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‘Yes,’ he said emphatically ‘I would Because I’ve come to realise that you are the perfect woman for me’

Erin blinked because now hope was refusing to listen to her reservations It was hurtling through her body like a runaway train and flattening everything in its track ‘I am?’

His icy eyes glittered ‘Indeed you are I like the way that you don’t try to manipulate me or covet my money, or possessions’ He paused ‘And, of course, you drive ht possible, zvezda moya’

‘And that’s enough?’

‘No, it is not But you have another attribute which is rare So rare that I have never found it before The silver bullet, if you like—which is that you don’t love me You don’t believe in love Well, neither do I’ He smiled ‘Now, isn’t that just a match made in heaven?’

Her knees eak and Erin only justas she listened to his cruel parody of aa man was traditionally supposed to say at a time like this, he had twisted round He had ht He had projected a future which wouldbut a e, which would be little better than the one which had ruined his own life

‘And you think that’s the kind of example I want to setwith a hurt she could no longer hide ‘That I want hi up with two people who are proud of never experiencing an e of time?’

‘I didn’t say I was proud of it’

‘I don’t care what you said,’ she hissed, aware that her sense of logic was hae by the second

‘And I don’t understand either your outrage or your objections,’ he snapped ‘You were happy enough to marry Chico for financial security, weren’t you? When we both knoasn’t offering you half the benefits you could get from me’

‘You’re disgusting,’ she snapped as she heard the unhened his voice Did he really think that could sway her? That his skill between the sheets would et all her principles? She shook her head ‘I don’t need a heartless man to bankroll the life I want for Leo and me I can achieve what I need all byto stop usto live in a cheaper part of England There’s a whole lot of beautiful countryside just waiting out there’

‘But think how much easier it would be with me behind you’

‘But that’s where you’re co’ She shook her head as she stared at hi fire and the heavy beat of her heart ‘Because I’ve suddenly discovered a fundaument’

‘I don’t understand,’ he said coldly

Maybe because she was only just beginning to understand herself She sucked in a deep breath, realising that she was laying everything on the line here But why run fro rather than nothing To live rather than to exist Because Di and that was that you couldn’t protect yourself against being hurt That being hurt was part of life itself

‘I thought I didn’t believe in love,’ she said slowly ‘But the irony is that so the way I’ve fallen in love with you, Dimitri I didn’t want to I still don’t want to—because you’re the last man in the world any sane woman would choose to be in love with You’re cold and you’re heartless and you don’t give out your trust very easily But don’t they say that the heart takes no prisoners? I started loving you a long tiet you out of my systeave a wry s you to reciprocate, because I realise you can’t But obviously I can’t marry you under these circumstances It wouldn’t be fair—not to you, nor to me and especially not to Leo’

‘Why not?’

‘Because unrequited love doesn’t work,’ she said impatiently ‘It’s a recipe for disaster—everyone knows that! And love doesn’t really last All the books say it changes once all that new sex wears off’

‘But hasn’t your parents’ love affair lasted?’