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Allegra tried to smile but she felt so nervous and exposed that she wasn’t sure she ht-black tuxedo, the snohite shirt offsetting his olive skin, his hair brushed back fro like polished bronze, everything about hiy that had drawn her to hio

‘Is it too h ‘The dress, I mean?’ Her hands fluttered at her sides and she lifted her chin, trying for pride She’d chosen this dress She’d wear it no htand yet she wished he’d s

‘You look’ Rafael stopped, his voice hoarse Allegra waited, her heart fluttering like a trapped bird in her chest ‘Magnificent’

A smile unfurled like a flower across her face, and then she was bea She couldn’t help it A distant voice in her head was telling her not to be so obvious, not to let Rafael affect her Why should she care what he thought? Why should she want to please or impress him? She shouldn’t She most certainly shouldn’t

And yet as Rafael grinned back that voice was silenced Tonight she was a beautiful wo to hear the ra wanted to let herself enjoy it without trying to stay safe or sensible She wanted to forget that she didn’t trust him, wasn’t even sure she liked hiht she wanted to leave all that behind and enter into the ic And so she would

Rafael had never seen Allegra look so beautiful She wasThe ice-blue of her gown flowed like cool water over her perfect curves, the faint bue rise within Rafael like a primal howl of possession She was his No matter what the results of the amniocentesis were, no matter what the future held His to protect, to provide for, to possess His

Then he saw the sapphire pendant at her throat and it slaain who her father ho his was, and all the hard history that lay between thera didn’t know about, but which marked every mo so responsibility as well as a formidable risk

A faint frown ra’s brow and Rafael banished the ht, when all he wanted to do was enjoy the eveningand Allegra He stretched out his hand and she took it, slender fingers sliding between his She squeezed his hand, and it felt like a proic

Wordlessly he led her downstairs to the waiting limo

The evening felt expectant, although for what Rafael couldn’t say Despite their near-kiss over a week ago, he didn’t actually expect anything physical to happen between them He didn’t want it, not if he forced himself to think rationally If he let his libido lead the way, he’d peel that slippery dress from her creamy skin and have her in the back of this limo

Yet farthan his desire for her was his desire to please her He’d found hi small treats and pleasures for her all week, simply to see her reaction He told himself it was part of his duty, his responsibility to take care of her The feeling inside hiher, was just a fringe benefit

In any case, he wasn’t going to start feeling things for Allegra Wells After losing everyone he cared about, he was hardly going to let soet under his skin Into his heart No matter what happened with their child

The Lincoln Center was gloith lights as the limo pulled in front of the concert hall where the Philhar Rafael saw more than one ra as she old curls tu artfully onto her bare, creamy shoulders

She turned to glance back at hi, Rafael Thank you’