by Nadia Lee
But that wasn’t the problem.
Keeping her head down, she rushed up the stairs and slipped into the bathroom in her suite. She brushed her teeth with extra toothpaste. Afterward she jumped into the shower to erase the rest of Shane’s mark on her.
Even as she washed away the slick wetness between her legs, she throbbed deep inside. Yes, having him inside would’ve been amazing. She’d felt how thick and hard he was earlier. He was so big he stretched her almost to her limit, but she loved the total invasion, of having that aching emptiness inside her filled by him.
Forget about that. Thinking about it wasn’t helping the situation. She couldn’t accomplish what she’d come here to do if she kept fantasizing about Shane.
Besides, she should think about protecting herself. She hadn’t been exaggerating. If he broke her heart again, she would never be able to pick up the pieces.
Chapter Four
The next morning Shane was up extra early, not having been able to sleep the night before. His fist was a poor substitute for Ginger, and knowing that she was only a few yards away had only added to his frustration.
Peeraya greeted him and offered him coffee. He nodded his thanks—she made some of the best brews he’d ever had—before his mind returned to the problem at hand.
Ginger had acted like the situation in South Africa had done something irrevocable to her. He could see how a person would be devastated at being treated that way by their fiancé. But it seemed out of character for her to claim that it had broken her heart so badly that she couldn’t even have sex with him. He’d seen how she’d challenged him to find her a room if he wanted her gone. Besides, they were engaged, for god’s sake!
By the time he was almost finished with his omelet and croissants, Ginger had made her way to the dining room. She was barefoot in an ocean blue sundress that reached right above her knees. Despite some makeup, there were dark circles under her eyes. Why was she making both of them suffer, when she could’ve ended it by giving in? He didn’t get that at all.
“Sawadee-ka,” Peeraya said to Ginger and poured her some coffee. Ginger murmured her thanks and sat on the edge of a seat across from him. Her knuckles were white as she brought the coffee cup to her lips.
“Relax. I don’t pounce until I’ve had at least two coffees,” Shane said dryly.
She choked and sputtered. He went over and patted her between the shoulder blades. She pulled back. “You could’ve said that before I had a mouthful of coffee.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” he said, smiling.
Suddenly she laughed. “Yeah, you’re right.” The tension was gone from her shoulders and neck.
He tilted his head. “Where’s the ring?”
“What ring?”
“The engagement ring. I’m sure I gave you one.” He doubted he’d proposed without one, given how much money he had. It had to have been something memorable.
The tension came back. “I gave it back to you.”
“You did? When?”
“I left it at your penthouse after I got back from Johannesburg.”
“What the hell? You unilaterally ended our engagement?”
She nodded like it was the most obvious thing to do in the world, but her throat worked as she swallowed.
“You can’t do that,” he said.
“Uh, I think I can. And any woman would, if she’d gone through what I went through,” she said, lifting her chin.
“Are you lumping yourself in with all the other women out there?”
A slight smile curved her lips, but it wasn’t friendly. “Nice try. But you aren’t going to put me on the defensive.”
“I’m not putting you on anything. Just pointing out that it’s unfair to hold something I did after I lost my memory against me.”
She shook her head. “There’s more to it.”
“Did we fight a lot? Is that why I left?”
“No.” She tucked a wayward tendril behind her ear. The solitaire diamond on the lobe sparkled. “We rarely fought. As a matter of fact, we got along very well.”
He slowly made his way back around the table, thinking, women. “Then what’s the problem?”
“Do you have any idea what it did to me when you left the way you did? I thought the place had gotten robbed or something. There was stuff strewn everywhere.”
He cringed. “Maybe I’m messy.” He always had people picking up after him, and maybe Ginger was a neat freak.
“No. It was beyond messy. You were in a hurry to go. I had no idea why…and I still don’t know.” She took a sip of water. “And when you ignored my emails, texts and calls, I thought maybe something had happened to you…except your family was so blasé I figured that couldn’t be right. Then I learned your brother Mark knew where you were. You were in touch with him…but not me. Not your fiancée. And then there’s the hotel.” She dragged in a shuddering breath. “Do you know what it was like to see you with that woman?”
He scowled. The coffee suddenly turned bitter in his mouth. “I didn’t know I was engaged. But don’t worry, I didn’t sleep with her.”
“Am I supposed to believe that?” Ginger said, arching an eyebrow. “She was gorgeous. Probably a model.”
“An aspiring model, and yes, damn it, you should believe me when I tell you I didn’t sleep with her.” He scowled at her. “I just couldn’t, okay? It felt wrong to do anything sexual with her.” He set the coffee cup down with a loud clink. “Trust me, there have been plenty of offers. And I’m not going to lie: the women who threw themselves at me were very good-looking, objectively speaking. But, well…they just didn’t do anything for me.”
Ginger watched him with unfathomable eyes. They seemed so deep, deeper than the ocean. He didn’t think he could ever figure out what was in her heart. And he had a feeling that she didn’t believe him.
“Just because somebody isn’t ugly doesn’t mean I want to have sex with them. Those women didn’t make me want to grab them and kiss them senseless, or throw them up against the closest available wall and push their dresses up.”
