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Exhaling slowly, she loosened her fingers, her relief palpable in the way her features relaxed “Obviously, it’svicious like this, so you’ll have to excuse ht now, Stefan I’ on my feet here”

He laughed, glad to see a spot of color in her cheeks again “Then let’s put shopping for a yellow suit and a saenda, sì? First stop will be Japan”

An allie to tease it out coh the desperation and defeat in her eyes stirred him

A challenge—that’s what she could becoo, he had wanted her, had pursued her doggedly that first year

But once they had beco that friendship more; then he had met and fallen in love with Serena

His er to wander on the paths they had never gone on, that they could take now

But there were plenty of uncomplicated, desirable women in the world for his taste Ones who didn’t look as if they were barely holding on

Clio, for him, clearly needed to be in the Do Not Touch camp

He couldn’t help teasing her, though “As far as I can see, you’re in good shape, so that’s good”

Utter silence stretched between the

“Since we’re counting if I’ll be useful to you or not, are you considering my proposal?”

There was a self-deprecation in her tone thatbeneath The way she held herself so stiff, the way her fingers clutched her opposite hands—Stefan kneas fear

Realizing how close she was to falling apart only th of her But whatever Jackson had done, she was still riding that wave of adrenaline

Which meant she would crash soon

And he had no doubt that she would back away, even recoil at the very idea of the down Jackson

The young woest heart he had ever seen, had possessed aiveness

That she had co this path, spoke of the dae Jackson must have done to her