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Except this wasn’t the dentist’s office, and she wasn’t going to have a tooth drilled She was going to hand her life over to Damian Skouras
“Laurel”
She looked up Darim
“The judge is ready”
“I heard” She sed hard against a sudden rise of nausea, not froh, the day Daut had to do with the step she was about to take
I can’t God, I can’t
“Daht to talk”
His hand closed around hers, tightening in warning, and he smiled pleasantly at the clerk
“Thank you Please tell the judge we’ll be along in a minute”
As soon as the door swung shut, Damian turned back to Laurel, his eyes cold
“We have discussed this There is nothing more to be said”
“We’ve discussed nothing! You’ve issued edicts and I’ve bowedyou that it isn’t going to work I don’t think—”
“I haven’t asked you to think”
Color flew into her cheeks “If you’d been thinking, ouldn’t be in this mess!”
It was an unfair attack, and she knew it She was as responsible for what had happened as Damian, but why should she play fair when he didn’t? Still, he didn’t deny the accusation
“Yes” A htened in his jaw “You are correct We are in, as you say, a , the solution is mine, as well There is no other course to take”
“No other course that meets with your approval, you mean” She tried to shake off his hand, but he wouldn’t let her “If you’d be reasonable—”
“Meaning that I should permit you to do as you see fit?”
“Yes No Will you stop twisting everything I say? If you’d just think for ain common We hardly know each other We don’t even like each other, and yet—and yet, you expect me to—to marry you, to become your wife”
“I expect exactly that”
Laurel yanked her hand froe, at Daotten out of control and had brought this nightmare down on her head “Da and it’s the saht, you kno things have to be—”
Behind the open
“Mr Skouras? The judge has a busy schedule thisIf you and Miss Bennett wouldn’t mind?”
Miss Bennett htbut Damian’s hand had already closed around hers
“Of course,” he said, with a soft-as-butter s to do with the steely pressure of his fingers “Darling? Are you ready?”
His s in his eyes left no roo her, do as I say or suffer the consequences
Laurel gathered what remained of her self-composure, lifted her chin and nodded
“As ready as I can be,” she said coolly, and let hie’s office
It was a large, any The walls were paneled with sos and photos of politicos ranging from John F Kennedy to Bill Clinton Someone, perhaps the clerk, had tucked a bouquet of flowers into a coffeeand placed it on the mantel above the fireplace, but the floeren’t fresh and their drooping heads and faded colors only added a mournful touch to the room An ancient air conditioner wheezed in the bottom half of a smearedas it tried to breathe freshness into air redolent with the sars
“Mr Skouras,” the judge said, rising fro, “and Miss Bennett What a fine day for a wedding”
It was, Laurel supposed Outside, the sun was shining brightly; puffy white clouds sailed across a pale blue sky
But weddings weren’t supposed to be held in stuffy roo ht; she drearoom with a heart filled with joy and love
If only this were real If only Damian truly wanted her, and loved her