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And then in the next moment he lifted his head and settled back in his own seat, leaving her so bereft for a second that she alazed at him, utterly over¬whelmed by how he had made her feel Never, not even in the first flush of their relationship when she had thought Keith was the be-all and end-all, had he been able to inspire such a physical reaction Which was scary Very scary But exhila¬rating and thrilling too She hadn't known it was possible to feel so wholly alive

'I want you, Beth,' he said with re she felt she was about to spontaneously combust, 'but as I said, I'm in no hurry I've never yet taken a woman asn't totally and completely ready, mind and body I'm not about to start with you That's a promise, OK?'

She nodded helplessly Speech was beyond her

'So we have the odd date, see each other when I' heavy You learn about ht like e find out, weeyes with their black lashes looked down for a aze fixed on her face 'But it'll be a good suood summer indeed'

CHAPTER SIX

Catherine was definitely bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when they walked into the hotel bar soly over her sister Beth tried to ignore the silent question in Catherine's eyes and join the s in but it was hard For one thing, her brain was still trying to assess just what had happened in the car, and another was the fact that Travis had taken her hand as they'd walked into the hotel and seeo

She stuttered and stuh the conversa¬tion—a conversation which Travis kept floith effort¬less ease havingdinner coe relief when a waiter appeared at Michael's elbow and informed them their table was ready in the restaurant

After choosing from the extensive menu it only took Catherine thirty seconds to day, 'I', Beth?'

The third degree Beth stared at her sister But if she didn't go with Catherine now and satisfy her blatant curiosity, her sister would only corner her at soet it over with

Once in the ladies' cloakroom, Catherine made no bones about her inquisitiveness but then prevarication had never been one of her sister's attributes

'So?' Catherine was all agog 'What gives?'

'What do you ed

'You were holding hands,' Catherine said gleefully 'And that looked to be one serious conversation you were having in the car Don't tellthe weather'

She loved her sister, she really did, but right at this moment she wished Catherine was anywhere but here How could she explain what she didn't understand herself? So Travis in the last hour and she would have sworn on oath such a thing was ludicrous thisBeth took a deep breath 'We're friends,' she stated Then, when her sister gave a horsey snort, she added, 'Just friends I ht see each other now and again when Travis is up here but on a very casual basis No strings attached, just nice and easy'