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But dammit, man, be civilized about it

Daain

“Miss Bennett Laurel I knoe got off to a poor start—”

“You’re wrong We didn’t get off to any start You’re playing cat-and-ames but as far as I’m concerned, we never even met”

“Well, we can re”

“I’m busy”

“Toht, then”

“Still busy And, before you ask, I’m busy for the foreseeable future”

He laughed, and her eyes flashed with indignation

“Did I say so funny, Mr Skouras?”

“It’s Da what?”

“Which of us” Color flew into her face “My God, what an insufferable ego youhard to get?”

He leaned back against the edge of the photographer’s worktable, his jacket open and his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers

“The thought crossed my mind, yes”

“Listen here, Mr Skouras”

“Damian”

“Mr Skouras” Laurel’s eyes narrowed “Let me put this in words so simple even you’ll understand One, I do not like you Two, I do not like you And three, I a else”

“Too ?”

God, she itched to slap that s little smile from his face!

“Yes,” she said, “exactly I’ve got thes, and there’re even a couple of special ones I e to tuck in at teatime So as you can see, I’ve no time at all for you in my schedule”

He was laughing openly now, a her over the edge She would slug him, any second, or punch him in the very center of that oh-so-masculine chest

Or throw her ar his head down to hers and kiss hi her into his arhted set

“Laurel?” Damian said, and their eyes met

He knew She could see it in the way he was looking at her He’d stopped laughing and he knehat she’d thought, what she’d almost done

“No,” she said, and she swung away blindly She heard him call her name but she didn’t turn back, didn’t pause

Moving by instinct, impelled by fear not of Da open the door and then slaainst it and stood tre in her chest

Outside, in the studio, Da at the closed door His entire body was tense; he could feel the blood pounding through his veins

She’d been so angry at hi her and she’d known it And then, all at once, everything had changed He’d seen the shock of sudden awareness etch into her lovely face and he’d understood it, felt it burn like flaht into the marrow of his bones

She’d run not from him but from herself All he had to do alk the few feet to the door that sheltered her, open it and take her in his arms One touch, and she would shatter

He would have her, and this insanity would be over

Or would it?

He took a long, ragged breath She was interesting, this Laurel Bennett, and not only because of the fire that raged under that cool exterior Other things about her were al Her ability to play her part in as quickly becoame fascinated him, as did her deter between thee