page53 (1/1)

It was like being Cinderella arriving late at the ball She lass slippers, but she did have a dress she’d never be able to afford, not in a million years And diaroups of people talking and the sheer glitz of the hts went back to the fairy-tale filht not be about to get her happy ever after, but she was certainly at the ball

She lifted the heain and slowly descended the steps, one hand on the wide balustrade, then all the air sucked out of the roo but a steady thump Or was that her heart?

Max was standing at the botto up at her If this were her fairy tale then he’d be sht in his eyes He would rush up the stairs, take her hand and kiss her fingers so gently yet so passionately, then lead her to the dance floor, where they’d whirl around in a mist of love

But this wasn’t her fairy tale This was reality

The reality of Max so very handsome in his black tuxedo, his face dark and thunderous as he looked up at her

Max’s breath felt as if it had stopped No matter how deep he tried to breathe he couldn’t Like a vision of pure loveliness, Lisa stood halfway down the stairs, the green silk of her dress cascading down her body like a waterfall Her vibrant red hair was piled up in a s sparkled as they ht The necklace seeers want to touch her there, his lips to kiss her

She’d come His mouth dried as relief washed over hiaze fall on hireen eyes Around him people chatted and danced, but he couldn’t move Not toward her or away from her He’d been certain of what he had to do as he’d left the bar, but hadn’t expected that moment to come so quickly He’d anticipated a car journey across London, tihts, rehearse his words because he knew he only had one chance and they had to be right

As if in slow motion she continued down the stairs toward him This was the woman he loved, the woman he wanted to be with for ever, but could he say it nohen that realisation was all still so new and fragile?

She reached the bottolittered as she breathed, giving away the strength of her eht now, but the look on her face was unreadable A mask of defiant beauty

He beca froth of the e others in and they stepped back, watching, waiting

Slowly she walked toward hiiving her an ethereal glow Thedown his spine She looked like a woone from her eyes He’d done that to her

Then she was standing before hi clear and rational thought al watched, knew they’d grabbed everyone’s attention, but right now he didn’t care, not if it meant he could tell Lisa what he had to tell her

‘I’d like to dance’ Her words were lethally sharp The soft and gentle woly loved all this time had been replaced by an ice-cold vision of beauty

‘It will be my pleasure,’ he said as he took one of her hands and pulled her gently into his embrace

It should feel good to hold her against hih the fine silk, but it was bittersweet He looked down at her, but she was resolutely fixing her attention on his chest and he wished this particular scene had been played out anywhere else but the dance floor

He wanted to ask her why she’d come after he’d been so cruel to her, wanted to know if it meant he had another chance, but the words just wouldn’t coame of poker

‘I caht to honour the deal Iup at hihts, but the fierceness in her eyes scared the hell out of him

‘I’lad you did’ Her delicate brows lifted in surprise, but the hardness re more brilliantly than the diamonds at her throat

‘Are you?’

‘We need to talk, Lisa’ Max pulled her closer as they moved slowly in ti well He could feel heraway from him