Fighting for Desire (13 page)

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.

Shannon leaned forward in her seat and her long leg brushed
his in the process. Damn, those heels she wore made her calf muscles flex even
while sitting. His mind was suddenly filled with an image of those same heels
thrown over his shoulders as he fucked her.

She glanced up at him and for a second he swore she knew
what he was thinking. He grinned down at her. So what if she knew where his
thoughts were headed?

She leaned over. “Thanks for bringing me here tonight. I’ve
always wanted to see one of these shows.”

She beamed at him and the breath left his lungs.

“No problem. I thought it was something you would enjoy.”

When he first found out he was going to Vegas, he planned on
hitting up some of the clubs for VIP parties. When he’d decided on
propositioning Shannon to spend one month with him, his plans had changed. Now
he was glad he had picked things she would enjoy as well.

A male dancer wearing a loincloth came to the edge of the
stage and held out a rose for Shannon. She blushed and took the flower with a
smile. He eyed the dancer until the man went to give someone else a rose.
Didn’t he know Shannon was his?

Whoa, where did that thought come from
?

The audience erupted in applause, saving him from having to
analyze his thoughts too closely. The lights came on and people began making
their way out of the auditorium.

“Let’s wait for it to clear out before we go,” he said to
Shannon, not wanting to get caught in the crush of people.

“Still get claustrophobic in public?”

He nodded. The claustrophobia started when he was ten years
old. He had been in line with the rest of his class when two more classes
joined them in the hall. He began sweating and backed up against the wall,
refusing to move.

People began crowding around him, wanting to see what was
wrong. Finally one of the teachers realized what was happening and made the
students move on. Everyone left except Shannon. She refused to leave his side
and had a tissue waiting to wipe the tears that were falling down his cheeks.

His old man had called him a pussy when he got home then
threw him against the wall to show him what real pain was. Dev cringed at the
memory.

“It’s not as bad as it used to be,” he lied. “But I’d rather
not risk getting caught in the crowd.”

That was an understatement. His reputation as a badass would
be trashed if people knew he couldn’t stand large groups. No, it was much
better to wait until the crowd thinned out a bit.

“I don’t mind waiting.” She smiled shyly up at him. “I’m
glad you aren’t mad at me anymore.”

Guilt and something else he couldn’t put his finger on
caused him to shift uncomfortably in his seat.

“I wasn’t mad at you earlier, Shannon. I was mad at myself
for getting so caught up in the moment that I didn’t use a condom.”

Her eyes lowered and she whispered, “I know. Believe me, I
know.”

“But that’s what you do to me—what you’ve always done to me.
When I’m with you I don’t think rationally. You consume me,” he admitted with a
little shake of his head.

“Is that so bad?”

He met her gaze evenly. “Yeah it is.”

The air left Shannon’s lungs in a rush of pain at Dev’s
admission. Hearing him say he didn’t want to be consumed by her hurt more than
she ever thought possible. His admission also presented a problem. If he felt
that way, then it was probably going to be harder to keep him away from his
training sessions. Knowing him, he would go out of his way to avoid her.

She moistened her lips with her tongue as she thought. She
had less than a month with him and she needed to make every moment count. That
meant she was going to have to get creative. She wondered if he kept his
schedule on his phone or if Marco had it. Desperate times called for desperate
measures and she needed that schedule.

She realized Dev was talking and she hadn’t heard a word he
said.

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I said I think it’s probably okay to leave now. Are you
ready?”

She nodded and stood. “Oh, will you carry my chair for me?”

His eyebrows lifted. “Chair?”

She pointed at the souvenir chair. “Yeah. Didn’t you notice
everyone else carrying theirs out? I’d like to take mine.” She thought for a
moment. “And yours too, if you don’t want it.”

“No, I don’t want it.”

His dry tone said it all and she held back a smile, half
expecting an argument. Instead he folded the two chairs and picked them up.

“After you, madam.”

She grinned up at him and led the way. As they made their
way through the casino she looked wistfully toward the poker tables. God, it
had been so long since she had played—mostly because she was broke. Dev
followed her gaze and grinned.

