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Her laughter was a soft sound “Was I supposed to say I was devastated?”

“Soreed, this ti her

There was a sarette and ground out the butt in the ashtray on the stand by the bed In that short interihtful path

“You know that I loved Mac,” she hts with Gard “A part of me alill There were times, just recently, when I wondered if I would ever care so strongly for a uessed I would love anyone like this—so totally, so—” She broke off the sentence, not finding the words to adequately express how very much she loved him

“Don’t stop,” Gard chided “Tell me more”

“You’re already too conceited,” Rachel accused

“You think so?” He shifted his position, turning onto his side and taking away his shoulder as her pillow His hand caressed her jaw and cheek as he faced her “If I am, it’s because you’ve made me so damned happy”

Leaning to her, he kissed her with long, drugging force When it was over, it just added to the overall glow she felt Her gray eyes were as soft as velvet as she gazed at him, happy and warm inside

“Do you realize they’re serving dinner, and neither one of us has had anything to eat all day?” she reminded him reluctantly, loathe to leave the bed

“Yes,” Gard said on a heavy sigh, then smiled crookedly “But I can’t say that I like the idea of sitting across the table froreement “I’d rather keep you all to myself Why don’t we have dinner in the cabin?”

“I’d reed huskily

“As a ht, “I can’t think of any reason to leave this cabin for the next two days, until the ship puts in at Acapulco”

“I can think of one,” Rachel s to wear”

“I know,” he leae around the cabin stark naked for two days”

The thought brought a little shiver of wicked excitement “I’m sure you’d hate that,” she retorted with a playfully accusing look