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The cup jumped in his hand, sloshed coffee on his slacks “My mother? What does she have to do with it?”

“She worked in a play with Draco”

“Your led her head

“She was She retired years ago Before I was born” He set his cup down, rubbed ineffectually at his slacks “Leave ”

“Did I say she had?” Nerves, Eve thought He couldn’t keep his hands still for them “You know then, that she had been intimate with Draco at one time”

“It was nothing It was years ago”

“Your mother and Richard?” Carly drew back to study his face “Oh Sticky” And there was sympathy in her eyes “Don’t let it rattle you, sweetie”

But it had, obviously “Look, she had a bit part, that’s all She wasn’t a serious actress She told ether ever since…She wouldn’t have toldto audition for his stand-in He used her He liked using women”

He looked steadily at Carly now “She got over him Smart women do”

His eneral, was his weak spot “Yeah, he liked using woot bored with his toys fairly quickly Your ave up her career, her hopes for it, because of him”

“Maybe” Michael blew out a breath “Maybe that was part of it But she made a new life, she’s happy in it”

“He hurt her”

“Yeah” His gaze flashed up, ripe with bitterness “Yeah, he hurt her You want me to say I hated him for it? Maybe I did, on some level”

“Michael, don’t say any more,” Carly warned

“The hell with that” His voice took on conviction as well as anger “She’s talking about my mother She wasn’t some cheap tramp, soirl He took advantage of that, of her”