Elena’s gaze lingered on the wall of windows, and she caught sight of Gage for a moment. He met her gaze, and perhaps because he noticed she was alone, he stepped outside a second later. He’d worn a black suit over a gray-and-white-striped T-shirt for their visit. The cotton shirt stretched smoothly across his chest in a way that called to her fingers to touch. Beyond the obvious attraction, there was also a new level of appreciation for how he’d treated her today. She’d felt so defeated when she struck out with her latest attempt to retrieve her possessions from her former home. Her friend Zoe had been upset by the hostility she’d experienced from the moment Tomas’s new fiancée opened the front door. And worst of all, Elena had been so frustrated herself that she’d nearly broken down in tears in front of Gage.

Thankfully, he’d been extremely kind about it, listening to her concerns, not judging, and allowing her to move past the anger to focus on their trip.

“How are you doing?” he asked, concern in his dark eyes as he closed the distance between them. “Can I get you something else to drink besides the wine?”

She appreciated his thoughtfulness since he knew she imbibed very little—the bourbon that first night at his house being a notable exception. But there had been extenuating circumstances.

“It’s mostly club soda. But thank you.” She felt at a loss for how to navigate her new relationship with him. Between his kindness on the flight to Tahoe and the way he’d set up an interview with a woman who could single-handedly reignite Elena’s lapsed social media presence, she could no longer pretend that Gage was her enemy. “Astrid went to greet Chiara, by the way. Thank you again for setting up the meeting.”

Turning to look out over the mountains, she sipped her drink, grateful for the cooling effect of the chilled wine and soda. With Gage standing so close to her, she definitely wouldn’t be needing the patio heater to keep warm. His shoulder brushed hers and a thrill chased up her spine.

“Good. We’ll stay long enough for you to obtain what you need, see the baby and then return to the casino residence.” They’d dropped their bags at the posh four-bedroom house earlier before continuing to Jonah’s in a rented Land Rover. Desmond Pierce owned the casino and was letting them stay there for free.

Gage leaned closer to speak in a tone meant just for her, even though they were alone on the patio. “You can give me the high sign when you’re ready to leave.”

“What’s the high sign?” she pressed, hearing Astrid’s voice inside the great room, and guessing her hostess was returning.