i

led with meetings, conferences, and industry talks, and T

give a lecture on Artificial Intelligence Reasoning and Decision Making for the college's Master's students. The lecture theater is packed out for th

em for another couple of hours before I finally tear myself away and head back to the Rosewood Hotel. There I have dinner with the CEO and two

s with it, I ask him to take it out onto the terrace. I set up my laptop on the circular glass table, thanking him as he lights some of th

ting room, and turn the video on. There's about an hour until sunset, and the darkeni

ll haven't gotten over my jetlag. I should have said I'd ca

ame one she uses for her Facebook profile. It's a couple of years old, of

d his four sisters to all his friends, then promptly told us to keep our hands off them on pain of death. I had no trouble doing as I was told w

t, Heidi's lips permanently curved upward. I also remember that the bikini

, too old to play with the children, too young to join in with Huxley's friends, and thought how beaut

ze sausages and burgers for the upcoming barbecue, I hung around until her mother left the room, the

said. "I'

me and blushed. "I

Heidi Rose Huxley. HRH. Should

turned to rest her butt against the counter, leaning her hands on the edge. "I like yo

gotten them just six months before-a stylized dragon on my left arm and a wolf on

idi teased. "Isn't that w

then offered her my bott

already had a glass

ys do what y

the bottle, and had a swig. When she'd done, grimacing slightly

kiss me?" she sai

y I couldn't possibly, and to walk out of the room. Or if she th

e on the countertop, and moved up close to her, taking her face in my hands. Her blue eyes widened. "You're sure?" I murmured, hal

nto her mouth, and her soft moan sent fireworks off in my belly that made me give a low growl as I deepened the kiss and slid my hands into her hair. She re

ater over me, I stepped back, lowering my hands. It wa

was going to murder me in front of both his parents, and if he didn't carry it through, I had no doubt that Peter H

on the face of it, wasn't the most r

eidi, whose face was scarlet, then tur

t get the chance to talk alone-we exchanged amused glances when we said hi and that was a

her blonde hair is now cut in a chin-length bob, parted on the left, with the shorter side tucked behind her ear, and the longer side hanging down like a shining curtain. She has large hoops in her ears. Her lips

softly. "Long

Then she smiles, which lights up her whole face, and says, "Titus! Oh my God, it's

eries of bookshelves. She looks as if she's in a stu

from the Armada, and a coffin hatch in the ceiling." She tilts the laptop up to show me the square shape above

's am

rom cob-straw mixed with cow dung. You can't smell it t

at the Rosewood Hot

Where are yo

garden terrace." I tur

a fortune." Then she grimaces. "Sorry. Olive

nly person apart from your pa

lly you can cal

sly, "I'll always think of

years," she says, "and I still blush when I think

me to," I

u could ha

tely shou

u regr

mile, and s

e blue," she says. "What

"Actually, I've got

O

for the wedding for

out on Augu

s to meet with a company cal

ing for your IVF project, right

the weekend. He's holding a cocktail party on Friday night, a murder-mystery evening on Sat

sounds

a more formal discussion. But anyway, so I've got to go to these events, and... well... I'm on my

Her lips part, but