A delicate flush darkened her cheeks, and her mouth parted.
“It’s you, only you. And I didn’t realize it until yesterday, but somehow you’ve left such a mark on me that I’m unable to want anybody but you.”
“Stop,” she said, her voice hoarse.
“Don’t you want the truth? Don’t you want to know what I’m thinking, what I’m feeling?” Frustration tightened his chest. “You keep telling me I made mistakes and that I hurt you because I didn’t remember. So I’m telling you what I can. I may never regain my memory. It’s been a while, and you’d think if I was going to make a full recovery, I’d’ve done so by now.” He leaned closer until he could smell her—orchids and butter cream. And in an instant his fury turned darkly possessive. “I’m not going to accept that our engagement is off. End of discussion.”
* * *
End of discussion. Easy for him to say after telling her all that.
Strangely enough, Ginger believed what he’d said about not sleeping with the women who’d thrown themselves at him. When they’d been together, he’d never, ever looked at other women. She’d had her doubts about their relationship from time to time, especially in the beginning. They were too different—he stunningly gorgeous and wealthy and powerful, while she just pretty with an average family background, the kind you would find anywhere in America. He also hadn’t had much family love—his parents had been too busy with their lives and affairs to care. With her, it had been the opposite. Her family might not have been materially wealthy, but they were rich in love. Her mom often worried Ginger was dating somebody so different, but Shane had been sweet to her in public and passionate in private. And despite his father’s and brother Mark’s reputation as womanizers, Shane had been utterly faithful.
But that wasn’t enough anymore. If he hadn’t left the States the way he had, she might have been able to pick up where they’d left off. She could even pretend lik
e she hadn’t lost something precious in Amsterdam. But Shane couldn’t live in Thailand and other vacation spots forever, and neither could she. And the second he went home, the best doctors in the world would be working on him. It was only a matter of time before he got his memory back. Then whatever that had made him leave in the first place would start to fester. If he left her again, she simply wouldn’t be able to deal with it.
How could she risk that?
Shane tilted his chin. She was about to tell him to forget it when her phone rang. The ringtone from the Brady Bunch made her smile. It was her half-brother, Trevor. “Excuse me,” she said and walked away from the table. “Hi, Trevor.”
“What’s this I’m hearing? You’re in Thailand? At the Pryce vacation home?”
Her jaw dropped. “How did you know?”
“I have my contacts.”
She shook her head and started up to her room, not wanting everyone to overhear their conversation. Trevor and his contacts. She could swear he worked for the CIA, even though he wouldn’t admit to anything.
“What are you doing there? I thought you were through with that bastard.”
She winced. Trevor had always been overprotective. She supposed that was par for the course since he was five years older. But he’d gone a bit too far. Recently he’d refused to refer to Shane by name, instead preferring “that bastard.” Apparently that was the least Shane deserved for breaking her heart. “I’m here on a job.” She closed the suite door behind her and sat on the edge of her bed.
“Job? Who’s getting married?”
“Dane is paying me more than four times my fee to get Shane to come home.”
“Why doesn’t he send his own family?” Then Trevor snorted. “Oh never mind. Who’s gonna want to go home to a school of barracudas?”
“Jeez, Trev—”
“Wait. Do barracudas even have schools?”
“They aren’t that bad.”
“Are you kidding? I’m insulting the barracudas. His family’s a bunch of fuck-ups, especially his parents. I’ve run some checks—”
“Have you been spying on them?”
“Don’t ask me things I can’t answer.”
“Look, I know you mean well, but you need to stay out of this, okay? Shane’s my ex, and I’ll handle him.”
“I wouldn’t be so hostile if he treated you right. He’s never appreciated how special you are.” The edge in Trevor’s voice hardened. “He’s lucky I was in Russia and couldn’t track him down after what he did to you. I knew it was bad when Debbie had to fly to Amsterdam to join you for retail therapy.”
Ginger took a deep breath. Trevor didn’t know exactly what had happened. Her best friend Debbie Chang had told everyone she was meeting Ginger for some frivolous shopping, and apparently Trevor hadn’t bothered to check the story. “It was a while ago, and I’ve gotten over it. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”
“So it’s just a job, right? Just money? You aren’t doing anything else with him?”
Her mind flashed back to the storm. How Shane had kissed her and suckled her and given her the best orgasm of the past year. “Nope.”
“You’re lying. You hesitated.”
“Am not!”
“What about Robert’s feelings?”
Oh my god. “How do you know about him?” Robert was the man she’d dated after returning to the States to forget Shane.
“I checked up on him, too.”
“Okay, you need to stop. You’re being creepy.”
“I’m not stalking the man. Just making sure he didn’t have any criminal convictions or anything.”
She rolled her eyes. Was that supposed to make it better? “What was that? The connection here is spotty. I think I’m losing—” She hung up.
It was annoying how well Trevor knew her. He seemed to have some kind of innate lie detector when it came to his little sister.
She lay on the bed, then chuckled humorlessly at how Trevor hadn’t realized that she and Robert had broken up a few weeks ago. He was super sweet, and she liked him a lot, but ultimately, they weren’t right for each other. No, she wasn’t right for him. He needed a woman who wasn’t using him to forget her ex.
