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"If you want to punish ainst mine"

"That’s nice to know" She hs Her breasts brushed his chest as she spread eager kisses along his jaw

"I suggest you stop now," hein soon"

"Can’t I’ you"

"For what?"

"The flowers you sent" She wouldn’t have found the courage to confront him this afternoon if he hadn’t made that move

Mark went very still "I didn’t send you flowers"

"But…the card had your na she couldn’t coh Mark’s sister or perhaps his mother was responsible for that bouquet

"So, you didn’t send the flowers," she confired her mouth to his "Let’s just pretend I did"

Barbie wasto do exactly that

Chapter 23

Lillie Higgins stared at the phone, then groaned in frustration and turned away This should be easy Everyone seeht, Lillie couldn’thow else to e this, she’d contacted the dealership instead, with a list of iinary complaints about her car The receptionist she spoke withat ten By the time she arrived at the service department, her stole

A nize caiving her

"Could you explain again what the proble his clipboard

Lillie had a panicky moment before she remembered what she’d told the receptionist yesterday when she’d made the appoint fro up from his notepad

"Yes, that’s it From a full stop"

"How often has this happened?"

She didn’t want to overplay the situation "A couple of times"

He jotted that down "Just twice"

"No, more Four or five tione dry and she had the e to turn tail and run If she hadn’t handed her car keys over to the mechanic, she would’ve er fool

He wrote so, will it?" she asked

"Not at all," he assured her

Inside the waiting area, Lillie got a cup of coffee froh she’d coain, now she prayed she wouldn’t How could she possibly explain what she’d done?

Lillie liked to think of herself as mature and sensible Never in all her life, not even as a teenager, had she indulged in such a ridiculous deception over a man Her face burned with ht lie in a futile effort to see Hector Silva again

Fifteen minutes later, the receptionist came to tell her that her vehicle was ready She ie Eager to be on her way, Lillie hurried out of the building to the lot, where her car aiting for her

She nearly stu next to it

"Lillie," he said, his smile warm "I’ve personally checked out the car and I can’t find anything wrong with it I thought if we took a drive, the probleht reappear and I could analyze it"

The offer to spend tih of hisorder, then I’m sure it is I trust you"

"I wouldn’t hthouse beacon "There’s nothing wrong witha spontaneous decision "I apologize I shouldn’t have wasted your ti aith her dignity--or what remained of it--intact

Hector nodded "We don’t need to test your car, then?"

"We don’t"

He opened the driver’s door for her, and she clinition The door was still open

"Do you…have you ever gone bowling?" The words ca "Oh, sure, of course" This must be a day meant for lies In her entire life, she’d never even stepped inside a bowling alley

"I know it’s short notice…I hope you don’t er she sounded Her heart did a silly dance while she tried to disguise her exciteht?" he asked