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Everything must be perfect for his visit Mr Cruz must have no reason whatsoever to coht as she clipped the stem of the bush’s very last rose with rather more force than necessary, to speak to her alone

She heard the wrought-iron gate open with a long scraping sound behind her She’d have to get that oiled, she thought She turned, expecting to see the gardener, or perhaps the wine seller with the large delivery of chane she’d ordered for the dinner party

Instead she sucked in her breath as a towering figure stepped from the shadows Except this man didn’t just step out of the shadows

He was the shadow

“Mr Cruz,” she whispered, her mouth suddenly dry

His eyes glittered in the twilight as he looked at her “Miss Grey”

His deep, husky voice echoed across the garden, causing her heart to pound in her chest She clenched her fingers tightly around the basket and pruning shears so her suddenly clumsy hands wouldn’t drop them He was three days early But when had Rafael Cruz ever done as expected?

Handsoentinian millionaire had the darkly seductive charm of a poet—and a heart like ice

Tall and broad-shouldered, with a latent power in his thickly th, his masculine beauty, his wealth and his stylish appearance But today, his black hair was tousled His usually immaculate black suit looked rumpled and his tie was loosened and askew at his neck His jawline was dark with shadow below his sharp cheekbones and Roainst his tanned olive skin

Disheveled as he was, today he looked barely civilized, half-brutal And yet he was somehow even more handsome than she remembered

A month

ago, Louisa had been in his arht, he’d taken her body, he’d passionately taken her virginity—

She cut off the thought and took a deep, steadying breath

“Good evening, sir” Her voice betrayed nothing of her enified, almost cool—the perfectheld her in good stead “Welco is in readiness for your visit”

“Of course” His lips curved into a sardonic smile as he came closer to her His dark hair indblown and da less from you, Miss Grey”

She tilted her head back to look up into his brutally handsome face