by Sarah Bale
He ended the call. “Katie will be here within the hour. If you give me your dress size, I will text it to her so she’ll know what to bring.”
“She’s coming here? Won’t that be expensive?”
She didn’t want to think about how much a personal visit was going to cost her.
Marco sighed. “Look, Shannon. We may not know each other but I know you are good for Dev. And what is good for Dev is good for the team so I’m going to help you out. Don’t worry about how much this is going to cost. I will take care of it.”
She bit her lip. “If I’m so good for him, then why did he storm out of here?”
“You know him better than anyone. Can’t you see he’s running scared?”
She shook her head, surprised by his answer. “He’s running all right, running away from me as fast as he can.”
“Look, I’m not going to pretend I understand your past with him but I do know one thing. He is happier since you have been around.” He smiled. “Don’t overthink this, Shannon. Give me your dress size and I’ll text Katie.”
“I wear a six,” she mumbled.
She turned from Marco as he texted his friend. Was Dev really happier since she had been around? She doubted this was true, since all they had done was fight the last few days. She rubbed her forehead. If she was going to protect him from Johnny, she was going to have to work harder at making sure they got along.
Marco broke into her thoughts. “Katie said a six was perfect and she has some things she thinks you will die over.”
“I appreciate it. I can’t believe I forgot to pack the other dresses.”
“It happens. One time Dev forgot to pack his sponsored gear for a fight.” He chuckled. “Luckily Mrs. Ingram was able to have them sent via UPS before the fight. Otherwise we would have been up shit creek without a paddle.”
She smiled. “I’m glad he has done so well with the whole MMA thing. When we were younger he would always shy away from planning for the future.”
That wasn’t exactly true. He had always dived into planning their future together. Like when he had brought a backpack full of brochures to her house so they could decide where they wanted to move after they graduated college. Too bad their dream never came true.
A few moments later Marco answered the door, letting in a very busty and attractive brunette. Behind her a bellhop pushed a clothing rack filled from one end to the other with dresses.
“Holy cow,” Shannon exclaimed.
The woman grinned, showing off her bright white teeth. “I know there’s a lot but a girl can never have too many choices.” She held out her hand. “I’m Katie. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you as well. I’m Shannon. I can’t thank you enough for doing this.”
“Girl, don’t worry about it,” Katie said as she gave Marco a quick hug.
Marco looked at the dresses and then back at Shannon and Katie. “If you ladies will excuse me, I have some phone calls to make.”
When he was gone Katie laughed. “Poor Marco. He can’t stand all this fu-fu fashion stuff, as he calls it. It’s one of the reasons we split.”
This was news to Shannon but she didn’t comment. Their previous relationship really wasn’t any of her business even though she was curious.
Katie saved her from replying by saying, “It ended up being the best damn thing that ever happened to me though. Two weeks later a guy I had been friends with asked me out after a fashion event. We ended up getting married and the rest is history.
“But enough about me… If you show me to your room, I can start setting some dresses out for you to try on.” She glanced at her watch. “Marco said you needed to be ready in a few hours. If we find a dress quick enough, then I will have plenty of time for hair and makeup.”
“Wow, you do it all,” Shannon said in awe.
Katie nodded. “Most of my clients don’t want to bother with several people running around their homes. I get more business because I’m able to do the whole package.”
Shannon led Katie to her room. “I’m sure you stay quite busy then.”
“Girl, you have no idea. Vegas never stops so there is always something for me to do. Oh, the stories I could tell you.” Katie grinned. “Okay. Ready to be wowed?”
She took the first dress from the rack and unzipped it from its protective bag. Shannon gasped as Katie held up the bright pink dress.
“I can already tell this is going to be a blast.” Katie chuckled.
Shannon nodded. “I think you may be right.”
Chapter Seventeen
Two hours later Shannon stared at herself in the mirror. The royal-blue dress she wore barely skimmed her knees and if she were to spin, it would flare out like a blue flower. She touched the diamond choker clasped around her neck and smiled. Katie was letting Shannon borrow it for the night. The choker was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
“Damn.”
Shannon spun and found Marco standing in the doorway.
“You look great, Shannon.”
She got the feeling compliments didn’t come easy from him. “It’s all thanks to you and Katie. I never could have pulled this off on my own.”
Marco’s tan cheeks flushed. “Don’t worry about it. I was just doing my job.” He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Dev should be back in a few moments and then we can meet up with the paparazzi to take some scheduled photos.”
She still wasn’t comfortable with meeting the press. What if they knew something about her and blurted it out in front of Dev to get a response?
Marco came across the room and took her hand. He seemed to have a new attitude toward her and she wasn’t complaining. Having a friendly face was nice when she wasn’t sure how Dev was going to act toward her.
“Shannon, this will be a piece of cake. The two of you will take a few staged photos and then be on your way to the Cirque show.”
“Will they be allowed to ask questions?” At his confused look she went on. “On TV they are always yelling things, trying to get a reaction.”
