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‘I won’t’ Already the cloud of doubt was hanging over Lisa Why hadn’t he told her? Was it that he didn’t trust her or didn’t care enough to tell her? Either way, it rocked the foundations of all the good the last few days had created Now she knew the only option for theo their separate ways They couldn’t hope to remain married, just for the baby He didn’t trust her and certainly wouldn’t ever love her It was over

‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere’ Max’s voice was raised over the noise of the party as he pushed open the doors and stood glaring first at his sister, then at her ‘Are you feeling unwell?’

‘She’s fine,’ Angelina injected as she stood a little closer to her ‘We were just having a catch up’

‘You are required by your guests,’ Max said curtly, and a spark of mutiny slipped over Lisa What would he do if she just walked out now, dropped the act of togetherness? She was on the verge of doing just than when she thought of Angelina This was her party She didn’t want to give Max the satisfaction ofher spoil it, especially after such a heartfelt admission

Angelina looked from her to her brother ‘I shall leave you two to it, then’

‘What is that supposed to mean?’ Max watched his sister as she slipped back into the party and Lisa bristled with indignation He didn’t trust her and was trying to control her just as he’d done with his sister Frouessed that she wasn’t the only person Max couldn’t open up to Not that it ht have felt love for him, but it had only ever been lust in his world and lust would not hold theer

‘She was only congratulating lared up at him and when he turned and frowned at her, that annoyance increased Had he dishts already? ‘The baby’

The baby Those tords dripped through hiiven any thought to the fact that Angelina ht want to be involved in his child’s life Of course she would As always, she would want to do anything she could to annoy hi that he didn’t want her to do

He looked at his little sister and the ever-present guilt rushed forward like a runaway train He hadn’t ever been able to open his heart to her, hadn’t been able to love her, just as he hadn’t been able to love Lisa How the hell was he going to be a father, a proper father, one who loved his child unconditionally? Getting a divorce was the right thing to do Lisa and the baby would be better off with hi her conversation with her mother had been just the spur he’d needed to come to that decision

‘You can talk ht noish to dance withhe wanted to do Just the thought of holding Lisa close, of feeling her body against his as they , had a bad effect on his senses—his body One he couldn’t listen to, couldn’t act on

Before Lisa could back out he took her hand and began to lead her to the dance floor, but didn’tto deal with iht about by the headlines regarding his brother, Raul, was beginning to take its toll on hi hiht locked safely away, forcing hi it all out and own it

‘You could have been a bit kinder’ Lisa’s reproach as he took her in his arh the uilt

‘She likes to test me’ The curtness of his words wasn’t what he intended and he ignored Lisa’sthat if he looked down into her beautiful face he would want to act on the desire building within hier and irritation of their situation, with the knowledge that she wouldn’t be his wife for er

‘I kno she feels,’ she said softly, so softly it was hard to hear her above the music that filled the room

‘Because you like to do the saether, deterain control This was so unlike hielina and now Lisa

She stopped dancing and glared up at him ‘Because my older stepbrother hated me too’

She thought he hated Angelina? ‘I do not hate her,’ he ground out