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It suddenly bothered Lara, though It’d been one thing to joke about it with Castillo It was another to sit in front of Phillip feeling like a charity case

Then again, beggars and choosers were in vastly different categories

“Hey, I realize it’s not ” Phillip grimaced, clearly not happy

Whether it was the question he was not happy to ask, or si nearly as friendly anymore, she pulled the tray back to her side of the table

His lips twitched, so he clearly got the nored it God forbid so what he saw as his duty

“Believe ht is right,” he said, giving the table a careful look before he laid his forearms on it and leaned forward “Are you sure you want to walk out on hienuinely care about you And I know you wouldn’t have stayed here sharing a hotel room if you didn’t care about him”

“He messed with my life,” she said

“And?”

Fury flashed in Lara’s chest, so hot it was hard to breathe She leaned forward so she was halfway across the table and got in her brother’s face

“I’uy’s project A fun little sideline to hteous and manly while he fixes what he sees as the problees in uy is going to call my shots”

Phillip pulled a considering face, then slowly nodded

Good Lara leaned back, trying to even out her breathing

Discussion finished, he could give her the money and this whole farce of a family reunionwould be over

“But here’s the thing”

Lara dropped her face into her hands and groaned

“I’uy, nor have I spent time with him outside of duty But I wouldn’t classify Castillo as the kind of person who looks for reasons to feel righteous” Phillip griot plenty of those His ego and his sense of worth are considerable”

Lara lifted her head just enough to peek over her fingers

“Are you saying you think Dominic is a conceited know-it-all?” she asked slowly

Phillip frowned for a second, then nodded

“Yeah, pretty o looking for, a project of any kind”

“And yet, despite et me to take a job that’s totally outsideup fashion advice” Lara threw her hands in the air “I’d say that has all the earhteous project”