PROLOGUE

Willie Munroe sat at a booth in the coffee shop eating scrambled eggs and ham. Nei= ther were especially tasty. And the coffee wasn’t much better. But after being unemployed f= or more than a year now and doing what he needed to do to survive, he couldn’t much complain, as it was something to fill his stomach. No o= ne would listen even if he did voice a complaint or two. They would only bitch about their own problems.

&= nbsp; Fact was, few employers were interested in hiring someone who could only see out= of one eye, and not so good at that. Willie had been half blinded nearly a dec= ade ago during a fight in which his life had been spared, if barely. Few people could tell that his right eye was there only for effect. It might as well h= ave been a patch or piece of glass for its use to him.

&= nbsp; It still left Willie bitter to this day that a man had taken the best part of = his life away, leaving him a shell of what he once was. Been down on his rotten luck ever since.

&= nbsp; There had been a few dead-end jobs but nothing that did much to pay the bills, let alone allow him to indulge comfortably in other interests. He’d even gotten a woman to marry him a few years back. Because they were so hig= h on meth, neither knew what the hell they were doing till it was too late. She’d had his baby before moving across the coun= try, taking the kid with her. Willie might have tracked them down, but felt he w= as better off without that burden.

&= nbsp; Now he simply lived from day to day, sometimes hour to hour, getting high and looking for a reason to get up. He hadn’t = found it yet, but would keep looking.

&= nbsp; Willie stared up at the TV monitor over the counter, the familiar name catching his ear. He listened to a newscaster while gazing at the insert of a man Willie knew of all too well.

&= nbsp; “...Businessman and civic leader Trey Lancaster has pledged to donate five hundred thousand dollars to hurricane victims. Closer to home, the multimillionaire owner of numerous luxury car dealerships and movie theaters continues to acquire ass= ets for his empire, even while generously giving to those less fortunate...R= 21;

&= nbsp; Willie frowned, turning away from the screen, feeling sick to his stomach. After a moment he managed to shake it off. The last thing he needed was to let the likes of Trey Lancaster ruin his meal. The bastard would get his someday. <= span class=3DGramE>And his brother, too.

&= nbsp; “Can I get you some more coffee, sir?”

&= nbsp; Willie favored the tight assed waitress with purplish-raven extensions tied in kno= ts. His scowl faded and a sideways grin took its place. = 220;Yeah, why not?”

&= nbsp; She flashed a toothy smile and he could tell that the lady was into him. Not bad looking, he decided. Even were that not the case= , at this point Willie wasn’t too picky who he took to bed. After all, he = didn’t exactly have much to offer anyone he got involved with. So why should he expect that the best women around would be knocking down his door?

&= nbsp; He trained his one working eye on the waitress and pondered just what he might= get for his trouble.

&= nbsp; Maybe some free meals and money. Even a place to hang his hat= from time to time. This made it worth his while to be nice to her and see where it got him.

&= nbsp; “I don’t suppose a good-looking lady like you would be up for a night ou= t on the town? I just hate havin= ’ fun alone.”

&= nbsp; Willie offered his best smile and put his practiced charms to work.

CHAPTER ONE

“Are you crazy?” Ivana Kendall-Lancaster glare= d at her husband with bloodshot green-brown eyes. She sipped on the chocolate raspberry martini while standing in the gourmet kitchen of their three mill= ion dollar house.

&= nbsp; Trey Lancaster didn’t expect this to be easy, but it had to be = said. Hopefully she would be reasonable when all was said and done. He wasn’t counting on that.

&= nbsp; “Not crazy,” he responded calmly.

&= nbsp; She regarded him petulantly and slurred, “Well, you’re sure talking like you are.”

&= nbsp; Trey wondered if this was her third, fourth, or fifth drink. Seemed like his wife had become an alcoholic, even if she wouldn’t admit it to herself. He took the blame for this, wishin= g to hell he could do things over. He’d = messed up in having an affair two years ago. Ivana had= a miscarriage shortly after he came clean about it and had been on a downslide ever since. She’d never forgiven him for, = as she put it, “Destroying my faith in you.”

&= nbsp; Trey hadn’t exactly forgiven himself for the lo= ss of their child and trust of his wife. He wanted desperately to put the past be= hind them and start over. Hadn’t he been punish= ed enough? He feared that they were close to reaching a point of no return.

&= nbsp; Even with those thoughts, Trey knew that what he was proposing would likely only drive a bigger wedge between them. But it was something he felt strongly ab= out if for no other reason than family loyalty. And maybe guilt that he hadn’t always been there for his kid brother, contributing to his stint behind bars.

