Fighting for Desire (17 page)

Shannon pushed her fork around her plate, moving her peas to
another spot. Marco, Katie and Hugh chattered as if nothing was wrong. As if
they couldn’t see she had finally been broken.

She took a sip of water. That’s what had happened. After
eight years she had finally reached her breaking point. In a million years she
would have never guessed that the final blow would come from him.

He cleared his throat at the other end of the table and she
resisted looking up. She was sitting at the table, going through all of this
misery because of him. After he’d walked out on her earlier she’d refused to
cry anymore. Tears were pointless now.

She had found him sitting at the bar with a drink in his hand.
He wouldn’t look at her and she had pleaded a headache. He turned his eyes on
her and reminded her he was paying her to be at his beck and call. That she was
his plaything for the month and to take a Tylenol. His curt behavior made her
chest ache.

Hugh reached over and touched her arm. “Are you feeling all right,
darling?”

She smiled up at him. “Just a headache. I’m sure it will
pass.”

Dev made a sound in the back of his throat but she ignored
him.

“So are you coming to Colorado for the fight?” she asked,
trying to make polite conversation.

Katie and Hugh exchanged looks before Katie replied.

“We are actually flying back to Sydney tomorrow. Sadly I
think we are going to have to miss this one.”

Marco said, “This is news to me.”

Shannon cringed as the room became static with uncomfortable
tension. Great. Now everyone sitting at the table was unhappy.

“It’s not like that, Marco. Hugh has some business to take
care of. We should be back in plenty of time for our cruise.”

Marco lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “It doesn’t matter,
Katie. I know I come second.” He stood. “If you will excuse me, I need to make
a phone call before we leave.”

Dev jumped to his feet too. “I have some calls to make as
well.”

Shannon rolled her eyes.

“Bullshit,” she said under her breath.

When both men were gone Katie sighed.

“You’re right, Shannon. Their behavior is total bullshit.
I’ve never seen such babies before in my life,” Katie said and took a sip of
her wine. “Those two are more alike than they know.”

Hugh chuckled. “You can’t be too hard on Marco, love. He had
his heart set on spending time with us in Colorado.”

Katie sighed. “I know and I am trying to remember that.”

“Maybe you should go find him and talk to him before we have
to leave.”

Katie nodded and stood. She left the room and went to find
Marco. Shannon took another sip of her water. She didn’t want to be rude and
ask but obviously something was going on with the three of them.

Hugh softly chuckled. “I’m sure this all seems very strange
to you.”

“Beg your pardon?”

“The situation between my wife, Marco and me.” He sighed. “Our
arrangement may not be normal but it works for us.”

She smiled. “It’s none of my business.”

“Ah, but it is your business. Katie considers you a friend
and that means you have a right to know. We don’t make friends easily because
people are quick to judge us so I want you to understand.”

She looked him in the eye and nodded. “Okay. I’ll listen to
whatever you want to tell me without judging.”

“Katie and Marco used to date. When I first met them, they
were so in love it hurt to watch them. The type of love you dream about, you
know. And I wanted that kind of love too.” He smiled. “Don’t get me wrong, I
wanted to find someone who could love me in the same way.”

“I know what you mean.”

“I saw Marco and Katie on and off for the first year, mostly
at fashion events. I was modeling a lot so our paths crossed. Everything was
innocent back then. I was friends with them and that was it.” He paused. “One
day Katie showed up at my penthouse in tears. She gave Marco an ultimatum and
he turned her down. I couldn’t believe it. How could someone be so stupid concerning
the love of their life?

“I told her to come in and one thing led to another. While I
was holding my dream girl in my arms, I kept expecting Marco to break the door
down and take her back. As you know he did not.” He smiled to himself. “Two
months later Katie moved in with me. Six months later we married. And I don’t
regret a single moment.”

“How does Marco fit into your relationship?”

Hugh’s smile grew warmer. “After Katie and I were married we
ran into Marco at a fundraiser. The sparks literally flew between Katie and
Marco but what surprised me was how much I had missed him too.

