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He was calain when he spoke ‘And your mother—she approved of your actions? Condoned them, perhaps?’

‘Of course she didn’t! She didn’t know Not until afterwards’ Sienna shrugged and stared down at the fish congealing on her plate She wanted to say that she had regretted it bitterly ever since—but that wouldn’t be true She had been glad to help her ainst Hashim, and the way he had made her feel about herself But even that could not see for him

Stupid, hopeless longing Hoas it possible for this man to deride her, to criticise and pour scorn on her, and yet she was still drawn to that dark, lean body, wanted to see those black eyes soften with passion once more? ‘So that’s it Subject closed’ She lifted her eyes and aze ‘So now you know—can we please just forget about this whole farce? You can’t possibly want e your wretched party for you’

The corners of his mouth lifted upwards in a cruel iet it! Oh, foolish, foolish woman ‘On the contrary, Sienna,’ he said softly ‘I do not want anyone else It is you I want and you that I shall have’

And Sienna began to tremble

CHAPTER SIX

A MONTH was no tilad that Hashie his party If it had dragged on over weeks, then what kind of state ht she have found herself in?

As it was, she had her work cut out to find a venue—and there certainly wasn’t time to think about his thinly veiled threat, or the sensual way he had looked at her

Determinedly, she put him out of her mind and holed herself up in her tiny office at her ho every contact she’d ever made until at last she struck lucky She could have the use of Bolland House, set in a hundred acres in the glorious Hampshire countryside She had driven down to see it and had pronounced it perfect

She had found a local acclaianic produce sourced fro in her favourite soht not be drinking alcohol and asked him to provide a wide selection of soft drinks which were rather e juice!

In fact everything was now in place…and with just three days to go it felt a bit as she iiant space stations just before they sent a rocket into flight—the tension of the countdoas almost unbearable Especially in this heat

‘I’ coffee!’ called a voice from the kitchen ‘Do you want some?’

‘Love sohed It was funny how circunition in such a short ti with Hashim, Sienna had been utterly contented She had her little terraced house in Kennington, which she had bought as a neglected and nearly derelict wreck She had spent every sparethe paintwork and painting it in light colours, filling it with hter She had saved up to have a new bathroom and kitchen put in and had painted the front door in a deep, dark blue

When the house had been habitable, she had taken in a lodger to help with the es at a nearby university And only then had Sienna given herself the luxury of turning her attention to the garden and the challenge of round which had looked like a builders’ yard

‘Coffee’s ready!’ called Kat

‘Co!’

Sienna got up and went through to the kitchen, where Kat was just putting the cafetière andover her shoulders She looked up as Sienna caarden?’

‘That would be lovely,’ said Sienna, but she could hear the flatness in her own voice as she went out into the sunshine

She felt like an outsider to the rest of the world Usually she revelled in pride and pleasure at the small oasis she had created in the ht dappling through the honeysuckle, but she couldn’t seerant blooms, nor appreciate its simple beauty Hashim’s reappearance in her life see except the memory of his dark and cruel face, and his hard, virile body