Who had I become? Certainly not the aspiring free-spirited traveler I remember from college. The girl who ate authentic pad thai in Thailand, rode horses on a beach in Puerto Rico, and helped build an orphanage in Mexico. That girl was dead, buried, forgotten. But I was bringing her back to life, even if it killed me . . . or preferably, Owen.

“I don’t want to fight either.” Owen pouted. “But you can take one night off to spend with me. I have something special planned for tonight.”

“Oh really? Why do I have a feeling you just suddenly came up with these special plans?”

“Come on, babe. I do everything for you. This house—it’s for you. The cars—for you. Why can’t you give back just a little?”

“Seriously, Owen? You don’t think I give back?”

“Of course you do. I just want you here tonight, with me.”

Grabbing me around the waist, Owen lifted me up, propping me on the cultured marble counter. I straddled his waist with my legs and he cupped my chin with his palm.

“I promise I’ll make it worth your while. You stay home with me to watch any movie you want, and I’ll give you a full-body massage tonight. Happy ending for you included.” He whispered the words in my ear, and I almost couldn’t resist.

Damn it. My biggest weakness—a massage. But my plans . . . I couldn’t put them off any longer. I needed to set things in motion while I still had the nerve to finish what I started.

“Please don’t,” I begged. “I promised Lily.”

“Then break your promise.” If only he knew how many promises I had already broken. His lips kissed a trail down my neck—the side that hadn’t been marred by fire—dashing the angry red splotches of anxiety away. “Imagine my hands rubbing all that stress away.”

It did sound amazing. And it had been ages since I’d last gotten a massage. Besides, there was no way he was letting me out tonight, so I might as well get something out of it.

“Fine. But it better be a five-star backrub—or else.”

“Anything for my girl.”

My ass!