She walked down the hall on his arm the next morning, with a smile still on her lips. "Thank you for letting Prince sleep in bed with me last night. I didn't wake up again."

He nodded, the ski mask covering more of his face than she liked, but the plastic mask was uncomfortable for him to wear often. "If it helps, he can sleep on your bed." He held up a finger. "But not any other furniture. I expect that rule to be obeyed better than this sock issue," he grumbled and glanced down at the dog.

Prince trotted along happily with three socks in his mouth, one of them from Jason's laundry.

"We're practicing," she flushed.

He gave her a dry look. "You let him do whatever he pleases."

"He's such a good boy, and it doesn't hurt anyone that he steals socks. He doesn't chew holes in them." She looked up at him with big eyes.

"Don't give me that look," he laughed. "I have five pairs of socks without matches. I found one sock jammed in the crease of my office chair. Now who would have put it there? That would have been lovely if I had a client in there when I found it."

She cocked her head. "Clients come? Who are your clients?"

"Sometimes the physicians I work on patents with. On rare occasion we work together in person."

"Where are we going?" The hallways seemed to keep winding forever.

"The arboretum. I showed your mother yesterday, and she hasn't come out since." He smiled. "It seems to help her having something to tend to. She and Ms. Van Hoodie have taken a fancy to each other." At the end of the hall stood massive, frosted glass doors with rose etchings.

"What is this fascination you have with roses?" She looked up at him.

He paused at the door and held her eyes, his gaze so heartbreaking. "It helped to pretend there would be a woman I was making it all for. A woman to whom I could give red roses." Then he stepped closer and cupped her cheek in his hand. "I didn't know at the time that I was building it for you."

His husky voice made her heart stumble and knees weaken. "You are a romantic, aren't you?" she breathed.

"Only for you, Emma," he whispered.

His breath breezed over her lips. She needed his kiss, his pure, tender touch. "Kiss me, Jason," she sighed and rose onto her toes, leaning a hand on his chest well away from the scratches.

A twinkle gleamed in his eye, obviously teasing when he said, "Are you that insatiably curious about my mouth?"

She shook her head. "I fell that hopelessly in love," she breathed.

The glint faded in his eye, and he looked like he couldn't even fathom the idea that she desired his unveiled kiss for any other reason than curiosity. She lowered onto her heels and searched his eye. "Do you not like it?"

His eye searched her face. "It can't be very pleasant. I was so caught up in everything last night that I didn't think about how…what exactly you can feel during it. I didn't mean to subject you to it."

'Subject' her to his kisses? "Don't," she begged. "Don't ruin it. You trusted me last night. I don't care how much scarring there is. You let me get close last night like you never have. You didn't fear me. It was your kiss. That's why it was beautiful. I want that closeness with each other."

His eyes fell, and it was clear she'd lost him. She couldn't think about it that he might never kiss her like that again without a mask or barrier between them, between their hearts. She stepped back and turned to the arboretum doors, struggling to hide the bleeding in her heart. "Jason?" Her heart slammed, and she clutched her hands together, fearing his answer. "Did you mean it last night that you love me?" Her voice trailed off, unable to hold strong. Silence stretched on until tears blurred her vision. Her heart shattered, the broken pieces scattered all around. She turned to find refuge in her room away from him when his words stopped her.

"I would never say something like that without it being truth." His voice didn't ring as strong as normal. Then he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I need more time. You don't know how terrified I was to come to you this morning, expecting you'd recoil from my touch after last night. I need time, Emma. I love you, and I'll never take that back."

She held him tight. She would earn his trust. In time, he would have enough faith in her love that he'd no longer hide his face. In time, he'd come to their marriage bed without any walls, and they'd create a family. In time.

He took her hand and led her inside.

The greenhouse ceiling stretched up into the sky, easily able to accommodate the handful of palm trees scattered around the half acre. Hibiscus trees of vibrant pinks and yellows bloomed in all their glory. Tulips and other various flowers grew along a stone path weaving through the arboretum. The roses, though, ruled this world. Roses climbed up the walls and palm trees. Large, thick bushes flowered with roses of white, red, pink, yellow, and an abundance of other colors of the rainbow. A pair of blue jays and cardinals flew in the trees above. Her mouth fell open. Beauty like this didn't exist in real life. Here existed a piece of Heaven.

"Do you like it?" He sounded anxious to know.

"I've never seen anything this beautiful. Do you grow this all yourself?"

"I do. I find it peaceful in the early evenings when the sunset casts its rainbows in here." He led her down the path to the back where the colors had disappeared. Her mom sat on a gardening pad, wearing gardening gloves, and dug in the dirt. The rose bushes here were thin and struggled to survive. "Your mother is going to try to revive these. I can't figure out what else to do, but she has ideas."