He grinned. “This isn’t one of those encounters. These paparazzi have been selected by us to make Dev look good. They won’t even be allowed to speak to you.”
Relief filled her body and she nodded. That didn’t sound so bad.
She smiled up at him. “Thanks, Marco. I know I haven’t said it but you have made everything so nice for me.”
“Has he now?”
She turned and saw Dev standing there with a scowl on his face, a look she knew all too well from their youth. Marco dropped her hand and took a step away from her. Oh crap. Apparently he knew the look too.
Dev wasn’t sure what bothered him more. The fact that Marco had been holding Shannon’s hand, the way Shannon had been looking up at Marco or that Dev seemed to have walked in on a private conversation. Whatever the case he didn’t like the jealous feelings he now felt.
He strolled across the room, rolling up the sleeves of his black shirt. He couldn’t stand button-up shirts but his stylist had insisted he wear one, saying they made him stand out—especially when he wore all black.
Marco eyed him and Dev struggled not to laugh. Yeah, his friend was wise to be wary of him right now.
“Don’t mind me. I’m just getting my watch. You two continue your little conversation.”
The words sounded petty to his ears but he didn’t give a flying fuck. Shannon put her hand on her hip and glared at him. He was taken aback at how beautiful she looked but he wasn’t going to be distracted by her sexiness tonight. Not after the steam-room stunt she’d pulled. She needed to know that this was his game and he was in charge.
“What?” he ground out.
“You are acting like a child and you know it.”
She had balls, he would give her that much.
“I’m not the one acting, Shannon.”
Her glare grew angrier. “Neither am I.”
He grabbed his Rolex from the dresser and put it on. “If you a
re ready, then let’s go get this photo shoot over with.”
Shannon huffed and laughed at the same time. “Won’t we look convincing? Why, we practically scream lovebirds.”
She was right. Dammit, he hated when she was right.
“Maybe you should give me another private show in the steam room. That seemed to work well for you earlier and it might make me more willing to go through with this.”
Shannon’s face turned bright red and Marco looked horrified.
“Dude…really?”
“Marco, is this something you want to do right now?”
His friend eyed him and then said, “You know where I stand, Dev, but that was uncalled for. Besides, she’s right. The paparazzi will eat you alive if you walk out there acting like this. Maybe you should have a drink or something before you head out.”
He closed his eyes and counted to ten, willing his temper to stop before he did something stupid. He could only imagine how much it would cost to pay for damage in the suite.
“Maybe this is a bad idea,” Shannon said in a sad tone. “We could always stay in tonight—”
“I’m sure you would like that but it isn’t going to happen. We are going to the show and that’s that. Stop trying to get me back into bed.”
Bed. With Shannon. His traitorous cock stirred in his pants.
She stared at him with her mouth open in shock and then said, “Devlin James, this is a hotel.”
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Your point?”
“My point is that there are other rooms available, if you find my presence so offending!”
“You are not getting your own hotel room, Shannon. That wasn’t in our agreement.”
She cocked her head and said through gritted teeth, “I wasn’t talking about me getting a new room. I was talking about you.”
Marco coughed to cover his laugh. Shit, Dev had forgotten Marco was still there. Again.
“Don’t you have something you could be doing?”
Marco shrugged. “This is more entertaining.”
He threw his hands into the air. “I’m going to have a drink,” he said, eying Shannon, “or two. Then we can go get this photo shoot over with. And no one is getting their own room.”
He stalked out the door and went to the bar in the living room. Of course they didn’t have his favorite brandy. He scowled as he grabbed a cheap Scotch and poured some into a glass. He threw the liquor into the back of his mouth and swallowed.
Marco came to stand beside him and picked up a glass. Dev glared as he poured some for his friend and then topped off his own drink. He normally didn’t imbibe while he was training but he needed the alcohol to cool off.
Marco took a drink and then said, “I don’t want to know what happened earlier to put you in this mood but as a member of your team, I am going to tell you to snap out of it.
“Yeah, I helped Shannon while you were gone. She forgot to pack her cocktail dresses and I called Katie over to help. That is what she was thanking me for, you ass. She was worried sick she wasn’t going to look good enough to impress you.”
Dev raised an eyebrow. “You saw Katie? How was she? Did she explain why she stood you up the other night?”
Marco shrugged. “She’s married. Dev, don’t be that guy tonight, the one who punches holes in walls and no one wants to be around. Go apologize, take her out and show her a good time. I think you both need it.”
He was right…fuck, he hated when Marco was right. He wanted to be right at least once tonight. He finished the Scotch and set the empty glass on the counter. As he passed his friend, he patted him on the back. Marco lifted his glass in response.
When Dev reached their room he stopped in the doorway. Shannon stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out. The setting sun bathed her in soft light and the sight literally took his breath away.
