She clutched the back of his neck and pulled him closer. He kissed her hard and deep like they hadn’t just pleasured each other only hours before. He thrust with his tongue, and she pulled it in, sucking it and loving his aggression. The spot on her chest where he’d spurted tingled, and she clenched her thighs, the emptiness between them aching.

The PA system pinged, and the pleasant voice of the cabin attendant announced that the jet had reached cruising altitude.

Ginger blinked and drew back to her seat, her sensitive mouth parted and swollen. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Shane pulled his lips in like he wanted to savor a final taste.

Her gaze slid to the stateroom in the back. The Pryce family jet had a king-size bed and a shower in there.

Her phone buzzed. She looked down, her face still hot. “Jeez. I forgot to turn it off.”

“Who cares? It’s a perk of flying private. You can do whatever you want,” Shane said.

She glanced at him sharply. That was something he’d used to say. Quickly she forced a smile. “Yeah, you’re right.” There was a text waiting for her from a number she didn’t recognize. It read:

A deposit has been made to your account. Mr. Dane Pryce asked me to tell you that you’ve done well.

It must be from his assistant. There was also an email from her bank, informing her of the incoming money. She raised her eyebrows. It was far too much, even if he was paying for almost five times the money she would’ve normally made for half the year. She quickly wrote: It’s too much.

A moment later, another reply came. Consider it a bonus. Mr. Pryce is pleased with your progress.

She pressed her lips together. Just like Dane to reduce everything to money, like it was the only motivation.

Her coming out here had probably made him believe she was in it for financial gain. And she couldn’t lie that finances were a part of the equation since he’d threatened to ruin her freelance career if she didn’t cooperate. But she also had a line she wouldn’t cross, no matter what anybody promised.

“What’s wrong? You look like you just saw a leech,” Shane said.

She laughed at the description. “You know, I think I just did.” She put the phone back in her purse, then pushed all thoughts of Dane aside. There was no reason why she should let him put her in a crabby mood.

None.

* * *

Shane hadn’t expected anybody to come to the airport—he hadn’t told anyone he was coming home. His plan was to have a car pick them up and go to his place. His family’s concierge service had set up a romantic dinner for two on the balcony, and toward the end of their dinner he’d give Ginger the ring back. He’d considered giving it to her in Thailand as soon as it’d arrived, but it seemed better to do it properly and romantically, just the way all women dreamed of. The concierge had promised it’d be perfect, and Ginger might be even overcome with joy and cry.

Heh, he thought with a small grin. She didn’t have to cry. Just being happy would be good enough. He didn’t remember how he’d proposed, but hopefully the second time would be just as memorable as the first.

But the moment he stepped off the plane, a horde of extremely well-dressed people mobbed him. The women among them were expensively perfumed as well. He stared at the madhouse, wondering what the hell was going on.

“Shane, Shane!” the oldest person from the group hugged him. Her scent was familiar although he couldn’t quite place it. Despite her age, she was beautiful, her skin flawless, her bones delicate and elegantly formed. A black Chanel dress on her made her look like she was attending a funeral, but she wore a big smile on her face. “It’s so good to have you back home.”

“Yeah, man.” A tall dark man slapped his shoulder. The man next to him nodded. They bore a very strong resemblance to each other, and a somewhat weaker one to him, possessing the classic features that Shane saw every time he looked in the mirror.

Iain and Mark. Dane was probably lurking in the background, thinking of something obnoxious to say. A woman with bright red hair hugged him from behind. “I knew you’d be back,” she said against his back, her voice muffled. “I just knew you wouldn’t stay away forever.” She sniffled.

“Don’t mind her. She’s pretty emotional right now,” Mark said. “Transitioning from first to second trimester.”

“Don’t you dare try to reduce me to hormones,” Vanessa said, wiping away tears.

“Yeah, listen to her, Mark.” Another redhead, this one natural, put a hand on Mark’s forearm. A huge diamond ring winked from her finger. She was curvy and dressed to show off her figure. A confident woman. Shane liked that. “I’m Hilary Rosenberg.”

“Soon to be my missus,” Mark said.

“I’m Jane, Iain’s fiancée.” A pretty brunette next to Iain extended a hand. It had several cuts and burns, as did the forearm behind it. “So nice to meet you, Shane. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Shane shook hands with her. She was warm and gentle, and Iain stood close, like a dragon guarding its pile of gold. She didn’t wear her ring on her finger. Instead it dangled from a platinum chain around her neck. “What do you do?” he asked.

“Personal chef,” she said. “Just getting started.”

“But very successful. She’s a genius in the kitchen,” Iain said. Her cheeks glowed rosily in response.

“So. Where’s the man who got you in that condition?” Shane asked Vanessa. She wasn’t showing yet, but he trusted Mark was right about her hormones.

“Justin’s on his way here. Work, as usual. He’s going to meet us at the restaurant.”

Shane blinked. “What restaurant?”

“Mine,” Mark said. “Éternité. It’s my latest, although it’s no longer all that new. You missed the grand opening.”

“He dedicated it to Hilary,” Vanessa said with a soft sigh. “Is that just romantic or what?”

“Am I even dressed right?” Shane asked. Unlike his family he was in a white short-sleeve button-down shirt and old, comfy khakis, and Ginger was in a sundress.

“The clothes don’t matter. You’re family.” She looped her arm around Shane’s. “Come on. Let’s go.”

He looked around, wondering where Ginger was. Finally he spotted her at the edge of the crowd. Nobody from his family tried to welcome her back, and she stood with her face politely blank. Annoyance scraped his nerve endings. Something told him she’d been snubbed before—probably by his family. They had no right to treat her like this. She was his fiancée.

“Excuse me,” he said, unhooking his arm from Vanessa’s. If his sister needed to lean on somebody to walk, she had plenty of people to choose from.

Shane went to Ginger and put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, apparently we’re invited to a family dinner.”

“Looks like it,” she agreed, her voice not revealing anything. She didn’t seem displeased, but that didn’t mean she was thrilled either, especially given how standoffish his family was being. “I should probably get a cab and go to my place.”

“Don’t. Come with me. We’re going to Éternité.” He linked his hand with hers. “If the food sucks, I’ll buy you dinner elsewhere. Anything you want.”

She shook her head. “It’s not going to suck. It’s one of the best restaurants in the country.”

“Have you been there before?”

“No, but it has a great reputation.”

He scowled. Mark should’ve invited her to the opening even if Shane hadn’t been in the country. Ginger was practically family. He forced himself to smile, while making a mental note to talk to his brother later. “Let’s go then. It’ll be even more delicious since it’s free.”

Her mouth curved into a reluctant grin. “All right. I’ll go.”

Chapter Nine