Three to Play (14 page)

BANG! BANG! BANG!

“Beth, I know you are in there. Let me in.” Even from the other side of the door Dustin’s voice sounded loud, firm, and with a dose of, what, concern?

She shook her head to clear her mind. She needed him to leave before she did something stupid—again.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

She threw down the washcloth and walked to her front door. “Go away.”

“No. I am not going away. I have to talk to you.”

Could Dustin really not have been part of getting her off the morning show? She looked at the time on her cable box. Six-forty. Why else would he be here instead of at the station?

It didn’t matter what his reason for being here was.

“Go back to the station. You have a show to do.”

“Fuck the goddamn show!” Dustin shouted. “You’ve gotta believe me, I didn’t know.”

She did believe him. But did that matter? She wouldn’t let him in, couldn’t let him in.

She’d let Dustin and Clint into her house, the invaders of her safe world. They’d touched her like no other, not just body to body, but deeper. That scared her to her very core. She hated vulnerability, but like it or not, she was vulnerable. If she opened the door for Dustin, she wasn’t sure what she might do.
Start crying again?
That would be horrible.

No. He must leave.

“Just go away, Dustin. I don‘t want to see you.”

But she didn’t mean it. Couldn’t mean it. Everything inside urged her to open the door and…what? Run to his arms like a starry-eyed schoolgirl?

She hated how much she wanted him, needed him.

“Beth, please. Take a chance. Open the door.” His voice was softer.

Her will evaporated. So much for wisdom coming with age.
More than likely she’d regret it, but she opened the door.

“You have two minutes to explain, cowboy. That’s it.”

“I only need two minutes, darlin.” Dustin walked in, closing the door behind him.

“That’s all you got, and the clock is ticking.”

Dustin moved closer. “Clint’s an asshole. Candi’s a bitch. I promise you that I didn’t know anything about it.”

He spread his arms wide, moving in very close.

Her thoughts whirled with a myriad of emotions. Her fear of trying to find a new job demanded attention. Her confusion about her night with Clint and Dustin demanded attention. Her desire to melt into Dustin’s muscled chest demanded attention. But what boiled to the surface shoving those thoughts aside was a single prevailing emotion, fueled by Dustin and Clint’s betrayal. Rage.

She stiff-armed him and pushed him away. “Bullshit. You’ve been with Clint for years now. You know his methods, his style.”

“I swear—”

“He must have done this before. I can’t be the first announcer he’s removed.”

Dustin’s eyes shut tightly, which let her know the truth. Clint had done it before, and Dustin had seen it.

She continued, “What did you think would happen? He would change? Well, he didn’t. You didn’t. Grow up, Dustin. You’ve been playing Mr. Innocent to Clint’s Mr. Badass too long. How many lives have you two left in rubble? You are just as guilty as he for all the damage you’ve done. And you both played me like I was some silly teenager.”

“Beth, I promise you that—”

“And then you screwed me, tossed me to the side like yesterday’s trash.”

Dustin reached for her, but then pulled back. “It’s not like that, Beth.”

“You’re lying to yourself, Dustin, and you lied to me.”

“What can I say to make you understand, darlin?”

“Don’t call me that anymore. Do you understand that?”

“Beth, just give me a chance.”

Part of her wanted to, but the other part would not be denied. She felt like she was sinking deeper into emotional quicksand. Dustin must leave.

“I gave you two minutes. Now get out.”

Beth heard Clint on the other side of the door.

“Guys, please. I can fix this. I can.”

Dustin’s face went red hot. In what seemed like a single choreographed movement, he flung open the door, pulled Clint inside, and pushed his shoulders to the wall.

“Clint, you fucking idiot.” Dustin’s face turned bright red.

“I am,” Clint agreed. “But I can fix it.”

“How?” Dustin said through clenched teeth. He didn’t release Clint, but kept him pinned against the wall.

“In our contract, we have the right to bring on any talent we want.” Clint’s eyes darted back and forth from Dustin to hers. “And we both want Beth, right?”

“Go on,” Dustin spat.

Clint’s words came fast. “Well, we demand that Beth be brought back. If they refuse, we walk. All three of us. Corporate won’t let that happen. Candi will have to cave.”

Did Clint think he could fix everything by triangulating their boss into a corner? Was that his game? Manipulating everyone to whatever he desired?

A renewed fury stormed inside Beth. “Candi already caved, Clint. She caved to your demands, then fired me. Like you wanted all along.”

Though Clint still remained pinned to the wall by Dustin, he turned his head toward her. “Beth, that’s what I wanted, but not anymore. I promise.”

Beth so wanted to believe him, but what did it matter? Candi would only take her back by an act of coercion. She could never settle for that. She did have some pride left, though she’d been so foolish with these two.

“Fuck you, Clint. Fuck both of you.”

Chapter Eleven

Beth watched Clint wince as if she’d slapped him.

“Please, I can fix it. I swear I can. I’ll make it up to you. To both of you.” Clint’s shoulders slumped.

