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“I assure you, I have not publicized the fact”
She clenched her hand against her sto as if she’d sustained a blow there
He was right He had been very careful to keep their relationship out of the media, no small feat when she was a fairly well known model in Europe and he was a billionaire But those sa with her circumspect behavior hadto stay out of the international scandal rags
Just as she’d had her reasons for keeping her identity as Alexandra Dupree a secret Just as she had commitments that had forced her to put her job before her tier held top place in her priorities, not now that she was pregnant and he was talking aboutanother woman
“Do you love her?” He’d implied he didn’t, but she wanted facts She needed assurances
“Love is not so I think about”
That was telling her She bit her lip, tasting blood before she realized what she was doing
He swore and dipped his napkin in her glass of water before pressing it against the small wound, his expression furious “Do not do this to yourself, Xandra Our affair was bound to end Perhaps that end is co sooner than either of us expected or wanted, but it cannot be a complete shock to you”
She shook her head, unable to believe he thought she had spent the last year looking ahead to an end in their relationship She had never allowed herself to iine a future with him, either In fact, she’d spent the last year prettyto think of the future at all
“I love you” The words just slipped out
“Damn it Don’t do this”
“Don’t do what? Tell you the truth?”
“Try to manipulate me with such claims”
“I’ to manipulate you”
Cynicis of this great love for the past year?”
“I was afraid…”
His sarcastic laugh cut into her “You were more sincere”
On one level, she understood his disbelief She’d never spoken of love and he didn’t know about Mama or Madeleine and the financial needs that had forced Alexandra to put hiht never have told hinancy had forced her to reevaluate her life, a big chunk of which was her relationship with him
Even understanding it, his scathing denial of her love still hurt “You care about me Don’t try to deny it Not after the e have been the past twelve o”
“I appreciate that having sex with you in the circu, but as I said I could not help myself”
Okay, so he hadn’t agreed he cared about her, but such an ad to dishtly He found her irresistible Surely that s for her “If it were only sex, you could have gotten that anywhere, including from your fiancée”
“A proper Greek girl does not give her innocence to a man before she marries”
Did he realize what he was saying? It was archaic Prehistoric “What does that make me? A tart?”
His broad shoulders tensed “No You are an independent, career-minded woman I wanted you You wanted me We e and if you are honest with yourself you will admit you knew that”
“Why should I?” Maybe she hadn’t thought ahead to e, but she sure as heck hadn’t assu toincredibly special”
“We had great sex”
Her hands trelass of juice she had just lifted to her lips “I can’t believe you just said that”
“It is the truth”
“Your truth”
He shrugged “My truth”
“Well, I have a truth I have to share with you as well”
“What is this truth?” he asked coolly