“Do you still play?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t in years.” She thought for a
moment. “High school was probably the last time.”

He gasped in mock horror. “Well let’s remedy the situation
right now.”

He waved an usher over and handed him the souvenir chairs,
with instructions to take them back to their room. Then he turned to her with
his oh-so-sexy half-smile.

“Let’s get some chips.”

“Dev, we don’t have to do this,” she protested. “I don’t
even have any money with me.”

“It’s a good thing you recently came into some cash now
isn’t it?”

Well she couldn’t argue with that. He took her by the hand
and led her to the guest services table. A pretty blonde tittered at Dev and Shannon
rolled her eyes.

“How may I help you, sir?”

Dev pulled out his wallet and handed her his ID.

“I need to get twenty-five thousand in chips for my lovely
friend and twenty-five thousand for me.”

Oh
my freaking God
. Was he really taking out
fifty thousand dollars to use on poker? Shannon knew her mouth was hanging open
as the girl went to get the chips.

She grabbed onto his arm. “Are you insane? Twenty dollars
would have been okay with me! You took out enough money to buy a nice car or a
boat!”

He laughed. “Chill. There is a ten-thousand-dollar minimum in
the high stakes area and that’s the only place I play anymore. Plus, I was
pre-approved for this amount before I even knew you were coming.”

“Too good for the normal area?” The words left her lips
before she could stop them.

“It’s all part of the lifestyle, Shannon. If I go to the ‘normal
area’, as you call it, and someone recognizes me, then I can’t enjoy myself.
Generally the high-stakes area is a little more refined and I don’t have to
worry about getting mobbed by fans.”

Wow, she hadn’t considered he might have problems with
people approaching him. It must be hard for him to go out in public at all. Now
that she thought about it, a few people had asked him for autographs before the
Cirque show started until security came and stood by them.

“What if I lose all your money?”

He shrugged. “It’s called gambling, baby, not winning.”

She rolled her eyes and took the stack of chips the girl
handed to her. Dev took his as well and then led her through the casino. They
stopped in front of a red velvet curtain where a frowning security guard sat on
a high stool.

“Membership card, please.”

Dev handed him a card. “And I have one guest.”

The man nodded. “If you need an escort back to the guest
services, just let us know, Mr. James.”

He stood and opened the curtain. Shannon peered into the
room but only saw a narrow hallway. Dev tipped the man a poker chip and then
walked through. She hurried after him.

“Why would we need an escort back to the guest services
desk?”

“Because if you win a lot of money, it’s safer to be escorted
than to walk through the casino alone. Some of the tables hit seven figures in
payouts.”

Holy shit. She was way out of her element! Dev pushed
through another curtain and she took the time to check out her surroundings.
The room basically looked the same as the main area of the casino. The only
thing missing was the constant noise made by the slot machines.

The room held a nice mixture of people, most of them as
dressed up as she and Dev were. She even spotted a few men wearing sunglasses
and bit back a smile. They were usually the ones who couldn’t bluff to save
their lives.

An attendant came up to them and said, “My name is Angela
and I’ll be your server tonight. May I get you something to drink?”

“Water for me and the lady will take a Diet Coke,” Dev
answered.

Shannon smiled up at Dev and he winked back at her.

“We can play Texas hold ’em or we can play blackjack.”

She hated blackjack and he knew it. She saw the gleam in his
eyes and realized he was teasing her.

“Let’s play Texas hold ’em,” she said with a grin.

There was a table with five people sitting at it so they
walked over.

“Can we join in?” Dev asked the dealer.

“Yes, sir. This table is now full and ready to start. Each
hand is a minimum of one thousand dollars and a max of five. Ladies, please
draw a card and gentlemen do the same,” the dealer said as he shuffled the
cards with a flourish.

Everyone drew a card from the deck and Shannon gazed at hers.
Pooh—a three of hearts. She wouldn’t be getting the dealer button this round.

“Place your cards face up.” The dealer looked at each card.
“And it looks as if the lady in red has the highest card.”

A woman two seats over squealed. Shannon chuckled as the
dealer picked up the cards and shuffled them again. He dealt the first hand and
everyone placed their bets. Shannon’s heart sped up with adrenaline. She had
forgotten how exciting poker could be.

