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“Marco” Roarke spoke softly as he laid a hand on Eve’s shoulder

“No” She went stiff under the touch “Don’t defend me Let him finish”

“I can’t do that I’ to take your state of mind into account, Marco, as the reason you would attack Eve in her own home You don’t want to be here,” he said in an undertone of steel that indicated he was taking nothing into account “I’ll show you out”

“I know the way” Marco’s eyes stabbed at Eve “We’ll put our business association to an end as soon as possible, Roarke I no longer trust your judgment”

Hands balled into fists at her side, Eve trembled with fury as Marco strode away “Why did you do that? I could have handled it”

“You could have,” Roarke agreed, and turned her to face him “But that was personal No one, absolutely no one comes into our home and speaks to you that way”

She tried to shrug it off “Summerset does”

Roarke smiled, touched his lips to hers “The exception, for reasons too complicated to explain” He rubbed away the frown line between her broith his thumb

“Okay I guess I’elinis”

“We’ll learn to live with it How about sone?”

“In a o freshen up” She touched his face It was getting easier to do that, to touch hiht to tell you that Mars has a recorder in her bag”

Roarke gave the dent in her chin a quick flick “She did I have it in etarian table”

“Very slick You neveras one of your skills”

“You never asked”

“Remind me to ask, and ask a lot I’ll be back”