&= nbsp; Trey gazed at the beautiful, flawless face that reminded him of a young Tyra Banks. Like her, Ivana had been a top international model before he swept her off her feet and fell in love. She had given up the profession and become the wife of a multimillion= aire owner of a string of car dealerships in the Pacific Northwest, including tw= o in Paradise Bay, Oregon, where they lived. Since then t= hey had added more dealerships and a few movie theaters to their net worth; along with the usual stocks, bonds, and bank account= s.

&= nbsp; But none of that seemed to matter at the moment. What did was the decision he’d made and Trey saw no turning back, all thin= gs considered.

&= nbsp; “Clyde’s my brother,” he spoke in a soft= , yet firm voice.

&= nbsp; Ivana’s small nostrils flared. “He’= s a violent criminal, Trey, and I don’t want him in this house!”

&= nbsp; “That’s all behind him now,” Trey said. “Or soon would be.”<= /o:p>

&= nbsp; Ivana rolled her eyes. “I don’t think so. People like your brother never change. They only end up repeating history. Well, let him do it somewhere else.”

&= nbsp; Trey was hard pressed for words as he watched her storm out of the kitchen, mart= ini in hand. He resisted the temptation to fix himself a drink, preferring to h= ave a clear mind as they dealt with what was obviously a sensitive subject all = the way around.

***

&= nbsp; Ivana felt the coldness on her bare feet as she moved across the Brazilian eucalyptus hardwood in the Great Room. It had all the trappings of success, including European custom made furniture, a home theater, commissioned oil paintings, and a huge picture window with breathtaking views of the bay and Cascade Mountains. She looked back certain Trey would be hot on her he= els. But he had chosen uncharacteristically to remain in the kitchen for whatever reason.

&= nbsp; Ivana didn’t expect = it to end there; knowing Trey could be just as stubborn as she was. She supposed = that was one of the things that attracted her to him in the beginning—his strong will. But she didn’t want to give in easily to the notion of allowing a convicted felon to live under her roof.<= o:p>

&= nbsp; Even if it was her husband’s own flesh and blood.

&= nbsp; Ivana had never met Trey’s brother, Clyde, as he’d already been in the state penitent= iary for a violent assault against a man before she ever came into the picture. = Trey had never talked much about him as if a dark fam= ily secret that should remain that way. Now that he was about to be released fr= om prison, suddenly Trey wanted his brother to stay with them for who knew how long. How would Trey feel if the violence in Clyde was directed against his own wife? Did he rea= lly want to put her in that position?

&= nbsp; Ivana could only wonder just what her husband was thi= nking with this cockamamie idea. She heard movement and turned to see Trey walking toward her. Sucking in a deep breath, she flopped onto a white custom-made Scandinavian sofa and braced herself for what Ivana suspected would be another plea to take in his brother like a stray dog, even if rabid.

***

&= nbsp; Trey knew Ivana was pissed at him. Resisting the eff= ort to put his brother up was a way to express this. He was also aware that Clyde had nowhere else to go and no one to help him= get back on his feet after spending nine long years in prison. It still angered Trey to no end to know that Clyde had da= mn near beat a man to death. And for what: an argument or something? Trey had never been clear on the specifics. Only that= Clyde and the one he’d fought had been best friends till that night when they came to blows. Trey blamed it largely on Clyde, and for good reason. He had talked to Clyde time and = time again about his temper and hanging out with the wrong crowd. But his brothe= r, two years younger, had rejected his wisdom as holier than thou or too straight and narrow for ClydeR= 17;s taste and went about his business and the wrong path in life.

&= nbsp; That had not only cost him his freedom, but Clyde had been unable to attend their mother’s funeral five years ago. Her sudden death had stunned Trey, leaving him without his biggest supporter and the one person who had always given him unconditional love. It was even har= der knowing that she had never lived long enough to see = Clyde turn his life around.

&= nbsp; Maybe he never would.

&= nbsp; Trey wondered if it was possible that the two of them could even get along, much less, live under the same roof. Ever since they were kids, he and his broth= er had never truly been on the same page before. Or even the same book. Was th= ere any reason to believe it would be different this time--even if Clyde was starved for freedom and a comfortable bed= ? Probably not. Trey was willing to put forth the effort nevertheless. But he wanted his wife onboard to present a united front.

&= nbsp; Can she get past feeling sorry for her= self and hating me to think about someone else for once in her life?