Her mom looked up with a big smile. "Hi, baby. Your cheeks have more color today. Isn't this place amazing?" Then her gaze shifted to Jason. "This dried blood meal works wonders on my roses. I'm going to try it."

He knelt down and tilted back the bag beside her mom. "I don't think I ever would have thought of this." He smiled in approval.

She smiled. He'd be such a wonderful father. Then she shook her head. Her biological clock must be screaming. They'd only been dating a month after all.

"You don't have to stay in here all day. I promise I won't lock you out," he teased her mom. "I was going to bring up your lunch, but then I thought you might want dinner in here, and then a bed…" The laughter was apparent in his voice.

Her mom smiled. "It's just so lovely in here. And the birds' singing is so peaceful. I called the lawyer you suggested, and she agreed with you that we can go after the insurance company."

She smiled and looked at Jason. "You suggested that?"

He looked up at her and nodded. "I've had my share of legal issues, and this just seemed odd. My lawyer recommended an estate lawyer." Then he looked at her mom. "You're free to have Stevens drive or fly you to wherever you need. I don't have any travel coming up, aside from needing the jet next Wednesday. Stevens can fly the helicopter. Is the lawyer requiring a fee upfront? I talked to the bank this morning, and they need ten days to transfer the funds being it's not considered a normal amount for a transaction. Does she need funds before that to get started?"

Her mom glanced at her and then Jason.

She knelt beside Jason. "Mom, it's alright. We can pay him back with the settlement."

"She's asking for five thousand. The rest will be taken out after the settlement is disbursed."

He didn't bat an eye. "Pay it back if and when you want. I mean it. Call your lawyer and tell her the funds will be wired this afternoon so she can begin work immediately. Shall we go on a road trip to the bank, ladies?"

Her mom pulled out her phone and emailed Jason the wiring information. "I think I'll just stay here if you don't need me to sign any papers."

"No," he said patiently. "You need to get out. We'll be back in two hours, with half of the trip being in the car."

Fifteen minutes later, they were in the car, with Jason wearing the half mask. She didn't want her mom to feel like the third wheel, so she started getting in the passenger seat next to Pete.

Jason held the door open for her mom, who slid in the back seat. "Emma? The seat is large enough it will accommodate all of us. You and I might be a hair tight, but…" He shrugged.

"No, I'm alright. I'll ride in the back on the way home." She hopped in before he said anything.

"Are you my gun slinger?" Pete smiled and started up the car.

"Yes, sir. I'm ready to take on the mountain lions."

He smiled. The divider window rolled down, and he instantly sobered.

She gave his big bicep a playful punch. "Scare-dy cat," she whispered for his ears alone and smiled. "Mom, did you try some of Pete's cookies? They're better than the bakery at home."

Pete paled, and his eyes flew to the rearview mirror.

"I already knew you bake when I'm not home, Stevens," Jason said dryly.

"They are very good," her mom smiled.

She turned in her seat a bit in order to see Jason sitting behind her. "Have you tried them? I made the same recipe, but they didn't come out good." She frowned.

Pete snorted trying not to laugh.

"Don't laugh! Prince ate them." She turned up her nose and gave him her best haughty look.

"Cuz everyone else would've died from them." He glanced in the mirror. "Ms. Hoplin," he added.

"Don't call me that like I'm old," she threw in as a side note. "They were only a little burned," she said in her defense.

Her mom laughed. "Baby, you were gifted with many things, but cooking isn't one of them."

She laughed, having to admit her mom was right. Her eyes traveled to Jason, and he didn't look pleased. She looked at him in question when her mom started talking to Pete. He held her eyes for a moment, his brow furrowed in disapproval before he looked out his window.

She changed the topic. Perhaps Jason wasn't happy to know the staff used the kitchen for pleasure in his absence. But if he knew and never put a stop to it, maybe something else bothered him. "Do you play Euchre, Jason?"

"I know the rules but haven't had an occasion to play in a while," he said, seeming to relax a hint.

Stupid question. Of course he hadn't been around enough people at once to play if he didn't play with staff. "Mom and I are a mean team," she smiled and winked at her mom. "We can play individuals with just three, or Pete or Trudy can swap in."

Pete smiled, with his eyes remaining on the road. "I'm scared of you and cards." He chuckled and elbowed her gently.

She laughed. "I'm better at Euchre than when we tried playing cards." Jason remained quiet for the ride, not participating in much conversation.

When they arrived at the bank, she pulled him aside. "Is everything alright?"

"Is he respectful to you when I'm away?"

She blinked. "Pete? Yes. Why?"

"If he pokes fun at you like that when I'm right there, he must do it worse when I'm not." Protectiveness hardened his eye.

