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'That's how I got this,' he added tantalisingly, tapping his scarred thigh 'Anunforeseen co for her re­sponse to the enticing lure

'Unforeseen co to make it a question Little did she realise that her violet eyes were brilliant with the interest she stubbornly tried to deny him

'A woman who turned out to be not what she seemed'

Elizabeth's resistance crumpled like cardboard 'And what did she seem to be?'

His mouth thinned to a cynical line 'A woman in love'

'With you?' So his scarring had been not only physical

'Do I seem so unlovable?'

'No—I- No!' She was flustered by the sensual undertone in his question 'And were you in love with her?'

'At the tier a hint of arave, serious Jack Haood evento her emotional equilibrium than the cynical rake who had menaced and aroused her 'Or, at least, in love with the wo for an international finance group I was liaising with, but she was also an inforanisations—so to make the headlines Only I didn’t find that out until afterwards—a great intelligence officer I turned out to be!' His self-derision was bleak 'The in­formation that she passed on enabled them to ambush my car with a rocket attack that killed two of my clients and almost killed me'

' W-what happened to her?' The grione unpunished for her betrayal

'Oh, Zenobia was only a s in a fanatical ma­chine and therefore expendable She was in the car at the time'

Elizabeth sucked in a breath 'She was killed?'

‘Instantly' The as clipped, precise

‘I’m sorry,' she said helplessly

'For what? My being a gullible fool? For not doing my job properly?'