&= nbsp; “Give him a chance, that’s all I ask,” Trey said to her, standing beh= ind her. He grabbed hold of some of Ivana’s l= ovable long cappuccino Senegalese twists. “Clyde’s done his time, or nearly, and deserves to be given an opportunity to get his life back in order.”

&= nbsp; “And what if he doesn’t?” Ivana whipped = her hair away from him. “If your brother goes back to a life of crime and maybe brings it into this house= , are you prepared to deal with the cons= equences?”

&= nbsp; Trey contemplated the question. Frankly, he had no idea how this would work or i= f Clyde had been in prison too long to know what to d= o in the free world. Wasn’t the rate of recidiv= ism high among violent ex cons? What if that damned temper of Clyde’s was still like dynamite, capable of going off at any given moment? Could he actually hurt someone again—even Ivana?

&= nbsp; It was a chance Trey was willing to take. If he turned his back on Clyde now, there might never be another opportunity= to try and make things right between them.

&= nbsp; “Yeah, I’m prepared for whatever happens,” he said, sounding as sincer= e as possible. “I’d rather look at the glass half full and take the = man at his word when he told me in the letter that he doesn’t want to cau= se either of us or himself any trouble. I’m sure once you get to know hi= m, you’ll see that Clyde has changed = for the better.”

&= nbsp; “If you say so.”

&= nbsp; Trey took that as her indication that she would at least try and make this work.= He kissed the top of her head. “Thank you.”

&= nbsp; She offered no response.

***

&= nbsp; Ivana wanted to protest more, but believed it would o= nly fall on deaf ears. Trey was determined to disrupt their peaceful and relati= vely uncomplicated household regardless of what she had to say. And why? For a brother he’d never gone = to see in prison a single time since she had known Trey. Was that supposed to be t= ough love, or what?

&= nbsp; Seemed to Ivana that Trey was in denial about his brot= her and the risk he was taking in inviting him into their home. She wouldn’t be surprised if = Clyde robbed them blind and took off for who knew where. Not if she could help it= . Trey had already robbed her of a child, and now Ivana felt her body was cursed as a result insofar as= being able to have another. He had also taken away her sex drive, which was once strong enough to keep her man happy all the time. She had little desire to = have orgasms with someone who saw fit to give them to another woman, as if not getting enough at home. Or wanting his cake and eating it too. Like most men Trey, chose to think with his penis rather than heart and soul.<= /span>

&= nbsp; Ivana would be damned if she allowed what she had lef= t in their marriage—this big beautiful home, a great car, and at least hal= f of a considerable fortune—to be taken away from her by Clyde Lancaster or anyone else.

&= nbsp; She finished off her martini and began to strategize how best to deal with this unwanted guest.

***

&= nbsp; Half an hour later Trey stood outside Ivana’s bedroom door. They had slept in separate rooms for over a year now. It was = Ivana’s choice and, though he hated it, gave he= r the space she needed.

&= nbsp; Trey was still a man and had needs that went beyond simply having mechanical sex every now and then at his initiation with a wife who could clearly take or leave it—mostly the latter. He wanted things to be like they were before when they were passionate about each other and made love w= ith mutual zest and unbridled desire. But he couldn’t= and wouldn’t force the issue. It took two to make it work. Yet only o= ne seemed ready and willing to move things in the right direction.<= /span>

&= nbsp; Trey knocked gently on the door. “Are you asleep, Iva= na?” He could hear her HDTV and assumed the martinis had knocked his wife out.

&= nbsp; “What do you want?” She asked coldly.

&= nbsp; You. And only you, baby. He twisted the= brass knob till the door opened.

&= nbsp; Ivana was sitting up on her four-poster bed in a silk teddy, her long legs straight with feet touching. An open magazine sat on h= er lap as if a prop.

&= nbsp; “I don’t recall inviting you in.” She fluttered curly lashes at him with annoyance across the long, rectangular split-level room.

&= nbsp; Trey ignored this and approached her. She looked sexy as hell and he wanted noth= ing more than to take Ivana in his arms and make passionate love to her. But he showed the type of restraint he’d grown accustomed to since she turned her back on their love life.

&= nbsp; “I thought you might want some company.”

&= nbsp; “I’m not really in the mood for sex, if that’s what you’re getting at.” Ivana flipped the magazine pages dismissively.

&= nbsp; His brows knitted. “When are you = ever in the mood?”

&= nbsp; She shot him a hard look. “Never, okay, and ask yourself why!”=

&= nbsp; Trey ran a hand through his ebony closely cropped hair, feeling frustrated. R= 20;I made a mistake and I owned up to it. Don’t you think you’ve punished me enough?”

