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'But not, judging from your horror, of this quality Do you kno many dollars' worth you just wasted in that sneeze?'

It was as if he had read her lared at hi interest in her robe where the wrapover section had slipped with her choking breaths, his grin fading at the sight of pale lavender lace He looked up and found her watching him, and there was a breathless ly conscious of her body Because she had a slight allergy tobut wool, cotton or silk imhtas all either extreown, sinfully exotic and expensive It was one of Miles's little gestures of appreciation that each tiht staff ift For Clare it was invariably underwear, usually French, the kind she could never drea herself Over two years, she had built up quite a wardrobe, Miles turning a deaf ear to all blushes and protests

'I… I think I should go and get dressed,' said Clare nervously, beginning to back away, feeling threatened by the curiosity she could see in the dark eyes He wanted to see what the lace was attached to, and to her horror Clare could feel her breasts tingling against their fine silk covering

'No!' The word jerked out, uncomfortably loud in the sly at her, his voice warlass and handed it to her, resolutely keeping his eyes away fro neckline 'Just a few drinks and a little conversation, Clare Where's the har terrible is going to happen'

That was debatable, Clare thought as she nu terrible had already happened She had wanted him to look at her…to touch her She looked blindly down into her glass It hurt, this wanting It rong…

'Don't look so tragic, Clare There's nothing wrong with aat a wo,' he said as he sat beside her, and the hint of a Clare lifted her chin

'It won't'

'Of course it won't…if you don't want it to' He s tenderness It surprised her, this gentleness in a man who looked so harsh and masculine

'Noere we talking about before ere…distracted? Ah, yes, ood for her? That damned school she was at seems to have had no idea how to control her'

'Is that what you want? For her to be controlled?' asked Clare, relaxing fractionally now that the conversation was focused on him

'I put that badly Not controlled—channelled She has y but no sense of focus, no ambition… beyond this fixation that she wants to look after me'

'What's so awful about that? You're her father, the only family she has It's natural she should want to be with you'

'Actually I'm not—her only family, that is Nina's parents are still alive They live in Paris and they'd be happy to have Tao to day school there, but she rejected that idea, too It's not just being with s that a wife does She wants to be a replacement for Nina, and I can't let her do that—to herself or to me'

'Oh?' Clare was lost Surely he didn't ne No, not David, his instincts were very healthy…

'Why are you looking at me like that? As if I am from under a stone?' She blushed, and his eyes narrowed to black slits 'Clare? Surely you don't iine…?' He swore It was in Russian but she was positive it was a sord 'Clare!' For a ne and storan to laugh