His wife was having an affair. She had to be. That was the only explanation that made sense.

Dane was helping Mrs. McKenzie, carrying the last of the heavy cardboard boxes into the living room. Mrs. McKenzie had already opened some of the boxes, and was now taking out the Christmas ornaments.

“Mr. Prescott?”

He jerked towards the sound of Mrs. McKenzie’s voice. “Yes, Mrs. McKenzie?”

She smiled. “I’ve been calling you for ages. But you look like you’re a million miles away. Thinking about spending Christmas with your new wife?”

“Something like that.” He must’ve been so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed she had been trying to get his attention. He knew he should focus on helping Mrs. McKenzie while Allyson ate breakfast in the kitchen, but that was impossible. Not when he had suspicions about his wife.

Little things seemed to point toward Allyson having an affair. Her closeness with Cameron. Texting Cameron during the flight. Desperately wanting to be in New York today. Especially today. She had said she only wanted to get home today to spend time with her new nephew. But that couldn’t be the reason she had cried in his arms in the kitchen. Her tears had been for something far more serious.

He had seen it in her eyes. Those hadn’t been the eyes of a woman who was upset about a delayed reunion with her nephew. She looked haunted. Desperate. He had never seen her look that on-edge before. Not even when she had been fighting to stay out of prison.

“Do you want the Christmas tree in the living room?” Mrs. McKenzie asked. “Or near the front door?”

“The living room is fine,” he said. “I’ll look through the boxes for the tree and then assemble it.” He began to open the remainder of the boxes, searching for the plastic Christmas tree.

In his heart, he wanted nothing more than to ignore his suspicions about his wife. It would be easier to just go on like nothing was wrong. He could focus on assembling the tree until Allyson showed up to help put up the decorations. They could spend quality time together. Away from the noise of work, and their two families, and social obligations. Away from what had been distracting her lately.

Because she was distracted. And she was also hiding something from him. Last night, when he had demanded an explanation for why she had acted so strangely after he found her on the beach, she had lied to him. He knew from one glance at her face that she hadn’t really wanted him to search her phone.

They hadn’t been married long, but he knew his wife well enough to know when she wasn’t telling him the whole truth. Whenever there was a little intake of breath and she averted her eyes for just an instant. Allyson probably had no idea she was even doing it.

Which meant that if she didn’t really want him searching her phone, she had been calling someone she shouldn’t have been calling. That left only one possible explanation. There was no way she would be that secretive over something trivial. This was serious. And that pointed to an affair.

He sucked in a breath, but it still felt like his heart was being ripped to shreds.

“I’m going to go check on Allyson,” he informed Mrs. McKenzie.

Talking to his wife now that he had come to such a horrible conclusion probably wasn’t the best idea, but he had to talk to her. He had to get the truth out of her. Enough was enough.

Dane walked into the kitchen, but she wasn’t there. She had washed her plate and glass, which was so like her. Knowing her, she had probably already made their bed as well. If it was something Allyson could do herself, she would probably do it.

Shoving aside his tenderness for her, he headed out of the kitchen. Maybe she had gone back upstairs. He crossed the foyer. The rumble of a car engine made him stop in his tracks.

He frowned. “Allyson?”

The roar of the engine was getting fainter and fainter. Quickly, he headed to the front door, threw it open, and found a white car pulling away from the villa. Allyson was sitting in the back seat, her mane of glossy black hair unmistakable.

How the hell could she leave without telling him? Ordinarily, she would never do something like that. But she hadn’t been herself for weeks. Allyson just disappearing like this had to be confirmation of his suspicions. She was having an affair. Right now, she was probably trying to get away so she could talk to her lover without interruptions. Without him overhearing.

His body tensed with anger. Blood boiling, he marched back into the house. Without a word to Mrs. McKenzie, he headed through the living room and stepped outside. Didn’t stop walking until he made it to the white-sand beach.

Dane’s phone was still in his pocket. Right now, he felt the weight of it. Maybe he should call his wife. Let her know that she had been caught in the act. Let her know that he wasn’t going to put up with being betrayed.

