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‘Meaning what?' he challenged her frowning

‘Meaning that I've learned enough about sex from you to know that it isn't always used as an expression of positive ee these days that couples on the verge of splitting up do sos Some couples say that they had the best sex of their relationship when the e Of course I know that we aren't emotionally intimate with one another’

What she meant of course Emily admitted, was that Marco had never been emotionally close with her because he didn't want to be whilst she had had to struggle not to be close when shed wanted to be ‘But I think both of us would accept that the break-up of any relationship—even one like ours—does bring things to the surface that aren't easy to accept'

Marco's frown deepened She was now being farthan he had expected—and he didn't like that! But he was being ridiculous He should feel very relieved that she was being so sensible, especially after her earlier, uncharacteristic outburst

CHAPTER SIX

FROM his seat on the royal jet Marco looked down onto his faroup of forreet him The ostrich-feather plumes of their dress hats fluttered in the breeze as they stood straight-backed, ignoring the heat of the sun Marcos lips twisted with irony at the thought of the heavily gold-braided, be with strict instructions that he reeted by the courtly welco committee

In fact, the uniform, appropriate for the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in Nirolis ancient Royal Guard, was lying in its leather dress-trunk in the planes hold, whilst he wore his own handrandfather wouldn't be pleased But Marco intended to let hio that he would ements and he wouldn't allow them to force theirs on him

Eh she would probably have laughed gently, and teased hinificent, beautifully tailored uniforht of her away froside hi inside his head, but it was too late; she was there, s him as he ached for her What the hell was this?

He stood up so abruptly that the young Niroli air force aide-de-cauard, and his own atteet to his feet before Marco was severely ha hness, if you wish to have more time in order to prepare, then please allow me—'

‘No I am ready' Marco told the aide shortly and then relented when he saw his anxious expression It was not the lad's fault—and he was little more than a boy A scion of one of Niroli's foremost titled families Marco had chosen to be the randfather wanted hi herself into his thoughts where she now had no right to be! Her abrupt departure from his apartment had decided hiinally planned—ht

Marco suspected the old king would not have been so cock-a-hoop over his victory if he had known that it owed less to his oer than to his grandson’s loss of his bed-mate

The aide-de-ca his own plu-to-be as the doors to the royal jet were opened He bowed as Marco walked past hiway steps and into Nirolis sunshine Just for a few seconds Marco stood ht at the top of the steps, not because he was the islands future ruler, but because he was one of its returning sons

He had alotten the unique scent of sunshine and sea e of hot wind Not even the strong smell of jet fuel and tar his eyes: this was his ho the wide straight road that ran from the airport to the main toere his people Many of the part of a wider, ive to Nirolis young the opportunities his grandfathers old-fashioned rule had denied the military band broke into Nirolis national anthe officials removed their hats and bowed their heads Their faces were fah more wrinkled and lined than he remembered—the faces of old men