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Vito's hard htened 'You are physically very attractive, eous '

Ashley was beginning to shake 'You ht A’s as a potential cuckoo-typethe line as a woman!'

'I don't believe I said that' Vito watched her with veiled eyes

'But that's what you meant!' Ashley lashed back at him painfully 'You think a real wo herself!'

'All I do know is that in your case,' Vito breathed harshly, 'I was not theyou to make the smallest compromise or sacrifice on my behalf'

Ashley loosed a high-pitched laugh 'A small coive upan independent career, ainst eny with rabbit like efficiency! All those months you pretended that you understood how I felt-'

'I was being remarkably patient and tactful,' Vito incised

'You were being bloody devious and dishonest!' Ashley countered

'I was co my own convictions in an attempt to save our relationship,' Vito bit out between clenched teeth 'There were times I wanted to shake you until your teeth rattled! There we

re times I wanted to use physical force to et inside your head and rearrange the circuitry into some form of normality'

'I always said the only sort of real wo robot!' Ashley spat, grabbing up her bag 'I've had enough of this, and I wouldn't like to tell you exactly what I think of your baby-booh I would dearly like to tell you what to do with it!'

'You walk out of that door and your brother goes to prison!'

Ashley froze with her hand reaching out towards the door and sloung back 'You bastard!' she gasped strickenly, recalled to reality again with a nasty jerk when for a few minutes there it had als, no insult too low to be utilised, no theme too sensitive to employ

'I am what you madelike the start of a suave you fabulous sex but no deeply unsatisfied longing for a permanent commitment'

Ashley snatched up her abandoned coffee-cup and threw it at him with an unrepeatable word 'How dare you talk to me like that?' she seethed

The cup se of the fireplace but the contents spattered Vito's jacket It served hiht furiously Vito had always seemed to have the opinion that it was sos

'You know, entleman never hits a lady,' Vito murmured half under his breath 'Therefore I should feel quite free to retaliate After all, there is no individual worthy of the title of a lady currently in this room'

'You lay a finger on-' Ashley broke off as a quiet knock on the door prefaced the entry of the manservant with the offer of a second cup of coffee

'Thank you,' Vito stated straight-faced 'But I've had all the coffee I can handle'

As the door shut, a powerful hand closed round one of Ashley's wrists and yanked her bodily forward, her slender five-foot-two-inch figure suddenly twisting away from his proximity in dismay