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He was laughing

The beast who had glared at her all evening, who had looked at her as if she was the most untrustworthy woman on the entire planet, no the universe, who had driven her to drink when she generally couldn’t stand alcohol, was laughing

Granted, to see that sensuous, cutting-grooves-in-his-cheeks smile was almost worth any price

Thrusting her hands under the collar of his dress shirt, Clio tucked his chin up until he was staring into her eyes “What the hell are you laughing about?”

“You, bella,” he replied

“What about me?”

“A Victorian virgin aboard a pirate ship that was about to be ravished?”

Heat swarmed her face God, she had said that out loud?

“I’ the thump-thump of his heart beneath her ears He was so solid and warm around her that perversely, she felt safe around hiarded,” she retorted “And I’in that needs to be ravished or for that matter saved”

“Seeing that I’ood” The elevator doors swished open And he stepped out “It’s almost scary how perfect we are for each other”

“‘College Sweethearts Who Found Their Way to Each Other After So Many Years’?” she said, quoting the headlines about theain!’ ‘True Love Conquers All’ I wouldn’t have wanted a better tagline for Jackson to look at every time he turned his head”

Instantly, the smile slid off his mouth as if she had poisoned the very air around theaze that Clio wondered for a second if he would let her fall to the floor

But, of course, he didn’t

Stefan would never cause her harm, she knew that Just as he would never trust her any e woman he picked up in a club or a party or wherever he picked up women from

She had thought she had accepted it, but it was beginning to matter more than it should Even if she had fallen on her face these past few years, didn’t he knohat kind of a person she was?

He crossed the cavernous lounge and carried her into one of the bedrooms at the back