by Unknown
“History is not going to repeat itself.”
“I’ll hold you to that. I’d hate to have summoned you here to save Paige, and see you end up destroying her.”
Shane wouldn’t allow that to happen. Somehow he’d find a way. He had to.
Alittle past eleven that morning Paige was trying to decide the best time to check on Gayle when she heard the knock on her office door. She’d spoken by phone with Gayle twice on Monday. She hadn’t made a decision, but from what Paige had learned from Noah, the job wasn’t becoming any easier for Gayle. Unlike Noah, Gayle was insecure, shy, and self-conscious about her weight. The incident with the photographer made her even more insecure.
Paige had been the same insecure way with an older brother who everyone adored and looked up to. People saw her and wondered where she’d come from. Zach helped by including her when possible. Noah did the same thing with Gayle. Yet Paige knew that eventually you had to face the harsh realities of life on your own.
Paige ignored the second knock and chewed her lower lip. Would it be better to go by the restaurant for lunch or wait until later that afternoon to go by her apartment?
Gayle planned on going in today, but it was anyone’s guess how her shift would go. The manager said he’d give her until Wednesday, but if things went badly today, he might not wait.
The knock came again.
“Come in.”
The door opened. Shane filled the doorway. Paige didn’t even realize she had moved from behind her desk until his arms closed around her, his mouth found hers. Things blurred pleasantly. The man could certainly kiss.
“Hi,” he said, staring down at her.
“Hi.” How could just looking at a man make your heart beat faster, shut out the world, make you feel invincible?
“I think we need to talk.”
Her warm mood evaporated. Her hands clenched on his arms. “About what?”
“Us.”
Gazing up into his serious face, Paige couldn’t tell if she was going to like what he said or not. “Go on.”
Letting his arms fall, he caught her hand and went to sit on the love seat by a dark oak bookshelf filled with books, photos, awards, and crystal. “You’ve never asked me about my looking for a job or job prospects.”
She tensed. “You found a job?”
“As I said, I’m keeping my options open. My checking account and savings are enough that I don’t have to worry about it for quite a while.” His hands flexed on hers. “You go to work and I stay at the house. It never seemed to bother you.”
Some of the tension eased out of her. “I know after helping the foster kids and others find jobs that it can be difficult. Besides, you’re not the freeloading type. You help without being asked. You’ve never hinted for a loan, always paid for us going out.” Her hand ran over his callused palms.
“You’re used to hard work. I don’t figure an ex–Army Ranger would be lazy or shiftless. Mother said her former roommate spoke very highly of you. Macy marvels at how neat you keep your room and bathroom. You’re the perfect houseguest.”
“I don’t know about perfect.” His thumb grazed over the pulse in her wrist, causing it to beat even more wildly. “I’ve enjoyed being here. It’s the first time since I was a kid that I didn’t have a schedule to follow.”
Her heart twisted. He hadn’t had an easy life. “I’m glad you decided to spend it with us.”
“Me, too. Do you have time for lunch or do you have another appointment?” he asked.
She glanced at her watch. “I have an appointment in an hour at the Carrington Estate where the ball is being held. Before you came in, I was trying to decide if I wanted to drop by the restaurant now or later to check on Gayle.”
“Neither.”
Her brow lifted. “You can’t be serious?”
“I am,” Shane said patiently. “She knows you’re behind her. She doesn’t need you checking up on her.”
Her shoulders straightening, Paige pulled her hands back into her lap. “I’m not checking up on her. I’m supporting her.”
Shane folded his arms. “A matter of semantics that amounts to the same thing. In any case, it would have the opposite effect. You can’t hold her hand. She has to sink or swim on her own.”
Paige’s hands clenched. “Some lessons are painful.”
Shane’s hands closed over hers. “Life isn’t pretty or easy at times. Hopefully one learns from those lessons.”
“It would be so much easier if I could just tell her,” she lamented.
“On whom?” Shane asked. “Don’t you think your mother would have spared you any unhappiness if she could have?”
“She was in the front row at every tryout where parents were allowed. The moment my name was announced I could hear and see her yelling for me.” Paige’s mouth curved. “No matter where I finished, she’d still be just as vocal and proud.”
“Exactly. And now you don’t give up because you learned not to,” he told her. “It might seem harsher to let a person learn on their own, but occasionally it’s the only way.”
Paige’s head twisted to one side. “Are you talking from experience?”
“Yes.”
“Any regrets?”
“Plenty, but it’s the only way,” he said, finality in his words.
Paige blew out a breath. “Since I can’t go support Gayle, why don’t you come with me and keep my mind off what might be happening at the restaurant?”
He grinned wolfishly. “How can I resist such an interesting proposition?”
Her heart rate kicked into overtime. It was going to be a fascinating afternoon.
Shane thought, and not for the first time, that he didn’t think he’d ever tire of being with Paige. For almost an hour they’d toured the main rooms of the Carrington Estate, fifteen thousand square feet of luxury on three levels with beautifully landscaped grounds, a small lake, and a helipad. He hadn’t gotten bored or restless, as occasionally happened when he’d been with Blade while he conducted business.
