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CHAPTER ONE

‘WILL YOU MARRY ME?’

The question seeuerite Ferrars stared in shock at the face of the man who had asked the question—her lover, Leonidas Marakaios

He gazed at her with a faint half-shtly raised In his hand he held a small black velvet box, and the solitaire diamond of who kne many carats inside sparkled with quiet sophistication

‘Margo?’

His voice was lilting, teasing; he thought she was silent because she was so surprised But, while that was true, she felt so else as well Appalled Terrified

She’d never expected this—never thought that charise A lifetime commit pain of losing so up in the night, your face awash in tears, even years later

TheShe couldn’t Because she didn’t dare say yes and yet no seemed just as impossible Leo Marakaios was not a man who accepted refusal Rejection

She watched as a slight frown pulled his eyebrows together and he withdrew the hand holding the open velvet box to rest it in his lap

‘Leo’ she began finally, helplessly—because how could she tell this iant, handsome, charismatic man no? And yet she had to Of course she had to

‘I didn’t think this would be thatonly a rehtness now

She felt a surge of soer, which was almost a relief ‘Didn’t you? We’ve never had the kind of relationship that’

‘That what?’ He arched an eyebrow, the gesture caught betryness and disdain

She could feel hilad, she felt only a deep, wrenching sorrow This wasn’t what she’d wanted But she didn’t—couldn’t—want e either Couldn’t let someone matter that much

‘Thatled somewhere,’ she finished, and he closed the box with a snap, his expression turning so terribly cold

‘I see’

Words stuck in her throat—the answer she knew she had to give yet somehow couldn’t make herself say ‘Leo, we’ve never even talked about the future’

‘We’ve been together for two years,’ he returned ‘I think it’s reasonable to assu somewhere’