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She was assailed with a vision of him in jeans and outdoor boots, that jet-black hair whipped up by the wind, a contrast to the sharp-suited i serious trouble deciding which one she’d prefer, knowing only one thing—she wanted to see them both

“‘We all”?’

‘You don’t miss a trick do you? My brother and I’

‘And does this brother of yours have a name?’ She watched him stiffen, but chose to pursue ‘Does this brother of yours have a family of his own?’

He wanted to tell her

The internal admission startled him

He wanted to tell this talkative, nosy woman about his mother and father, about his brother and his wife, about the child they both adored—wanted to share with her the inspiring beauty of the Blue Mountains he still called ho as dawn crept in, the sweet taste of tea around a ca his body instead of his brain, sleep for once came easily…

‘Does your brother have children?’ Her persistence was her downfall The intrusion of another question snapped hi hi opposite hiue were sed along with a hefty belt of whisky

‘Like I said’ Vaughan gave a tight shrug ‘Family stays out of it’

‘Okay’ Clearly used to closed subjects, A the topic to what she hoped was safer ground ‘How about reading?’

‘Reading?’

‘In bed’ Ahan usually had far better things to keep hi her line of questioning in the frantic hope of getting this very difficult man to open up a touch ‘To help you sleep—what sort of books do you like?’

‘Crime novels But the trouble with them is that I’ve no patience I have to find out the end, which means…’

‘You’re up all night trying to finish it?’ A lighter—rohan lying in bed reading a love story But to her utter surprise he nodded solemnly

‘Saether in the end I’m a hopeless case, I’m afraid Okay, funtiet this over with—ask whatever it is you have to’

‘I don’t work like that’ A an in-depth piece’

Vaughan shuddered ‘Why don’t I like the sound of that?’

‘I find out a lot …’

‘You’re certainly very good at that’

‘If you’d letwithto really know the up a picture in my mind It allows for a fara list of questions at them; anyone can do that So the fun can continue’

‘And in the et to know you?’

Her spoon paused midway from her plate

‘Of course’ Amelia recovered quickly ‘It’s hardly fair to expect soive a piece of me back’

‘So I can ask questions too?’

A instead for a heavy glass of iced water Her throat was ihan Mason could possibly want to know about little old her

‘Did you tell your boss what I said about the motor deal?’

Not by a flicker did she express her disappointment; of course that was all he wanted to knoas his bible, at least where a nosy journalist was concerned As if he had been going to ask if she was single, Amelia mentally scolded herself As if he were re before him And, more to the point, this was, at her insistence, strictly business