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‘A wo heart,’ Dare mocked softly

She shot hi between them Dare smiled and watched, transfixed as she collected herself and reinstated her sophisticated façade The transfor to behold

‘I apologise if you thought I was in any way rude, Mr James,’ she said, as if a poker were rammed up her delectable backside ‘It was not my intention’

Not now that she kneho he was, anyway She wouldn’t want to do anything to unsettle her gravy train

‘Is that right?’ he said smoothly

Her face coloured again and her little chin went up at the challenging note in his voice

He trapped her gaze with his Don’t mess with me, my little beauty, he silently warned You’ll lose

She blinked as if to say she had no idea what he was on about and he nearly applauded her for her acting skills

Instead he disrandfather ‘Why is she here?’

His grandfather shifted unco a drink before dinner and as I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow I invited her to join us I hope you don’t mind’

For reasons he didn’t want to exa his Scotch

His deceptively amiable question froze the cool smile on Carly’s face

His grandfather frowned ‘Carly iswell, she’s a guest of mine,’ he finished lamely

‘How nice for you’ Dare ran his hand over the length of the tartan rug, noting the frown on Carly Evans’s face as he did so

‘I can go’ She ue ‘I don’t mind, really—’

‘Stay,’ Dare said, rethinking his position It et a full picture of as going on