page51 (1/1)
She glared at hi he didn’t believe in Was it just because he always liked to win? She stared at the two glasses of cha ‘They are the exception which proves the rule,’ she said quietly ‘And they’re ordinary people—not oligarchs My father doesn’t have wo themselves at hi because I’ what you want row bored with er and prettier—and I couldn’t bear that I’ in love doesn’tyou a favour, Di to li in my power to oing to marry you Do you understand?’
CHAPTER TWELVE
DAMN HER
Just damn her
Dilowered He would not He would not be emotionally blackmailed
He studied the antique bowl containing the grouping of bonsai trees which adorned the polished desk of his London office—an exquisite planting of seven Foemina Junipers, which had been created by a Japanese master It had taken a lot for Dimitri to persuade thethat the trees would be properly cared for and kept in the right conditions It had occurred to Direater concern to thewhich accompanied it
Usually, just staring at the priceless piece of horticulture brought him some kind of peace, but not today He studied the bowl The idea that so as enormous as a tree could be clipped and contained into a size sh to keep on a man’s desk had always appealed to his dark sense of humour But he realised that he also enjoyed the element of control essential for successful bonsai care Conditions needed to be n of rarowth needed to be ruthlessly cut away It wasnature And it was a representation of how he liked to live his life
Until now
Noas discovering that not everything could be controlled With a heavy sigh he sat back in his chair and thought about Erin She had e He couldn’t quite believe it at first, but she had There had been no wavering or sign she ht back from Moscow or the journey at the other end, when he’d dropped her and Leo off at the café
She had made him feel
What?
He sed She hadtiainst someone ould not be moulded to his formidable will, no matter how many enticements he offered her
He had tried telling hiht Much better that he had asthehis life with another person He’d returned from Russia deterh the stack of invitations which aiting for him
But all he could think about was a pair of green eyes and a woman who only smiled when she wanted to
He thought about the things she’d said and his eyes focused on the Foe to tell hi a successful ht, just as with the bonsai? Just as you couldn’t grow a tiny tree in barren soil, neither could a relationship flourish properly without love and care and commitment? Was that what she had meant?
Damn her
He waited two days for her to change herand he waited in vain His days seehts were even worse He hadn’t slept this badly since the ti dawned and, after a largely sleepless night, he drove himself round to the café, where he sat outside the citrus-decked exterior in his big car—half expecting Erin to co there Or perhaps send Leo out to talk to him, because wouldn’t that have been an easy way to break the stand-off which had sprung up between them?
But nobody ca behind her owl-like spectacles—but she didn’t wave at him to come in
He got out of the car and locked it, his heart pounding as he pushed open the café door It arm and croith customers, with mothers and fathers and little children as well as a couple wearing party clothes who didn’t appear to have been to bed Several people looked up as the jangling bell announced his arrival, and stayed looking