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Ja him It was her favourite pastime But it annoyed him that she seemed not to be the least worried or conflicted by their situation She wanted hiot him The trap had been set on day one and, like a fool, he had stepped into it Now she was playing the hired hooker to uilt She ell aware of howco tarred with the same cheap, dirty little brush She ell aware of it and was e? Just for the sheer heck of it? Didn’t her behaviour prove how little she cared for hiet and was shamelessly brazen about it

‘You are currently my fiancée,’ he said ‘That’s what the press thinks and I want them to continue to think it until such time as I inform them otherwise Understood?’

She gave hile on and buyor no one will believe you’

James muttered an expletive under his breath ‘Be ready by lunchtime If we can’t drive out I’ll hire a helicopter to fly us out’

CHAPTER TEN

AIESHA DECIDED JAMES’S anger was a good thing He kept his distance on the trip over to Paris, barely speaking a word to her, keeping hiers travelling together But that was fine by her as she needed ti one role while feeling so Feeling was dangerous Attacherous She could be physical with soement

Of course she could

Men did it all the ti to be stupid and fall in love Not with James Not with the one man ould never love her back Why would he? She had all but destroyed his precious family She kneasn’t close to his father, but a relationship with her was only going to make his relationship with him so much worse

Hisa dream way too far The world Aiesha can, so totally alien it was as if she had come from another universe How could the chas for her toshe shouldn’t say To wear sorace on the Challender name

It was stupid to think of a future with James He would never allow hier froirls like her

And the sooner she accepted it the better

The press didn’t show up until they arrived at the boutique hotel, a short walking distance from the Eiffel Tower Jah the foyer, answering in fluent French the barrage of questions froraphers Froe, Aiesha was able to pick up one or two phrases that coe at soet her to the private lift to the penthouse floor without losing his urbane smile

But once the doors closed he dropped his arm from around her waist and let out a stiff curse ‘This is ridiculous How long are they going to hound us like this? It’s not as if we’re celebrities Why are they so interested in us?’

Aiesha leaned against the waist-height brass rail on the wall of the lift ‘You’re rich You’re handso it with’

He pushed a hand through his hair, his frown formidably dark Aiesha knew he hated all the press attention because itup in a hotel with his latest lover James was so private about his life it would torture him to have his every move anticipated and speculated and co that speculation Was that why he was so brooding and prickly now they were back in the spotlight? At Lochbannon he could teet about the rest of the world, but now the world was after hi plans No wonder he was looking antsy and conflicted Which made her all the h she was Desperately

‘I’ve organised an outfit for you to wear for the dinner to,’ he said into the silence ‘I’ve also arranged for a jeweller to bring sos to our roolance at his watch with a preoccupied frown ‘He should be here in a couple of hours’