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What a bully, she thought, and her flesh crawled as the man continued to stare at her curvy form behind the flimsy curtain Did heher breasts, and as she’d got older she hated the way e her chest was currently displayed to best advantage in the low-cut gown, but it was a perfore breasts under her arround

The man’s disappointment that she didn’t fold immediately was all too obvious ‘The Bear won’t approve of it,’ he said, as if that was the death knell of any hopes she had of wearing it

‘The Bear won’t approve?’ Savannah’s heart fluttered a warning To walk out onto the pitch and have Ethan Alexander stare at her…She had drea confidence fast That didn’t dom come ‘I don’t understand Why wouldn’t he approve of it?’

‘It’s pink,’ theas if pink came with a bad smell

Savannah’s face crumpled It was such a beautiful dress, and one her mother had been so thrilled to buy for her They had discussed the fact that hours of dedicated work had gone into the hand-stitching alone, and now thisthe handiwork of craftswomen in a few unkind words

‘You’ll have to take it off’

‘What?’ Savannah felt the cold wall pressing against her back

‘I understand you’re a last-minute replacement,’ the man said in a kinder tone, which Savannah found al manner ‘So you won’t know that a own for the occasion, which he expects to be worn The dress has received more publicity than you have,’ th

e man added unkindly

‘I’m not surprised,’ Savannah muttered to herself Well, it could hardly have received less, she thought wryly, seeing as she was a last-minute replacement She kept a pleasant expression on her face, deter he’d upset her

‘And the Bear expects all the sponsors, however set their fair share of publicity, so you’ll have to wear it,’ he finished crossly when she refused to capitulate

Perhaps he would like her to cry so he could play the big man to her crushed little woman, Savannah reflected If so, he was in for a disappointment Because she was plump and rather short, people oftenthey could push around, when actually she could stick her ar a difficult birth, soiven her supreme joy on the few occasions she’d been called upon to do so Her slender ar mother, her father always said She didn’t coround to be intimidated by a man who looked like he had a pole stuck up his backside

‘Well, if that’s the dress I’matically, ‘I’d better see it’ She hadn’t come to Rome to cause ripples, but to do a job like anyone else, and the clock was ticking Plus she was far too polite to say what she really wanted to say, which hat the hell has it got to do with the Bear what I wear?

Someone pretty important to your career, Savannah’s sensible inner voice inforet the dress; soland squad and your boss

When he returned the ed Perhaps he believed he had worn her down, Savannah concluded