She buried her face in his warm chest and inhaled his familiar, comforting scent. For now this was more than what she’d expected. She’d think about the rest later.

* * *

Shane rubbed Ginger’s back. She slowly calmed as time passed, and eventually fell asleep.

Did she have any idea her tears were like acid eating into his soul? He touched her face gently. If she had, she would’ve swallowed them, done her best not to hurt him. But that was why he loved her so much, and why he was so scared of being with her. She made him feel everything so intensely, all the way to the center of his heart. When she wasn’t around, it was like he wasn’t truly alive. He would go through all the right motions, do what was expected…but he wouldn’t feel anything.

After a time, he carefully disentangled himself and stood up. He hated to leave her side, but there were things to do. She probably didn’t have anything edible in the fridge—she was terrible about grocery shopping—and he didn’t want her hungry. They had an important thing or two to discuss. The sharp object in his pocket kept pricking his thigh.

Moving quietly, he went to the living room. There, he called the family concierge. “The dinner I requested some weeks ago on my return from Thailand.”

“The one you didn’t show for?” No rebuke, just confirmation.

“That’s right. I want it now.” He gave her Ginger’s address. “It’s a small apartment, and you have to be absolutely quiet because there’s a woman sleeping.”

The concierge didn’t miss a beat. “Anything else, sir?”

“That’s all.”

“Consider it done.”

* * *

The light coming into the bedroom was quite slanted. Ginger blinked, then rubbed her raw and gritty eyes. It didn’t help much.

She looked at the clock. A little after five…

Gasping, she got to her feet. Her skin felt tight from dried tears, and she splashed some cold water over her face. The fleshy parts under her eyes were puffy, but there was nothing to be done about that now.

“Shane?” she called out as she emerged from the master bedroom.

Some classical music was playing softly on a stereo—not hers, since she listened to music on her iPod and didn’t own an external speaker. With a small frown, she walked down the short hall and stopped dead at the entrance to her living room. Small, fragrant candles were everywhere, their tiny flames giving her apartment a soft buttery glow. Thai orchid blossoms were scattered all over the floor, and a thick, white cloth covered her humble dining table, which was set for two. A couple of covered silver trays sat in the center. Stiff ivory covers embroidered with silver and gold upgraded her two chairs into something that looked like they could fit right in at a restaurant as fancy as Éternité. A bottle of rose champagne was chilling in a shiny bucket full of ice.

“Hi,” he said from the balcony. He came inside, leaving the door open.

“Hi,” she said, suddenly shy.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. Thank you.” She tucked her hair behind an ear. “I wasn’t sure if you were still here or not.” Wasn’t sure if you’d walk out of my life forever.

“One day you’ll never wonder about that.” He put an index finger under her chin and tilted it upward. “I’ll never leave you again.”

Her mouth parted. That was the last thing she’d expected him to say. Hope stirred, but she didn’t dare… The moment felt too fragile and fleeting—a dream. If it’s a dream, I never want to wake up.

“We should eat,” he said. “I haven’t eaten anything since brunch.”

“I didn’t eat anything all day.”

He pulled out a chair. “You should take better care of yourself.”

She sat down and spread the thick cotton napkin over her lap.

He settled to her left and uncovered the platters on the table. “I didn’t know when you’d be up, so I arranged for cold soup and cold meat. Along with some salad and bread and cheesecake.”

“Wow.” Shane ate well, and he almost always got what he wanted, but this was an amazing setup on such a short notice. “This is incredible.”

He smiled and discreetly popped the champagne. They clinked glasses without a toast. Her brain was too sluggish after that emotional wringer—plus the unplanned nap—to come up with something snappy, and Shane didn’t seem interested in coming up with anything either.

The cool pink bubbly tickled her throat. Despite her nerves, she hummed appreciatively at the perfect blend of berries and oak. It was difficult to feel tense while drinking champagne this amazing.

He plucked two bowls of soup sitting on a bed of ice and placed one in front of her. It was refreshing and flavorful. She licked her lips. She couldn’t believe how hungry she was.

They ate in silence, but it didn’t make her uncomfortable. There was something very companionable and lovely about just being with him.

After she polished off two slices of cheesecake, he poured her the last of the champagne. “You don’t want any more?” she asked, glancing at his empty glass.

“Probably better if you have it.” He placed the bottle by the clean platters. “I debated the wisdom of bringing Trevor here and having him tell you everything. I thought it might help you to know, but I should’ve thought about how you would feel, hearing that your brother did it.”

She took a big sip. The food and alcohol seemed to have somehow blunted her reaction to that. It still hurt, but not enough to make her cry all over again. “How did you find out?”

“He tracked me down at La Mer to tell me.”

Stunned, she almost dropped her glass.

Shane gave her a small, ironic smile. “I was looking into who’d masterminded the whole thing, but none of the investigators were able to find anything. Then voilà, he confessed to it.”

“Why were you looking into it?”

“Honestly? I was planning to bring you their head on a silver platter.”

She bit her lip. “I spoke to him a few days ago and told him that the photos messed up everything. I guess he felt guilty. I don’t even know what to say, except that I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? Why? Trevor’s a big boy. It has nothing to do with you.”

“But he’s my brother.”

“Ginger.” Shane held her hand in his and squeezed. “If we had to pay for all our family’s sins, we’d spend our lives apologizing. For example, I know Dane forced you into going to Thailand. And Vanessa wasn’t very nice to you after you came back. My parents were never gracious to you—”

“That’s not true.”

“Fake smiles don’t count.” Shane put a finger over her mouth. “Do you realize how much time we lost because of those damn photos? Let’s not let them take more, okay? Every moment with you is too precious to waste.”

Something hot and sweet blossomed in her chest. This man always knew what to say and do to make her heart flutter. You would think that after being together for over ten years, she would be immune.

She kissed his finger. “Okay.”

He slanted his mouth over hers, his hands cradling her face with infinite care. She opened up to him in every way, her heart and soul bared to him. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of, everything that made her life brighter and worth living for. He groaned deeply in his throat, and carried her to the bedroom.

There he put her down in the center of the bed. His knuckle grazed her skin as he pulled her shirt and shorts away with infinite care. She trembled at the feathery sensation. Goosebumps rose, and he traced the same path with his hot mouth as he disposed of his own clothes.

As her body grew tight and slick with anticipation, her heart raced, swelling with emotion. She’d never imagined she’d have this again with Shane. It was a miracle.

“No, baby, you’re the miracle,” he whispered against her lips, and her eyes widened as she realized she’d spoken aloud. “You have no idea how precious you are.”

He claimed her mouth, hungry, hot and wet. She kissed him back eagerly, putting her hand behind his neck and caressing his beloved face. Her blood heated at the throaty moan he made, and she wanted him inside her, connecting them in the most intimate way a man and a woman could be.