Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

"I'll admit I've screwed up plenty in my life. But marrying you, Whitney? That was never a mistake. Not once."

His voice had gone from playful and teasing to dead serious, all that warmth gone, replaced by a heavy, almost suffocating intensity.

The words landed in Whitney's ears like a bell ringing in an empty church. For a moment, she felt like her heart just stopped.

They really had been good together, once. Really in love.

He didn't want her to pretend none of it had ever happened and deep down, she couldn't deny it. Whenever things got tough, her mind always drifted back to those years when he was gentle, thoughtful, loving.

Whitney wasn't sure how he managed to turn the conversation back to them.

She wanted to dodge it, so she bit her lip and said quietly, "Aren't we supposed to be talking about Sandy right now?"

"Fine. If you need to bail out of this talk, I'll give you a breather-but this is the last time. Once Sandy's situation is sorted, we're revisiting us."

to Shane-those two idiots couldn't figure out romance if it hit them in the

at relationships, she thought. Look at

you at least have the Lippert family's media company keep Shane's tabloid stories running

Sandy? That's how you repay her trust?" Ludwik actually laughed

pulled a face,

If it gets to the point where Shane actually marries someone else, with his stepmom in the picture and Dina being as

loved each other once, after

were crazy in love four years ago, too. You don't like me now, but that doesn't mean you never will again. And if went and married someone with three kids, tell me, Whitney, how would you handle that? Could you really move on

it off? You said you'd

a point, same as

best Sandy could do. So why can't I be the best

laugh. "Please. You