Paige and the executive manager of the property, Charles White, both had notebooks, and both were taking and comparing notes. For the first time Shane realized the massive undertaking she’d planned.
“Here in the main ballroom is where the French-themed dinner will be served, you’ll note the beautiful gilt artwork on the domed ceiling, the five eight-foot crystal chandeliers,” Charles said proudly. “Your guests will enter from the first floor, have their passports stamped by a host of attendants fluent in French, and come down either of the white spiral staircases.” He spread his arms wide. “This area will be transformed into a Parisian street scene with charming sidewalk cafés, streetlights, couture stores, and a pastry shop. Mimes will stroll the perimeters. The replica of the Eiffel Tower will be at the farthest end.”
“The photographer?” Paige questioned.
“Will be stationed there to take photographs,” Charles confirmed. “The photographs will be available within an hour and given in a three-by-five Waterford crystal frame at no charge as another memento of the night.”
Shane whistled. “That’s going to be costly.”
Paige smiled. “The tickets are three thousand dollars each. It’s for charity, but I wanted the guests to feel they’re getting their money’s worth, so when I ask them next year they’ll be eager to attend.” She faced the executive manager. “We know they’ll enjoy the French cuisine. The chef is sensational, the food fabulous.”
Charles smiled. “You charmed the chef so much during your taste test that when he heard you were coming today he prepared a luncheon for you. If you’d like, you and your guest can enjoy it on the terrace overlooking the cascading pools and gardens.”
“Won’t you join us?” Paige asked.
“Thank you, but with the ball less than two weeks away, I have a lot of work to do,” he said.
“Everything is coming together just as I planned.” She looked up the graceful staircase. “I can’t wait to see the guests�
�� expressions when they see what you’ve created.”
“Thank you, but this room is only the beginning, as you know.” He tucked his bound leather notebook to his chest. “Your guests will also be transported to London, Rome, and Monte Carlo. At each stop they will see a landmark synonymous with that great city.”
“It will be a night to remember,” Paige remarked. “A night of romance.”
“My staff and I at Carrington Estate will certainly do our part.” He turned to Shane and extended his hand. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have a few phone calls to make. Lunch will be served outside.”
“Thank you,” Shane said.
“Good-bye, Charles.” Paige turned to look back at the sweeping staircase.
Shane curved his arm around her waist. She laid her head on his shoulder. “How long have you been working on this?”
“A year,” she answered without lifting her head. “My debutante ball was held here my senior year in high school. Luckily I had come into a bit of my own by then, so I had fun. Mother and Father were so proud of me.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “Of course they were.”
“Mother planned to take me to Europe the summer I graduated from high school, just as her mother had taken her. Daddy thought I was too young,” she said, her voice full of regret.
“What happened?” His hand gently rubbed up and down her arm.
Paige burrowed closer to Shane. “Mother fell. She was so badly bruised it was an effort to walk. Father said she was clumsy. She kept apologizing to me. I told her it didn’t matter, that I was just sorry she was in so much pain.”
Shane had no doubt Mrs. Albright’s husband caused the injuries. He hoped the sadistic bastard roasted in hell. “Did you ever go?”
“No,” she said quietly. “So when I came up with the idea of the ball, I knew immediately the cities I wanted.”
“So you’d finally take that trip together.”
Turning in his arms, she smiled up at him. Her finger grazed his lower lip. “I think Mother will be pleased when she sees the destinations.”
“Monte Carlo is a bit of an unusual place to take a seventeen-year-old.”
She chuckled. “I added Monte Carlo because it always seemed so romantic in the movies. I imagine driving on the cliff in a red convertible, playing baccarat, midnight suppers.”
One day he’d take her there. “You’d have beginner’s luck and walk away with a bundle.”
“Perhaps. The ball will be the culmination of so much. I dreamed of returning here one day and having my—” She straightened abruptly. “Why don’t we go outside? I’m sure we’ll be served shortly.”
He caught her by the arms when she attempted to move away. “What were you about to say?”
She moistened her lips, started to tuck her head until his hands on her arms tightened with just enough pressure to let her know he wanted an honest answer, and to remind her to always keep her head up. “I planned to have my wedding here. Last year I finally realized that day might be a long way off and decided to hold the Masquerade Ball here instead.”
His gaze, locked on her, didn’t waver. “You’ve dated Russell since then.”
“Russell is a friend. Make that was,” she said. “He could never touch my heart the way I want the man I’ll marry to.”
“Paige.” Shane pulled her roughly into his arms. “If another man touched you…”
“Why would I want another man when you’re here?” she asked.
He lifted her head, stared down at her. “I wish I could promise you that I’ll always be here. I can’t.”
For a brief moment, sadness flickered in her eyes. “You’re here now. That’s enough.”
“And when it’s not?” he questioned, not moving away.
“I’ll let you know.” She hooked her arm through his. “A certain man taught me to go after what I want.”
Later that night Shane walked the grounds of Mrs. Albright’s estate, seemingly impervious to the warm, gentle rain that soaked his shirt and pants. Deep in thought, he ignored the moisture. He’d been in worse. The situation he found himself in with Paige was a different matter entirely.
