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‘Zaliha supplied the candles and the snacks I lit the order and only had to be switched on I couldn’t allow any other female staff in here because they would have been very much shocked by the murals’
Chrissie scanned the hundreds of candles and hid a smile, touched by the effort he hadbut this place is beautiful all lit up like this’
The beginnings of the smile that had relaxed her full pinkfor the softness of her, the warth that ran like a core of inner steel through her see she truly was until he’d learnt what she had had to withstand at his father’s hands His lean brown hands snapped into fists, anger stirring afresh because he had been incapable of protecting her The guilt, which he was struggling to master, felt insurmountable
‘I should’ve contacted you as soon as I was ret, the hard, sculpted planes of his darkly handsoht ‘But I couldn’t face seeing you again knowing that I had lost you It is hard for s back then Seeing you again, being in your presence when you were no longer mine, would have hurt too much’
‘It still mattered that much to you?’ Chrissie pressed in surprise
Jaul shot her an incredulous look ‘I loved you I loved you with all my heart! But I lost faith in you while I lay alone in hospital’
Pained regret slivered through Chrissie She was furious that his father had subjected hier cared about him I loved you with all my heart It hurt Chrissie to hear that ‘I would’ve been there with you if I’d known—’
‘I know that nowthat’s what killingdefensively away from her, broad shoulders bunched with tension below his thin shirt
‘But it’s pointless wasting all this energy on a past that’s gone, done and dusted,’ she declared, tilting her chin ‘We have to move on from it—’
‘How can I do that when my father’s lies cost us soback to her ‘Once you were mine, completely, utterly mine and it is ain But, sensible and fair as I have tried to be, I still find hts about the fact that—’ His hands fisted again and he turned away again ‘No, I won’t say itsuch jealousy and possessiveness are wrong!’
Chrissie was frowning ‘What the heck are you talking about?’ she prompted uncertainly
‘It is a topic better not discussed What has happened has happened and ill not allow it to spoil e do have,’ Jaul declared, still restively pacing the tiled floor
Jealousy? Possessiveness? Abruptly she grasped hisfierily ‘Are you talking about the fact that I said I ith other men while ere apart?’
His lustrous gaze narrowed ‘It’s not so we need to discuss,’ he told her hastily ‘You believed you were single and quite naturally’
‘Well, maybe it would’ve been natural but I didn’t sleep with anyone else,’ Chrissie told him in a rush ‘I said I did but it was a lie I don’t kno you thought I could have found the tinant one and saddled with tborns and working the second year’
Jaul was studying her with fixed attention ‘Youlied?’ he queried in disbelief ‘About such an important issue?’
Chrissie winced ‘It was a weapon and I used it It’s the one and only lie I have told you Obviously I assumed that you—’
Jaul stalked closer and gripped her forearirlfriends, no one-night stands Nothingzilch’
Her eyes opened very wide in surprise ‘Buter, why?’
‘When I finally got out of that wheelchair I decided that since I had got myself in such a mess with you it would be safer to avoid another liaison and instead get married’