&= nbsp; Ivana closed the magazine hard. “It’s not= about punishing you.”

&= nbsp; “Then what is it about?”

&= nbsp; “It’s about reaching a point where I feel I can trust you again,” she respo= nded frankly. “I’m just not there yet.”

&= nbsp; Trey wanted to reach out and touch her soft skin, but held back. “We can’t go on like this, Ivana. I need you = to want me as your husband and not simply a damned housemate in a very big hou= se where we can avoid each other whenever possible.”

&= nbsp; Ivana narrowed her eyes. “So now I’m the = blame for something you did?”

&= nbsp; “No one’s blaming you for anything. But you can’= ;t keep holding that over me. It’s not fair to either of us.”=

&= nbsp; “You want to talk about fair? Is it fair that I lost our baby because of what you did? I gave up my life for you, Trey. I didn’t deserve to be so hurt and humiliated.”

&= nbsp; “You’re right, you didn’t,” he conceded sadly. “If I could take it back I would a thousand times.”

&= nbsp; “But you can’t!”

&= nbsp; Trey sighed. “So what it is you want—a divorce?” The mere thou= ght of losing her to a piece of legal paper unnerved him, knowing it would be costly to them both in more ways than one.

&= nbsp; Ivana looked up with teary eyes. “I just want t= o be happy again.”

&= nbsp; “So do I,” he insisted. “No reason why we can’t both be happy with each other if you’ll only meet me halfway.”

&= nbsp; She wiped her eyes. “I married you out of love, Trey. I still want it to = work between us. Just give me more time...”

&= nbsp; Trey touched her warm thigh and felt aroused. “I need you, baby.”

&= nbsp; Ivana flinched. “If you want to have sex, regar= dless of my feelings, just say so.” She opened her legs as though preparing= to accommodate him.

&= nbsp; Why does she have to make this so damn= ed hard? “It’s not just about sex.”

&= nbsp; He could feel her stiffening beneath his touch, causing Trey to pull away.

&= nbsp; “It’s always about sex!” she in= sisted. “You can’t deny that. So let’s get it over with.”

&= nbsp; Trey gritted his teeth. “I’m not a damned pimp and you’re not a whore!”

&= nbsp; Ivana sighed. “I’m the wife of a man who = wants to be inside me whether I’m into it or not. What’s the difference?”

&= nbsp; Trey’s anger threatened to boil over. He managed to control it, realizing he’d been his own worst enemy and was now paying= the price in a big way. He had to believe that with time I= vana would come around and they could be a loving couple again. To think otherwi= se would tear him apart.

&= nbsp; Right now he just needed to keep his head together and at least try to pretend th= ings were fine in his personal life. With Clyde coming tomorrow, the last thing his brother needed was to enter a household beset with stress and strain while trying to start over without feeling he = was walking on eggshells.

&= nbsp; Trey kissed the top of Ivana’s head and said w= ith a swallow, “Goodnight.”

&= nbsp; He didn’t bother to wait and see if Ivana had second thoughts, wanting only to get out of= there before either ended up saying something they truly regretted.

&= nbsp; It was only after he was out in the hall that Trey took a breath and began to seriously wonder if they could ever get past the one mistake he’d made. Or was this marriage doomed no matter what?

***

&= nbsp; Ivana watched Trey leave the room without looking bac= k. She had thought he would try a bit harder to spend the night in her bed, but was grateful he apparently got the message.

&= nbsp; Damn you, Trey, for being so cool unde= r a fire of your own making.

&= nbsp; Ivana threw the magazine on the floor, putting hands = to her face and having a good cry. She didn’t wan= t to live like this any more than Trey did. But she = couldn’t simply turn off how she felt just becau= se he wanted her to.

&= nbsp; Why did you betray my trust? How can I= make myself not hate you?

&= nbsp; Ivana ran thin fingers across her high cheeks to remo= ve the tears. Now was not the time to pity herself. Trey’s brother was coming and, whether she liked it or not, she was determined to at least keep up appearances. After all, this was only a temporary thing. Or so Trey promised. The sooner they pacified Clyde with the welcome mat after his years behind b= ars, the sooner he would get tired of it and they could send him on his merry wa= y.

&= nbsp; Ivana grabbed the remote and cut the TV off. She got = out of bed and sauntered into the hall, looking in both directions for any sign of movement.

&= nbsp; After determining that Trey was in his shower, Ivana = went downstairs and fixed herself a drink. Thank goodness the hired help were not around to snoop and report back to her husband. She downed the martini in o= ne easy swallow and made another for good measure.