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'Five e would be a wonder toabout the rest of your life!'

'I'ritted

'Not one of your brighter ideas,' she said dulcetly, unable to stop stabbing at hi in particular was e ill probably be greeted with a roadblock at the next exit'

He took the next exit in s silence and shot into a lay-by five ine-purr with a suddenness that brought the silence rushing dangerously back

'I'm sorry…is that what you want?'

Green eyes flashing, she dealt him a taut look of mutiny and turned her head deliberately to stare out of the side- He could never be sorry enough Two and a half ht now she was sickeninglyhim for no return So he wanted the baby Well, that was scarcely news 'Do you feel sick'? 'Do you feel faint'? 'Do you want to stop for coffee'? The e of his concern for the life in her womb had been beaten in with overkill

'I'm sorry if I forced you to ot you pregnant,' he unleashed raggedly 'Does that make you feel better?'

'Not so that you'd notice' Her lips were compressed in a white line She was terrified that she would burst into tears Her hor a scene She really didn't want to hear how nant That assurance et rid of her had she not proved to be so distressingly fertile

With a stifled curse, he reached out and tried to grasp her hand, but her fingers were clenched into a fist that had no welcome He withdrew his hand, released his seatbelt and turned round 'I care about what happens to you'

'If you say anything asped, 'I'll be sick!'

Searching her white, shuttered face, he evidently registered that that was nota lid on his frustration Silence stretch

ed and gnawed at her nerves

'I can't change what happened between us four years ago!' he grated abruptly 'You failed your exams Your family turned their back on you I married another woman and you lost the baby I wasn't there and I should have been I feel bloody guilty-'

'It won't last,' she said flippantly,her distress

'It doesn't cost you anything to let me speak,' Vito responded harshly 'I let you down badly I accept that' All of a sudden he was talking in jerky snatches and the silence came back for an entire minute before he breathed, 'I am deeply ashamed of my own behaviour I took the easy way out You hurt me and I walked away'

'Don't forget the cheque-book' As soon as she said it, she wished she hadn't It had been below the belt All these ad hienificently successful existence, Vito was forcing hie uilt any ies Neither was capable of healing her own pain He didn't love her, and right now she hated him for it

He ignored the unforgiving dig but he was very pale beneath his golden skin, taut as a dra 'I didn't know that I had the power to hurt you then I didn't understand you I was afraid of losing you I resented everything you put before ry I became Sometimes…sometimes I hated you almost as much as I loved you-'

Accidentally she collided with brilliant dark eyes in an instant of perfect ain instantly

'You made me feel insecure, and nobody had ever made me feel like that before…'

She was astonished, green eyes flying to hiriazed fearlessly back at her 'You were far too young for me'

'Yes,' she conceded unsteadily 'I didn't understand what I was doing I was trying to protect myself I didn't want to be hurt I didn't want to love you I didn't want you to get the upper hand'