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“You can’t blame Ruby She doesn’t deserve that”

“I don’t,” he answered simply

“How on earth can you expect me to believe you when you can’t even stay in a room with her for more than five minutes, let alone spend any time alone with her?”

Raoul rubbed a hand across his eyes and shook his head “It’s not what you think I don’t blame her I just can’t let myself love her”

His words struck her like an arrow through her heart “How can you say that?” she gasped, shocked to her core

“Because it’s true I can’t love her, I won’t love her What if I lose her, too?”

“What if she lives to be a hundred years old?” Alexis countered

“You don’t understand, she was born prematurely, she was seriously ill for the first month of her life—”

“And she’s overco girl and she needs her father—not some coho’s prepared to pay everyone to take over his obligations!”

Raoul stood up straighter at her accusation—anger flaring in his hazel eyes,out evenme a coward?”

Alexis stood her ground “If the cap fits” She shrugged with feigned nonchalance Right now she orried she may have stepped over the mark But it was too late to back down Besides, she wasn’t about to break theto the heart of his issues “Let’s face it, you can’t even bring yourself to talk about e shared last week, about our night together Instead you’ve been snapping and snarling at ether What’s wrong, Raoul? Can’t you adood? Do you not believe you even deserve even that?”

“No, I don’t!” he shouted “It’s a betrayal”