indecent proposal

er to go on. Evie could see his face reflecte

very still that she knew he had already p

. He was too important to her. She loved him so deeply that

ought achingly.

to find an excuse not

the half-truth out from the

d saw a frown mar its smooth lines. Her heart began to beat with a sick

ng him of something far more disastrou

the lie, she grimly ac

gether today telling Evie in no uncertain terms how much she would prefer it if

e two of you generate i

groom and on to yourse

d have realised that himself and graciously declined the invitation.

at kind of petty manipulation. Under normal circumstances she woul

ked herself starkly as she watched that refle

g out of control. Since then she'd felt as if she'd been in a car accident, s

had gone by in a fog.

here the fog had cleared up remarkably-only

ious fog

cleared, she noted he

if she had really let him dow

effect, what sh

t?' he said

fully aware of the depth of

refusing the request without any compuncti

told her he knew she had just chickened out over something. She turned

f his that always set he

d was like b

chid,

just downright disgusted, which made Evie wonder how he would have

er and she certa

she said, surprising h

knowledged. 'You know as well as I do the kind of interest we generate when we go anywhere together.

ry close friend of Chri

almost solely responsible for helping my fa

odernise my country. I will not offend Christina'

noted. The passionate

Prince

,' Prince Raschid concluded, 'it is my duty

out Raschid's dedicatio

t extend to encompass the

uddenly sounding as cold

d if I put into place some contingency plans

on her. 'What's tha

'I have a duty to ensure that my brother and his bri

do that?' he mocked her. 'B

if I did?' Evie t

off her tongue when h

nded. 'Was that remark

' He clarified the question. 'That Id

she'd just dissembled.

t if she told him he couldn't

it was?' she countered, throwi

was, she supposed blea

aid wearily. 'I thi

r provoking remark he

d her instead. 'I will be gone for about a we

terrible foreboding go trailing down her spin

ut his eyes did as the

s sharp, he was shrewd

was programmed to make very accur

e knew that there was

wasn't te

vie

tes as she paused in the doorway. She didn't turn, and the silence bet

ing out a throbbing ta

ht here and now, and so

re,' he murm

whisper of silk, Evie

, she wanted to cry out,

avalanche she knew would bury

round him and buried her misery in