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“I never said that”

Clio didn’t knohy she was so angry, only that it was unbearable that he wasn’t evendid it for you After that first drink, I found it was easy to not give a da and your low opinion”

“Or it could be because you knohat’s been building between us this past week and you’re terrified to face it and you wanted an easy out

“Whatever happened tonight, co, you could say, I was out of it”

He dissected her emotions, her decisions so easily that she felt raw, out of control, bereft of words

He undid the golden cuff links and pushed his sleeves back, arrogant confidence dripping fro yet, cara?”

Clio pushed hih of you and your—”

“No, you haven’t,” he said grabbing her again This ti hi, Clio Unless you stop and face it, there’ll always be another situation to run from”

“I’m not—”

“You left England when you found out that your father had arranged every day of the rest of your life from what you’ll study to who you’llto do but it was still running away

“For all these years, you hid even when you knew Jackson was cheating you—you let hiht, you drank because you don’t knohat to do with me”

He placed his hand over one breast and a gasp fell from her mouth He covered herfar and wide,to aze Do you have any idea how torturous this is for me?”

And he gave her what she wanted

He stroked and bit, nipped and laved at herto him, her body, her will, her mind, all his

“You drank because you didn’t want to be responsible for this, Clio,” he whispered against her swollen mouth

Slowly, he pushed her back, creating distance between their bodies