"We were just playing around."

He sighed deeply through his nose. "Emma, if things progress with us, he needs to take you seriously as an employer, not a playmate."

Her eyebrows rose. "Are you scolding me for how I talk to Pete and Trudy?"

"No, I'm simply saying to keep that in mind. Stevens can have a rough edge. I trust that he wouldn't hurt anyone, but he can get an attitude at times. You can't get as cozy with him as you can Ms. Van Hoodie."

He was trying to be helpful. She let the irritation roll off her back this time. Then he offered his arm to her and her mom. Curiously enough, he stepped around her to put her mom on his blind side.

The moment they walked into the bank, a banker walked up. "Dr. Port, a pleasure to see you again. Would you like a private office?"

She blinked. Who got service like this at a bank? Both she and her mom turned to go in the sitting area.

"Yes, please. Emma?" She turned. He held out his hand to her. "Mrs. Hoplin, you're welcome to come along."

"I'm fine to wait, thank you." Her mom sat.

He looked like he wanted her to come, so she gave a glance to her mom and then took his arm.

The banker led them upstairs and into a large office labeled for the CEO Mark Smathe. "What can we help you with today, Dr. Port?" He waved for them to sit on one side of the desk.

"Wiring a transfer, please." He waited for her to sit and then sat himself, unbuttoning his suit jacket. A slight arrogance exuded from him.

"Yes, sir. I'll get Mr. Smathe for you. Can I offer you refreshments or anything?"

"No, thank you." When the man left, she looked at him. "They are overly accommodating for being a large client. I'm sure they'd slit their own throats if I asked," he said in disgust. "I prefer not to be stared at in the lobby, so I take the offer of the office for transactions." He looked at her, seeming more like himself. "Forgive the arrogance. On occasion I need funds moved quickly for business, and throwing my weight around gives the clout for them to move things along."

"May I ask how big of a client you are?" Or maybe she didn't want to know.

"Let's just say this is a small chain of six banks. I know for a fact that they might struggle if I take my business elsewhere." He watched her closely when she raised her eyebrows. "I asked you here because you will need financial records for the business if you're going to examine tax records for the last three years. You'll be signing onto the account, which in no way affects your personal finances or taxes or anything."

The CEO walked in at that minute, a man in his late forties or so. Jason stood and held down his hand to her. She stood too.

"Dr. Port, always a pleasure." He shook Jason's hand.

"Mr. Smathe, good to see you. This is Mr. Smathe, CEO, and this is Ms. Hoplin, a very importantexpert of mine who may be signing on as a financial consultant for one of my accounts."

She frowned. Odd that he introduced her as an expert rather than his girlfriend or employee. Jason had something up his sleeve.

Mr. Smathe looked alarmed. "Is there concern about your account? I assure you we take the utmost precautions-"

Jason held up a hand. "No, she's reviewing finances from my business accountant. Your services have always been sublime, Mr. Smathe. I trust this will remain strictly confidential."

"Of course." The man's eyes lit up with dollar signs. "Welcome, Ms. Hoplin. I'm sure we'll be able to serve your needs. Dr. Port is our best customer, and we take his accounts very seriously." He shook her hand and indicated for them to sit. When they did, he sat at his desk and folded his hands. "What can I help you with today?"

Jason pulled up the wiring number for the lawyer. "I'd like five thousand wired to this lawyer. It's a bit of an urgent matter, and I trust you'll be able to get it through this afternoon."

"Of course. I can do it now, Dr. Port." The man picked up his phone. "Please send up Ms. Granger with the paperwork for an urgent wire transfer for Dr. Port." He hung up. "It will only take a moment. Which account would you like to sign Ms. Hoplin onto, Dr. Port?"

A woman knocked and then stepped in. "Excuse me." She took the information from Mr. Smathe to go complete the wire transfer.

Jason rattled off an account number by heart once the woman closed the door. "And I would like Ms. Hoplin to have unlimited access to all files. At her say-so at any point, access to any employee will be shut down immediately."

She looked at him quickly. He held her eyes. Did he intend she'd figure out who the thief is too?

Mr. Smathe looked a bit surprised too. "Are you saying you want to list her as joint owner of the account?"

"No, that would make her legally responsible for any fraudulent activity, would it not?"

"Well, yes."

"I want her to have unlimited access. We have a longstanding relationship, Mr. Smathe. I would hope that your institution would continue working your magic on occasion. A phone call from Ms. Hoplin, obviously providing sufficient ID over the phone, should be adequate in shutting down an employee's access, yes?" he pressed.

