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“You do occasionally wear jewelry” To prove his point, he flicked a finger at the gold dangling from her ear

“Yeah, and I buy it from the street stall on Lex”

“I don’t,” he said easily

“You take this back”

She started to pull at the chain, but he closed his hands over hers “It doesn’t go with ift is not supposed to make the blood drain out of your cheeks” Suddenly exasperated, he gave her a quick shake “It caughtof you Daht it because I love you Christ Jesus, when are you going to s that?”

“You’re not going to do this to me” She told herself she was calht His temper didn’t worry her, she’d seen it flare before But the stone weighed around her neck, and what she feared it represented worried her very much

“Do what to you, Eve? Exactly what?”

“You’re not going to give me diamonds” Terrified and furious, she shoved away fro what I don’t want, or being what I can’t be You think I don’t knohat you’ve been doing these past few months Do you think I’m stupid?”

His eyes flashed, hard as the stone between her breasts “No, I don’t think you’re stupid I think you’re a coward”

Her fist came up automatically Oh, how she would have loved to have used it to wipe that self-righteous sneer froht, she could have So she used other weapons

“You think you can lorified fortress of yours and wearing silk Well, I don’t give a damn about any of that”

“I’m well aware of that”

“I don’t need your fancy food or your fancy gifts or your fancy words I see the pattern, Roarke Say I love you at regular intervals until she learns to respond Like a well-trained pet”

“Like a pet,” he repeated as his fury froze into ice “I see I’ You are stupid You really think this is about power and control? Have it your way I’s back init, but that can be rectified”

“I never—”