* * * * *

An hour later Shannon held her breath as she waited to see
what each player was going to do. The game had gone back and forth, becoming
more and more intense, until her neck ached with tension. Three folds and two
calls later, it was her turn.

She glanced at the cards in her hands and then raised the
bet. Anticipation filled her body. She was going to win! Dev glanced at her but
she didn’t bat an eye in his direction. He knew her too well. He called and
everyone who hadn’t folded began to lay down their cards. The lady in red had a
low flush but Shannon wasn’t worried. The lady had been bluffing badly the
entire game.

Dev smirked. “Full house, nines over jacks.”

Shit, that was a pretty decent hand but not as good as what
she held.

The man next to Dev said, “Straight flush.”

He laid down the king, queen, jack, ten and nine of spades.
She glanced down at her hand again and struggled not to smirk.

The dealer turned to her. “And what do you have, ma’am?”

She laid down her cards and Dev laughed.

The dealer said, “A royal flush wins the game. The lady in
blue takes it all.”

Everyone congratulated her except for the man she had beaten.
He left the table in a huff.

“Want to play again?” Dev asked with a grin.

She nodded. Why the hell not? She glanced at the roulette
table. If her luck held up, then she was definitely trying that game tonight.
And if Lady Luck were truly on her side, she would find a way to stop Dev from
going to his training session in the morning as well.

Shannon gasped as the woman at the guest services table said
the final total of her winnings.

“Excuse me?”

The woman laughed. “Due to the large amount, we cannot give
you cash. We can however print you off a check or direct deposit the money into
an account of your choice.”

“I’m sorry. Did you just say I won eighty-thousand dollars?”

The woman nodded and Shannon turned to Dev in shock.

“Did she say eighty thousand?”

“You played some good games tonight, Shan.” He turned to the
guest services representative. “A check will be fine. Thank you.”

Holy freaking cow! She shook her head in awe.

“I can’t believe I won that much! I should really give it to
you. Without you I wouldn’t have been able to play at all.”

“Don’t even think about it. It’s your money and you won it
fair and square. Don’t worry about me either. I didn’t do so bad myself.”

The woman came back with two checks and some paperwork for
filing taxes on their winnings.

“Thank you for playing. We do so hope you come back again.”

Shannon grinned as Dev all but dragged her from the casino.
She pulled her hand free from his and then wrapped herself around his waist.
His steps faltered but he quickly recovered. They used to walk that way when
they were younger.

In the elevator she gazed up at him and said, “Thank you.
Everything has been so wonderful tonight.”

She meant her words too. When their month together ended and
they went their separate ways, she knew she would look back on this night and
remember it fondly. Not to mention the money she won at poker and how it was
going to help her out in the long run.

“I’m glad you had a good time. I enjoyed myself as well.” He
chuckled. “I’m surprised you remembered how to play poker.”

She blushed. “When I told you earlier that I hadn’t played in
years…well, that was kind of a lie. I play a poker game on my phone and it
keeps my skills fresh.”

“Ah, so I was conned.”

The elevator dinged as they reached their floor and the
doors opened.

“What else have I been conned on?” he asked.

She stepped from the elevator and gave him her sexiest
smile.

“For one, you have been conned into believing I’m wearing
undergarments under this dress.”

She turned on her heel and walked away, sashaying her hips.
The sharp intake of breath behind her gave her the satisfaction of knowing her
words hit home. She reached the door and opened it.

His arm snaked around her waist and he said against her ear,
“Dirty girl. What if I had run my hand up your leg under the poker table?”

She turned so she faced him. “Then you would have gotten
more than you bargained for.”

He ushered her backward into the suite and kicked the door
closed with his foot.

“Show me.”

She blushed. “Aren’t you afraid Marco might get a free show
again?”

“Marco is out.” He pointed at her. “Now…show me.”

Her heart rate sped up as his eyes darkened with desire. He
had always been able to make her wet and ready with just one look. She held
onto the hem of her dress and shook it back in forth, pulling it higher each
time. His eyes followed her and she grinned.