“The three of us went for drinks and we caught up. There
were no hard feelings from Marco. Katie had simply wanted more than he could
give at the time. But he missed us too.” He paused. “I couldn’t believe he
included me in that statement.”

The love in Hugh’s eyes made Shannon’s chest ache in
longing. Why couldn’t someone feel that way about her?

“We had never acted on our feelings before that fateful
night. I swear to you, Shannon. People…god do people like to speculate about what
happens behind closed doors but that is one thing they are wrong about. Until
that night we were never together.”

She nodded. “And now? How are things now?”

“Things are complicated. They always will be since there are
three people involved. But I can tell you one thing. I love both of them with
all my heart. And even though we don’t see Marco as much as we would like, our
love is as strong as it was that night.”

Shannon put her hand on his arm. “Then that’s all that
matters. I’m the last person you have to explain anything to, Hugh.”

“I’m glad. And I thank you for listening to me.”

“It’s not a problem. Sometimes a friend who will listen is
all a person needs.”

At that moment Katie came back into the room smiling sadly.

Hugh stood. “How did it go, love?”

“He is still upset but I think he will forgive us.” She
turned to Shannon. “I am sure my dear husband informed you of our situation. Do
you hate me now?”

“No, quite the opposite, Katie. I want you to know I will
always be here if you need a friend.”

“Thank you, Shannon. I may take you up on that sometime.”
She smiled up at Hugh. “Darling, I think we need to leave. I would hate for
Marco to say something else out of anger and regret it tomorrow.”

“I think that’s a good idea.”

Shannon stood and gave each of her friends a hug before they
let themselves out of the suite. They promised to keep in touch but she
wouldn’t hold them to it. When the month was over and she was out of the
picture, they would probably forget about her. She went back to the table and
sat down.

What a night. Marco’s untouched wineglass caught her eye.
Her mouth watered at the sight. She swallowed loudly and turned away. Sometimes
the cravings for a drink amazed her—that sobriety was still one day at a time.

She had not had anything to drink since she got out of jail.
Drinking hadn’t solved anything and she would never make that mistake again.

The phone rang next to the couch, causing her to jump.

“Hello?”

“Good evening. The cab Mr. James called has arrived to take
you to the airport. The bellhop will be up momentarily to collect your bags.”

Dev, who must have picked up the phone too, said, “Thank
you.”

The front desk hung up but she and Dev remained on the line.

She finally said, “I don’t want to fight.”

“I don’t either,” he replied. “And I’m sorry for throwing
our arrangement in your face.”

She was about to reply when she heard him hang up. She
blinked tears away and stood. Time to see what else she could do to break her
heart before the month was over.

Shannon glanced over her book as Dev unbuckled and went to
the little room at the back of the plane. Though he was talking to her things
still felt tense between them. She looked at the other end of the plane where
Marco sat with his back to her, typing on his laptop.

She licked her lips and unbuckled. Time to stop apologizing
and start acting. She reached the closed door and softly knocked. He didn’t
answer so she opened the door. Dev lay in the middle of the bed with his cock
in his hand. His eyes were shut as he pumped himself up and down slowly.

Her heart panged as she closed the door behind her. Quiet
music filled the room and she understood why he hadn’t heard her knock. She
stepped out of her heels and unbuttoned her blouse as she watched him.

He pumped himself at a pace she knew all too well. He was
teasing himself, just as he loved to tease her when they made love. His hand
tightened at the base and loosened when he reached the tip. A hiss of air left
his lips as his hips lifted. He paused and took in a deep breath before
starting again.

Her pussy grew wet as she watched his show. A groan left his
mouth as his pace picked up and then slowed. She took off her blouse and then
her bra. The air was cold against her nipples, causing them to harden. Oh she
was sure her arousal helped.

She reached under her skirt and removed her panties but
didn’t take off her skirt. She wiped her juices onto her thong. She had plans
for Mr. James that would rock his world.

She made her way to the head of the bed.

“Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them. Do you
understand?”

