I stopped mid-step and turned to face her fully. "Why couldn't you have given me two minutes, Harper?"

A shaky sigh escaped her, and she scrubbed a hand over her still damp face. "Because I was sure that you had tossed me aside. That you didn't want me anymore. One look at Natalie getting in the shower, and I knew that you finally opened your eyes and saw the truth."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not beautiful enough to be with you."

Her words were like a stab to the heart, and I fell to my knees in front of her. This time the pain was more intense, more breath-stealing. Because I realized that Harper probably did have some faith in me, but she had absolutely none in herself. I had thought I had set her fears to rest and was sure that I had given her back her self-worth that her mother and stepsister had stolen from her.

And maybe I had for the most part. But there was still a little piece that would always question her hold over me. "What can I do to make you see what I see, Harper? How can I prove to you that you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen?"

She bit her trembling lip, and I was gutted as a few tears fell down her pale cheeks. "When I'm with you I feel like the most beautiful thing in the world. When you hold me I feel s.e.xy and loved... And I really did trust you, Shane. I do trust you. But... I don't... I'm scared that you'll open your eyes one day and wonder why you are with me. I'm terrified that someone with real beauty will catch your eye and..."

My hand covering her mouth stopped the words that were like poison arrows to my heart. "That's never going to happen. There isn't any way that anyone, beautiful or not, will ever be able to catch my eye. Simply because I can't look at another woman. All I see is you, Harper. All I want and will ever want is you. And I will never-never, do you hear me?-wonder why I'm with you because I already know the answer."

I pulled her down onto the carpeted floor in front of me. "I'm with you because there is no one in the world like you. No other girl could ever hold my attention the way you do. You are so smart and so fun to be with. You are quiet and feisty all at the same time, which is completely adorable and incredibly hot. And your beauty, Harper, it goes soul deep."

I cupped her face, wiping away falling tears as they landed on her cheeks with my thumbs. "Maybe one day you will see all of those things. But until you do, I'll just have to remind you every day. I will have to make sure that you are always in my arms so you never doubt again for even a minute that you are s.e.xy and loved, and completely-irrevocably-mine."

A sob escaped her and she threw her arms around my neck. Her lips tasted of her tears as she sought my mouth in a kiss that was healing for both of us. "Don't cry, beautiful. It kills me to hear those little sobs," I whispered when I pulled back a little.

"I'm sorry!" She buried her tear soaked face in my shirt. "So, so sorry. I love you. I love you, Shane."

I let out a long, relieved sigh. "When you said you hated me..." I broke off, my throat choking with tears. Those three words were still echoing through my head, making my gut twist in pain.

"I didn't mean it. I was just so upset." Tear dampened lips kissed over my face. "I could never hate you, even if I really wanted to. Why do you think it hurt so much for me to come home to this? It was ripping me apart, and I attacked before you could defend yourself."

I nodded. "Yeah, I know. It still hurt though, baby. Thinking that I was about to lose you, that ripped me apart."

Tears poured from her eyes faster. "Can you forgive me?"

"I already have."

Harper I woke with a headache, but Shane's comforting arms were wrapped around me from behind. We had spent the entire night just lying in his bed, holding onto each other and talking. We had fallen asleep in each other's arms in the early hours of the morning, and I had rested peacefully for the first time in days.

Shane groaned in his sleep and then blinked his eyes open when he felt me moving. His eyes were bloodshot, his face still a little pale, and I felt guilt eat at me once more for putting him through the disaster of yesterday. With a sad smile, I brushed a tender kiss over his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too, beautiful."

"Listen... I have to talk to you about something." It was something that should have been discussed the night before, while we were still pouring our very heart and soul out, but I hadn't wanted to argue again.

His eyes narrowed. "What now?"

"I know that you got me the job with Rock America. I know that you had Emmie take a look at my portfolio and ask to send work my way." At the time my boss had let those little facts slip out, I'd still been upset because Shane hadn't called me back while I was in Miami. I was livid and it had been one of the reasons I called Emmie.

Shane grimaced. "I just asked her to make a few phone calls. To ask them to look over your work and see if they could possibly be interested. That's all, Harper. The fact that they ended up giving you a full-time position is all on you. You showed them how talented you are."

I sighed. "Yeah, Emmie made me see that when I called her. I just wanted to say... Thank you, Shane. For helping me. For loving me... But mostly for not giving up on me yesterday when it would have been easier to just tell me to go to h.e.l.l."

"Telling you to go to h.e.l.l would have just sent me there too, baby." He pulled me against him, tucking my head under his chin. "One day you'll realize that I can't live without you, and that's the day I'm going to put a ring on your finger."

