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Damian smiled pleasantly “I don’t kno to break this to you, Mr Morgan, but I understood every word she said”

“Then you’ll be sure to understand this, too,” Laurel said “Go away”

“Go away,” the Bozo repeated, and unfolded his arms

His height, and all those rippling ht He could feel the saain, the one he’d had this afternoon when he’d wanted nothing so rapher apart

Maybe he’d been sitting in toohis mind instead of his muscles

Laurel was thinking al terms What ith this man? She could almost smell the testosterone in the air Dalittered

George, his buffed torso and his tight jeans, was oozing muscle; Damian was the epitome of urbanity in his expensive dark suitbut she didn’t for a second doubt which of them would win if it came down to basics

Arrogant, self-centered, accusto the world dance to his tune, and now it looked as if he had all the pririet rid of him?

“Laurel doesn’t want you here, mister”

“What are you?” Damian said softly “Her translator?”

“Listen here, pal, Laurel and I are—”

“We’re very close,” Laurel said She h the Bozo’s, looked up and gave hi another notch “Aren’t we, George—I mean, Grey?”

“Yeah,” the Bozo said, after half a beat, “we are Very, very close”

Dae or Grey or whoever he as right Maybe he did need a translator Soet a handle on it He felt the way he so business in Tokyo Everyone spoke soe some Japanese, but once in a while, a word or a phrase seeh the cracks

“So if you don’theavy emphasis on the mister, “we’d appreciate it if you would—”

“George? Honey, are you done up there?”

They all looked down the hall A pretty brunette stood at the botto up at them

“Hi, Laurel Are you done borrowing my husband?”

Daain He looked at Laurel, who flushed and dropped the Bozo’s arm

“Hi, Suze Yeah, just about”

“Great” The brunette caood job?”

Laurel’s color deepened “Fine,” she said quickly

“You see, George?” The brunette dio into the toilet, you can always go back to fixing them”

Laurel sed hard Damian could see the movement of the muscles in her throat

“He fixed nity

Damian nodded “I see”

“Suze,” George said, clearing his throat, “Laurel’s got a bit of a problem here”

“No,” Laurel said quickly, “no, I don’t”

“But you said?”

“It’s not a proble Weren’t you, Mr Skouras?”

“Yes, I was”

“You see? So there’s no need to—”

“Just as soon as you change your clothing,” he said He leaned back against the door ja look “On the other hand, what you’re wearing israther interesting You h You never knohat you’re liable to step in, on a New York street”

He had to bite his lip to keep fro at the expression that swept over Laurel’s face

“I knohat you’ve stepped in,” she said, her chin lifting and her eyes blazing into his, “but I pro anywhere with you”

“But our reservation is for eight,” he said blandly

A little furrow appeared between Laurel’s eyebrows “What reservation?”

“For dinner”

The furrow deepened “Dinner?”

Damian looked at Susie They shared a conspiratorial sot our appoint that Redwood Computer layout”