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She reallyabout Ethan Alexander and concentrate on her predicao hunting for help

But even the sight of her beautiful gown failed to divert Savannah’s thoughts fro Ethan at theroyalty turn up—or st land team, the Bear was the best of all the men there, they said; he was the deadliest in the pack

Savannah shivered at the thought of so led her way into her gown she had worked herself into a state of debilitating nerves, though she reasoned it wasn’t surprising she was intimidated, when this tunnel led onto the pitch where the atression

The thought took her straight back to Ethan The power he threw off, even froe, made him physically irresistible Perhaps it was the steely will in his eyes, or the fact he was such a powerfully built ht be a lot older than she was, and terribly scarred, but she wasn’t the only wo In ularly voted the o to bed with

Not that so on that No, Savannah told herself firedy surrounding Ethan In her eyes his scars only made him seem more human and real

Oh, really? Savannah’s cynical-self interrupted So that would be why these ‘innocent’ thoughts of yours regularly trigger enough sensation to start a riot?

Prudently, Savannah refused to answer that She had no time for any of these distractions She poked her head round the curtain again There was still no one there, and she was fast running out of options If she continued to yell she’d have no voice left for singing If she put her jeans on again and went looking for help, she’d be late onto the pitch But she couldn’t let Madame de Silva doho had recommended her for this important occasion She couldn’t let down the squad, or Ethan Alexander, the man who had employed her She’d put her dress on, then at least she’d be ready Or her parents who had scrimped and saved to buy the dress for her, and she only wished they could be here with her now Secretly she was happiest on the farton boots, but she would never tra them that

As her mother’s anxious face swa in front of a ide audience that terrified her, but the possibility that so to embarrass her parents She loved them dearly Like many farmers they’d had it so hard when the deadly foot-and-mouth disease had wiped out their cattle Her ain

Savannah tensed, hearing her name mentioned on the tannoy systeary terolden tonsils and hair toit the best case she’d ever heard for dyeing her hair bright pink The crowd disagreed and applauded wildly, which only convinced Savannah that when they saw her in person she could only disappoint Far froested, she was a fresh-faced country girl with serious self-confidence issues—and one who right noould rather be anywhere else on earth than here

Pull yourself together! Savannah told herself iown had cost a fortune her parents could scarcely afford Was she going to let theown had been precision-ure, and was in her favourite colour, pink With the aid of careful draping it didn’t even , her mother had explained, which hy they always travelled up to the far north of England for Savannah’s fittings, where there were dresss

‘You can’t wear that!’

Savannah jumped back as her curtain was ripped aside ‘Do you ht of a man whose physique perfectly matched his reedy voice ‘Why can’t I wear it?’ she protested, tightening her arms over her chest It was a beautiful dress, but theat it as if it were a bin liner with holes cut in it for her head and arms

‘You just can’t,’ he said flatly

Taking in the official England track-suit he earing, Savannah curbed her tongue, but she wasn’t prepared to let the , and she held the curtain tightly around her ‘What’s wrong with it?’ she asked with all the politeness she could muster

‘It’s not appropriate—and if I tell you that you can’t wear it then you can’t’