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'Who did it?' Vito deain 'You're is,' she whispered

'I thought I ers cradled the tender curve of her jawbone Golden eyes alight with fury were pinned with naked obduracy to her vulnerable features 'Who?' he persisted

Had she been an innocent, she reflected sadly, she ht almost have believed that he really cared Hot tears pricked her eyelids and she couldn't understand why his response should o,' she s are private'

'Not between man and wife'

'I'm not your wife!' she rebutted fiercely

His hand tightened on her shoulder, i her 'You are my wife, and the sooner you accept that fact, the happier you'll be And while you're working on that,' he advised, 'accept at the sath to hurt you'

A long shudder ran through her There orse kinds of pain he could inflict The sort of pain that left no visible o he had been remarkably adept at that brand of cruelty How could she cope with aher defences? How could she fight this ridiculous deluding sense that somehoas a relief?

'Soht me any more,' he told her levelly 'Some day you will learn to trust me'

'You're not just aalomaniac'

'I just don't like failure,' he countered darkly 'And so that it had happened, I failed with you'

The admission sent chill sparks of dread down her taut spine Whatdevotion he had sought in the past and been denied? Helplessly she shivered, shrinking froe if she fulfilled that aspiration And she was vulnerable Wasn't it ti her close and there wasn't a cell in her body failing to fire

to that proxi like crazy

'Failure,' he repeated huskily as he drew her unresisting figure down on to the bed 'A black spot of dishonour on a perfect record I can't live with it' With ever

y word he reinforced her deepest fears Casually he lifted her slender hand He pressed his his er 'Does it feel like a manacle?'

Breathing rapidly, she said, 'A stranglehold A symbol of possession I'm surprised you don't want Cavalieri tattooed all over me in case I stray!'

'You won't be straying, cara I'm very careful with my possessions'

'Da to sit up

He ran the tip of his tongue down the valley between her breasts in an erotic foray only halted by a ain momentarily stunned by the rush of heat fired by thatpreliminary

'Dio… I al behind him, he produced a familiar little box One-handed, he deftly opened it and extracted a tiny pill 'Medical science does have its advantages I thought about them over dinner and I'm prepared to compromise-'