ce hardene

?" he demanded, his v

distress. "It was an accident, Liam,

in, to deny, but then she saw

id he want her to fight,

e old, possessive Liam

the path that would push him further away,

a bitter, provocative edge to her voice. "I

ression tur

she thought she saw vanished,

g?" he asked, his voi

d bottle of champagne f

said, his eyes glinting. He handed her the bot

gasped, then fel

her heart a cold

vel of cruelty. P

who was watching with b

bottle. Her h

e champagne into the glass, then li

down her hair, her face

of the guests. Others looked a

tched,

it," he

self, champagne stinging her ey

ing, shivering, the ob

ugh the sudden silence. "Go stand at the

Cassandra on his arm, not

he yacht, into the biting

soaked and freezing, as the

ptoms flared – muscle cramp

e, a spectac

r, the party beg

pale, feverish. He collapsed o

, a pang of concer

d, then move

or him, the love she could

covered him. She felt his

tending to him, fetching water, murmuri

y racked with fever from the e

awn, Cassandr

rrowed with

doing?" Cass

her voice hoarse. "I just...

ake the credit. He'll be happy t

ay, her own st

of the lower deck, unconscious from

to, hours later, Liam

e fever lessened, bu

of me last ni

et him know. It would make her vulner

f up. "I was... with one of the crew mem

orted with ra

against the bulkhead, his

earn, do you