Apparently Jason was asking a large favor, if the nervous look in Mr. Smathe's eye was any indication. "Of course, Dr. Port. Ms. Hoplin, please sign at the 'x.'" He typed in the computer, pulled a paper off the printer, and set it on the desk with a pen.

She picked up the contract and started reading it over.

"It mainly states the limitations of access-" Mr. Smathe began.

"Ms. Hoplin may read the full terms if she wishes," Jason cut in.

"Oh, of course." The man printed out more papers.

She looked at Jason quickly and sat back in the chair to point out the current balance of the account that had to be wrong. A little over five million dollars. He nodded like it was nothing out of the ordinary. His words from the opera came crashing back and made sense now that she should know what she was working on for him. "I'm not signing without knowing what this place is," she whispered.

Jason looked at the CEO. "We need to discuss something. May we have a private room for a moment?"

She stared when the CEO stood.

"You may use this office." He stepped out.

Then she turned to Jason. "Just how big of a client are you that the CEO leaves his office for a client?"

"Large enough." He looked her in the eye. "I wondered how long it would take you to ask about your job. You are working on a nonprofit charity-"

"Nonprofit?! What charity has five million sitting in the bank?" she hissed, keeping her voice down. How dazzled had she been by him to take a job and have no idea what the business was? She could kick herself for the stupidity.

"It's largely funded by a trust I've established, for which the interest alone supports a great deal of it. There are also benefactors who give donations. It's only three years old, so there isn't too much of a mess for you to sort through."

"A charity for what?" she demanded.

"Plastic and reconstructive surgery for children," he answered quietly.

That put out her fire. Somehow his answer didn't surprise her.

"Any child whose parents prove they cannot handle the medical expenses themselves can come. Cleft palates, and burn and domestic abuse victims are the cases we see the most. There have been a few spina bifida babies. It is a hospital, and about half of the staff donates their time. On occasion, a specialist surgeon is flown in if it's a condition we don't have the expertise to handle. We ask for families to pay as much as they're able. Some can pay five thousand, others only five dollars. If a child of privileged finances comes, we will provide the care if the services are covered and a donation of five hundred dollars is made. Those children, however, are put on the list behind the less privileged who have more urgent needs."

"I've heard of it," she said softly. "Charlotte's Hope." Then her brow furrowed. "Your helicopter is Charlotte. Who is Charlotte?"

He shook his head. "I need you to not look it up online, but I assure you it's not a woman or anyone you need to worry about." His hand slipped into hers. "There are some things I'm not ready to talk about yet."

She nodded, accepting his answer for now.

"The three accountants I hired before you have been working on this for six months and are still ten steps behind you, even when they put their heads together. By my very rough calculations based on self-sustaining dividends that should have been invested, half a million has been embezzled. That is money some of these children desperately need. You have the experience to know that when you figure this out, I need you to be an expert who testifies in the case. My instinct says two or three employees are in on this, based on what you've shown me so far. And I don't think they all work in the finance department, which is why I think you have such a mess on your hands figuring out how they're doing this. I think they're draining funds faster, so we're on a time clock, Emma. The charity is facing severe penalties if we don't figure this out by tax time. I can file for an extension, but time is up after this fall."

"Jason, I'm not a forensic accountant. I don't have the experience for this."

His eye looked into hers. "You are plowing through this, Emma. I don't know how, but you are putting the pieces together to make heads and tails of circles. I shouldn't put this on you, but I'm ready to beg."

"Of course I'll do it, but I don't know that I'll be able to figure it out in time, if ever." She bit her lip. "What happens to you if it's not solved?"

He shook his head. "I might get slapped with a fine, but I'll be fine financially. I have the paper trail to show it's not me embezzling. The hospital would shut down, though."

She slowly shook her head. "Jason, I'm not right for this job. You can't put this all on my head." All the little children having to leave with incomplete surgeries or never getting care again that they need because it's too expensive…

"This isn't on you, Emma. I have three other accountants still frantically working on it. I know I'm kind of pressuring you, and I don't mean to. But, Emma, your mind unlocks things in a way I haven't seen before. You think in these patterns and find order in chaos. I'm not asking you to be the savior; I'm just asking you to try. I talked to some of your professors and the lawyers at your previous job. You are far more intelligent than you realize. You don't have to sign today."

Her stomach flipped. Not knowing what she'd been working on had been better. The pressure made her head hurt now. It was like a sledgehammer pounding on her brain. She froze. A hammer…the paint receipt. The nuts and bolts receipt. The repair receipts. Her eyes searched the wall as the receipts floated up from memory after the hours and hours of studying them.

"Emma, what is it?"

"Jason? Does the janitor have access to credit cards or reimbursements?"

"Reimbursements," he frowned. "You think it's the janitor?"

"No," she smiled. "The janitor is their fallout man."