Fighting for Desire (4 page)

Dev glanced at the clock hanging on the office wall. Shannon
had been in his house for nearly an hour and still hadn’t emerged from the
guestroom. Smiling wryly, he wondered what she thought of the room he had put
her in, purposely chosen of course.

His cell phone rang and he answered, “You’re up early,
Marco.”

He knew his friend well. Marco had called to check up on Dev.

“How did she take the news?”

He held back a smile and reclined in his leather chair. “She
didn’t.”

Marco sounded surprised. “She told you no? I didn’t see that
one coming, man.”

“No, I mean I haven’t talked to her yet. She just got off
work from that shitty diner so I arranged for her to freshen up before we
talked.”

Marco didn’t respond and the phone went silent.

“Spit it out,” Dev said.

“Dev, you know I am against this in every aspect but you are
going to do what you damn well please. Just try to remember that what happened
between the two of you was a long time ago.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” he asked, his anger
starting to rise.

“Don’t try to punish her now for breaking your heart then.”

His jaw clenched. “I appreciate your concern for her…” Ice
dripped from his words. “But need I remind you who you work for and where your loyalties
lie?”

Marco sighed. “Point taken. Forget I mentioned it. I’ll see
you in the gym later.”

Dev hung up the phone and dropped it on his desk. Who the
fuck did Marco think he was, trying to make Dev feel guilty? He wasn’t the one
who had fucked things up eight years ago. Pushing back from the desk, he stood.
He had given Shannon plenty of time to come out and face him. Time to go get
her.

He stormed out of his office and took the stairs two at a
time. With each step he took his anger rose. Who did she think she was, making
him wait? He reached the guestroom and threw open the door. The sight before
him stopped him in his tracks.

Shannon lay curled in a ball at the end of the bed, fast
asleep. She wore the white robe he’d left in the bathroom…and nothing else. The
robe gaped open at her thighs and he glanced away before he did something
stupid. Such as reaching out and touching her.

Her damp hair curled around her face and the light from the
morning sun bounced off it, catching the natural highlights. He moved closer and
realized some habits die hard. He never could resist caressing her while she
slept.

She stirred and a soft sigh left her lips. What could she be
dreaming of, he wondered. He sat next to her on the bed, careful not to wake
her. The dark circles under her eyes stood out against her pale skin and his
gut clenched.

The investigator reported that she was working both jobs six
days a week…sometimes seven. She went into the club at eight and worked until
one in the morning. Then she went to the diner and worked until five or six.

Between the two jobs she made a decent amount of money but
still lived in a shady part of town in a run-down apartment. And her car…he
cringed at the memory of that old clunker. He had been surprised not to hear
the damn thing backfire when she’d driven off the other night.

What surprised him the most, though, was that she apparently
had no contact with her family whatsoever. The investigator had discreetly
contacted her parents but they claimed they had no daughter. A far cry from the
doting mother and father who’d tried to keep them apart as teens.

Of course her old man had been a dick even back then so he
couldn’t blame her for not wanting to keep in contact. He was surprised she still
didn’t speak to her mom though. They had always been so close.

Weighing his options, he decided to let her sleep before
they talked. He didn’t want her to agree to anything because she was tired. He
wanted her aware of the choice she would be making. With a sigh, he pulled back
the covers then scooped her into his arms.

“What are you hiding, Shannon?” he murmured as he laid her
down.

Trying not to disturb her, Dev removed the robe and tossed
it aside. She always slept better in the nude. Frowning, he turned and left the
room.

* * * * *

Sunlight shone through the window and Shannon grumbled in
her sleep. Why in the heck had she forgotten to close her curtains? She opened
her eyes and found herself looking up at a black canopy. Sitting up, she gasped
as she realized she was completely naked. The robe she had put on after her
shower lay across the foot of the bed.

