page_152

< previous page | page_152 | next page >

Page 152

| lowed him dutifully from the house, leaving her all aloneand desperately empty! |

| She flung herself on the bed, sobs wracking her body. She did not like hurting Ashton, yet it seemed that she was becoming quite skilled at it. If she persisted, she might lose him totally. But she was afraid to let him have control of her feelings and body. He was a manand so far, she had found them all untrustworthy! Although she felt she had almost succeeded at making him believe that she did not care for him enough to make a total commitment to him, she had to find a way to prove it, once and for allto prove that she was here for business purposes alone! |

| At least until she was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that he could be trusted! |

| Ah, but then, how wonderful things could be! He did know how to send her into a world of wonder! |

| A shiver coursed through her. "I am taking a chance of never sharing such wondrous feelings again with him," she whispered to herself. "But it is a gamble I must take . . ." |

| Stanford Sidwell stood bathed in moonlight across the river from Ashton and Sasha's sheep station. A smug smile lifted his lips. A cigar hung loosely from one corner of his mouth. "This'll do just fine," he said, surveying his staked-off property. "Just fine." |

| Bianca walked beside him as he grabbed his camping paraphernalia from the back of his horse, then Bianca's. He turned and faced his men who stood silently by, awaiting orders. "Some of you get busy building my house first thing in the morning," |

< previous page | page_152 | next page >