There was a soft knock before the door to my suite opened. I spun toward him. Van’s green gaze was filled with concern and inquiry, questioning my conversation. His hair was wet and his suit was replaced by a t-shirt that fit tightly over his wide shoulders and a pair of pajama pants. It was the first time I’d seen this casual attire. I lifted my hand to his chest, feeling the steadiness of his heartbeat.

  “Do you want me to talk to them?” Van asked softly.

  I shook my head and spoke into the phone. “Mom, Dad, I’m going to go now. Don’t come here, not yet. I’m spending the holidays with my fiancé.”

  “Don’t—”

  Disconnecting the phone, I didn’t hear the rest of their reply.

  Van’s lips curled into a grin. “I like hearing that word from you.” He reached for my hand. “Are you okay? What did your parents say?”

  I let out a sigh and laid my phone on a nearby table. “They were shocked.” I reached for him with my other hand and looked down at where we were touching. It wasn’t as dramatic as last night on the dining room table, and yet the simple comfort at having my hands in his brought a smile to my face.

  Van squeezed my hands. “That’s understandable.”

  “Dad doesn’t trust that you’ll help.”

  “He’s a smart man.”

  My eyes opened wider. “You promised.”

  Van snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me flush to his chest. “He’s smart because I’m the last man he or Butler should trust.” His green stare met mine. “I’ll prove them wrong, Julia. For you, I’ll help save your family’s company, but you should know that when I’m done, the Butlers will no longer be major or minor stockholders.”

  I stared up at him. “What’s your connection with the Butlers?”

  “It was a long time ago. It involved Logan first.”

  “Logan? You mean Uncle Logan?”

  Technically, he was Skylar’s uncle, but using the aunt or uncle moniker was something we did interchangeably for one another’s relatives since we were young.

  Van scoffed. “That’s him. Marlin became involved. You can say that I hold grudges.”

  Julia

  Van’s gaze shimmered with the gold flecks. “If you want to go home to your parents for the holidays, I wouldn’t stop you. You aren’t being held here against your will.”

  I grinned, looking down at his arm around me. “I am being held, it’s not against my will, and I like it.” I shrugged. “Chicago is the last place I want to be. As far as the holidays, you don’t so much as have a wreath on your door. I get the feeling you’re not too into celebrating.”

  “I’ve lived alone a long time. There’s not a lot of festivity when you’re by yourself.” He took my hand and led me to the soft leather sofa. “I’ve already attended the obligatory parties. And I hosted the one for the Sherman and Madison executives and office staff.”

  “Here in your home?”

  Wouldn’t he want decorations if he did that?

  “No,” Van said, “at a restaurant in Ashland.”

  I leaned my head against his shoulder. “This was supposed to be a special time, a week before my wedding.” I scoffed. “I had three days and two nights booked downtown at the Conrad with my bridesmaids.”

  “Including...?”

  “I only had two, despite my mother wanting an entire court.” I sighed. “If you’re asking if Beth was included, the answer is yes, as my maid of honor, she was.” I gave that some thought. “I suppose she wouldn’t have been drinking.”

  “Have you spoken to Beth?”

  I shook my head. “Mom said she had.” My stomach twisted. “I’ve spoken to Vicki, the other bridesmaid. When it comes to Beth, I don’t wish her ill; I just can’t talk to her yet. Talking to Skylar at the hotel was enough.”

  Van’s fingers gently ran through the length of my hair. “I’ve said it before, Butler’s an ass.”

  “We had a house being built. It wasn’t done.” I sighed. “I imagined hosting large gatherings there.”

  Van reached for my chin, pulling my eyes to his. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “I’m sorry that you’ve been hurt, Julia. I’m here if you want to vent or lament. I didn’t hurt you, and I never want to be someone who does, but just because you’re away from your family and friends, know that I’m here. You’re not alone. You never will be.”

  An unexpected tear rolled down my cheek.

