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So What had she been expecting—words of love? Or at least words which contained so with hope for a shared future Instead, he had presented her with the option of visiting schools and warerly snatch at his offer—the way she had greedily fallen into bed with him? Well, she would match his cool words with her own response

‘But why me?’ she queried ‘Why not a woh-born and not a humble chambermaid?’

Xaviero nodded, pleased with the dispassionate nature of her question—because surely that boded well for the future ‘Because I know the identity of every eligible woman on the island—and have no wish to o trawling the world in search of a ed as he met her eyes, but he would not shrink from as, essentially, the truth ‘AAnd of course you have one essential qualification for the role, Cathy—one which I can vouch for myself’

‘My virginity?’ she guessed slowly

‘Of course’ Re the afternoon she had lost it, he felt the beat of desire and longed to take her in his arht then To lose himself there in the sweetest way possible and to teht of expectation which now fell on his shoulders But he dared not touch her Not yet ‘So…’ He raised his dark brows ‘Your thoughts on the matter?’

If only he had kissed her or hugged her instead of asking the question in such a cold-blooded way If he had let physical affectioneasier? But he was still standing away froht as well have been a ed herself Because this is very iive his unbelievable proposal any serious consideration, then you must be in full possession of the facts

And thatas detached as he was

‘So my innocence is the sole reason for this fairy-tale proposal?’

Xaviero gave a quick s to shock him with her sudden bluntness? ‘I think you underestimate your petite, blonde beauty, e would of course be impossible if you had been intimate with other men But it is your biddable nature which was equally i me come to my decision’

Cathy stilled ‘What…what are you talking about?’

‘It is one of your most commendable qualities—the fact that you are so wonderfully coan to walk across the room towards her ‘Such a wonderfully old-fashioned trait and it is because you are not from aristocracy that you are in possession of it I watched you begin to learn about sex with an enthusiaserness to please and to improve bodes well, Cathy—and can be applied to other fields outside the bedroom’

‘Compliant?’ she repeated weakly, because noas before her—his glorious face in close-up, his own distinctive scent invading her senses

‘Yes—compliant You are like a blank canvas on which I can paint whatever I like Someone ill learn to be the perfect Princess, just as you have learnt to be the perfect lover Feomen are as teachable as you, mia bella Cathy Now come here—’

His voice had dipped and Cathy heard the raw hunger in it—but she stood stiff and un when he took her into his ared herself Tell hi request Tell hiin who learns quickly and will grab at anything he offers you

‘Cathy,’ hethe tousled fall of her hair as he had been longing to do froers in its silken spill ‘Sweet, sweet Cathy’

She tried to fight it, but desire was proving far stronger than pride—and hadn’t she hungered for his touch for so long? Hadn’t he hovered on the periphery of her every waking thought for eachher of how totally he could captivate her?

She had thought that she had tasted the last of hied that she would be in his arain But now she was, and it was even better than she reent desire He was s her hair as if she were a cat Each of his thu an outline on each side of her lips, sending them into a helpless treesture and it was al ‘Xaviero—’