into I’ you, Laurel’ And he wouldn’t think about what she’d said about Bavasso flirting with her, how she’d frozen ItLaurel, even that far Trusting anyone

‘I know, I know’ She scrubbed at her lips until they were raw looking ‘You’re a prince’

He couldn’t s she’d said in the lift—about what they’d done last night in Of course she was going to dress up what had been nothingit, but it didn’t make it any easier to deal with

Sighing, Cristiano reached for his phone ‘Why don’t you change, since you apparently find that haute couture gown so abhorrent? And shower, if you like I’ll order us some food’

She stared at him, a storm of emotion in her eyes, and then without a word she turned on her heel and stalked into the bedroo the door behind her