That was over a week away. If he could convince her to stay on at the ranch for that long, Gage hoped it would be enough time to move past whatever barriers Elena was putting up between them.

The aircraft shifted slightly as the landing gear came out with a soft thud that vibrated through his feet. The movement sent her hand darting out to steady herself, her fingers landing on his forearm. The crackle of awareness was there for her, too. He saw it in her eyes before she pulled away.

“Okay.” Elena shut her laptop and unplugged the cord, packing up her things for their arrival. “I can use the next week to brainstorm my business plan with Chiara, but I’ll remain in Mesa Falls through the party as a way to thank you for the help you’ve given me this week.”

A kind offer, but not at all what he wanted from her.

Gage considered his next move, not wanting to scare her off if she was already planning her life after their affair. He would simply use their remaining time together to remind her how good life could be at his side. For today, he would be grateful for the gift of one more week.

“Thank you.” Picking up her hand where it rested on the workstation, he brushed a kiss across the knuckles, inhaling the orange blossom scent of her skin. “I can’t deny that I’m looking forward to having you under my roof until then, Elena. I plan to make the most of every day.”

A week later, Elena walked through a fashion studio in New York’s Garment District, perusing a breakout Italian designer’s new collection for a venerable French fashion house with Astrid and Chiara at her side.

Sample sizes of all the clothes shown in Paris last week hung neatly on rolling racks outlining the big, open space where natural light slanted through huge windows. It was a dream girls’ trip, helpfully orchestrated by Gage in his quest to remind her of the perks of continuing their affair. Her stomach knotted at the thought of how much his thoughtfulness swayed her.

But for all the things he’d offered her, never once had he suggested he loved her. Better to enjoy this last hurrah with her friends before she returned to a more down-to-earth life on the West Coast. Alone.

“I can’t believe you got us in here, Chiara.” Elena sighed wistfully, sliding one hanger farther down the rack to take a better look at a pair of crepe de chine pants with a sexy silhouette that hugged the hips and billowed into a tulle puff midway down the calf. “Let alone that we have a private showing.”

Nearby, Astrid squealed over a cashmere sweater dress with cutouts around the waist.