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Marietta had grown i before he had finished his little speech “You are being far too practical and pragination at all, Max?”

“No, but I’h for both of us”

She sighed and sat back in her chair, glaring at hi,” she muttered to herself

“I told you—”

“I won’t give up”

The determination in her voice caused hiroan “You really are unstoppable, aren’t you?”

Marietta pretended to consider it “I don’t know I’ or so ill be able to stop me Gerard nearly did But not you, Max, and not yet Are you going to cooperate?”

“Have I any choice?” he said darkly

She s him “Not really”

Max wondered once again how he could have fallen into the clutches of Marietta Greentree There he was, innocently going about his business, and then Miss Blue Eyes appeared upon the scene, and nothing could ever be the saain He was about to commence an affair with a beautiful blonde who kept hihts The truth was, he hadn’t a chance of resisting her—she just didn’t know it yet because she was too innocent

And there was his probleentlemen didn’t seduce innocents—even innocents whose reputations were in tatters

Abruptly Marietta stood up and, before he could struggle to his feet, leaned over him, her face very close to his Curiously he stared back at her, wondering what she would do next and hoping he could bear it with fortitude After athat her skin was really very fine, like cream, and her eyes were the clearest blue he had ever seen, fra lashes so much darker than her hair And heron the verge of a little s and extremely kissable

His breathing had quickened—he felt his chest rising and falling How had that happened? He clenched his hands upon the chair ar out for her, but

she had already stepped back, frustration in every line of her

“I don’t knohat to do,” she wailed “I’ on you, Max, to shohat to do! You proentleman never broke a promise?”