He only had himself to blame. At Riviera Maya, when Mrs. Albright came to ask for his help, he’d been so sure he could handle whatever threat Paige might present to his peace of mind. He’d been proven wrong in spades—and worse, the stakes had just gotten higher.
Paige wanted forever. He knew that, but seeing the wistful look on her face as she stared up at him at the Carrington Estate, then the flush of embarrassment when she talked of wanting her wedding there one day, he was hit squarely in the face with reality. He’d told Rio he wasn’t thinking about marriage, and he wasn’t.
Yet the thought of her coming down that staircase to another man made Shane’s gut twist painfully, rage shimmer inside him. And even knowing he didn’t feel the same way, she still looked at him as if he were the only man on the planet, the only man for her.
His mind didn’t think of forever in terms of being with a woman. But he’d never felt for another woman what he felt for Paige. Protective, lustful, and, yes, hopeful. At any other time he would have been anxious to get back to work. Now he was content to get updates from Rio.
In the years he had worked for Blade, Shane had never been away from him this long, couldn’t have imagined doing so until Paige entered his life. He took his job seriously, yet here he was, across the country with no great inclination to return to the life he once led.
No one asked when he might return, which in itself was telling. He was a stickler for details. He wanted to know who and whatevery moment. Now he was the one unable to comply with his own rules.
Rio reported that Blade and Sierra hadn’t let the location change stop them from their honeymoon. Rio figured Blade would take another week before he emerged. When they did, Shane would have to return.
What Rio didn’t say was that he didn’t see how a man could spend so much time with a woman and not get bored. Obviously, Rio had a lot to learn about women. Paige was certainly teaching Shane a great deal.
The sound of Paige’s bright laughter lifted Shane’s downcast head. Dressed in a short-sleeved white blouse and black slacks, she ran lightly along the flagstone path heading straight for him.
His heart simply stopped.
She was so beautiful, and so loving and open. She deserved happiness. He realized at that moment he wanted that happiness with him. And his secret could rip them apart.
She didn’t stop until she’d thrown her arms around his neck. She laughed up at him, rivulets of water running down her face. “I saw you from my bedroom window.”
Pain sliced through him at the thought of losing her. Just short of desperation, his arm dragged her to him. “It’s raining.”
“I wanted to be with you,” she said simply. “Why should I let a little rain stop me?”
His hands framed her face. “You’re so beautiful.”
The laughter ebbed. He felt her tremble. “I’m not, but thank you.”
He frowned down at her. “Why would you say that?”
The smile came again. “Most beautiful women have more men coming on to them than they can count. I am pitiful in the date department.”
“Because you’ve probably turned them down,” he told her. “All except ‘he who shall remain nameless.’ ”
She giggled as he intended, then sobered. “I’m busy with work and the foster program. I don’t have time to date.”
“Then I’m a double lucky man that you accepted my date and found the time to go out with me.” He kissed her gently on the mouth, then curved his arm around her waist and started back toward the house. “Let’s get you inside. I don’t want you sick for your big night.”
“I’m never sick.”
Shane kept walking. “You have an escort for the ball?”
She stopped. “Not anymore.”
“Any tickets left?” he asked. She was adorable with raindrops sparkling on her
thick lashes. No one was escorting her down that staircase again but him. At least he could fulfill part of her dream. And just maybe, a part of his own unrealized dream as well.
“We sold out, but since ‘he who shall remain nameless’ never paid for or picked up his ticket, there is one left.”
He grinned. “Was. I’ll give you a traveler’s check as soon as we get back.”
She swept the rain out of her face. “That’s not necessary. It’s already paid for. It can be my gift—”
“No,” he said, harsher than he intended. He cursed under his breath as she went still. “I pay my own way. I can afford the ticket.” She simply stared up at him with enormous eyes. “Paige, honey, I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
“I can see why men quake.”
“I’d never harm you,” Shane promised, hurt that she thought he might. “You believe me, don’t you?”
“Of course.” She leaned against him, her arms circling his waist. “For a moment I was back at a time I don’t want to think about.”
He barely kept from stiffening. “What happened? Were you hurt?”
“No,” she said. “The incident just made me feel helpless and inept. I didn’t like the feeling.”
His thumb and finger lifted her chin. “You’re neither of those two things. I’ll have to put on my scary face if I hear you say that again.”
“Can’t have that. Besides, with you I don’t feel that way.” Her fingertips brushed across his damp lips. “With you, I think I can do the impossible.”
“Exactly how I feel with you.” His lips covered hers, feeling them warm, soften. He gathered her to him, kissing her with leashed need and power. Desire rushed through him, shaking him to the very core. Each kiss took him closer to the edge, but he had no intention of depriving either of them.
He fed on her sweet mouth. Their tongues mated, dipped, and swirled, kiss after drugging kiss. It was just the two of them caught up in a maelstrom of need and passion. Insinuating his leg between hers, he let her feel his hard arousal. Trembling, she pressed closer, her arms tightening around his neck, her mouth as feverish as his.
His need strained to be free. He longed to feel her clench hotly around him, for him to drive into her satin heat. If he didn’t stop, he’d take her here and now.