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“I forgive you.”And since we were both stewing in our newfound emotional state I finally had a chance to look at him with more thanshock.

He was just as tall and commanding, but now the air around him crackled with tension.The suit made him look altogether different.Those imperfections somehow seemed more pronounced, making him look out of place in an expensive suit, despite the fact it was clearly tailored to fitonlyhim.

None of those differences mattered to my libido, however.Nope, my body responded in full force to being near himagain.

Spinning head?Check.

Butterflies?Check.

Insatiable need to grab him and kiss him?Check andcheck.

“So your name is Lily Lawrence?”He finallyasked.

“Yes.”

He stepped toward me with his hand out.“Colt Landry, nice to finally meet therealyou.”

I shook his hand, hating how cold it felt.“Youknowme.”

“Do I?”He shook his head.“Here, let me show you to your room.”He walked away, those impeccable manners I loved so much gone.He didn’t wait for me, he didn’t hold the door.He just stalked away and waited for me tofollow.

“This is the Maureen O’Hara room.She was a frequent houseguest and the room is still decorated with the same furniture.Howfitting.”

From one actress to another.There was irony somewhere in thissituation.

“It’s beautiful.”My room for the next four months was large and full of light, thanks to the floor to ceiling windows and doors that opened onto a terrace.A large king sized bed stood to the right, covered in a magnificent blue satin comforter.To my left was asittingarea.

His smile was tight, forcing it onto his face.“You said you were anartist.”

“Acting is an art form.”It sounded lame, eventome.

“You said you taught art at a small private school inMiami.”

I had to acknowledge that was a total fabrication.“I couldn’t tell you whoIwas.”

“Why?”

“Because I needed to notbeme.”

“Not be you?”he gritted out.“Don’t you do thateveryday?”

I winced.“You’re notbeingfair.”

His hands fell to his sides.“You’re right.I need to process this before I say anything else.And,” he glanced at his watch, “I was supposed to be at a meeting five minutes ago.If you’llexcuseme.”

He didn’t wait for an answer.Instead he stalked out the same way he’d stalked in, crossing the grand foyer to where a man waitedforhim.

“Your keys and the files.”He handed over a briefcase.“Have a goodevening.”

Colt nodded once, then shot a look back at me over hisshoulder.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.Heheardme.

His face softened but the hurt didn’t leave his eyes.He looked back at the man.“Make sure Miss Lawrence has everything sheneeds.”

Thenheleft.

And that hole he’d made at the Westerly somehow grewlarger.