the hospital. The private recovery villa on the outskir
nd stepped inside. He expected to find Co
dy drifted from the corn
o. She wore a floor-length white silk nightgown. Her bare feet barely touched the
Steinway he had bought
ing Chopin's Nocturne. It was the song she use
Alistair's throat, pull
d through the room an
ears spilled over her lower lash
, her voice trembling. "D
bbed. He swallowed hard. H
nt on the Persian rug. She stopped inches from his chest. Sh
er gaze
he reached up. Her index finger traced the edge of his
ish-purple bruise Eleanor
ther, but it felt like a needle
eyes, followed instantly by a dark shadow of jealousy. She blinked
oice cracked. "She mu
eight. A sudden, violent wave of suffocation gri
nce between them. He reached up and adjusted his left c
aid. His voice was rough, almo
She stood perfectly still, her
d toward the door, she spoke. Her voi
wait f
the front door of the Mont
a single lamp glowing in the main living room. He unbuttoned his suit ja
fro
earing the beige dress from this morning. A cup of unto
idn't cry. She walked slowly toward
himself for the screaming, for the tears
exactly one st
hed her
ed slightly, ex
t jacket. She smoothed the fabric, brushing away an invisible
ed in, her nose
hit her
y musk. It was cold, expensive, and aggressively territorial. It was clinging
hand stopp
d looked directly into
on the back of his neck. The absolute
oice faltering. He didn't even
nish. She pulled her hand
of her lips. It didn't reach her eyes. It
Alistair," sh
rand staircase. Her spine was perfect
The silence of the house pressed in
eeve. He lifted his wris
ea and musk
uation. But Eleanor's calm, mocking smile had just ripped the floor
edroom, but Eleanor wasn't there. She had mov
eiling. For the first time in five years, the absence of Eleanor's bo
sleep a si
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