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No, Jai didn’t blame Sher for the inti too friendly, for curling up on the floor and erously approachable, his Maharani, acting like a giggly, frisky schoolgirl, he thought furiously A nals wrong and taken advantage, ht have made a move on her, the concept of which sent such a current of lancing rage shooting through Jai that he clenched his lean hands into angry fists of restraint by his sides

He wouldn’t lose his teive her useful advice on how to keep other men at a safe distance, advice she certainly needed if what he was seeing was likely to be typical of her behaviour in male company

‘You’ve been very quiet,’ Willow co her free to spend a contented afternoon pondering the old photos while trying to visualise the lush and colourful garden that Sher would most enjoy

That was the moment that Jai became aware that what he had planned to say to his wife didn’t sound quite the saht the matter over He bre

athed in deep and decided that tact was all very well, but it e he wanted to ie was too important to hold back

‘You flirt with Sher and I dislike it,’ Jai delivered bluntly, pushing back his chair and rising froantly cupped in one lean brown hand

For the count of ten seconds, Willow siaped at him in disbelief He did not just say that, he could not have accused , and then she looked at him, really looked at his lean, darkly handsolitter of his ice-blue eyes and the taut line of his sensualShe was stunned, incredulous that he could have misunderstood her banter with Sher to that extent, and then just as quickly angry at the speed hich he had ed her In turn, she too rose from her chair and left the table

‘For goodness’ sake, I don’t flirt with Sher,’ she said defensively ‘It’s only a friendly thing, nothing the slightest bit suspect about it I don’t kno you could possibly think otherwise’

Jai’s cool appraisal didn’t waver ‘But I do You need to learn how to keep a certain distance in your manner with other men’

‘And you need to learn how not to be irrationally jealous!’ Willow sla, her patience tested beyond its li resentment

Those tords, ‘irrational’ and ‘jealous,’ struck Jai like bricks He didn’t do either emotion Unfortunately, those same words also hooked into a phrase his aunt had, many years earlier, once used to describe his father Later, when challenged by Jai, Jivika had withdrawn the comment and, unfortunately, Willow’s use of those offensive words sent a wave of antipathy travelling through hi you to monitor your behaviour in male company’

‘But you’d really prefer me not to have male friends?’ Willow darted back at him

Disconcerted by that surprising question, Jai frowned ‘Well, yes, that may be the wisest approach’

‘So, quite obviously, you are the jealous, possessive, irrational type you think you aren’tor possibly a throwback to the dinosaurs when men and women didn’t make friends with the opposite sex?’ Willow shot back at him wrathfully ‘Obviously you have about as much self-awareness as a stone in the wall! Sher’s like the brother I never had!’

‘You don’t have a brother!’ Jai fired back at her

‘Didn’t I just say that?’ Willow exclai anyone could criticise I like him and that’s it! I certainly don’t fancy him’

Marginally mollified by that ad roo out onto the terrace, Jai murmured in an effort to lower the volu that you knew that you were flirting It may have been quite unconscious on your part’

‘Well, it must have been unconscious because I don’t think I even kno to flirt, withback at him even louder ‘Whatever you think you saeen Sher and , Jai’

The doors eased shut with diploed Jai’s spectacular cheekbones She was being unreasonable, and he didn’t knohat he had said had escalated into a full-blown acrimonious scene He was not the jealous type and he was never, ever irrational and, had he been possessive, he would have stopped Sher fro her the project in the first instance And now, he wished he had done that, he conceded grimly

‘I didn’t get it wrong,’ he insisted, refusing to yield an inch

Willow lifted her chin, outraged green eyes locking to his ‘You got it wrong in every way possible,’ she told hi but if you can’t even admit that you’re jealous, how is anyone to persuade you that you’re wrong? All right, I’ll even make it easier for you I’ll admit that initially I was jealous of Cecilia’