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Only then did he let go, feeling her convulse about hiasm to follow Afterwards he carried her over to the bed and ripped the silk gown froain, for its associations were now too strongly linked to powerful emotions he would prefer not to remember

It was a long and erotic night He ain and, even while Cathy revelled in the incredible sensations he evoked in her, it felt al to prove a point What point was that? she wondered distractedly To establish that he could reduce her to boneless longing any time he wanted to?

She woke to find him already dressed, and realised that it was the first time she had seen hie led It reminded her of the first time she’d seen him, when she had been crazily convinced that he was an itinerant worker!

Was he dressing down and reverting to the old Xaviero now that he had been freed from the burden of responsibility? And were his shadowed eyes an acknowledge a bride—thathimself?

She sat up in bed, pushing back her tousled hair—aware of the aching deep inside her body and the soft glow of her flesh ‘You’re—you’re up early’

Golden eyes flicked over her ‘An eht of her rosytipped breasts wasthe already-rumpled sheets and Xaviero walked over to the safe distance of the‘We have to discuss what kind of statement we need to issue to the press,’ he added tersely

‘Oh I see’ He was standing in the shadows—she could barely read the expression on his face, but that wasn’t such a new thing, was it? Wasn’t his face fathoave anything of hie ‘Xaviero…this…changes everything’

‘I know it does’

His instant confir realisation that what they had between theile as one of those flohich blooone for ever

‘You won’t want to stay on the island once Casimiro is fully recovered’

‘I think I ht cramp his style solance ‘Don’t you?’

Don’t be swayed by that gli huown over her head—feeling less vulnerable now that her nakedness was hidden Concentrate on what is real and what is not You can’t trap him—it isn’t fair And you can’t hold hi reasons So set hiive him his liberty

‘I think we should dissolve the e,’ she said bluntly

Perhaps it was the shock of a wo they end it which surprised hi—for Xaviero had never been dumped by anyone But an innate sense of his own self-worth meant that he couldn’t quite believe it He stared at her with a sense of growing disbelief in his eyes ‘You want that?’ he queried incredulously

She remembered what he had said to her just yesterday, when she had been dressing for dinner How I hate this life Well, now he didn’t have to live it any more, did he?

‘I think it would be for the best,’ she answered carefully, praying that her voice wouldn’t tre to want to stay here’ The face he presented her was a cold, dark mask as she strove to ine it, Xaviero You’ll go to South A with you a wife you only ed that circumstances would be entirely different? And then what? You return to Colbridge and start up your polo school with the hotel all tarted up and me, the ex-chambermaid installed as its new chatelaine? Cohable Why, the press would have a field-day!’

He couldn’t deny the essential truth in her words but what struck him was how ironic life could be How deteru so quietly confident as she told hi him?