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‘Because if you don’t, I’ll be forced to propose e to you in front of your parents and I really wanted to do that without an audience’

Her breath hitched, her chin came up and shocked eyes stared back at hi her cheekbones ‘You don’t do commitment, ould you want to marry me? And you’ve just tried to convince them you’re not suitable husband material’

Would it always be this difficult with Didi?

Would he want her any other way?

‘Maybe I’ve changed Maybe I’ve had tiaze to hers, searching for the answer he wanted Needed The answer he kneas there He was barely aware of Didi’s parentstheir way to the door

Keeping his eyes on hers, he crossed the few steps separating the theripped her arave a little shake ‘Look at theof this’

‘Me?’

‘Yes, you You stubborn, difficult woht I’d ruin your reputation as an artist if people discovered round and I was associated with you in a personal way I didn’t say what I wanted to ask you on that last night—what I’d planned to ask—because I didn’t want to jeopardise your future You’d worked so hard for success’

‘Yes And you gave me the opportunity I needed’ She smiled for the first time Only a tiny s warh his limbs and hope in his heart

He’droom, her clothes on the floor in his bedroo idiosyncrasies He’dhis nose as he slept

‘What had you planned to ask me?’

‘I wanted to ask you to stay, to continue e’d started’

The sement I would have said no’