Chapter 214

Audrey stared at a row of pineapples in the garden table, thinking. Not about the tart, prickly shaped fruit but about Jonathan. He was here, despite the fact that he shouldn't be, and she had no idea what to do about it. Why was he here? He avoided social gatherings whenever possible, except for dinners with his closest friends. Why hadn't he written to her in the last week? And why did he have to look so wonderfully handsome and virile? The flurry of questions made her head ache.

While the house party was of a decent size, enough so that they would not need to interact too much, it was still possible that they would be forced into close proximity on occasion. And she would be here for a week. She couldn't hide in every alcove or duck out of every balcony door when he came toward her; that simply wasn't possible.

It isn't in me to retreat. Yet that was exactly what she felt like doing.

With an irritated sigh, she turned around and walked into the hard, imposing body of the very man