My heart stuttered in my chest, making it hard to breathe for a moment. And then I was on top of him, kissing him anywhere I could reach. "Don't give up if it takes longer than expected," I begged as I kissed across his hard stomach.

Rough fingers tangled in my hair. "Never going to happen."

When I reached the fly on his jeans, I carefully released him and took him into my mouth without bothering to push the material off his hips. He shouted my name, his fingers tightening in my hair. "f.u.c.k! That feels so good."

The taste of his desire exploded on my tongue, and I moaned at getting a fix for my biggest addiction. I took him deep, not even gagging as I swallowed the head of his d.i.c.k. I could feel his release nearing as I stroked his shaft and sucked on the tip.

He moved so fast I was still licking the taste of him from my lips when he tore my skirt off and ripped my panties in his urgency to become one with me. The first thrust made me see stars. It felt so good to have him inside of me. "I love you, Shane!" I cried as my o.r.g.a.s.m rushed to consume me.

"Love you, baby."

It was a while before we left the bedroom.

I showered and tossed on my robe over my bra and panties and headed into the kitchen for a strong cup of coffee. Shane was already there throwing together a late lunch for us. His sister sat at the island watching him while he moved around humming.

My cheeks heated when Natalie turned to look at me as I entered the room. I bit my lip, knowing that I owed the girl an apology for acting so stupid the day before. "Hi, Natalie."

The girl grinned. "Hey, Harper."

"Look, I'm sorry about yesterday..."

Natalie raised a hand, cutting me off mid sentence. "No, don't. You don't have to apologize to me. I would have definitely reacted the same way if it had been me in your shoes."

"Natalie is going to be staying a few more weeks, baby." Shane placed a cup of coffee down in front of me, along with a plate of sandwiches and some baked chips. "She's thinking of staying in New York."

"That's good. You can get to know your brothers better."

"Actually, I had a crazy idea..." Shane grasped my hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "What if...you moved in here full time and Natalie took your room at Dallas and Linc's."

"I..." I saw the light in his eyes and knew that he was asking for something that he wasn't sure he could put into words. This was the first step, the step he needed me to take to get us on the road to our future. I smiled up at him. "We can talk to Dallas and Linc about it. But as long as she can pay her third of the rent, there isn't going to be a problem."

"I won't have a problem paying my share," Natalie a.s.sured me. "The trust fund Drake and Shane started for me will be able to cover that and college in the spring."

I blinked, surprised by the girls words. Shane and his brother hadn't wanted anything to do with their father, and by default Natalie. But that hadn't stopped them from taking care of their sister. I felt my heart fill with such love I was sure it was shining in my eyes.

"If we had known about Jenna she would have had one too," Shane told his sister. "I'll have Emmie set one up."

"Were you telling the truth, Shane?" Natalie asked. Her eyes, so like her brothers', were sad. "Can Jenna really come and stay on weekends?"

"If Stella allows it." Shane shrugged. "I can't force her hand, Nat. But as determined as Jenna seems, I'm sure she will get her way in the end."

I picked up my cup of coffee, hiding my grin behind the rim. "Sounds like Jenna is a lot like her big brother."

Epilogue.

Shane I parted ways with my brother at the airport.

For two weeks we had been on tour on the West Coast. I wanted to go home, but I wasn't done in California. So I told Drake I would see him in a few days and watched as he boarded a plane that would take him back to New York and Lana.

Jesse, Nik, Emmie, and Mia had already left for Malibu. Normally, if I was staying on the West Coast, I'd just go home with Emmie and Nik and crash in my old room. But I wasn't sticking around LA for them. I had other things I needed to take care of.

Important things.

Harper had been in LA for more than a week now. She was working on the cover for the latest issue for Rock America. She had come far with her carrier over the last six months, and with the editor of photography retiring in a few more months, the rumors spread like wild fire that she was up for the job.

I took a taxi to Rock America's headquarters, anxious to see my girl after being without her for two full weeks. The last time Demon's Wings had gone on tour, she had come along with us, having been a.s.signed the job of covering the entire tour. That had been the most fun I ever had on a tour in my life.

Traffic was a b.i.t.c.h and my legs were twitching by the time the driver pulled up in front of the magazine's building. I tossed cash at the driver and grabbed my duffle bag, the only luggage I had even bothered to take with me on the tour this time. Fifteen minutes of talking my way through security and I was on the elevator up to the executive offices.

I had to keep myself from jogging down the corridor and bit my lip to stop myself from calling out Harper's name as I searched for the office she had been given for the week as she tried out the possible new position.

At nearly twenty three, she would be the youngest editor on staff. I knew that it was going to mean she had to relocate, and I wasn't against the idea. I had already asked Emmie to start looking for a house.

