Page 157 of To Tango, with Desire

“Zane.” I laughed through my tears. “You know me well enough by now.”

He brushed at my cheek. “I do.”

“I didn’t know how or when to say it, but I knew you were the man for me. I love that you’re protective and possessive and arrogant as hell. I love everything about you. And I want to be your wife. Forever.”

“I know we didn’t start off the way you wanted. I know I made a mess of it, but I promise to make it up to you.”

“How about we just promise to start afresh? From today.”

“For the rest of our lives.”

I grinned. “For the rest of our lives.”

FORTY

ZANE

Ididn’t know what to expect when I visited Kade at the rehab facility.

I’d been down this road countless times before with him. In and out of rehab, sober and strong for a period of time and then back to his old tricks. But back then, I hadn’t understood the root of the problem, back then I’d not bothered to know.

Everything was different now. I had clarity about the past and it was freeing. While a part of me wanted to go back in time and alter the events, I knew it would be pointless. Because all this pain and suffering had given me the woman of my dreams. Without it, I would never have Amira. And I wouldn’t give her up for the world.

Hell, I’d even bitten the bullet and gotten a tattoo on my chest. I’d had to hold Amira’s hand the whole fucking time, but I wanted to mark the occasion. The date we declared our love for one another. It was etched on my chest now forever.

I wondered what Kade would have to say about it. I grinned. Then felt my stomach lurch.

What would his mental health be like? Would he be broken in spirit or ready for the next chapter?

He’d lost his wealth, besmirched his name, jeopardized friendships.

Would he come through the other side of this healed? Would he be able to sustain it?

The fact that he’d asked me to be here today surely was a good sign.

I wanted so badly for him to fight this, for him to have a life that was fulfilling and not fueled by addiction and pain. I sat down on the garden bench in the closed off courtyard and waited. I had no control over Kade’s choices. He would have to live with his decisions, whatever they may be, but I made a promise to myself that I would help him when he needed it.

I owed it to that traumatized five-year-old boy that I’d first met all those years ago. To the little boy who’d lost his mom, who’d desperately needed comfort and love. I owed it to him.

When he came out, I stood.

“Kade.”

“Hey.”

“You look well, brother.”

He smirked, and the tension in my jaw eased a fraction.

I’d been afraid that Kade would lose himself, that he would come out of this a shell of the man he’d once been. But he was still there. I could see it in his eyes.

“Funny how living clean will do that to you. I feel like a new man.”

I sat opposite him, giving him some space, allowing him to take the lead.

“I’m glad. So, I’m told you get out of here in a few weeks.”

“Looks like it.”