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“I understand” He sat back, hiswith self-deprecation “I knew you weren’t proper mistress material— Clair, that’s a coasped and stood, impaled by the remark

She began clearing the food they hadn’t touched “No, you’re right,” she rushed out, clattering dishes “I know I’ into pieces on the inside but refused to let him see it It would only make this worse “When we met, I was afraid of every type of relationship I was so terrified I’d get hurt, I didn’t let anyone near me Now I know it doesn’t actually kill you to be close to someone Literally, physically close, I mean” Her smile was brittle “I’ll be able to take that forward…”

She stumbled to a halt, unnerved by the way his eyes went black Jealousy?

Ducking her head, she let her hair fall forward, hiding her confusion Hiding the way her face wanted to cru and so unsure

With a deep breath, she steeled herself and lifted her chin “Still a long way off before I risk falling in love, but…” She trailed off, bravado tank on ean to thicken What you wanted “I’ to pack”

She rattled dishes onto the bench and left

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

IF ALEKSY’S WORK ethic had suffered when Clair aiting at the penthouse for hiht evaporated when she wasn’t there at all He told hies would allow hi seemed to bury it He didn’t really care about the outcoal counsel cut a deal with a unionto keep a factory operating and when a stock s His only concern hether it had affected the portfolio he’d put together for Clair

He went through thedrove hiuilt, thirst for revenge… They’d all e and the next, and now he had no goal No purpose The only thing that one

Clair

He’d done the right thing, he kept telling himself She deserved to be loved He, at least, had known the feeling at one point in his life He’d subverted his need for it, detere the lives of his parents, but they’d made sure he knehat it was Clair hadn’t experienced that, and if she could find a man who loved her even half as much as he did—