“You betrayed me. You knew Friday when you came to my house.”

“I didn’t know that Candi would do anything that fast. I thought I could get to her before…” His gaze dropped.

“But you did know. You knew what you said to her. When are you going to stop lying? This had to be in the works since you first got here.”

Clint groaned. “Yes. Until I got to know you.”

“But you didn’t do anything about it. Candi called me Saturday, right after you guys left. Can you imagine how that made me feel?”

“Yes, but…”

Dustin hit the spot to the left of Clint’s face, putting a crater in her wall. “I ought to beat you to a bloody pulp.”

“Yes, you should,” Clint answered.

“What do you want from me?”

“I want the show to continue—with you and Dustin.”

“But you’ve lied to me and even to Dustin. Why? Why didn’t you tell us until now? What is it with you and all your secrets?”

“I don’t have any secrets.”

But she could tell by the way he answered that she’d hit some mark. Clint had his own demons. Could those monsters be the reason he’d lashed out at her? At everyone? Why he pushed everyone away?

Dustin shot out, “The hell you don’t.”

“I told you the truth. I want you to stay on the show. There are no secrets.”

Clint’s last words rang false to her.

“You’re lying. Tell us both. What is it with you?”

“I didn’t tell either of you Friday night about talking to Candi because I thought I could talk to her before she canned Beth. I had no idea that the bitch would act so quickly. But believe me, I can fix it. Just trust me.”

Clint turned his eyes away from Dustin’s stare, but he didn’t try to break Dustin’s hold. She’d explored their bodies when the three of them had made love and she had no doubt that they were equally matched in the strength department. So why didn’t Clint push back? It didn’t matter. Everything changed since their night together when everything had gone so perfectly…except for that one moment.

The moment when Dustin touched Clint’s shoulder.

Beth’s stomach flipped as the thought of what Clint’s secret might be took hold of her. It made sense as to why he’d tried to get her off of mornings.

“Clint, you really want me back on the show?” she asked.

“I swear it. I really do.”

“What changed your mind?”

He looked confused, trapped. “I think that you can make the show explode in the ratings.”

“So it is only about ratings?”

“Yes. What else is there?”

“And you and Dustin will be on mornings with me?”

“Yes.”

“Liar!” she yelled. “You only want you and Dustin to succeed. I am just a roadblock to that plan. You’ve knocked other announcers to the curb to achieve what you want.”

She saw she’d hit a mark when Clint winced. “That’s how I used to feel, but not any longer. I want to get you two set up, and then I’ll resign.”

Dustin’s face darkened. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“It’s for the best.” Clint’s face filled with what looked to Beth to be fathomless suffering, very old and recently unearthed.

She shouldn’t care, but she did. Seeing him in such pain bore into her like a ten-inch drill. She hated how he suffered. The fear in Clint went deep, and it clouded everything in his life. She knew the power of fear too well. Though her way of handling it differed from his, the end result for both of them produced paralysis.

No matter how hard it would be for Clint to face his demon, Beth couldn’t let him live another day shackled to it as she had to her own.

“What do you really want?” She thought she might already know why. But what if she was wrong? What if it was something else?

“I want you to be on the show, Beth. I wish I could convince you.”

So she continued. “Is that all?”

“What do you mean?” Clint asked.

“Do you want us to have sex again? The three of us?”

Clint answered, “Of course.”

Beth softened her delivery. “You liked my body?”

“Yes.”

She spotted his cock growing in his pants. She was on the right track.

“Kissing me?”

“Yes.”

“Tasting me?”

Dustin turned to her. He looked confused, but his face showed that desire filled him just like Clint. And with each word, the fever inside her increased. She would take the risk, push past her own paralyzing fear—for Clint.

His eyes filled with lust. “Y-Yes.”

“Fucking me,” she breathed. Get him hot. Off balance.

“I loved fucking you,” he growled.

“But something happened that night, something that scared you.”

“I don’t know what you mean, Beth.” Clint’s face darkened.

She hit the crux of his pain. It scared her. The old Beth would’ve stopped, fearing what might be set free. But the new Beth refused to stop. At Clint’s age, she’d turned down an offer for the top station in LA. Why? Fear. And her dream vanished away. For her that dream would never be realized. But for him, it wasn’t too late. His desire boiled at the surface within grasp. She wouldn’t let him miss his chance. Clint, who seemed completely in control on the outside, fought nightmares every waking moment. She’d make him face the truth, no matter how painful, but not alone. He’d given her something amazing, unlocking her hidden desires. Now, Clint needed her and he needed Dustin.

“When Dustin touched your shoulder? Do you remember?”

Clint’s eyes had a storm swirling underneath his calm.

“I remember that.” Dustin turned toward her and nodded.

Did he suspect the truth? She wouldn’t be surprised that he would be
okay
with it. Dustin was the kind of man who would be all right with just about anything. But she wasn’t sure if Dustin would take the chance. His decision, not hers. But Clint must at least take the chance. Beth knew how horrible regret could be.