Her heart pounded as she looked around to make sure she was
alone. Had Dev undressed her and put her under the covers? Her face flamed and
she quickly scurried from the bed. A stupid reaction…he had seen her naked a
ton of times but she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

She grabbed the robe and put it on as she went to the
walk-in closet. Mrs. Ingram hadn’t been lying. Clothing in different sizes and
colors filled the closet. Her heart ached as she realized how many women Dev
must have over to need such a variety of outfits.

She walked down the length of the closet and picked out a
pink, floor-length skirt and a white tank top to wear. Keeping with her beach
theme, she grabbed a pair of simple, white, high-heeled sandals.

A dresser at the end of the closet held lingerie in every
color and she blushed as she touched some of the barely there materials. She
quickly chose a light-pink bra and panty set made of lace. The lingerie was
probably the most modest thing in there but still felt risqué.

In the bathroom, she located a tube of toothpaste and a
brand new toothbrush, still in its package. She quickly brushed her teeth then
hung the robe on a hook by the shower. For a brief moment she debated putting on
her own clothes and making a run for it before she saw Dev. Fleeing wouldn’t
work, she realized. If he had taken the time to find where her second job was,
then he had also probably learned a lot more.

No, running wouldn’t do any good. He would just find her and
she didn’t know if she had the energy to keep running from the problems
plaguing her life. The only solution was to face him and see what he wanted.

Picking up a bottle of lotion, she opened the lid and
sniffed. Her heart lurched and she set it down. Had he purposely bought her
favorite lotion or was it just a coincidence? She picked up the lilac-scented
lotion again and squeezed some into her palm.

As she rubbed the creamy moisturizer across her skin she
realized how pale she had become. Working two jobs at night left little time
for sunbathing during the day. Besides, it didn’t matter anymore if her skin
was tanned. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

She finished putting on the lotion and grabbed the
undergarments. The lace lay soft against her skin and she could only imagine
how much the ensemble had cost. Next she put on the high-heeled sandals. She
didn’t recognize the brand but knowing Dev, they were expensive too.

Wearing only her undergarments and shoes, she went to the
vanity and sat down on the plush chair. Since she had fallen asleep right after
showering, her hair was now a hopeless mess of curls. She ran her fingers
through it, separating the ringlets as best as she could.

She grabbed her light-pink gloss from her purse and smeared
some on her lips. Briefly she regretted not having more make-up with her but
then decided her
au
naturale
look would have to do. She puckered
her lips and grinned at her reflection, trying to lighten her dark mood.

She stood and put the tank top on, noticing how it clung to
her curves. She stepped into the skirt and then gazed at her reflection in the
mirror. The time had come to face Dev. At least she could do so knowing she
looked decent.

She walked out of the bathroom and picked up the phone.

A man with a slight accent answered. “May I help you,
ma’am?”

“Yes, I’m ready to see Dev…Mr. James.”

“Yes, ma’am. I will send someone up to assist you.”

She hung up the phone and walked to the door. She was so
nervous her knees were weak and she felt as if she was going to throw up. On a
table next to the door she spotted her old cup of coffee from the diner. She
picked it up as someone knocked on the door, startling her. She opened it and
found Mrs. Ingram smiling back at her.

“I’m glad you were able to rest, my dear. You looked dead on
your feet when you got here this morning.”

“This morning? What time is it now?”

“It’s just after noon.”

Noon! Her mouth dropped open. Had she really slept for five
hours? She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept that long. Usually she
napped here and there, never quite able to fall fast asleep. It was hard to
sleep when you were worried for your safety.

“I hope Mr. James isn’t mad at me for sleeping so long,” she
said cautiously as she followed Mrs. Ingram down the hallway.

“Of course he isn’t mad! He’s the one who told us to allow
you to sleep. We also held breakfast in case you were hungry. Would you like
something to eat before you see Mr. James?”

Dev had told the staff to let her sleep? Her entire body warmed
at the thought but she pushed it away. The staff was probably used to letting
strange women sleep in.