Part of him wanted to know if she still loved him. Whatever he had done to make her unhappy, he was willing to work on. Then, an image flashed in his mind. The image of a man caressing his wife. Kissing his wife. Whispering into her ear. Making love to her.

No.

He could never forgive her. Not ever.

~~*~~

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” The accusation hung heavy in her husband’s tone.

Allyson slowly walked across the sand towards Dane. He was standing on the beach, staring out at the waves. As she got closer to him, she struggled to gather her thoughts. Her trip into town might have put her mind at ease, but she still had to keep her secret from Dane. For just a little while longer. One day, he would understand. “I went out,” she said mildly.

Dan clenched his jaw. “Out? That’s the answer you’re going to give me?”

“I took a taxi into town.” She shielded her face with her hand, blocking out the sun. “To buy Christmas gifts for the villa’s staff. Including the gardener.” That much was true. She had gone to get presents. Granted, buying gifts was more of a cover story for what she had really been up to, but Dane didn’t need to know that. At least, not yet.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded. “You’ve been gone for at least two hours. I called you three times and you didn’t answer. I’ve been worried sick.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have told you—”

“You’ve been acting very strangely lately,” he said. There was an angry edge to his voice, but there was also something else underneath it. Sadness. Disappointment. Hurt.

Causing her husband pain was the last thing she wanted. She hadn’t been thinking all that clearly when she took off earlier. All she had wanted was to put an end to her anxiety and take back some control of her life. Going into town had given her more clarity. Maybe even a little peace of mind. But blurting out everything now would just cause him even more pain. She had to make sure the time was right before she revealed everything to him.

“I know it looks that way,” she said. “But I swear I’m not doing it to hurt you. I promise that, really soon, this will all make sense.”

His eyes locked on hers. “So, you are keeping something from me?”

After what she had put him through, he at least deserved this part of the truth. With a nod, she said, “Yes.”

“I knew it.” He turned from her and started to walk away.

“Dane, wait!” She rushed after him. Dane was so tall, and his strides so long that she struggled to keep up.

Finally, she jumped ahead of him and put her hands on his arms.

He stopped in his tracks. Glaring down at her, dark clouds seemed to swirl in his eyes. Eyes so blue they matched the ocean behind them.

“Please listen,” she begged. “I swear it’s not what you think. I can see it on your face. You think the worst of me, don’t you?”

Not saying a word, he nodded.

“It’s not that.” She couldn’t be sure what he was thinking, but she could guess. And it was so unspeakably awful that she didn’t want to force his suspicions out of him. Didn’t want to voice the worst and then destroy this fragile marriage. Because it was fragile. They hadn’t even been married for a year. Their marriage was so new that they had to do whatever it took to protect it. Which was what she was doing right now.

“I want to believe you, Allyson,” he ground out.

“Then believe me,” she urged. “Believe in me, like I believe in you.”

“You lied to me,” he said. “You kept telling me that it was nothing.”

“I didn’t want to worry you,” she said. “It’s been tearing me up inside. I hate keeping secrets. I love you.”

He averted his gaze to look past her. To look off into the distance like she wasn’t even there anymore. Like he was thinking thoughts he would never reveal to her. “And I love you. But everyone has secrets.”

“No,” she said. “Not everyone. You don’t.”

“Everyone does,” he repeated bluntly. “That’s why I forgive you.” He leaned forward and captured her mouth with his.

A hot, desperate ache rocked through her as she wrapped her arms around him and returned his kiss.

They both had secrets. Both had things they kept from the other. Right now, more than anything, she wanted to bare herself to him. Her body. Her heart. But with the secret locked away in her heart, all she had to give him now was her body. And she ached to give herself to him.

Arching her back to get closer to his hard body, she parted her lips and welcomed him in. His tongue stormed into her mouth. Dane’s kiss was bruising. Passionate.

As their tongues collided, she moaned softly. His hands wandered up her back and she never wanted him to let her go. He had managed to inspire such a primal desire in her already that she knew if she didn’t have him now she would explode.