Dev’s body jerked but he obeyed her and didn’t open his
eyes.

“Keep playing with yourself. I enjoy watching.”

He resumed his slow pumping and sweat pooled in the hollow
between his pecs. She leaned forward, letting her breasts brush against him,
and licked the salty moisture.

“Were you pretending your hand was my pussy?”

Dev moaned and she grinned. One of his fantasies had always
been for her to talk dirty. She had always been too unsure of herself but not
tonight.

“Could you almost feel my juices coating your cock?” She
lifted the thong over his face. “Take in a deep breath and smell my arousal.”

He inhaled and she let the thong fall to his face.

“I could always give you a taste though. Have you been a
good boy or a bad boy, Dev? Do you deserve a reward or punishment?”

“Oh, I’ve been bad, Shan,” he rasped out. “Very bad.”

She chuckled at his admission.

“Good boy,” she purred. “Give me your free hand.”

He lifted his hand and she took it into hers. She ran his
fingers over her mouth and then nipped him lightly before lowering his hand to
her breast.

He cupped her bare breast and flicked his thumb over her
nipple.

“Oh, no you don’t. This is my game and you are my pawn. Do
you understand?”

“Yes, mistress,” he replied, laughter in his voice.

The word “mistress” did something strange to her and she
grabbed his face, kissing him roughly on the lips. Their tongues clashed in a
battle of wills. She reached down and cupped her hand over his cock and
squeezed, gaining control again.

She kissed him until she felt breathless and then pulled
away, panting. She moved his hand lower to her skirt.

“Hold your index finger out,” she ordered.

He pointed his finger and she held onto his closed fist,
making sure he didn’t try to get sneaky. She ran his finger through her juices
until she felt them dripping on her hand and then she pulled his hand back.

“Open your mouth.”

His body tensed as he did as she asked. She put his finger
into his mouth.

“Now suck, you dirty boy. Suck as if you were sucking on my
clit.”

His hot mouth closed around his finger and he began sucking.
The sight was so erotic she had to hold back her own moan. She pulled back until
she could gather her composure.

She glanced down. His cock stood fully erect. He hovered on
the edge of an orgasm.

“Stop playing with yourself and lie back.”

Dev grinned and did as he was told. He looked incredibly hot
lying on his back with her thong still across his upper face but she needed it
out of the way for what was going to happen next.

She pulled the thong off and tossed the garment aside.

“Hey,” he said with a lazy smile. “I wasn’t done with that.”

She climbed onto the bed and lifted her skirt around her
waist.

“Why would you want that when you can have the real thing?”
She crawled on her knees until she was next to his head. “I’m going to sit on
your face and you’re going to eat me out. Understand?”

“Shan, are you trying to kill me here?”

She chuckled. “Just making up for lost time.”

She straddled his face and lowered her ass until she felt
his hot breath against her skin. She braced herself on one knee and propped her
weight by pressing her other foot into the mattress.

“Open your mouth and stick out your tongue,” she told him.

His tongue skimmed the lips of her pussy. Thank god she had
a wax the other day. She had heard pubic hair could rub a man’s face raw and
she didn’t want to hurt Dev. She merely wanted to have a little fun with him.

“Are you ready,” she asked.

“Hell yeah I’m ready.”

“Then hold onto my hips and enjoy.”

Dev’s hands went to her waist. He lowered her slowly until his
mouth touched her pussy. He kept her propped up enough that his tongue only
skimmed her every once in a while.

She let out a frustrated groan. “Dev…”

He pulled her lower and his tongue grazed her clit. He held
her in place and showered her sweet spot with attention. Her head fell back and
her nipples budded to the point of pain. God this was so hot.

After a moment he began moving again, keeping his pace
steady. As his tongue lapped at her pussy she grew wetter and her legs felt
weaker until she sat entirely on his face.

Fuck, he was killing her. He caught her clit between his
teeth and tugged gently. The pressure against her budded clit was enough to
cause her to scream as she came. Vaguely she could feel Dev lapping up her
juices as they drizzled into his mouth.

