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.
Instead he took his time kissing her. When he finally pulled back from her mouth, he gently pinched her nipples, licking the path between her breasts. “When I lost my memory, I sometimes dreamed of a sanctuary. I just knew it was out there somewhere for me, but I thought it was a place. But now I know it’s you I was searching for all along.”
“Shane,” she sobbed. “Make love to me.”
Desire suffused his face. He linked their hands together, one on each side of her head. “I love you, Ginger,” he said, filling her with one smooth stroke. His darkened eyes bore down on hers as he set a sweet rhythm. “I love you. I love you.”
Pleasure unfurled in her belly, and she felt like her heart would explode with tenderness. “I love you,” she said. “I love you, love you, love—”
He swallowed the rest with his mouth. She arched into him, wanting him to feel how fast her heart was beating for him. She’d never been this exposed and vulnerable, but she felt safe and secure in his arms. He adjusted his angle, turning every thrust into an unbearable jolt of pleasure. Ecstasy sizzled through her veins, and she tightened her fingers around his as she came apart.