page15 (1/2)

“How many lovers have you had?” he asked, and she jolted as if he’d doused her with ice water

“What?” But she thought only of Brian, who she’d rather die than claim as a lover Especially now

“How many?”

“I don’t want to answer that,” she said, slowly but distinctly “Or think it’s any of your business Why would you ask?”

Khaled only looked at her, for such a long tiainst her still-flushed skin again So long that she crossed her arms over her chest and told herself the cold she felt caht air, not from him

And then, as her te him anyway

“There’s no answer I can give to that question that willbut aard More aard, I mean,” she said, and his lips twitched, the way they did when she h

“Luckily, aardness has yet to claile death, as far as I know”

“Howhim

“I’ve had aze “But I’m afraid I cannot accept that answer from you, Cleo”

“That sounds suspiciously like a nasty double standard,” she said, striving for a light tone And failing

He shrugged in that way of his that reminded her hoerful he was “It is But I have never claimed to be particularly liberated and I still wish to know”

He said it as if knowing such personal details about her life were his right And there was so about that air of authority, that tone of co to do as he asked Despite the huge part of her that didn’t want to do it

“One,” Cleo said, grudgingly “We et married” She scowled at him “We didn’t”

“When?”