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Page 205

| heart thundering wildly as Ashton placed a forefinger to her chin to direct her eyes at him. |

| "It would not have been the gift so much that I wanted," Ashton said softly. "But the person who gave it to me." He lowered his mouth to her lips. ''Sasha, moments ago you gave me a gift and I thank you for it." |

| "What . . . sort . . . of gift?" Sasha murmured, his breath hot on her lips. She ached for his arms! For his kiss! To be wholly with him! |

| "The gift of yourself," he whispered, suddenly on his feet and sweeping her up into his arms. "When you defended me, you proved that you loved me. All of these recent petty arguments were forced, weren't they? Tell me that you meant nothing by themthat you went with Stanford Sidwell only to make me jealous!" |

| Jealousy had not been her true intention, yet it did seem like a way out without having to go into the full truth of how she would not let herself trust him. Yes, this was an easier out. And by the way he was looking at her and holding her as he walked toward the cabin, she knew that she was being allowed a fresh beginning with him. |

| "Yes, it was all to make you jealous," she murmured. She looked playfully up at him. "Did it work?" |

| "What do you think?" Ashton growled, taking her on into the cabin. He placed her on the bed and smiled down at her as he hurriedly removed his shirt. |

| "Why, Ashton, this is only mid-morning," Sasha teased, her fingers eagerly unbuttoning her dress. |

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