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the answer’s no,’ said Max with a tight shrug. ‘When it comes to my marital status, I’m prepared to humour you. When it comes to MEP, Evie’s an integral part of it. She stays.’

      Impasse.

      ‘Why so much float money?’ asked Caroline finally. ‘I don’t know much about the construction industry, but it seems excessive.’

      ‘Because we don’t receive first payment until we’re out of the ground on this one,’ said Evie. ‘It’s a common enough clause in building contracts. But most of the foundation work for this particular build will have to be done underwater. Makes it expensive.’

      ‘Sounds like you’re out of your league,’ said Logan.

      ‘No, just our price range,’ said Evie.

      ‘Then get your client to advance you the funding for stage one.’

      ‘They won’t.’

      ‘Then find another client.’

      ‘You’re right.’ Evie eyed Logan steadily. ‘Would you like us to build you an innovative, high-profile civic centre?’

      ‘I wouldn’t employ you to build me a bookshelf.’

      ‘What do you think she did to him all those years ago?’ Max asked his mother, dividing his gaze between her and Logan warily. ‘He’s not usually this intractable.’

      ‘You should have seen him as an infant,’ said Caroline. ‘He could be extremely recalcitrant if he didn’t get his way. I like to think I nudged it out of him. Perhaps not.’

      ‘I’m right here,’ said Logan, between gritted teeth. ‘No need to talk around me.’

      His mother studied Logan with sympathetic eyes. Max just studied him, and then, as if judging a walnut that would not be cracked, Max turned to Evie.

      ‘So what’d you do to him?’ asked Max. ‘Did you reject him?’

      ‘No,’ said Evie quietly. ‘I did everything your brother asked of me.’

      ‘Never a good move,’ said Caroline gently, and Evie shrugged and returned the older woman’s gaze and thought she saw a glimmer of understanding.

      ‘I’m still not seeing the reason for the extreme hostility,’ said Max. ‘You haven’t seen each other in years. You were together for one week and then you parted ways. How bad can it be?’

      He’d never been in thrall, thought Evie gently. He’d never known obsession. Ignorance was bliss.

      ‘Would you like to tell him or shall I?’ said Evie when the silence threatened to smother her.

      ‘By all means, let’s hear your take on it,’ said Logan with exquisite politeness.

      ‘Our time together was all-consuming,’ she offered, and wore Logan’s burning black gaze and didn’t flinch. ‘I was very … malleable, and Logan liked it that way. The combination worked a little too well for us. And then one day someone held a mirror up to our actions and Logan didn’t like what he could see, and so he left and spared us both.’ Evie arched a slender eyebrow and Logan met it with a bitter twist of his beautifully sculpted lips. ‘Am I close?’

      Logan inclined his head.

      And for once, neither Max nor his mother had anything to say.

      CHAPTER THREE

      THE problem with the truth was that people so often hated hearing it. Logan was no exception. He didn’t want to admit the darker aspects of his nature. The possessiveness. The passion that coursed through him, unbridled and deep. He’d only ever lost himself in a woman once and that was with Angie. Never again.

      Not once since then.

      His mother knew how dark he ran on occasion. Mothers knew. Half-brothers who were eight years the younger did not always know such things, and the furtive glances Max kept giving him set Logan to seething.

      ‘Don’t judge until you’ve been there,’ he snapped.

      ‘No judgment here,’ said Max quickly. ‘None. Just trying to figure the best way forward.’

      ‘Get rid of her.’

      ‘He means the best way forward for everyone,’ his mother said pointedly.

      His mother was not the weakest link at this table. Neither was Max.

      Logan turned once more to Evangeline. ‘You really want to cross me?’

      ‘What I want is for MEP to land the civic project and for you to stop being such a dog in the manger,’ she said evenly. ‘You don’t want me, and that’s fine. I get it. I got it ten years ago when you walked away. So stay away. Stay out of my business and I’ll stay out of yours.’

      ‘You’re in my home.’

      ‘Actually,’ his mother said gently, and reached for her wine, ‘this is my home.’

      ‘Logan, you’ll be gone in a couple of days,’ said Max carefully. ‘Evie and I will be back in Sydney. Out of sight, out of mind.’

      ‘No,’ said Logan curtly. ‘She won’t be out of mind, she’ll be within reach, and if you think your sham of a marriage will keep me in check, think again.’

      ‘You still want her,’ said Max slowly.

      Logan didn’t want to answer that question. For over ten years he’d avoided that particular question, contenting himself with less, always less. Touching no one too deeply and making damn sure no one tapped the darkness in him.

      ‘Yes,’ he admitted through clenched teeth, and pushed back from the table, intent on leaving before he made a bad situation worse. ‘It appears I do. Which is why if you have any care for her whatsoever you’ll get her the hell out of my way.’

      Evie gave up all pretence of eating once Logan had stalked from the room. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry.’

      ‘Stop it, Evangeline,’ said Caroline Carmichael sharply. ‘When you’ve done wrong you can apologise. But I see no reason for you to apologise for the behaviour of my son.’

      ‘We can call off the wedding,’ said Evie. ‘I’m happy to call the wedding off. This isn’t going to work.’

      ‘No kidding,’ murmured Max.

      ‘There’ll be other civic centres,’ she said, and almost believed it. ‘Better ones.’

      ‘Evie, you know how often projects like this one come up,’ said Max tightly. ‘Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture here for you and me and MEP. I’ll talk to Logan again. He’ll come round, I know he will. Because that wasn’t my brother, just then. That’s not who he is. He’s just … jet-lagged or something.’

      Evie said nothing. Caroline said nothing.

      And Max drank deeply of his wine.

      ‘Are you strong enough to withstand my eldest son’s desire for you?’ Caroline asked her bluntly.

      ‘No.’

      ‘Are you still submissive?’

      ‘No.’ Evie smiled faintly. ‘I was very young. I found my strength.’

      ‘You might want to consider ramming that particular development down Logan’s throat,’ said Caroline.

      ‘I thought I just did.’

      This time it was Caroline’s turn to offer up a faint smile. ‘Harder.’

      Evie stood.

      ‘Where are you going?’ asked Max.

      ‘To abuse your brother’s

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