The Billionaire’s Forgotten Fiancée (3 page)

“It’s nice to be out here without the MIB,” he said, his voice light.

“What?”

“The men in black. You noticed those stiff fellows standing around, didn’t you?”

She nodded. She’d assumed they were his bodyguards or something.

“Dane sent them to make sure I don’t run off. Apparently it took him a while to find me.” He chuckled. “Why bother, huh? The family seems to have done fine without me for the last year.”

“I’m sure your mother misses you.” Nobody could dispute Ceinlys was a maternal woman. That had surprised Ginger. She’d assumed somebody as worldly and status-conscious would have other interests that could keep her occupied.

He said nothing.

“How much do you remember, really?” Ginger asked.

“Before the accident? Not much.”

“Don’t you want to go see your family then? Find out who you are?”

He was quiet for so long she thought he might not respond. Then he said, “Everyone gets a gut feeling sometimes. The one I have now says I don’t want to go back.”

She frowned. He had his issues with his parents, but he was close to some of his siblings. And what about her? Hadn’t she meant something to him?

Her feet dug into the cool, soft sand. She looked out over the water, virtually black all the way to the barely perceivable horizon, and the waves came in a languid succession. She moved closer until one came in and covered her toes with its foamy edge.

Suddenly the sky opened and water began pouring down. She blinked as she was instantly drenched. Shane remained next to her, making no move to run back to the house.

Bittersweet memories danced through her mind—how the two of them used to stand in the torrential rains of Thailand. So very different from the occasional Los Angeles rain—the fierce intensity of it and the hot moist air that dissipated as the sea breeze pushed it away. It was cleansing, an absolution for the soul as they stood together.

She looked at Shane. His hair stuck to his skull, and his profile blurred from the needle-sharp rain. He looked back at her, and she couldn’t help but think that he must remember a lot more than he thought. And that his instincts were probably intact. It was in the way he’d been taking photos earlier when she arrived, how comfortable he’d looked with his camera, the way he’d held it.

Then what had been his true feelings for her all along? What had changed his reaction to her so much?

Did she have any idea how much he wanted to pull her into his arms right now and claim those vulnerable lips?

Ginger didn’t seem aware, but the rain had turned her shirt transparent. Her bra must’ve been one of those flimsy ones because Shane could see the pink areolas clearly. Her nipples grew pointed and sharp, and his mouth watered. He wanted to pull them in and suckle them until she cried out and clung to him.

Shane took a step closer. When she didn’t move except to blink away the rain drops clinging to her thick eyelashes, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

His senses clarified, colors and texture and scent intensifying. In the center of all this was her—the ever beautiful Ginger.

She gave a small gasp. The soft sound went straight to his groin, and he seized the moment to deepen the kiss. He didn’t want her thinking about how he’d wronged her in South Africa or any other bullshit like that. He hadn’t remembered—he had a doctor’s note—and that deserved a “get out of jail free” card.

He pushed his tongue into her mouth again, cupping her sweet ass in his palm. Damn she tasted like fire and honey, and he was rock hard against her. Her body pliable, she pulled him closer, then sucked his tongue like she had his cock in her mouth.

His skin tightened, stretched thinly over a hot need that was growing bigger and bigger. There was such a rightness in having her in his arms, his senses sang.

She adjusted herself until she could rub her hot core against his aching cock. He groaned deep in his throat. He wanted her so bad right now. If it hadn’t been for the rain, he might have taken her on the beach.

Ginger was absolutely shameless and gloriously sensual. He must’ve been absolutely mad to have left her in the first place to go to Johannesburg. If he’d been in his right state of mind, he would’ve spent all his life with his cock buried deep inside her tight pussy or enthusiastic mouth. And he would’ve eaten her, so he could taste her sweet orgasm on his tongue.

He ran his tongue and lips along her jaw line as he flicked the tip of her breast with his thumb. She moaned and rocked faster against him.

He pulled her nipple into his mouth, shirt and all. She cried out, her back arching. He cursed inwardly at the damned shorts in his way. She should never, ever wear them again so he could touch her whenever, wherever he wanted.

“Shane…I—”

She was about to say something he didn’t want to hear. Tensing, he put two fingers into her mouth and sucked hard on her nipple until his cheeks hollowed. With a groan, she licked his fingers and dug her hand into his hair, keeping him at her breast.

He moved her over and braced her against a palm tree. Using one hand, he managed to unbutton her shorts and slip the fingers under her panties.

The fabric was cool from the rain, but the folds between her legs were scorching hot and dripping. She moaned against his fingers, the sound and vibration so sexy he felt like he could come at any moment just from that.

He pulled out his fingers from her mouth and pushed away her shirt and bra. Her breasts popped free, both of her nipples pointed. But the one he’d loved before was rosier and plumper. “You have no idea how beautiful you are right now,” he murmured against it.

She shivered. “Shane…”

“You’re going to come for me.” He wrapped his mouth over the other one, trapping it between his tongue and the roof of his mouth, as he ran his fingers along her slick sex and thumbed her swollen clit.

Ginger panted, her breaths choppy and sexy. Her muscles tensed, and he sensed she was getting close. He looked at her face as he continued to torment her nipple with his tongue and teeth. He wanted to know what she was like when she came—the flush of her cheeks and chest and the sound she made.

He plunged two fingers into her tight channel. She didn’t passively wait for him to finger-fuck her. Rather she moved with him, showing him how she liked it.

Shane approved. He liked her bold sexuality.

“Yes, yes, yes…” she panted with every thrust.

He let her nipple go. “Come for me, Ginger. Now.”

A wave of strong shudders went through her. Her inner muscles spasmed around his fingers, milking them as an orgasm crashed into her. A high-pitched cry tore from her as her eyes squeezed shut and her body twisted and arched closer to him.

He clenched his teeth as he savored her climax. He was so, so damn close. He wanted her so bad it was a physical pain.

He tore at his shorts, unable to wait. Then she put a hand over his. “Do you have a condom?” she asked.

“What?” he said dumbly.

“A condom. I’m not on the pill.”

He cursed under his breath, and they stood in a sort of unmoving tableau for several moments.

“It would’ve been a mistake for us to go any further anyway,” she said, her voice subdued.

“Why?” he asked, suddenly furious. She could feel how hard he was. This was being pretty fucking selfish. “Didn’t you like it? I think everyone around here heard you scream.”

She flushed, but didn’t look away. “The kiss was a mistake,” she said. “Us having sex is a mistake.”

“Why deny ourselves? It’s going to be amazing when we’re both naked, skin-to-skin, and I have my dick buried inside you. I felt how wet you were for me.” He raised his hand. “You’re still slick.”

“I have to protect myself, okay?” she said, her tight fists shaking by her sides. “And not just physically. For you it might be just fun and games, but it’s not for me. You broke my heart once, Shane. I won’t let you do that to me again.”

* * *

Ginger fled, holding her clothes to herself, before Shane could say anything. If she’d lingered, she might have given into the need pulsating from his hot body.

The rain still beat down hard, but she welcomed the cool water sluicing the evidence of her ocean-side tryst away. Her fingers were trembling as she slowed down and adjusted herself near the house. She didn’t want to give Peeraya—or the MIB, as Shane had called them—anything to talk about.

He was right about how good they were together. No matter how many years they’d dated, the chemistry between them hadn’t cooled—sex was always fantastic. She could always let go and express her sexuality with ease because Shane had embraced it. And apparently he still did, even though he didn’t have his memories.

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.

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.”