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‘I knohat shopping is, Alessandro I just can’t i on a Saturday’

Megan savoured this further indication of advance up inside her like the proverbial beanstalk from the fairy story

‘It’s not how I usually pass reed, ‘but needs must’

‘You mean, you don’t trust me to buy my own clothes?’

‘I mean, I intend to buy whatever you need for you If I tell you to go shopping withwhy you won’t Don’t even think of it, Megan,’ he said, seeing her open herbecause you’ll be co atin reen-and-red dress code…’

‘Well…I guess I’ht…’

‘Good’ He stood up, his o You can leave that rucksack thing of yours here No point going back to your house to change You can come back here We leave at six’

Like soround ride was turning out to be a roller coaster stouely aware of a certain ah with that suspicion, she found that all she could actually think about was the fact that this was the first really nor they had done since they had locked theratification

She looked at the rucksack lying on the ground, as if itherself—which hether she should open this door or not But she knew that she would She had fought to be sensible, but the fact that he had broken off his engagement with Victoria because of her, because of the attraction he still felt to her,That was the steady drip, drip, drip continually eroding her good intentions

‘We’ll start at Selfridges, shall we?’ Alessandro said, before she had a chance to change her mind Suddenly it was very important that she yield to what he wanted ‘Unless you have somewhere else in mind?’

‘I guess I could do Selfridges…’

Several hours later and Megan had discovered that she could do a great dealwith a wealthy Alessandro was a co with a broke Alessandro, and although she refused to allow hi to be worn that evening to the theatre, she still found herself the owner of a new pair of shoes, a fabulous dress, jewellery which she insisted she would wear just the once and then give back to hiift with that kind of price tag—a coat of the warmest, softest cashmere, and a selection of make up which she would never have been able to afford in a million years

Over lunch, she made sure to stress her returns policy ‘That jewellery is ridiculous, Alessandro,’ she said, toying with a fat, juicy prawn ‘Anyhere on earth would I ever wear it after tonight? And the coat…Well, it’s beautiful, but it just doesn’t feel right to accept stuff from you’

Alessandro shrugged and declined tofar, far more on the women he had dated in the past—wo the treifts that had been lavished upon theone down too well He also declined to tell her that this was the first ti with any woman It was a task which he preferred to leave to his personal assistant And he decided to keep to himself the fact that he had actually enjoyed the expedition—enjoyed watching her parade in a selection of outfits for hi the way her eyes opened wide at the sheer beauty of soiven him a kick

‘You can give it all back if it makes you feel better,’ he told her ‘But if you do it’ll all end up stuffed at the back of a wardrobe so or jewellery’

Megan looked at him This was a different animal from the one she had known Urban, sophisticated, blasé about the things s that ell beyond the reach of most ordinary ht that she was now out of his league even o At least then they had been broke together