hair damp and her face scrubbed clean of makeup. She felt raw, strip

le, dim lamp on his nightstand cast long shadows across the room. He was just a

pped under the covers, the cool linen a shock against her skin. The bed was enormous, but s

A man like Julian Carlisle didn't just fall asleep on command, not after a

an eternity, his voice came out of the d

ed itself to relax. "The bed i

his side of the bed. "You

ack. "The truth is, today I married my ex-fi

ht the conversation was over, that he wo

again, with a t

m to forget. You were the one wh

n. The one that mattered.

And don't give me that speech you gave in t

ment that would define the foundation of their

She chose the bruta

fears and resents the most." Her voice

t, a silent invitatio

ge I could possibly devise. Every time he has to call me Mrs. Carlisle, every time he sees me sitting besid

"It proves that he didn't destroy me. It proves that

u are Julian Carlisle. The man in charge. Marrying you gives me mo

laid her ambition and her hatred bare for

g. She wondered if she had gone too far

ite decipher. It sounded almost like... admiration. "An honest

correctly. This man didn't value sentiment. He

mmarized, his voice a low murmu

The lamplight now cast his silhouette against the far wall. "So, as your ally in t

at you and every gold-digger who sees you as a target. You get an ally in managing a rebellious son. And you get a partner w

ght have been a smile. "It sou

n, the silhouet

he room dissipated, replaced

ce the organ had fallen silent this morning,

that maybe, just maybe, this disastrous

tely into sleep, she hear

partnership, Miss Beaumo