Page 49 (1/2)

“I’m on duty”

“Yes, of course you are I’m not”

When he rose, Eve saw the cat spring from his lap Galahad exa down to wash She was too busy scowling at the cat to note that Roarke’s hands weren’t quite steady as he stood at the carved liquor cabinet pouring brandy from decanter to snifter

“Well,” he said, swirling the glass with half the width of the room between them “Is that all?”

No, she thought, that was far from all If he wouldn’t help her voluntarily, she would poke and prod and use his canny brain without mercy and without a qualm “The last tio”

“So long,” Roarke reat deal of it, for Yvonne But he had his own proble across the roo him with turbulent eyes “I didn’t realize”

“Was that the last time you saw her?”

“No, I’ her “I recall dancing with her at a party, last New Year’s Eve She came back here with me”

“You slept with her,” Eve said evenly

“Technically, no” His voice took on a clip of annoyance “I had sex with her, conversation, brunch”

“You resumed your former relationship?”

“No” He chose a chair and ordered hiarette Casually, he crossed his feet at the ankles “We ht have, but ere both quite busy with our own projects I didn’t hear froain for six weeks, maybe seven”

“And?”

He’d brushed her off, he recalled Casually, easily Perhaps thoughtlessly “I told her I wasinvolved” He exaarette “At that ti in love with someone else”

Her heartbeat hitched She stared at him, jammed her hands in her pockets “I can’t eliminate you from the list unless you help me”