Dane had been innocent, too, but his life had still been ruined and he’d been left to his own devices.
None of this was what his mother would’ve wanted. She’d had her own plan of passing these resorts to her boys and Dane and Ethan were going to see that plan through...no matter the cost.
“This place is rather remarkable,” he said after a while. “You’ve got to be proud of what you’ve done.”
“I am, but it’s not my opinion that matters.”
“Your opinion should be the only one that matters,” he countered, trying to rein in his anger. “If your father can’t see how amazing you are, then maybe he’s not worthy of your loyalty.”
Stella set her plate on the table and grabbed her wineglass. “I’m not sure anything can impress my father, to be honest. He sets a level of standards that no one could possibly reach.”
Dane finished his meal and set his plate next to hers. He reached for his own glass and scooted down to sit next to her. Stella took another drink, then let out a clipped laugh.
“I should’ve learned my lesson when I was nineteen. I got the silver medal in a national competition for cross-country skiing and he was angry that I hadn’t lived up to his expectations and placed first.”
Dane recalled her medal mention in the background check he’d had done. He shouldn’t be surprised at her father’s lack of enthusiasm or praise. He didn’t deserve her loyalty.
Dane knew all too well what it was like to be alone like Stella was. Having a bastard father was the same as going through life without one. While he had his brother, he and Ethan had never been the same since their mother passed, and he knew that emotional gap was partly his fault.
When he came to Mirage, Dane never expected to have so much in common with Stella, yet he found himself drawing closer to her in ways that could and would get him into trouble if he didn’t stay emotionally detached.
Dane set his glass down before plucking hers from her hand and placing it back on the table. He shifted toward her, placing one hand on the cushion beside her head and the other near her hip.
“Maybe for the next several hours we forget everything outside of this room,” he suggested.
Stella’s eyes widened as she eased farther back onto the cushions. “Hours? You think quite a lot of yourself.”
“When I get your clothes off, I intend to take my time,” he promised.
He very deliberately said nothing about shedding his own clothes. Maybe there was a way they could make this work without him baring too much—of his skin or anything else. There were so many ways to make a woman feel good. Stella deserved every single one of them.
Stella’s chest rose and fell with each breath. The little button at the top of her dress strained against her chest and Dane didn’t take his eyes off her as he reached for the closure and freed her.
When she smiled, he slid his hand down to the next button and slid it through the slit. A flash of red lace teased him, mesmerized him. That was exactly the lingerie he’d imagined she’d be wearing. Nothing plain or simple for this bold, assertive woman. Of course she’d have red. The power color suited her.
“Are you starting that time now?” she asked, her voice breathless with want.
Dane ignored her question and slid a finger between her breasts. Such silky skin against his rough, ranch-hardened hands. He’d always been a hands-on guy—in and out of the bedroom. And he couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted to get his hands on someone this badly.
He knew he should resist. But she made it so damn hard...in all the best ways. He needed to slow this down. Regain control. Focus on what she needed, rather than what the craving in his blood demanded.
“I’m still exploring.” Up, down. He continued to let his fingertip glide over her. “Trust me, you’ll know when I get started.”
Stella covered his hand with hers and pushed down. “I still have more buttons.”
Yeah, he’d noticed. The damn dress had little buttons that went from chest to just above her knees. She’d looked like an adorable little package just waiting to be unwrapped.
He placed her hand on the next button and let go, silently urging her to continue. With a naughty smile to match the gleam in her eyes, Stella kept her focus on him as she finished revealing the rest of her curvy body.
And then a shrill ring pierced the moment.
With a groan, Stella sat up, forcing Dane back.
“I have to get that,” she stated with an apologetic tone.
Dane let her up and watched as she covered her body and made her way back into the penthouse. A large part of him wanted to take that phone and smash the hell out of it, but the other part of him, the businessman in him, understood her commitment to her work.
He’d fallen into his ranch by sheer luck. He’d purchased it during a foreclosure and made one wise investment and purchase after another. He’d worked damn hard to get where he was today.