Victoria left for an afternoon of back-to-back meetings with a distracted kiss on Elena’s cheek and a reminder that dinner would be late. The moment the front door closed, Marcus looked at Elena across the kitchen island and said, simply, “Get your coat.”

She blinked. “Where are we going?”

“Shopping.” His mouth curved, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. “A gift. For you. Something your mother will never see.”

Twenty minutes later they were in the private dressing room of a quiet, high-end lingerie boutique downtown. Soft lighting, thick carpet, a single upholstered chair. Marcus sat in it like he belonged there, legs spread, watching while the sales associate...