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One

Alexis watched him froh the s at the end of the roo tiny dust motes that floated on air redolent with the scent of ferrapes But she was oblivious to the artistic beauty of the setting—her focus solely on the man orked on, unaware of her presence

He’d changed God, how he’d changed He was thinner, gaunt even, and his signature well-grooiven way to a self-executed haircut, a stretched and faded T-shirt and torn jeans His face obviously hadn’t seen a razor in several days But then grief was bound to do that to a man—to diminish the importance of the everyday tasks he’d done automatically and replace them with indifference

How could she help ahimself?

The weight of what she’d agreed to do felt heavy and uncoly stepped up to the plate when everything went pear-shaped, was now thinking that perhaps this time she’d bitten off more than she could chew

Straightening her shoulders, she shook off her doubts Bree had turned to her in her tied Alexis to take care of her husband and the child she’d been on the verge of delivering should so happen to her, as if she’d knohat lay ahead While her best friend had died before Alexis could give her that promise, in her heart she knew she couldn’t refuse—couldn’t walk away Even if keeping that proe fronetically drawn to from the moment she’d first met him

Raoul stilled in his actions His attention shifted fro from his hand to the clipboard covered in hand-scrawled notes that lay on the stark white tablecloth He lifted his head and turned toward her, his face registering a brief flash of surprise together with soone in an instant, replaced by a tight mask of aloofness

“Alexis,” he said, accoht nod

“I ca I” Her voice trailed away How did you tell a man that it had taken alhter and the death of the love of his life because you’d severed ties with his wife, your best friend since kindergarten, when it becaotten” to give her your new eht when your work started requiring more international travel because you couldn’t bear to hear any ether? Because you had coveted him for yourself?

Because you still did

She took a deep breath and sed against the lurief that swelled in her throat

“I’ve been traveling for a while, ever since my business” The words died at the expression on his face Clearly Raoul could not care less about the success she’d been enjoying ever since her clothing line finally started taking off “Bree’s letter caught up withme around the world for the past year”