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don’t expect them in return. It’s easy for you to look at me and be practical.”
    He studied her now in the misty light of the corridor. It wasn’t possible for a man to look at her and think practical thoughts, but it wasn’t the time to mention that. “You were frightened downstairs.”
    She tilted her chin and met his eyes. “Yes.”
    “So you’ve decided to trust me.”
    “No.” She smiled then, beautifully. Something of the girl he’d met with diamonds in her hair came through. Too much of the attraction he’d felt crept along with it. “Trust isn’t something I can give so quickly under thecircumstances.”
    Perhaps more than the smile, the strength attracted him. “What have you decided, then?”
    Perhaps more than his looks, his confidence attracted her. “I don’t want your services as a policeman, Reeve, but I think your services as a stranger might be invaluable. My father is determined to have you in any case, so perhaps we might come to an agreement between us.”
    “Of what kind?”
    “I don’t want to be hovered over. I think I can be certain that’s the one thing that was always true. I’d like to consider you as more of a buffer between me and …”
    “Your family?” he finished.
    Her lashes swept down and her fingers tightened on her bag. “Don’t make it sound so cold.”
    Touching her would be a mistake. He had to remind himself of that. “You’ve a right to the time and distance you need, Gabriella.”
    “They have needs, as well. I’m not unaware of that.” Her head came up again, but she looked beyond him to the door. “This is my room?”
    For a moment she’d looked so lost, so totally lost. He wanted to offer comfort, but knew it was the last thing she wanted or needed. “Yes.”
    “Would you think I was a coward if I said I didn’t want to go in alone?”
    For an answer, he opened the door and walked in just ahead of her.
    So, she preferred pastels. As Brie looked around the small, charming sitting room she saw the pale, sun-washed colors. No frills, she noted, rather pleased. Even without them, the room was essentially feminine. She felt a sense of relief that she accepted her womanhood without needing elaborate trappings to prove it. Maybe, just maybe, she’d find she liked Gabriella.
    The room wasn’t cluttered, nor was any space wasted. There were fresh flowers in a bowl on a Queen Anne desk. On the dresser was a collection of tiny bottles in pretty shapes and colors that could have no use at all. They, too, pleased her.
    She stepped onto a rug in muted shades of rose and touched the curved back of a chair.
    “I’m told you redecorated your room about three years ago,” Reeve said casually. “It must be a comfort to know you have good taste.”
    Had she chosen the material for the soft, cushioned love seat herself? Brie ran her finger over it as if the feel would trigger some hint. Anything. From the window she could look down on Cordina as she must have done countless times before.
    There were gardens, a roll of lawn, a jut of rock, the sea. Farther out was the city, houses and hills and green. Though she couldn’t see, she was sure children were still playing in the park near the fountain.
    “Why am I blocking this out?” Brie demanded suddenly. When she turned around Reeve saw that the calm, reserved woman he’d brought upstairs had turned into an impassioned and desperate one. “Why do I block out what I want so badly to remember?”
    “Maybe there are other things you’re not ready to remember.”
    “I can’t believe this.” She flung down her purse on the love seat and began to pace, rubbing her hands against each other. “I can’t bear having this wall between me and myself.”
    Fragility aside, he thought, there was a great deal of passion here. A man could find it difficult to overlook the combination and go about his business. “You’ll have to be patient.” And as he said it, he wondered if he was cautioning her or