didn'

jet lag. Not becaus

mes voice still e

before I could a

of her had waited years to hear those words. She press

ions. She was here to survive thi

she remin

-

James was

reakfast table in h

uarters by 10 a.m. You're

se he signed with initials.

she found herself smoothin

-

ice. Marble floors, gold trim, and a receptionist who spok

e boardroom, and

table, seated beside Marc

y other man

Amanda Stones. My wife-and corpo

ach drop

he said unde

e murmured back. "I thought I'

But not here. Not in

y seat next to him and whi

," he replied,

iatingly,

Amanda followed easily. When the Ilari legal advisor made a subtle mistak

nodded in

apped a hand on her shoulder. "J

ed. "She's

-

ed into the waiting

umilia

pressed

a spotlight w

her. "And y

stunned. "I don't n

you forgot you were capable

harder than she

-

pped into the shower while A

ng was u

Her anger.

briefcase on the

ated. The

older. She pulled it o

ntracts. O

ing that made h

ph

r ph

ughing on a beach in Cape Town, James arms a

kep

h

h it... the d

ign

ouc

ed five y

Her signature. But

er quickly as the b

aist, rubbing his hair dry. He froze

eyes

her

for a pen," s

eve her. But h

hat scarf. The old one. The r

pped. "It's j

hen we had our first real

soup," she said

idn't know how

r between them was heavie

sign them?" sh

't answer

ouldn't sign away the only

rd. "You don't g

y n

were married to work. To control. I

You were never convenient. You we

ped. "Then you k

her hand-but sh

this," she

lready

d away, t

," she said.

"Then let's ma

-

e lay in bed, sle

n't stop thinking

man who broke her heart-was still holding on

e

_

ds and the threat of rain. Fitting, Amanda

. She didn't bother reading

g not to think about the photograph. Or the fact that James had kept the d

convenient. You

t said the one word sh

bold declarations. The James Stones metho

eningly

t she still f

-

ylist arrived

said in accented English. "Fitting a

agree to

ed deal," the woman explained. "You

aid out on the bed. Each one

m... a small bl

. The exact design she had pointed out in a magazine years ago,

in her han

emem

why