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“I understand your reluctance—”

“No,” he repeated, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his sto to relent “No, I don’t think you do”

“But really,” she said, her eyes bright and convincing, “what do we have to lose? We’re getting married in teeks—”

He lifted one brow

“Next week,” she corrected “Next week, I promise”

He pondered that It was te

“Please,” she said “You know you want to”

“Why,” he wondered aloud, “do I feel like I aenerate of lasses of gin?”

“Why would you wish to be friends with a degenerate?” she asked Then she smiled icked curiosity “And did you do it?”

Gareth pondered the wisdo that; truly, he didn’t wish for her to know the worst of his schoolboy excesses But it would get her off the topic of the jewels, and—

“Let’s go,” she urged again “I know you want to”

“I knohat I want to do,” heone hand around her bottom, “and it is not that”

“Don’t you want the jewels?” she prodded

He started to stroke her “Mmm-hmmm”

“Gareth!” she yelped, trying to squirm away