“Uh, I’m not hungry right now but I would love something to
drink. Do you have any sweet tea?”

Mrs. Ingram smiled. “Mr. James mentioned you liked sweet tea
so the kitchen staff has already prepared a pitcher and has it chilling. I’d be
happy to bring you a glass.”

“That’d be great. Thank you.”

Mrs. Ingram led her down the stairs and they headed toward a
set of double doors that opened to the outside.

“Mr. James is in the gym right now,” Mrs. Ingram explained
as they walked out the door.

The scent of flowers from the garden teased her nose and she
grinned. “It smells lovely out here.”

“Mr. James has the best local flowers planted at each of his
homes. The house in Colorado has my favorite garden though. It reminds me of my
youth and playing with my cousins.”

“Other homes?”

“Oh yes. Mr. James owns several properties around the
country and some in Europe. When he’s on the road for a fight he likes to have
a place to stay.”

Holy cow. That would explain why he had a house in Miami,
the last place she had thought she would see him. In fact she had picked Miami
specifically for that reason.

Mrs. Ingram interrupted her thoughts.

“I believe Marco is the only one training with Mr. James
today. Have you met him before?”

Shannon shook her head. “No, but I have seen him in photos
with Dev.”

She would never admit it but she had kept up with Dev’s
career over the years. In most of the photos on the Internet she had seen Marco
listed as Dev’s friend and trainer. And brunette women usually surrounded them,
with their perfect bodies, hair and smiles.

Mrs. Ingram led her through the garden to a large white
building.

“This is the gym. Just go through the open door. They are probably
on the sparring mats but if you don’t see them, then check the weight room.”

“Thanks for all your help,” Shannon replied. Just in case
she didn’t see the kind woman again, she added, “And thank you…for everything.”

Mrs. Ingram smiled and then left Shannon standing in front
of the gym. She took in a deep breath and walked inside. Now or never, she told
herself.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust but when they did
she was surprised at what she saw. Dev had built his gym to look the same as
the one back in Texas. She scanned the room, noticing that the mats on the
floor were the same shade of red used in their old school colors, as was the
paint on the walls.

For all his wealth he had created the high school gym of his
youth. A scoreboard even hung in the same place, opposite the metal bleachers.
The only difference was a large glass window that looked into a section filled
with weights.

Sure enough she saw Dev and his friend, Marco, in the other room.
Marco held a large pad in his hand and Dev swung at it. She watched the muscles
ripple down his back as he lifted his leg and added a kick. Marco grinned and
said something and Dev repeated the action, using the other leg.

Dev stopped for a moment and tossed his damp t-shirt to the
side. Shannon felt her entire face flush as she looked his body up and down.
Years of training and discipline had made him strong and lean.

He was no longer anything like the eighteen-year-old version
she’d known so well. The pinup tattoo on his left shoulder was the only thing
that seemed familiar. The cheeky woman winked saucily back at her. He must have
had it redone because the colors were more vibrant than ever.

Marco looked in her direction, gave a slight nod and then
turned and said something to Dev. His head swung around and he caught her gaze.
She took a step back at his harsh stare.
Uh
-
oh
. He was pissed and
she had a feeling his anger was because of her. He pointed to the door that led
into the weight room and she walked to it reluctantly. She didn’t want their
first real conversation in eight-plus years to go down this way.

She pushed open the door and stepped inside, staying close
to the entrance, her brain automatically calculating the quickest escape route
from him if something went wrong.

He walked over to a table and picked up a water bottle.
Holding her eye, he drank some and then poured the rest over his head and
chest. She watched, mesmerized as the water droplets clung to his skin as they
made their way downward.

He cleared his throat and she looked up, blushing.

“Shannon, this is Marco Rains. He is my trainer but more
importantly my most loyal friend.”

She felt the venom behind his words and flinched. Turing her
attention to Marco, she smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”