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With an abrupt turn, he walked away from the bed toward the barricaded door to the hall Alanna stared, feeling a sudden overpowering need to have his arms around her and the warmth of his body next to hers

"Rolt," she called weakly after him

He halted, turning at an angle "What is it, Alanna?" His voice was curt and unyielding

A bitterness rose in her throat For the second time, she had nearly let physical attraction override her self-respect and pride She hated Rolt

"Go to hell!" she breathed with sobbing fury

The line of his mouth curved in a cold smile "Only with you, my wife" He easily pushed the dresser to its proper position, then walked back to unlock and open the door There he paused, slicing another look in her direction "It won't be necessary to erect your little barricade every night I wouldn't want your attractive figure to become muscle-bound"

As the door closed behind hiainst her mouth and rolled onto her side The bedcovers were damp where they had lain on top of the truth of whose as stronger She would have surrendered just now if Rolt had persisted another few seconds She ht desperately

Fall in love with hiht That was ridiculous! How could she even consider such a possibility? Just because funny things happened inside her whenever Rolt ca in love with him, did it? But doubt crept in

Quickly Alanna reminded herself of the unscrupulous methods Ro

lt had used to trap her into this e, She couldn't possibly love a s She mustn't, she insisted ild frenzy

The aroreeted her when she finally caue of doubts and fears had been pushed to the back of her mind Yet, as she entered the kitchen, she eyed Rolt warily, half afraid he would guess the crazy ae of it

He was standing in front of the stove, his back to her, tall and broad-shouldered, lean-hipped andof beingto be aware of him She wanted to flee the roolance over his shoulder

"How do you like your eggs?" There was absolutely nothing in his expression to indicate that the tumultuous scene in her room had ever taken place

"Over easy" Alanna tried to match his composure

He cracked two eggs over the skillet and dropped the contents in the sizzling butter in the pan, discarding the shells "Breakfast is about ready There's orange juice in the refrigerator The glasses are already on the table"