She pulled away to abruptly end the kiss. “Take me inside.”

The darkness in his eyes had disappeared, and in its place was an inferno. Wordlessly, he took her hand in his and they rushed across the sand.

When they got back inside the villa, he stopped in the living room and wrapped his arms around her waist. The living room was in complete disarray. Christmas ornaments and decorations were strewn across the floor. But Dane didn’t even notice. All his focus was on her. That look in his eyes...

“Here?” she breathed out. “You want me here?”

“If that’s what you want.” He caressed her cheek, his eyes meeting hers.

It was what she wanted. Oh, damn, it was. “What about Mrs. McKenzie? And the rest of the staff? We might get caught out here—”

“After you left, I told them to go home early.” He leaned forward and whispered into her ear, “It’s just us.”

Just us.

Which was what he seemed to want so much.

That turned her on even more. Made the secret place between her thighs wet. Being wanted like this always excited her. His desire for her was so intoxicating. She craved him so intensely. So desperately.

He was right. There was no way she could make it upstairs. No way she could bother to even wait for them to get out of their clothes.

“I want you right now. Right here.” She pulled him to her until her back was up against a wall.

She lifted the hem of her dress, dragging the fabric up her thighs.

His huge hands traveled up her thighs until they stopped at the waistband of her panties.

Anticipation made her inhale sharply. When he tugged her panties down her legs, her whole body trembled. Desire coursed through her.

Reaching down, she undid the button of his pants and unzipped him.

The sight of his massive erection made her mouth water. She licked her lips and took the length of him in her hand.

He jerked back in surprise, and then grinned wickedly. “Minx.” His lips found hers again and he kissed her deeply. Ran his tongue across her teeth and probed her mouth.

When he released her mouth, he asked raggedly, “Are you ready?”

“More than ready.” Her voice was breathless with longing. All she wanted now was to have him between her legs.

She lifted her leg and hooked it around his waist to give him better access to her. He gripped her waist to steady himself. Then, with one quick, powerful stroke, he guided himself into her tight, slick heat.

The pleasure was exquisite. A cry escaped her throat, and he started to thrust rhythmically into her. Her heart was racing. She might have been holding back a piece of her heart, but right now all control was gone. Giving herself over to him completely already felt so good. 

She clenched around him, making him groan loudly. Wrapping her arms around him, she clung to him tightly. As he pumped into her, ecstasy already had her panting. Gasping for breath with each stroke into her.

He pounded into her, her back slamming against the wall. She moaned his name loudly, and came hard and fast.

Dane came right after her, breathing so heavily she could hear each intake of breath.

The pleasure had made her turn to molten lead. She could barely stand. When she collapsed against him he hoisted her up, crossed the room, and gently set her down on the sofa. Then he zipped his pants back up and sat down beside her.

Still breathing heavily, he turned to face her. “I think you’ve tired me out.”

Allyson laughed. “Sorry if I distracted you from your work.” She gestured at all the Christmas decorations on the floor.

“There’s still time to put up the decorations,” he said. “If you’re up for it.”

Going into town had eased her troubled mind somewhat. But until she could tell her husband the truth, there was still an obvious tension between them. She might not be as desperate to return to New York now that she had missed her appointment, but she was still missing out on celebrating Christmas the way she really wanted to.

She looked at him. Even when she had finally revealed that she was keeping a secret from him, he was still willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Still willing to meet her halfway. If Dane was going to put in the effort to make the best of all this then she was, too.

“I’m up for it,” she said finally. “Let’s decorate the villa.”

“I know it’s tough for you to have to change your Christmas plans,” he said. “But I’m glad you’re here. For a second I thought you had taken off and weren’t going to come back.”

“Dane, no matter what happens, never doubt that I love you. Because I do. And I always will,” she said softly.

“I love you, too.” Her husband wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “And since I love you, I want you to be happy. Maybe there’s still chance we can make it to New York in time for Christmas. How about before we start decorating, we check the weather?”