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Could she read hi along those lines He didn’t particularly like Laurel knowing, though

‘If it makes any difference, it happened in increreed to meet Bavasso as no ot to Ro me to dress up for him Okay, fine And then it was “be nice to him”, and I didn’t even knohat that meant I think she felt trapped She wanted hiether if I wasn’t…well’ She shook her head ‘She didn’t ot out of hand for both of us But I’ any of it, trust me’

‘All right’ Cristiano absorbed all that for a , ‘Tell me about your childhood’ Because he realised he wanted to know ‘Before your row up?’

She looked surprised, then a little wary ‘Why do you want to know?’

‘Perhaps it will help me to understand who you are and why you’ve , surely, since we have to spend the next teeks together?’

‘By your decree’ Laurel sighed ‘Fine Where should I begin?’

‘Why not at the beginning?’ Cristiano gave her a mirthless smile ‘It’s the very best place to start’

CHAPTER TEN

LAUREL SHIFTED ON the sofa, unsure how to deal with Cristiano’s request He wanted to know about her? Why? To use whatever she said against her? And yet she was so tired of staying suspicious Being so careful all the time with him And that tactic hadn’t worked out all that well so far, so why not tell hiht? He’d already shown her tonight what he thought of her—just another mistress A prop

Being seen on his ar what she and Cristiano had done together—it had been worse than anything she’d endured with Bavasso More shameful And she knew Cristiano would never understand that

‘My randfather was a poor farmer and they didn’t have much money She married a local boy and they had me’