A vision in pale pink cashmere stepped out of an office ahead of me in the corridor, and my heart stopped for a moment. Oxygen was trapped in my chest, and it took all my willpower not to run and tackle her. My duffle fell to the floor.

"Beautiful..."

The words had come out a whisper, but Harper's caramel head snapped up as if I had yelled it at her. Violet eyes darkened to indigo, and a smile lit up her beautiful face. She had on three inch spiked heels, but that didn't seem to bother her as she dropped the stack of pictures in her hands and ran toward me.

Her lips met mine and I devoured her.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, breathless. "You said you had to go straight home after the tour."

I dropped another kiss on the tip of her nose. "Don't you know by now that you are home, baby? Wherever you are, that's where my home is." At one point it had been Emmie that was home for me, but now it was Harper.

Her eyes glazed over with tears, and she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. "I love you."

"I love you, Harper." My head turned when I noticed a few people had come out of their offices to watch us. I ignored them. "How much longer do you have?"

"I was just taking the prints to my boss. Then I'm finished for the day." She glanced down at the mess she had made when she had carelessly tossed the pictures she'd been carrying. "It might be a little longer now. I have to put these in order again."

I was reluctant to leave her, but I had a few things to get ready. "Okay, then. You do what you have to then meet me at the hotel."

"Okay." Her bottom lip pouted out. "I won't be long."

Grinning, I bent and sucked that lip into my mouth. "Take your time, beautiful."

I wasted no time getting back to the hotel I had insisted on paying for that Harper would stay in for the week. I grabbed a copy of her room key and headed upstairs. From the tour bus I had called ahead to make sure that everything I needed was already waiting in her room for me.

I spent thirty minutes getting the room just the way I wanted it before taking a two minute shower. By the time I was dressed, there was a knock on the door and I opened it to find room service with the champagne and strawberries. I gave the man a huge tip and rushed him from the room. Harper wouldn't be much longer.

Now all I had to do was wait.

Harper The last week had been bitter sweet. And now I was at a crossroads. I left my boss' office with my head clouded.

After seeing the cover for the next month's issue for the magazine, I had been offered the job dreams were made of. Of course that meant relocating to California permanently. I didn't know if I was ready for that. After all, I had a great life in New York. Cecil was there, and so were Linc and Dallas.

Shane.

Most importantly Shane. I didn't think I could live that far from the man that had become as much a part of me as another limb. So of course I was conflicted when I left the office. I was still debating the pros and cons when I stepped off the elevator and walked toward my hotel room.

I had argued with Shane for all of an hour over the room. I didn't want him to pay for it and had planned on staying somewhere else that didn't scream over-the-top. But he had kissed me into submission until I agreed, and then he had stepped onto a plane that took him away from me and off on tour.

I used my key card to open the door to my luxurious suite. The room was in complete darkness, and I reached for the light switch.

"Shane?" I called out. Maybe he had gone to Malibu to visit with Layla and Lucy for a while...

The scent of roses filled my nose as I took a few steps into the room. My eyes caught the trail of red, white, and pink rose petals, and my heart twisted with love. I followed the trail, careful not to step on the delicate flower petals. When I reached the bedroom it was to find the room transformed into something from a romance novel.

The room was lit with tiny little candles. An ice bucket with a bottle of expensive Champagne. Rose petals scattered over the king sized bed... And in the center of the bed a tiny velvet box.

I swallowed hard around the sudden tears in my throat.

He hadn't given up. I thought maybe he had. It had taken me so long to fully trust that I was everything he needed. For me to truly see that I was beautiful in every way. When I finally had, I was sure that it was too late. Shane loved me, but I had put him through so much I was sure marriage wasn't something he wanted with me anymore.

On trembling legs, I crossed over to the bed and s.n.a.t.c.hed up the velvet box. My fingers were shaking as I opened the lid.

It was empty!

I fell to my knees as tears poured down my face.

"Hey, now." Strong arms wrapped around me as I felt Shane kneel behind me. His strong chest pressed against my back, and I leaned my head on his shoulder. "You aren't supposed to cry."

"I want the ring!" I sobbed.

Warm lips pressed against my temple. "It's yours, baby. It's right here in my hands." He turned me effortlessly in his arms until I was facing him. "See?" He lifted my left hand and slipped the ring onto my finger but didn't release my hand.

Instead, he lifted it to his lips and tenderly kissed my fingers. "Will you marry me, Harper?"

I swallowed another sob and nodded. "Yes."

His smile was breathtaking. Blue-gray eyes alight with happiness in the candlelight of the room. "I love you, Harper." He kissed me so tenderly and a few more tears escaped my closed eyes. "I want that Carl and Ellie love affair."

"Yes, we will have that. Always."

"When?" I frowned in confusion and he laughed. "When will you marry me?"