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Ghaffar, Jaul’s PA, appeared in the doorway and bowed ‘A visitor has arrived to see you without an appointment—’

Jaul suppressed a groan and waved a dismissive hand He was in London on a private visit and had no desire to ies I will see no one’

‘The woman’s name is Whitaker—’

Jaul sprang upright with ale exception to the rule,’ he incised

Chrissie tapped her heels on thehall full of what looked like a display of actual yptian toht od statue did nothing for her nervous tension, only ratcheting it up a degree or two andthe events of the past twenty-four hours all theto bear, never mind accept

Without warning, Jaul appeared in a doorway and he seee to her bemused eyes, his tall, lean physique sheathed in an exquisitely cut light grey business suit The only other ti day and she stared, reckoning that that formality didn’t detract an ounce from his dark, exotic appeal

‘Chrissie,’ he said with a level of gravity that unnerved her, for it was a quality that she had only glimpsed in him at the worst moments of their relationship when he had proved how very serious he could be when she crossed hi you to come here’

‘Well, that h that sounded raw in the echoing silence ‘But I had to see you in private and this was theit’

‘You are welcoers and a servant ca and scraping ‘We will have tea and bepolite?’

Colour ran up to the roots of her pale, shining hair To her horror, her throat developed a luain in an unwelcoolden eyes rested on her and her heart started to go thuht ‘Yespolite,’ she agreed shakily, longing for the hostile, aggressive edge that had powered her earlier that onism had provided a blessed bumper between her and the maelstrom of emotions his appearance had awakened inside her

‘I would’ve phoned in advance of my arrival had I known your number,’ Jaul breathed as if he knew exactly what she was thinking

Mercifully he couldn’t know, she thought wretchedly, searching his startlingly handsoly fa, she acknowledged with self-loathing, but she didn’t have to keep on noticing, did she?

‘Perhaps we should exchange phone nu out his phone and took a note of hers while passing her a sleek business card ‘This feels so weird, Jaulall of it’

‘Of course it does Naturally we have both changed a great deal,’ he fielded with a level of smooth assurance that made her want to slap him

It was a welcome interruption when a knock sounded on the door and someone entered with a tray, followed by another person, who surged forith a deep bow in Jaul’s direction to yank out a small table and spread it with a cloth A china stand loaded with miniature French fancies and tiny scones was put on display and the English tea was poured

The sight shot Chrissie back in time to what she supposed had effectively been her first date with Jaul although she had not seen it as such at the time He had taken her to an exclusive hotel for afternoon tea, a quintessentially English tradition he had naively assu like a lady of the manor, she had very much enjoyed the experience

‘You re about what she was saying

But Jaul hadn’t rerandmother’s routine and it was still served all these years on because the house had never benefitted froh cheekbones as he was shot back in tio afternoon after he had finally persuaded Chrissie to see hi party ani a blue dress then as well The dress had had tiny little flowers all over it and she had sat there, tense and shy with her beautiful hair falling to her waist, and he had been so scared of saying or doing the wrong thing and frightening her off again Scared of what a woht think for the one and only tih at that recollection of his younger, less cynical self but noas looking at Chrissie again, noting the silvery hair that was shoulder length now, the fined-down line of her perfect features, and other reactions were overwhel him