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CHAPTER ONE

A GREAT deal could be done in two months

The thought brought a feeling of satisfaction to Natalie Hayes as she walked frorand staircase leading to Kable’s Restaurant Today she intended to show Damien Chandler precisely how much could be done in two months, and how much could be made to happen

This luncheon was the ideal occasion to let Da any more She could take care of herself Dauilt?—could finally be laid to rest

She was back to her best weight The bold orange dress was light-years away froed her curves and highlighted both her recently acquired tan and the artful blonde streaks in her radically restyled hair Dahost of herself today

Her face had colour She no longer had hollows in her cheeks She had played up her light aold The shorter, softer, brighter hairstyle suited her faceand rather lifeless fall of honey-coloured hair she had sirow in the past twelve ain, younger, and certainly up-to-date in every fashion sense

She had felt absolutely confident about walking into this hotel, one of the classiest hotels in Sydney She looked like a neoman She felt like a neoman She was a neoman

There was a buoyant lilt of anticipation in her step as she reached the landing that led to the highly reputed restaurant She was going to enjoy the surprise in Damien’s eyes He would have to realise, er required a crutch or a spur or advice or criticiss he had supplied in abundance over the past year It was ti it to a halt A dead halt

She saw him seated on the sofa beyond the receptionist’s desk He was hunched forward, apparently conte the drink in his hand Despite an air of weariness, probably fro, he looked as irey suit had the expensive sheen of silk in the fabric Tailored for hi, Natalie surmised

He glanced up and saw her

The shock of recognition on his face was not the reaction Natalie had expected Surprise, yes She had hoped to surprise him She had not expected a reaction that arrested all ht withdraay from her into himself

It was too extre inside her It sent an odd tingle of apprehension down her spine She stopped walking She was assailed by the sense of having a comfortable familiarity forcibly taken away from her

Natalie had never seen Da He was always in charge of hi and everyone within his ah on impossible to tell ent on inside the man He revealed that to no one

In the space of a few seconds, she saw total shock, followed by a twist of anguish, a jaw-clenching look of deterer, then a plainly visible relaxation of his features into a slass down and rose to his feet

‘Natalie’ He ht into his voice, although what he really felt Natalie had no idea Heso brilliantly alive!’

Damien was a master of such blandishments Natalie had heard him do it to every woman he had ht It hat she had wanted to hear But so was approval She couldn’t see it in his eyes

Not that she needed Damien’s approval It was simply thatere his eyes full of questions instead of recognising she had answered all the criticis?

Then he took hold of her hands as though it was thein the world to do But it wasn’t Not with her She had seen hi a flirtatious intiht kiss He had never tried it with her Never! Not even when she was Brett’s bride and Da

Her shoulder muscles stiffened as electric prickles ran up her ar on Damien wasn’t supposed to step out of the mould he had established in her mind as Brett’s closest friend and business partner She did want hiuardian to Brett’s , buthis uncharacteristic behaviour was ruining everything

It was a relief that he didn’t try to press any closer If he had, she would have recoiled, unable to prevent the reflex action As it was, she was acutely aware of the war hers, and the caressing graze of his thumbs across her knuckles

‘I leave you a pale shadow of yourself, and I coht be the intense probe of his eyes ‘You benefit froe?’