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tangled together in comfortable silence for awhile. I thought maybe he’d nod off seeing as I kept running my fingers through his hair and his breathing had become deep and heavy.
    I knew on some level he was still struggling with finding a balance between trusting his emotions and keeping them protected. Shifting slightly on the bed, he inadvertently flexed his hips into mine kicking my heart rate up to a frantic pace. I heard a small moan vibrate in his throat. We were breathing in unison now. When he opened his eyes I inhaled sharply. Gone was the sadness. It was replaced by a craving so powerful I could feel it cloaking my body.
    “All night, Lia,” he growled, rolling on top of me, the muscles in his face taut with lust and want.
    At the rate we were going, we’d never sleep another full night for the rest of our lives. Not that I particularly cared. Feeling him inside me and knowing all of his love and attention was focused only on me was intoxicating. So were his soft moans and the unfiltered way he looked at me as we possessed one another, grabbing, caressing and claiming.
    We were so connected now, so completely whole as a couple that we were unbreakable.
    * * *
    The next morning we showered together and spent our time talking, laughing and enjoying one another’s company. I loved watching Alastair when he was carefree and smiling. The way he carried himself with such quiet control always hit all my hot buttons but seeing him relaxed and sated made him even more beautiful.
    I rode with my handsome Englishman to the airport and hugged him with all my might on the tarmac before he boarded the plane. For a brief moment, I considered ditching work and flying to London with him. The steely, all-business look in his eyes was the only thing that had stopped me. Dressed in a dark blue double breasted suit, Alastair had morphed from insatiable lover into CEO-mode on the ride over. It was sexy as hell but I knew better than to poke the bear.
    Grabbing me and kissing me briskly, he promised to be back by Friday evening.
    When I arrived at my office I was in a great mood and felt indestructible. Noticing a small silver envelope on my desk, I sat down and opened it. Inside was a rather expensive looking invitation. I hadn’t lived here long enough to be invited to anything so my curiosity was well and truly piqued.
    You are cordially invited to a Bridal Shower
    honouring Olivia Garrison
    Saturday, 17 September 2011
    I stopped reading and dropped the fancy piece of paper like it was on fire. All the blood in my body had run cold. The girl who nearly turned Alastair’s carefully controlled world upside down wanted to socialize with me? At her
bridal shower
? This had to be someone’s idea of a sick joke.
What the actual fuck?

CHAPTER FOUR
    I didn’t have a chance to dwell on the invitation thanks to Julian’s demands and Robbie’s constant interruptions. Wednesday went from awesome to annoying no less than twenty minutes after I sat at my desk. When I finally had two seconds to myself I called Stephanie.
    “What are you doing for lunch?”
    “Spending it with Brent Garrison,” she said. “He loved my work for Pulse so much he wants my help on a campaign for a new residential complex he’s preparing to open. Why? Did you need something? Is everything alright?”
    I leaned back in my chair and added this to the list of things that had officially annoyed me today.
    “Everything’s fine.”
    “No it’s not. You forget that I can see through your bullshit even on the phone. What’s going on?”
    I glared at the silver envelope. “I’ve been invited to a bridal shower.”
    “Really? Who do you know here that’s getting married?”
    “Brent’s sister.”
    Stephanie was quiet for a full five seconds, a record for her. “Interesting. Want me to do some digging when I see him for lunch? I can be discreet.”
    I snorted. “Sure.”
    “Lia! How long have you known me? I have a way with getting information from