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'You'll see.'

Realising he wasn't going to divulge anything until he was ready, she lapsed into silence and turned her head to stare out of the window. Leaving the town behind, they headed around the loch and past the sprawling grounds of Strathlochan Castle, then headed out through rolling countryside and along wooded lanes. All the traitorous part of her wanted was to devour Cameron with her gaze, touch him, kiss him. The days without him had been unbearable. She thought of him every second of the day, dreamed of him when the night brought her any sleep. Abstinence hadn't worked at all. The longing for him was worse than ever.

When they drew up in front of a substantial but neglected building in a secluded spot a few miles from Strathlochan, Ginger turned to Cameron. 'What are we doing here?'

'I'll explain when we've had a look around.' He came round and opened her door, once again taking her hand. 'Bear with me, Ginger, please.'

Cursing her weakness, unable to withdraw her hand from his, she allowed him to show her around inside the massive property. She was amazed by what she saw. It would take a lot of work to modernise it but aside from being much too big, it was just the kind of place she could envisage for her dream clinic. Pain lanced inside her and she pulled away from Cameron, questioning his motives.

'Have you brought me here to rub in your victory?'

'No! Of course not.' Grey eyes darkened with hurt. 'How could you think that?'

She steeled herself against her hopeless attraction to him. She couldn't allow herself to weaken. 'Then what are we doing here?' she demanded, tossing her coat over a chair by the reception desk, before folding her arms and stepping away as he reached out to her.

If they didn't touch at all, maybe she could maintain some composure, but the instant there was any contact, that inexplicable connection and compulsion returned. She only had to think of him, look at him, to remember what it was like between them, that searing, incredible heat, the indescribable pleasure of his touch, the passion of their union.

'Did you take in what Ackerman's people said about the decision to award the money to my proposal?' Cameron asked, his words refocusing her attention.

Of course she had taken it in. Every word of the letter ending her hopes was imprinted on her brain. Fixing him with a glare, she nodded. 'You mean about self-harm being a broader remit?'

Thrusting his hands in the pockets of his sinfully tight jeans, Cameron leaned against the reception desk. 'We've learned a lot about each other's work these last weeks and I think there are many areas where we overlap. Would you say that eating disorders were a kind of self-harm?'

'I suppose,' she agreed reluctantly. 'So what?'

'Look at this place, Ginger.' Moving, restless with suppressed energy, he spread out the floor plans.

'I have looked. I can see why you are interested in it for your clinic.' Even though it pained her to say the words.

A smile curved his sexy mouth, bringing the dimple to his cheek. 'Exactly.'

'Cameron, what is the point of this?'

'The point, my feisty love, is that we both want the same thing. We both care about our patients. We both want to set up a specialist centre to cater for their full range of needs but there is only one lot of money from Ackerman.'

'And you've won it,' she stated, unable to bear any more of this.

Cameron closed the gap between them and curled his arm around her waist. 'Think about it. We join forces, Ginger. This place is huge. A central administration and catering area, twin wings with full facilities for counselling, residential places, medical facilities, meeting rooms and space for our respective staff.' His hold tightened and he drew her against him. 'Just think what we could do with all our passion and dedication if we combined it, harnessed it. Think of all the people we could help...together.'

Ginger was thinking. She was thinking a lot of things, not least what it felt like to be held in Cameron's arms again, the length of his body against hers. All she wanted to do was melt into him and forget everything. Yet she was scared to give life to the hope and joy that threatened to bubble forth from inside her. Did she dare to believe? Could she have it all? Could she and Cameron work together, live together, love together?

'You make it sound so simple,' she managed, her voice unsteady with all the emotion swirling inside her.

'No, it won't be simple. But it would be worth it. If you agree, I'm going to talk to Ackerman's people about it tomorrow but I'm sure they will go for it, especially as they told me the decision was very close and a hard one for Sir Morrison to make. This way he gets two for the price of one and all our patients win.'

Ginger struggled to absorb all he was saying, feeling light-headed at the sudden turnaround in her life. 'But isn't this place way outside the budget?'

'No, there's a ridiculously low price for the right buyer. It belongs to a charitable trust who are more concerned about what is done here than the amount of money they get for it.' He cupped her face in his hands, his lips brushing tantalisingly across hers, stealing her breath. 'We can do this, Ginger. Together.'

It was true they were both passionate, dedicated people, both working hard for what they believed in, driven to help those who needed them even if it cost their own happiness. Could they join forces in every sense and make both their dreams come true? Hope and belief began to close the terrible black hole of cold pain and desolation that had opened inside her since the letters had arrived.

'Cameron...'

'Please, Ginger, give this a chance. Give
us
a chance,' he cajoled, his fingers tracing her face, her neck, her throat, his magical touch making her shiver. 'I've missed you so much. I can't bear to be apart from you. For so long I closed off my emotions, told myself I didn't need anyone. But I do. I need
you.
I think we need each other. We understand each other. Share so much.' Her hands clenched in his jumper as his tongue-tip teased one corner of her mouth. 'I didn't want to be vulnerable, didn't want to risk loving again. Then I met you. What we have isn't just sex, Ginger, amazing as that is with us. I love you more than I believed it was possible to love anyone and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me, work with me. Let us be partners in every way, helping our patients, making a family of our own. Side by side, together.'

Tears trickled down her cheeks. Happy tears. Disbelieving tears. These last days she had thought she would never see Cameron again and without him she had felt more alone than at any point in her life. Now he was giving her a chance not only to realise her dreams but he was giving her the gift of his love, offering her a future that went way beyond anything she had imagined possible.

'Ginger?'

A sob escaped her and she threw herself into his arms, breathing in his earthy male scent, revelling in the feel of his strong arms closing around her and holding her tight against his body. 'I love you, too. So much.'

'We're going to make this work, Ginger.'

'Together.'

'For ever.'

Her heart swelled with love. The heat of his gaze burned her with his desire, his passion, his answering love, and Ginger slid her hand to his nape, bringing his mouth to hers. Days of deprivation overflowed in an outpouring of need. The kiss was hot, consuming, urgent, demanding. She drowned in the taste of him, unable to get close enough, her hands slipping under his jumper to explore the warm, smooth skin and rippling muscle beneath her fingers. His mouth left hers, caressing down the column of her throat, his tongue exploring the hollow where her pulse beat in frantic rhythm, the delicious rasp of his stubbled jaw exciting her, sparking a desperate ache of want.

Tangling one hand in his hair, she drew his head up, catching his lower lip between hers and sucking on it, seeing sexy grey eyes darken, feeling the shudder of need ripple through him. A need that matched her own. 'Cam, we need to go home. Now.'

'Too late.' His husky voice sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine, and he backed her up to the desk, a wicked smile curving his mouth. 'I can't wait any longer.'

'Sealing the deal?' she teased, her voice rough, her fingers fumbling with the fastening of his jeans.

'Sealing our love, our future.'

His hands worked on her own clothes and the feel of his fingers touching her bare skin made her tremble. She would never, ever get enough of this man. Happiness overwhelmed her at the knowledge that he loved her, wanted her, that they would be partners in every way. Ginger wrapped herself around him and hung on to the man who had made her dreams come true. She was never going to let him go again. Giving herself up to the magic, she met the heated demand of his body with her own, the passion of his kiss with hers, giving thanks for this incredible man and the love they shared.

Cameron was right. They understood each other, needed each other, loved each other...and they could do so much good for those who depended on them.

Together, she and Cameron could do anything.