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The car hit a rut in the road Daave the wheel a vicious twist

“Really,” he said calmly

“Honestly, Damian, I wish you’d slow—”

“What else do they say about her?”

“About?” Gabriella shot hilance Then she reached forward, yanked down the sun visor and peered into the ossip,” she said coolly, as she fluffed her fingers through her artfully arranged hair “But what is there to say about someone who poses nude?”

A flash fire ie of Laurel Bennett, naked and flushed in his bed, seared the mental canvas of Damian’s mind He forced hi road

“Nude?” he said calmly

“To all intents and purposes She did an ad for Calvin Klein—it’s in this month’s Chic or maybe Femme, I’m not sure which” Gabriella snapped the visor back into place “Oh, it was all very elegant and posh, you know, one of those la-di-da arty shots taken through whatever it is they use, gauze, I suppose” Her voice fairly purred with satisfaction “She’d need it, wouldn’t she, seeing that she’s a bit long in the tooth? Still, gauze or no gauze, when you caht down to it, there she was, stark naked”

The picture of Laurel burned in his brain again Da”

“Cheap is a better word Totally cheapwhich is why I just don’t understand what made you bother with her”

“You’re talking nonsense, Gabriella”

“I saw the way you looked at her and let ation to me”

Daine and turned toward her

“Obligation?” he said carefully

“That’s right We’ve been together for a long ti to you?”

“I have not been unfaithful to you”

“That’s not what I’ about and you know it” She took a deep breath “Can you really tell ?”

“I felt what I always feel at weddings,” he said quietly “Disbelief that two people should willingly subject the with the hope, however useless, that they ement”

Gabriella’s ?”

“I say it because it’s true You knew that was how I felt, from the start You said your attitude mirrored mine”

“Never mind what I said,” Gabriella said sharply “And you haven’t answeredat that woman?”

Because I chose to Because you don’t own ues an

Damian blew out his breath It was late, they were both tired and this wasn’t the tihtly over Gabriella’s cheek, then reached across her lap and opened her door

“Go on,” he said gently “Wait in the lobby while I park the car”

“You see what I mean? If we’d come by limousine, you wouldn’t have to drop me off here, in the s your ith no regard for s”

Dahtly lit entrance to the inn Then he looked at his ht that washed into the car, and saw that it wasn’t as lovely as he’d once thought, especially not with petulance and undisguised jealousy etched into every feature

“Gaby,” he said quietly, “it’s late Let’s not argue about this now”

“Don’t think you can shutyou, my name’s not Gaby!”

A rasped the handle, slaear

“Wait just awith you while you park the car If you think I have any intention of walking through that gravel in these shoes” Gabriella frowned as Dah the circular driveway and headed downhill “Da?”

“What does it look like I’ht ahead, on the road “I’ to New York”

“Tonight? But it’s late And what about s? My clothes and my makeup? Damian, this is ridiculous!”

“I’ll phone the inn and tell the and forward it, as soon as I’ve dropped you off”

“Dropped me off?” Gabriella twisted toward hio back to my own apartment on weekends, you know that”

“What you said was true, a few ation to you” He looked across the console at her, then back at the road “An obligation to tell you the truth, which is that I’ve enjoyed our tiether, but—”

“But what? What is this, huh? The big brush-off?”