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“I’ll let you know,” he told Cody quickly, trying to quiet the voice in his head that refused to be silenced

Cate slept restlessly, then woke a little after ital clock on the nightstand next to her bed, desperate to get back to sleep but unable to do so She tucked her hand beneath her cheek and realized she couldn’t sleep because she couldn’t stop thinking of Liaet his accusation in the restaurant that she cared too much for Alec That soelina As if that was possible even if I wanted to, she thought angrily Which I don’t

Then her anger turned to sadness Not sadness that she couldn’t have Alec But that Liam would think she was the kind of woe “That tells you exactly what Liam thinks of you,” she whispered in the darkness Despite all his encouraging words this afternoon Despite the gentle kiss he’d placed on her wrist that had —e from his touch, she actually enjoyed it Heat had blooed to have hi arms Wanted to knohat his lips would feel like on hers

But all thatBecause in his heart of hearts Liam believed the worst of her Maybe he even believed she’d voluntarily stayed with Vishenko from the start, despite what he’d said on the plane about how the scars on her wrists affected hiht? And that was the ine That Liam—Liam—would think she’d chosen a life of shame

The backs of her eyes ached, but the tears she’d sworn she’d never cry again were denied her She turned her pillow over, seeking a cool spot, and tried to force herself to sleep But it was useless Finally she got out of bed, belted her new terry cloth robe around her waist and crept into the other roolass of water

She’d just put the glass down on the counter when a slight sound made her turn around sharply Lia but a T-shirt and boxer shorts, his hair ruun in his hand

“Sorry,” he said “I didn’t un he held, and ate” He disappeared back into his bedrooun “Couldn’t sleep?” Cate shook her head “My fault,” he said in his deep voice “I wasn’t sleeping all that well h” His eyes were sad “Please forgive me”

At nearly one in thethem like a blanket, Cate could speak honestly “It hurt me,” she admitted “It hurt that you would think I was the kind of woman who”

“I didn’t I didn’t think that” He sighed “I don’t knohy I said it I just I wanted to be the one you felt that way about, and I Jealousy is an ugly, destructive emotion, Cate Especially when it’s your own brother you’re jealous of”

“You don’t have to be jealous of Alec” Her voice was low but intense “I care for him I admit that But I never wanted hiht with things they’d both left unsaid Until she whispered, “I never wanted any man to touch me that wayuntil I met you”

Lia both disbelief and a desire to believe Warring e?”

Cate took a step back “Yes, I know But just because that’s how I feel, doesn’t mean I can I can’t You have to know that about me” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then looked at hiendered in her “There’s nothing I want more than to be able to come to a man clean and whole But I can’t”

“Why can’t you?”

She turned away so Liaht to this country to be a” She sed Hard But she couldn’t get the word out “Vishenko saw me in that house where I was taken” She turned back to face him “He picked me, you understand? Out of all the wo with terror and fear of what by then we kneould happen to us—all but , but he told me that hy, out of all those women, he picked me to be his toy,” she said in a bitter voice “His personal plaything”