  Van wiped it away with his thumb. “Seeing you cry breaks my fucking heart. I won’t lie; it also makes me want to ruin him and his entire family.”

  “He has a baby to support. Ruining him would hurt an innocent child.”

  Van turned toward the window, staring out toward the frozen bay. His jaw was set and his expression hard to read. I didn’t know if he was thinking about what he could do to hurt Skylar or if his thoughts were about something else light-years away.

  Before I could ask, he wrapped his arm around me.

  Instead of the silence that settled around us feeling awkward, it was comforting as I laid my head back on his shoulder. The t-shirt against my cheek was soft, and his shoulder beneath was hard, the perfect pillow. “I don’t need to celebrate the holidays.”

  It was as if my words brought Van back from his thoughts. “I have to go into the office tomorrow morning. It’s Saturday and Christmas Eve. Half the exchanges will be closed before I arrive. It doesn’t matter how much of a workaholic I am, I can’t conduct business when everyone else around the world is unreachable.” He kissed the top of my head. “That means that I’ll be back a little after noon. Unless...”

  “Unless what?”

  “You can come into Ashland with me. You can walk around the city, get coffee, go to the bakery, and get out of the house.”

  “I don’t want to.” I turned to him. “Margaret said I looked familiar. After I talked to my dad, I realized why. Pictures of Skylar and me have been blasted all over the business news outlets—cable networks and social media. The news of our canceled wedding was the cause of the first dip in the value of Wade. Wade’s PR tried to counter it with fake news of us working out our problems.”

  “I saw your pictures.” He grinned. “Even though I was in town, I was most certain the reports of the two of you on a Caribbean Island were exaggerated.”

  It was my turn to look out the window; beyond the darkness was the settled snow globe. “I’m pretty sure this isn’t the Caribbean.”

  “And I’m not him.”

  “You’re not.” Inhaling, I let out a long sigh. “I liked Ashland when I stayed there, but I don’t want to go into town and have anyone recognize me.”

  “Their opinions don’t count.”

  “I’m not ready.”

  “You could turn in your rental car. I have more than a few vehicles here safer than that car, ones you may drive if you want to go somewhere.”

  “I have a car at home.” I looked up at him. “I rented one for this interview in hopes of making it more difficult to be followed.” I sighed. “Have you ever felt like you don’t belong anywhere, like you’re lost?”

  “You’re not lost, Julia. You’re home. If you don’t want to go back to Chicago to pack your belongings, I’ll have your things shipped here. You decide what will work best for you. No one else matters.”

  A yawn snuck up on me.

  “You’re tired.”

  I nodded.

  Van stood and took my hand, helping me stand. “I have a few things I need to arrange. I can let you sleep undisturbed or...” A small smile curled his lips. “...I can come back and cuddle.”

  That made me smile too. “You just agreed to cuddle.”

  “I did.”

  “I am tired. There’s been a lot happening.” I lifted my brow as my eyes widened. “And a lot of sex.”

  “You can always say no.”

  “I don’t want to say no. I feel like you’ve opened up a part of life that until recently I’d only heard about, a secret society where sex isn’t merely an obligation but something that’s enjoyed and anticipated. When Skylar and I would...” I paused and shook my head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t talk about him so much. You don’t talk about other women.”

  “You were engaged up until a week ago. It’s been a long time since there was anyone in my life worth discussing.”

  The wedding picture in Van’s office came back to me.

  Asking him again if he was married was on the tip of my tongue.

  Then again, I wasn’t certain that at the moment I was prepared for the answer or the discussion that could ensue. “Skylar isn’t worth discussing either,” I said instead of voicing my question. “That’s the point. Everything between the two of us since we were young felt like we did it because we should. You know how that first kiss is supposed to be special and make butterflies fly around your stomach?”

  “Again, it’s been a while. I will say I felt that and more the first time we kissed.”