A few moments later, her phone rang again, this time a sexy Beyoncé remix. She smiled.
“Debbie! What a surprise,” Ginger said.
“Trevor just texted me. I don’t even know how he has my new number, but whatever.” Debbie spoke like she was firing words from a machine gun. It felt jarring to people who’d heard her speak Chinese, which came out with a lyrical sweetness. “Is it true you’re in Thailand with Shane?”
“We’re not here by ourselves.”
“Domestic help doesn’t count,” Debbie said. “They look the other way.”
“Peeraya isn’t like that.” Except she was.
“Have you forgotten what he did to you? That bastard tossed you out when you were pregnant with his child!”
“He didn’t know. I never told him.”
“Stop saying that to make him look less guilty. You always do, you know.”
“Debbie, I’m serious.”
“And is it true that Dane’s involved in you going to Thailand? That rat bastard?”
“Yes, but he’s paying me. And you’re right—he’s a rat bastard.”
“Don’t let them intimidate you. There are things more important than money.”
“Is that what you told your father when he gave you a brand new Mercedes coup on your sixteenth birthday?” Debbie’s father was one of the wealthiest land developers in Shanghai. His family had migrated to the U.S., but he still spent a lot of time in China overseeing his real estate empire. He was currently training his only daughter to take over the company when he retired.
“No. But I was shallow and stupid back then. I saw what you went through. No amount of money is worth the headache and drama. There isn’t enough to make up for what Shane did to you.” Debbie’s voice was low but tight with intensity. “Just let me know if you need anything, okay? Don’t stay there because jackass Dane bullied you.”
“Yes, mother.” Ginger smiled. “Thanks.”
“What are friends for?”
* * *
Sitting in the living room, Shane scrolled down his contacts on the phone. Although Dane had sent Ginger, Shane didn’t think he was the man to call. Vanessa…probably not. He had a feeling that would be unwise. Then who?
Dane’s spies watched him. They were casual about it, but he knew they were reporting his every move. Shane sneered at them, then got up and went to the bedroom. They had the decency not to invade his privacy there.
He lay on his belly and thumbed through faster. Surely he had somebody he could ask for help.
Then it hit him. Ginger had said things that implied that he and Mark were tight. Maybe he was the one to ask for a favor.
He dialed and waited. On the third ring came a deep voice. “Shane?”
“Hi.” Shane cleared his throat.
“How are you? We’ve been worried about you.”
Shane rolled to his back and stared at the pale ceiling. It was strange to hear a brother he didn’t remember talking about being concerned for his welfare. “Well. I’m fine.”
“Good. Man, you missed so much since you left. I got engaged, and so did Iain. And Vanessa finally got married, and she’s pregnant.” Mark chuckled. “Always so impatient.”
“Who?”
“Vanessa. She was the last one of us to get engaged.”
“I see.” Shane cleared his throat. “Well…congratulations to everyone.”
“Thanks! Are you coming home any time soon? We all miss you, and I’d love to have you at my wedding.”
“I…can’t say yet. When is it?”
“August. Just like Hilary wanted. She’ll love to meet you too.”
No matter how closely he listened, he couldn’t detect anything except genuine warmth and happiness from Mark. And the thing was, Shane’s gut wasn’t twisting like it had
when he’d thought of his parents. Maybe Mark was a good one.
“So tell me how you’ve been. What are you up to?” Mark asked.
“Oh, this and that.” Shane spoke a bit about his travels, omitting the part about his memory loss. It didn’t seem like an item he should share over the phone. “Anyway, I’m calling because I need a favor.”
“Anything,” Mark said without hesitation.
“Ginger left her engagement ring at my penthouse. Can you have it shipped?”
“Okay. Where in your penthouse?”
“Ah…I don’t exactly know.”
“All right. I’ll find it. Where are you now?”
“At the family vacation home in Thailand.”
“How soon do you need it?”
“ASAP.”
“I can have it overnighted to you, no problem. But…why do you want it so urgently? I thought you and Ginger were through.”
Shane scowled. How did Mark know about that? “It was a misunderstanding. On her part.”
“Hmm. Okay.” There was an undertone of skepticism.
“What?”
“Nothing. I just guess this means you’re coming home soon to see her.”
“You didn’t know?”
“Know what?”
“She’s here. Dane sent her to be with me.”
Mark made a choking sound. “Dane? Are you sure?”
“That’s what she told me.”
“Ah, jeez.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I’ll have it overnighted to you. Just… Never mind.”
Shane frowned. Why was Mark reacting like that? “Is there something you want to tell me?”
“No. It’s nothing.”
Except Mark’s tone said it was anything but that.
Chapter Five
Hilary winced as Vanessa banged on the door to Dane’s penthouse. She’d texted Vanessa’s husband Justin for reinforcements, but his jet had just hit LAX. Normally she would have had complete trust in Vanessa’s ability to handle anything, but this was Dane. He never pulled any punches, and she didn’t want a bloodbath while Vanessa was pregnant.