She lowered the dress and then began all over again, knowing
he was enjoying the show. Part of her was enjoying the teasing too. The other
half wondered if she was putting on a show because Johnny Ice told her to. She
blanched at the thought.

No, that wasn’t it at all. She wanted this. She just hated
that Johnny had tainted anything that might happen with Dev. She knew she would
always wonder deep down.

“Shan?”

She smiled and resumed her little dress show. This time she
pulled the skirt higher until she could feel the cool air against her sensitive
area. Just for good measure, she took a step so her legs were open enough for
him to see as much as he wanted to.

After a moment she lowered the dress and began again. Dev
watched her with hungry eyes until her nipples peaked against the silky
material.

“Too bad we don’t have the vibrator with us,” she said.

He pushed up the sleeves of his shirt. “What would you do if
you had it?”

“I’d give you a real nice show,” she said, her Texas accent
coming out in a soft drawl.

Slowly and seductively his gaze slid downward. “And what
would you say if I told you I had brought it with me?”

“I’d say prove it.”

He was across the room before she had time to react, picking
her up and tossing her over his shoulder.

“Put me down.” She laughed.

He turned on a lamp as he entered the room. Then he dumped
her onto the bed and leaned over to dig through his luggage. She peered over
his shoulder as he pulled out a small black toiletry case.

“I’m guessing your toothbrush isn’t in that bag,” she said
drily.

He grinned and opened the satchel. She could see several
different toys inside and sure enough, there was the pink rabbit vibrator. The
little rabbit stared back at her, taunting her. Could she really do this? Masturbating
was something she had always wanted to do for Dev…

He picked the vibe up and handed the toy to her. There was
only one button and when she pushed it the speed changed from slow to fast.

“You going to go through with this?” Dev asked with a grin.

Oh, he thought he knew her so well.

She smiled sweetly back. “Yes I am. Make yourself
comfortable.”

He pulled the chair from the desk to the foot of the bed and
then kicked off his shoes. He unbuttoned his black shirt but left it on, giving
her a delicious, peek-a-boo view of his chest. Then he sat down, his legs
stretched forward.

Light from the Vegas strip reached their room, creating a
soft glow. The lamp by the door didn’t give off that much light either and she
was kind of glad the room was slightly dark.

She propped the pillows up and scooted to the top of the
bed. She knew better than to ask him if he wanted her shoes on or off. He
always liked her wearing shoes while they fucked. She lifted her hips so she
could pull up the dress. Then she turned on the vibrator.

The soft buzz filled the room and she could feel Dev’s eyes
on her. For a moment she faltered. Masturbating alone in her room was one
thing. Masturbating while Dev watched was an entirely different thing—even if
she did want him to watch.

He must have sensed her unease because he said softly, “You
don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Shan.”

“I want to.” And she did.

She closed her eyes and pretended she was at home, in her
own room. She lifted her breast and massaged it through the material. Her
nipple budded and she pulled it free from her dress.

The air was cool against her skin but she didn’t mind. She
pretended it was Dev’s hand against her and cupped her breast. She lifted the
vibrator and let it skim over her nipple. A moan left her lips as she felt the
vibrations all the way to her pussy. She quickly freed the other breast and
gave it the same treatment.

Each time the vibe touched her nipple a flash of fire swept
through her body. She let the vibe rest in the valley between her breasts and
moved both hands down to the hem of the dress. Her legs opened and she reached
beneath, tracing little patterns on her thighs.

“Pull up the dress, Shannon. I want to see this.” Dev’s
voice broke through her sensual haze.

She kept her eyes shut and slowly lifted the skirt of the
dress until it was around her waist. Then she moved her hands back to her
thighs. With one hand she opened the lips of her pussy. With the other she
spread her juices.

Oh, she knew she was wet for Dev. She was always wet for him.
She then reached up and picked up the vibe. One click of the button set the
speed to high and it buzzed loudly in the room.

She took in a deep breath and held it as she ran the vibe
through her juices, coating the toy, and then she touched her clit. Her hips
jerked and she held the vibrating ears against the hardening bud for a moment
before pulling it back. She opened her legs wider and bent her knees, propping
her heels against the mattress.

