He liked the idea of doing this small thing for her, even if he hadn’t forgiven the way she’d allowed his father to buy her off. There was blame to go around for their unhappy split, and Gage had never felt right about bringing Elena to New Zealand in the first place when he’d known the way his father liked meddling in his life. How might things have been different between Elena and Gage if she’d come around to telling him about her past on her own, instead of having the details thrust into the spotlight by his father?

There was no way to know, of course. Elena had to live with the consequences of her actions in their breakup. But with this one simple act, helping Elena out, Gage could rest easier knowing he’d tried to atone for his role in the split.

Too bad it wouldn’t come close to fulfilling his need to kiss her. Touch her. Make her forget that bastard of an ex-husband of hers had ever existed.

Seven

Three hours later, Elena sat ensconced in comfort inside Jonah and Astrid Norlander’s mountainside mansion overlooking Lake Tahoe, the hospitality of her hosts almost making her forget what a frustrating day it had been up until then.

“Would you like to sit outside while we wait for Chiara?” Astrid asked her, pointing through the wall of windows toward the huge deck with deep couches built around a fireplace table that was already lit. A long, lithe Finnish beauty, the former supermodel had ethereal blue eyes and platinum shoulder-length hair. She wore not one smidge of makeup that Elena could see, and she was still so striking that it was difficult not to stare. “There are patio heaters and blankets, but with the sun on us, I think we’ll be warm enough without them.”

Even the woman’s accent was gorgeous. She went to the kitchen and added a couple of orange slices to her seltzer water, then padded to the back door and slid into a pair of fur-lined clogs.

“Sure, I’d love to join you outside.” Elena rose and picked up her white wine spritzer from the table. It was a light drink, the type she didn’t mind sipping to be social. “The guys look fairly absorbed in their game.”

Jonah and Gage sat at the bar between the kitchen and great room, their eyes on a flat-screen above the fireplace, where coverage of college basketball was in full swing.

“They both went to UCLA as undergrads,” Astrid reminded her, pushing the sliding glass door open. “I think Gage timed his flight to make sure he was here for the game.”