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He looked down at her hand on his arm as if it were a pest he wanted to sto We play by my rules now”

Her heart skipped a beat “What does that mean?”

“It s before we leave The jet is waiting at the airport”

Her breath snagged in her throat She shook her head and backed away “I a with you I have a contract to fulfill”

“Not any to do is to send you ho you back another time”

Her dream vaporized before her eyes She took another step backward, her headfrom side to side “No, Coburn”

He stalked forward, his hand reaching out to snag her forear a fully clothed dip in the pool Desperation surged through her as her fingers closed around his waist, her gaze rising to his ice-cold blue one “Don’t do this”

“It’s already done”

Helplessness plunged through her “In ninethis baby, and once that happens I won’t be able to do anything for years This is my time, Coburn” She punctuated the words with the slap of her palm to his chest “I won’t let you take it away from me”

He looked down at her palainst his chest As if she was a juvenile in need of restraint “Pull yourself together,” he advised coldly, lifting his gaze to her face “You have your entire life to do this Just not now”

She gritted her teeth She wanted to tell hi this tier But a tiny part of her, a part she’d been ignoring ever since she’d arrived here and seen the physical challenges she’d face if this nausea went on, which itthe wisdom of her decision Was scared

Did she need to accept that Coburn was right? That the tiht it except with the knowledge that she would come back She would do this

A tear slid down her face Then another She lifted her fingers to brush the like runaway bandits down her cheeks Once, just once, she’d wanted to do so her soul back from the depths it had sunk to

Coburn reached up and brushed her fingers aside, sweeping the tears aith his thulint in his eyes softened a fraction “This is not over,” he said quietly “It’s just postponed”