He watched her for a moment as she ran her hands through her curls. Her face was a blank mask and he knew she was lost in a memory. He sighed and cleared his throat, letting her know he was there.
She glanced over her shoulder and offered him a small smile.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he walked into the room. “I shouldn’t have said what I did in front of Marco. That was wrong of me.”
She shrugged. “Like you said, he knows our past. What’s one more thing to add to the list?”
He hated how defeated she sounded.
“He told me what you were thanking him for. I’m glad he was able to get in touch with Katie to help you. She is good at what she does.”
“Yeah, she was nice.” She was silent for a moment and then said, “Dev, you have to know I never planned on us…well…I didn’t think things would go as far as they did in the steam room. It was not my intention to screw you without a condom. After last time…well, that is something I never want to go through again.”
He stared at her and replied softly, “No one forced you to go through with it.”
Her large blue eyes landed on his. “I think we both know that’s not true.”
He felt as if he had been punched as he saw the sadness in her eyes. Sometimes it was so easy to make her out to be the bad guy in their past but he knew her family, mainly her father, was worse.
Before he could say anything to comfort her she took in a deep breath and said, “Well, I am ready to face the paparazzi if you are, Mr. James.”
She held out her hand and he tucked it safely in the crook of his arm. Quickly he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
At her quizzical look he said, “Thank you for doing this.”
She smiled tightly back. “Just doing my job.”
For some reason those words bothered him more than he cared to admit.
* * * * *
Shannon looked up at Dev as they took their seats at the Cirque show. Marco hadn’t been kidding when he said he scored them front-row seats. If she leaned forward, she could touch the stage. And their seats were souvenir chairs they could take home after the show.
She peered at Dev. She could only imagine what his reaction would be when she told him she was taking her chair whether he liked it or not. Hopefully the conversation wouldn’t come to an argument though.
He leaned over and whispered, “Would you like something to drink before the show starts?”
“A diet soda please.”
“You don’t want something stronger? Champagne?”
She shook her head, her stomach turning at the thought of the last time she consumed alcohol.
“Soda is fine.”
Dev gave the waitress their order, getting himself some sparkling water. Shannon took the time to look around and noticed people were staring at them.
“Why do people keep looking at us?”
“Because you’re beautiful,” he replied.
“Thanks but I think they’re looking at you.”
“Probably because I don’t go on very many dates.”
Dates? Is that what this was called? The waitress came back with their drinks and he passed her the diet soda.
“Why aren’t you drinking? I noticed you didn’t drink anything on the plane either.”
She took a sip of her soda. “It’s just not my thing.”
“The report on you said you got a D.W.I. Is that why you don’t drink?”
She whipped her head toward him, expecting to see anger in his eyes. She knew how he felt about people driving under the influence because of his own father. The look in his eyes was anything but angry though. He appeared curious.
She glanced around, making sure no one was listening to them, and then said, “That’s part of it. I mainly don’t like the person I become when I drink. Can we talk about this later?”
Yeah, she was being a coward but she didn’t care. This wasn’t something she wanted to talk about at all, much less in public. Besides, it would be hard to talk about her drinking problem without going into all the other details—such as what led up to the D.W.I and the fallout from getting
arrested.
He nodded. “Yeah. Sure. You were great with the paparazzi by the way. Marco texted and said the photos turned out good.”
The paparazzi hadn’t been bad at all, just as Marco promised. After leaving their room, they’d taken the elevator down to the first floor and took some staged pictures in front of a backdrop with the hotel’s name on it.
The men taking the pictures didn’t speak to them except to ask them to move one way or another. She had been surprised when Dev’s arm snaked around her waist. Then again, they were supposed to be acting as if they were in love.
One of the photographers had asked Dev to kiss her and she’d tilted up her head, expecting a peck on the cheek. He had totally shocked her by brushing his lips against hers until she felt the blood rushing to her face.
She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present, and said, “I’m glad they turned out okay.”
The lights in the large auditorium dimmed twice and then the red velvet curtains opened. Shannon gasped at the beauty before her eyes.
The backdrop of the stage mirrored fire and looked as if there were flames dancing back and forth. All across the stage pops of red and black caught her attention. In the center of the stage was a large bed, big enough for twenty people.
Two performers dressed in all white made their way to the bed from each side of the stage, dancing in slow, seductive moves that matched the background music. A dancer lowered from the ceiling, harnessed in a black ribbon, and landed gracefully on the bed as the other two reached out for her.
Shannon leaned forward and she felt Dev smile at her. This was going to be an amazing show. And she couldn’t wait to see where the night took them after the performance came to an end.
Chapter Eighteen
Dev glanced at Shannon as the music reached its peak, symbolizing the climax of the love scene. Damn, he hadn’t expected the show to be so…arousing. He imagined most of the audience felt the same way. He was pretty sure a man who’d passed him a few moments ago was hiding a hard-on behind his jacket, thrown casually over his arm. Too bad I didn’t bring a jacket, he thought with a rueful smile.