This position served two purposes. One, it gave her better
access to her own body. Two, it gave Dev a better view of…everything. She moved
the vibe to her clit again. This time she pushed the button to slow down the
speed so the vibration wasn’t so harsh.

She moved the vibe back and forth. The “ears” of the rabbit
flicked her clit and she moaned in approval. Her loud breathing filled the
room. She moved around until she felt her stomach tightening and then pulled
her hand away.

She put the toy next to her until she was sure she wasn’t
going to come. When the tension in her body lessened she began teasing her clit
again. This time her orgasm began to build quicker and she stopped right before
she came.

“Shan.” Dev’s voice held a growl behind it. “Why aren’t you
letting yourself come?”

She opened her eyes as she put her hand and the vibe between
her thighs again. He held his cock in his hand, pumping it up and down. Her
lips parted in a gasp as she felt her orgasm build instantaneously.

She pulled the toy away until the urge to come had passed
and said in a husky voice, “Because you didn’t say I could.”

His hand stilled for a moment and he groaned.

“Baby, I want to see you come.”

The raw desire in his voice had her panting and she turned up
the speed of the vibe. The next time the little pink rabbit touched her clit
she would come on the spot.

She took one last look at Dev with his hard cock in his hand
and then shut her eyes. She held her breath, anticipating the pleasure she was
about to feel, and moved her hand to her pussy.

As soon as the vibe touched her clit, her world exploded as
she climaxed. Her hips lifted and she pressed the vibe against her clit, needing
to prolong the orgasm. She wanted to close her legs around her hand but Dev
couldn’t see if she did.

At the thought of him, her body shook in pleasure.

“Oh, Dev!” she cried out.

She sensed him beside her without opening her eyes. He
lifted her feet from the bed and threw them over his shoulders. She pulled the
vibe back, knowing he was about to slam into her.

“No, hold it against your clit,” he ordered.

She put it back and her body jerked.

“You are so fucking sexy, Shannon,” he said as he entered
her in one swift thrust.

She opened her eyes to find his eyes shut as he moved slowly
in and out of her. She had expected quick, short thrusts so he could come too.
Instead he took his time until she felt the tension building in her body again.

Between his controlled thrusts and the rapidly buzzing
vibrator, her senses were on overload. Her internal muscles clenched as she
came, screaming out Dev’s name again.

“That’s right, baby, come for me!” he said as his body
tensed.

Her muscles held onto his cock as he poured himself into her.
She moaned and tossed her head back and forth, trying to absorb all the
pleasure she was experiencing.

When she finally came back from cloud nine she opened her
eyes to find Dev looking down at her. He had pulled out but still loomed over
her.

“I didn’t use a condom,” he said in a voice filled with awe.

She expected him to pull away and get angry as he did before
but he looked into her eyes with an expression she couldn’t quite understand.

“Why didn’t you?” she heard herself whispering.

He shook his head. “I’m not sure. I had plenty of time.
Hell, I even had one in my pocket.” He moved so he was next to her. “You swear
to god you’re on the pill?”

She nodded. “Yes. I take it every morning. I can even give
you the name of the doctor I’m seeing in Miami.”

For some reason she held her breath, still expecting his
anger even though it truly wasn’t her fault this time.

He sighed. “Good. I know it’s not as safe as using a condom too
but since I keep getting caught up in the moment I think it might be okay,
don’t you?”

He wasn’t making any sense. “I don’t understand.”

He ran his hand through his hair. “What I’m trying to say is
that we don’t have to worry about a condom since you are on the pill, if that’s
okay with you.”

Oh
.

“Oh.” She echoed her thought.

Wow
.

Then she asked slowly, “Dev, are you sure?”

“Yeah I am. Besides, when the month is over, you are still
taking a test, so even if something…happens then we can still take care of it.”

She forced away the pain his words caused and nodded, afraid
to trust her voice. She was so close to blurting everything out—so close to
telling him she wasn’t the monster he thought she was. But she remained silent,
still too weak and broken to deal with that discussion.

Instead she said, “As long as you’re sure…”

“I am.”

She smiled. It was a start.