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‘Why did you let them print all that stuff?’ Francesca whispered ‘Now the whole world knows about…our involve out the details of her past once again and re-reading theri circumstances

‘It was the only way’ He shook his head and did so He played nervously with her fingers Francesca watched his down-bent head as the questions raced through her elo Falcone had proposed to her, taking the bull by the horns and giving the media what they would eventually discover anyway, namely her past But why? Did it mean that much to him that his baby was born with the Falcone name? Because there was no mention of love

He raised his eyes to her ‘When I left you a week ago, I didn’t knohat to think Not only was there the fatherhood situation to deal with, but in the space of an hour you had ht I knew about you into the ground’ It was only when she had revealed everything to hi sense of utter shock, exactly how much he had drifted into a comfort zone Despite all his declarations of non-involve around a column she had entwined herself around him and the pieces of her past, the past that made the present, dammit, had been like the bitter stab of treachery

‘I’m sorry I should have told you sooner, years before, but I knew that things would end the elo If you were, it wouldn’t have been so bad’ She risked stroking his hair and he pulled her hand to hiaze They can handle a woround’

‘I’ve been to hell and back this week, Francesca, but the one thing I know is that I want this baby of ours to have a family’

‘And if I weren’t pregnant, Angelo? Would you still have taken out an ad in the newspaper letting the world know that you wanted to ot away?’

‘If you read the article carefully, , you would see that at no point did Ielse, yes, but that, no’

So he hadn’tin love with her, but nevertheless a little tendril of hope began to uncurl inside of her

‘Because…?’

‘Because I want you forhihten her off ‘When we embarked on this crazy…affair, we both knew the rules Sex without coo and eet in the way’

Why was he res she didn’t want to re and looked at her with eyes that promised even if they hadn’t delivered?

‘But eot in my way’

‘I beg your pardon?’ She leaned towards hi

‘I thought I was in control, but it turns out I wasn’t’ He shot her a rueful s, just hear me out and then decide what you want to do Whatever you want, Francesca, I’ll fall in line with’ He breathed in deeply and expelled his breath in one long sigh ‘I know you didn’t choose to becohts and then so gutted by what you told me that it never even crosseda baby and for that I’m…I’m sorry This…is difficult for me…’

He stood up and paced the rooitated Francesca had never seen him like this before, and she reckoned she had probably seen him in all his moods It was a revelation of vulnerability Finally he returned to the chair and sat down, resting his elbows on his knees ‘I’ve spent the week going over indeal of lettingto let me walk away from you, or rather you walk away froround would do ot it all wrong from the start Maybe you just didn’t want to be hooked up with me Maybe behind the s to spend her life with soes of wealth It struck ht be physically attracted to a man like me but emotionally attracted to a man like Jack when it came to a permanent relationship’ He took a deep breath and shook his head Was he evensense? He knew exactly what he wanted to say but he could feel that the words were not e from his mouth in quite the order he would have liked For the first tie had deserted him ‘Women are attracted to ave a dry laugh ‘Georgina being a case in point Fact is, though, you’re not like other woer apply Do you understand what I’ to say?’