  “The first time I’ve ever felt that way was with you,” I admitted. “With him—kissing, petting, and later when it was more—we did it because we should. It wasn’t that either of us had a burning desire.”

  The green in Van’s eyes shimmered. “I have a burning desire.”

  Smiling and nodding, I replied, “So do I, Van. Red sin.”

  “I’ll come check on you before I go to bed. If you want me to stay here, I will.”

  “It’s your house.”

  “Yours too. I would like nothing more than for you to refer to here as home.”

  Following our kiss, Van left to do whatever he needed to do. After readying for bed, I slipped into a satin camisole and shorts and crawled into the big bed. There were a million questions and even more thoughts that should have kept me awake, but after my discussion with my parents, the only persistent feeling was exhaustion.

  It took all my energy to slide under the layers of blankets. My eyes closed and the world faded away the moment I settled. At some point in the middle of the dark night, warmth radiated from another body. The room softly rattled with the sound of steady breathing.

  He’d come back, not for sex but to cuddle.

  Van’s presence gave me more than the ability to be close. It brought to life what his earlier words had said. Being near him like this filled me with a warm glow of peace, a sense of being home, and hope that together Van and I could make it through the unknowns, finding the place where we both belonged.

  Curling my body next to his, I closed my eyes and drew from his strength.

  Van had the ability to buy or sell or to save or destroy without concerns regarding the thoughts of others. While I didn’t want to be unfeeling, I sought to learn from him. Opening myself up and doing as I was expected left me emotionally hurt. I didn’t desire to hurt in return; I wanted to move forward. Van seemed capable of anything he set his mind to. Somewhere between falling asleep and waking, I wrapped my arm over his firm torso and vowed to learn more about this man as I learned more about me and what I was capable of becoming.

  Julia

  At nearly nine in the morning, I stood near the tall windows in the living room, gazing out over the bay, holding tightly to the warm mug filled with coffee. In Chicago we had Lake Michigan, but most of the views I’d ever seen included the tall buildings of the city. Here from Van’s home I was enthralled by the natural beauty. No other structure could be seen, making the snow-blanketed view unspoiled. Wearing the camisole and shorts I’d worn to bed and the long robe, I familiarized myself more and more with Van’s home. I could now make my way around the first level without taking a wrong turn.

  An hour later, fresh from my shower as I opened the door to Van’s office, it was on purpose.

  My eyes went immediately to the table behind his desk.

  The picture I’d seen yesterday was gone.

  My pulse kicked up a notch as I turned all the way around, looking for the photograph somewhere else.

  There were no other personal pictures to be seen in any other location. They were only located on the one table. I hadn’t really looked at the other photos yesterday—I’d been too shocked by the one of Van in a tuxedo with a woman in a wedding dress. Now as I looked at each picture, I wondered if I’d imagined that one photo.

  I hadn’t.

  I knew I hadn’t.

  Where did it go?

  One by one, I lifted each of the other frames. There was a small aged photo, the kind that appeared to be sepia versus black and white, in a round frame. I could only surmise that these people were special to Van, perhaps his grandparents. There was another photo of a blond woman. She was pretty with striking green eyes.

  Is she the woman in the other picture?

  I couldn’t be certain.

  “Were you his wife?” I asked quietly to no one. My head tilted as I looked at her eyes. “Or are you Van’s sister?”

  There was another framed photo that appeared to have been taken from a distance. There were three children playing on a beach. If I were to guess, the picture had aged, but I had no other reference than that. I couldn’t even make out the children well enough to assume their ages. Even the coloring of their hair was difficult to distinguish with the way the sunlight bleached the scene.

  There were two other older couples. One appeared as if the photo was taken from a newspaper. “Who are these people?” I mumbled.

  The last picture was of a girl. It too had been taken at a distance, but her face was visible. She was pretty with curly dark hair and a sweet smile with big front teeth.

  “The information in the library wasn’t enough?” Van asked, entering his office.

