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He was still staring at her "I've never seen you wear your hair down"

"Not by choice, no But I had a headache earlier, on the plane, so I took the bobby pins out" He didn't say anything and she shifted uncomfortably "You don't like my hair down, do you? It is on the messy side-"

"It's nice I' you like this, but it-you-look very nice"

His voice had deepened and she felt absolutely terrified again This wasn't normal She didn't knohat to do, or what to say It didn't help when Franco arrived with a bottle of chane

Cha all out

Franco held the bottle before Morgan, waiting for his approval, and once getting it, pushed the cork off with a soft pop

Her first bottle of real chane, in a restaurant named Franco's with News Weekly's Man of the Year This wasn't her life She was living Morgan's ex-girlfriend Annika's life Only problem was, she didn't kno to be Annika

Winnie s his The chaold and very fizzy Hundreds of tiny bubbles rose swiftly to the surface and she realized she'd better say so semi-sophisticated

Winnie seized her flute "To News Weekly's Man of the Year," she proposed, voice quavering "Congratulations, Morgan You deserve it"

She sounded so sincere, so artless, Morgan thought, lifting his glass and clinking his flute against hers The candlelight flattered her, her pale skin luht

She wasn't like the worounded, more real He liked her lack of sophistication; it suited hilitz Everyone assumed because he'd s, preferred the trappings The opposite was true

"It's been quite a year," she added "You're everyone’s favorite person"

"Not yours," he answered ly

Her cheeks turned pink Her gaze dropped to the tablecloth "You're talking about the book, but I really do hate it when you bring this up because the last sixI "

So in her voice wrapped around his heart

She had a softness in her that constantly surprised him He didn't know many women anymore that were still so tender, still so…innocent

Morgan frowned, momentarily confused He wasn't entirely co He wasn't co, period, but he hadn't selected her as a wife candidate based on eical choice

"And to think a week ago I felt underappreciated," she said with a wry suess I can't feel that way now, can I?"

"You felt underappreciated?"

"You didn't even know my name!"

He felt a stab of guilt That was bad She had a right to be upset, but she also had to learn to accept responsibility for herself Stand on her oo feet "I wish you'd correctedTapped me on the shoulder, buzzed me on the intercom-"

"Would never happen," she interrupted with another husky laugh, and in the candlelight he realized her eyes were a hazel green, reen, with just a touch of yellow "Youyou'reyou"

"Brilliant deduction, Miss Graham"

She s shifted inside hiain This emotion was new, and rather protective, and more than a little bit jealous Mr Osborne couldn't have her Morgan wasn't going to lose her

Dinner over, Franco cleared their plates and the ene bottle was replaced with coffee Winnie leaned back against the booth, relaxed, sated

"Lovely," she sighed and then was forced to cover her mouth to smother a yawn She hadn't looked at her watch but it had to be way past ht ''This was like a dream"

"It doesn't have to end" Morgan leaned forward, black knit shirt pushed up on histo sound a little crazy, but I think it'd work, and I think we'd both be happy"

"You're going to give me a raise?"

His eyeslike water beneath a full moon "You could say that'

He reached down, drew a small black-velvet jeweler’s box from his trouser pocket and set it on the table