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Ten minutes later she feltwith shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom cabinet, and once she was clean,didn't see her hair into its north bob, she found so bottoms neatly folded in a drawer in the otherwise eed to His girlfriend, s in water

Right, tiain She padded downstairs in bare feet, aware that her sto with trepidation, which was daft, really daft, but she didn't seem able to help it

Once in the hall, she stared about her Travis had said she should join hi off the expanse in front of her Assu the kitchen was probably at the back of the house, she made her way down the hall towards the furthest door and knocked nervously j before she opened it 'Hello, it's me,' she said unnecessarily

'Hi' Travis was stirring so at his feet, apparently replete and content Harvey wagged his tail at the sight of her but didn't bother to get up 'Grab a seat,' Travis continued, 'andpour yourself a glass of wine'

She was conscious of one piercingly thorough glance before he turned back to the stove That, and the sight of the big powerful body clothed in a black cotton shirt, open at the neck, and black deniers and thu farmhouse-style kitchen table and reached for the open bottle of wine

Large though the table was, it ed by the rooed floor, honey-coloured wooden cupboards and granite work surfaces looked like a blending of old with new but it was very pleasing to the eye The as very pleasing to the taste buds Deep red and with aromas of blackcurrant and cherry, Beth found it steadied her nerves nicely

After several sips she was sufficiently cal I can do to help?'

'Not a thing It's ready' Within a nese over to the table along with a dish of lightly roasted vegetables Bern's mouth watered As Trans sat down he said matter-of-factly, 'You clean up nicely More than nicely'

"Thank you' She knew she had turned an unflattering shade of red and it was annoying It wasn't as though she was a stranger to compliments from the male of the species; it was just that this particularin the world she needed right now 'And thanks for feeding us,' she added, indicating Harvey with a wave of her hand 'I really didn't intend to put you to so much trouble when I waved you down earlier,' she finished priht light of the kitchen his face was rugged and attractive, full of wry sharply defined planes and angles which the scar down one cheek heightened His nose was straight, his thick brows and eyelashes the same coal black as his hair, and his ht was unwelcome but it was true Travis Black exuded a cynical kind of sexiness that was over¬whelnetic and Beth felt her toes curl with the force of it

'We're neighbours,' he said lazily after a tense moment or two had crept by 'Albeit temporarily It was the least I could do I'd hope someone would behave the same if my sister found herself stranded'

He had a sister? Ridiculous, because probably mad axemen and allsomehow Beth hid behind a neutral social s as she studied him 'How old is your sister?' she asked

'Sandra? She had her thirtieth a feeeks ago She's probably still celebrating, knowing Sandra She's a party animal, to put it mildly'

'You don't approve?' There had been soh nothing she could put her finger on But she could be wrong; he was as coer after all

He shrugged hetti into his rooman with a life of her own' It wasn't really an answer Beth tried the Bolognese It was absolutely delicious As cooking was one of her least favourite things, she'd always had enorredients and turn the overdone, underdone or just plain inedible

'This is lovely,' she said a little grudgingly Travis was clearly one of thosehe set his ht her up sharp and she sla the 'do not enter' sign back in place