THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

the will?”  
    “Oh, yes. Everything went to me, the golden boy, and not until I reach forty, which won’t be for a few years. Nothing to Trish, not even a fare-thee-well. She was young and didn’t understand the cold logic our parents had used. They thought I’d invest the funds where Trish would only squander money.”  He’d read those papers over and over again, sure they’d left her something, even a token amount, that proved she was just as much their child as he was.
    Angel lifted his hand in her two slender ones. Her compassionate touch drew away some of his pain.
    Zane glanced up to see the sadness in his soul reflected in her face. “I tried to tell Trish that our parents would have changed the will once she was an adult, and that their intention had been for me to watch out for her. That didn’t erase the hurt. It wasn’t about the money. Trish just needed to hear her name mentioned, to know she counted.”
    “I’m sorry for both of you,” Angel whispered, her voice heavy with understanding. “But you can’t blame yourself,” she soothed. “Your parents deserted her. You didn’t. She idolizes you. And I see the strength adversity has given her. She’s much tougher than you think.”
    He’d like to think so, but Angel hadn’t seen how far Trish had fallen after the reading of the will. Hadn’t seen her in the hospital half dead. She’d come so far since then, but in the past few months, he’d sensed he was losing her again. He was afraid if he blinked he’d open his eyes and she’d be too far gone to save. “I didn’t realize until after the will that she’d known for a while that she was an unwanted surprise. The will just hammered it home. That’s when Trish took a downturn. She started drinking. Then some scumbag got her on coke.” 
    The vision of her in a scumbag hotel, being beaten would forever be stuck in his head. He shook it off and said, “She tried AA in Houston. Worked for a while, but she didn’t stick with it. She’s been doing okay here.”  Oh, sure. Talk about denial. “But I’m blowing it being gone on such a crazy schedule.”
    “You’re a good brother. Trish is very lucky. I wish I’d had a sibling.”
    Angel hadn’t given him the usual platitudes about how Trish was young and would bounce back. With reminding him he was fortunate to have a sibling, Angel had unintentionally given him a tiny piece to the puzzle of her background.
    She was an only child.
    He’d had enough of dissecting his screwed up life. “Where are your parents?”“My mother’s dead. Died when I was twelve.”  She said that with a finality that stopped him from asking more.
    Neither spoke for a while as the ocean’s surf stirred against the shore. Zane felt Angel’s fingers stroke over his hand. When was the last time anyone had comforted him ? A vague memory of being held as a small child came to mind, but nothing since then.
    Her depth of caring for others, in the face of her own immense problems, humbled him.
    He was a fool to want this woman so much he ached, but he longed to hold her. Just to feel her in his arms.
    After a bit, she moved her hands away and stood. “Think I’ll turn in. We can talk tomorrow. Don’t worry about Trish. I’ll watch over her tonight.”  She’d stepped back to the glass doors.
    He was up and around the table before she reached the opening, blocking her path.
    “Angel.”
    “What?”  She lifted her head.
    “This.” 
    He threaded his fingers around her neck up into her hair, lifting her face to his. His lips touched hers in a kiss full of compassion, not carnal desire.
    After a slight hesitation, she surrendered. Her hands knifed up between them, then around his neck.
    Oh, man, she felt like all his best wishes come true wrapped in one gorgeous package. Desire licked at every spot she touched. He loved her lips, soft, full on the bottom, hungry.
    She grazed his lips with her teeth and ran her tongue across his mouth. One delicate hand slid down his neck, sending chills up his spine. If they didn’t stop soon, he’d take her right there on the patio.
    Stopping was his job.
    Time to be responsible whether he liked it or not.
    Zane ended the kiss, slowly, touching his lips to her cheeks and forehead.
    “Honey.”  He cleared his tight throat and tried again, careful not to mention law enforcement since that always sent her running for cover. “We’ll figure this out. I know you don’t understand how, but I can help