  Jumping at the sound of his voice while feeling like a child with her hand caught in the cookie jar, I nearly knocked over the arrangement of frames. Spinning around, I stared up at Van and tried to come up with a reason why I’d be in his private office. “You said to make myself at home.”

  He came closer and took the framed photo of the girl from my hand. His tone and tenor were measured. “As my fiancée, there’s no place in this house you aren’t welcome. As the person writing my memoir, this is off-limits.”

  “Who is she?” I asked, tilting my head toward the framed picture now in his grasp.

  Van’s jaw clenched as he stared down unblinkingly at the photo.

  Swallowing, I shook my head. “I’m sorry. Never mind. I overstepped.”

  “She’s my niece.” He set the picture down where it had been. “That picture was taken by a private detective that I use periodically. I’m not exactly close to my family.” He feigned a smile. “Good news, my side of the wedding will be small.”

  “What happened with your family?” I asked, wondering if this had anything to do with his change of last name.

  Van took a deep breath. “Forget about that.” His smile grew and cadence changed. “I have a surprise for you.”

  “For me? No, not a gift. Van, I don’t have anything to give—”

  His finger came to my lips. “You are my gift, Julia. Don’t worry about buying me anything, ever. If something catches my eye and I want it, I get it.”

  “It sounds like you’re tough to buy for.”

  “I prefer the gift of watching you.”

  “Watching me what,” I asked suggestively, thankful the conversation had veered away from my nosiness.

  Van ran his finger over my cheek. “Watching your beautiful blue eyes as they swirl with emotion and passion. Your expressions speak volumes.” His finger came to my lips. “When your mouth is unable to make anything but indistinguishable noises, your expression shows your every thought.”

  Warmth climbed up my neck to my cheeks.

  “And when you blush,” he said with a grin.

  Pressing my lips together, I looked over at a clock. “Is it noon already?”

  “No, I couldn’t stay away.” Van took my hand and led me out of the office, down the hallways of the south wing toward the front of the house and beyond the large living room into the foyer. We kept going through the glass doors and into the entry. Finally, Van opened the tall front door.

  As the cold air swirled around us, a grin overtook my face. “You have a wreath.”

  Hanging from a long over-the-door hook was a giant wreath made of fresh pine and decorated with balls of gold and silver, perfect for the large door to his huge home.

  Closing the door, Van led me back inside and scanned my clothes. “Go upstairs and dress in your warmest clothes. Layers are recommended.”

  “I’ve heard that.”

  “And your boots, coat, and I have some better gloves and a hat for you.”

  “Don’t tell me it’s the orange one.”

  “Orange is on purpose.”

  “It doesn’t match my coat.”

  Pressing his firm lips together, Van shook his head. “Ten minutes.”

  “What? No. I can’t be ready that fast.” I started up the stairs with the plan to thwart a rebuttal to my next sentence. “Give me half an hour.”

  Van looked down at his watch. “Clock is ticking.”

  I hurried up the staircase, excited about the unknown. I left my soft leggings on and pulled my blue jeans on over them. Two pairs of socks and a sweater over my shirt completed my layers. When I’d packed for this interview, I didn’t plan on survival 101.

  With five minutes to spare, I found Van in his office, behind his computer, with a cool cup of coffee. As I stepped in, my heart sank. The table behind him was completely empty. All the pictures were gone.

  At the sound of my entrance, Van looked up from the screen and a smile bloomed, softening his expression. “You’re beautiful.”

  “I look like I’m twenty pounds heavier with all these clothes.”

  He pushed his chair back from the desk. His earlier suit was replaced by his mountain-man clothes. As his boots clipped across the wood floor, he stalked my way and a devilish grin came to life. “I can’t help that my thoughts are going to undressing you.” He pulled my hips to his. “Better than unwrapping any gift you could buy.”

  I pulled on the collar of my second sweater. “It’s getting warm in here.”