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CHAPTER 24
Diego put a powerful arm to Jacqueline’s spine to urge her in the direction of the exit. She was almost there before it occurred to her that she could hardly leave without telling his cousin, Lilia. Although the two women hadn’t known each other long, they got on so well that Jacqueline already thought of Lilia as a close friend.
“I have to tell Lilia that I’m going…”
“Absolutely. You can call my cousin from the limo. I’m positive she’ll understand.”
“No, that wouldn’t be right. She has been so good to me. Just give me two minutes, Diego. Please,” Jacqueline pleaded.
She freed herself from his grip and hurried back to the table where Lilia was seated.
“Sorry, but I have to go…”
“I thought so. I saw Diego arriving,” the elegant brunette acknowledged wryly.
Jacqueline gave her a relieved smile,
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A sense of humiliation stormed through her anger and brought hot tears to her eyes.“That’s what I mean about you, Diego… You’re impossible! You are Mexican and you’re correcting my English!”“Jackie, it was thoughtless,” he acknowledged.“No, Diego, it wasn’t. You think about everything, you always know exactly what you’re doing…”“I didn’t know exactly what I was doing when I married you. I didn’t look for the bigger picture. I must’ve been insane. I was certainly guilty of poor judgment,” Diego countered grimly. “I didn’t even foresee the complications that would come out from the consummation of our marriage. But from that night, our wedding night, preciosa, my desire for freedom disappeared.” A poundi
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She shot him a shocked look.“Of course, not… I’ve been behaving myself too!” Diego breathed again.“I should’ve flown back and sorted this out more than a week ago.”“There’s a right time for everything. Maybe, at that time, you weren’t ready.” He was still not sure that he was ready for the enormous complexity that had disrupted his once smooth and calm existence. He hadn’t chosen the situation, but now at least, he felt in control of it again. With a sly grin on his lips, Diego surveyed Jacqueline with unashamed masculine possessiveness. He couldn’t comprehend how he had ever dismissed her as only very pretty.&nbs
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“You want to talk? Okay… I’ll say it all for you,” Jacqueline told him jerkily.“Why didn’t I think of that? I really should take you into the office with me…”“Stop making jokes about this!” All of a sudden, she was finding it impossible to maintain her act of indifference.“You know we only got married because you believed Azura was your niece.”“No, I don’t know that,” Diego responded infuriatingly. Jacqueline fixed strained eyes on him, her heart-shaped face tight with tension and very pale.“Stop… This is not the time to make fun. You thought you had to be a father to Azura and you felt sorry for me because of what Sandra told you about me…” Die
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