His lifted her up and pulled her lower, down his body. With
one quick thrust he entered her and began furiously pumping. She held onto his
shoulders, still reeling from her last orgasm, and her body exploded again. She
cried out his name and he came too, filling her pussy until it dripped.

When she could function again she collapsed next to him on
the bed.

“Holy shit, Shan,” Dev said as he leaned over and kissed her
forehead. “How long have you wanted to try that?”

She laughed. “I saw a porno once and thought it looked fun.”

“Well any time you want to try something like that, give me
a call.”

“Even when the month is up?”

Asking in post-orgasm bliss was risky but this may be the
only time she would have the courage to do so. He stilled for a moment and her
heart pounded.

Finally he said, “Yeah. Even when the month is up.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“Yeah I do. I don’t think I’ll be ready to let you go after
a month, Shan.”

She blinked back tears and whispered, “Me either. But we
still need to talk about things if we want to have any hope of making this
work.”

He nodded and pulled her close. “We will talk, I promise.
Just let me get through this fight and then we can talk about everything.”

“Even the baby?”

Even with no guarantee that he would want to be with her
after he knew everything, she had to try.

He kissed her forehead again. “Yes. But I have to tell you,
Shan… I don’t think you are going to like everything I have to say about the
baby. I’ve held a lot of feelings inside and I’m worried when we start talking,
I’ll lash out at you.”

“I can accept that as long as you promise to hear me out
first.”

If he didn’t let her speak first, they would get into an
argument. He was silent and she wondered what he was thinking.

“Okay but I can’t promise not to get angry with you.”

“Okay. Ugh, Marco probably hates being around us…we can’t seem
to keep our hands off each other.”

Dev laughed. “I’m sure he doesn’t even notice.”

She thought about Hugh’s words. Yes, Marco might not notice
what was going on with them when he had his own problems to sort through.

She rolled off the bed and grabbed her thong. She wished
there was time to take a shower but she could already feel the plane
descending. She slipped on her panties. Dev watched her with a smile.

“What?” she asked as she picked up her shirt and bra from
the floor.

“Do you know how sexy that is?”

“What is?”

He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his
arms.

“Seeing you put your clothes on when our juices are still
dripping down your leg.”

“I don’t have time to shower…”

He kissed her. “No, it’s hot, Shannon. Fucking sexy. As if
I’ve marked my territory and you are mine.”

“I was always yours, Dev. Even without the territorial
marking,” she teased as she finished buttoning her blouse.

He stared at her thoughtfully but didn’t say anything.

She smiled. “Better get dressed. I’ll meet you up front.”

Dev watched Shannon leave and rubbed his jaw. He was a
little tender from letting her sit on his face but he didn’t mind. Hell, eating
her out had been a fucking turn-on. She amazed him and he couldn’t get over this
new Shannon.

He sighed and put on his pants and shirt. He left the room
and sat next to Shannon, who was reading a book.

Frowning, Marco came and sat across from them. Dev knew his
friend was pissed about Katie and Hugh not coming to the fight and Dev couldn’t
blame Marco. Katie and Hugh were always backing out at the last minute but Marco
put up with their fickleness.

“I called ahead to the airport. Mrs. Ingram has the car
waiting to take us to the house.”

“Mrs. Ingram?” Shannon asked. “She’s here?”

Dev nodded. “I have her fly out whenever I am staying at one
of my houses.”

Mrs. Ingram had been a faithful employee for nearly five
years. She made each of his properties feel like home. He didn’t know what he
would do without her.

“I wonder if she brought Alice?”

He laughed. “She did. Mrs. Ingram was afraid she would eat
all the shoes in the house if she left her there alone.”

Shannon laughed too. “I can understand her concern.”

He wasn’t sure when the change had happened but he liked
seeing her happy. Even in the short amount of time they had been together she
looked more rested and less…haunted.

He thought back to her question after they made love. Could
he really bring himself to talk about the baby with her? Deep down he knew the
answer. If they were going to make their relationship work, then the answer
would have to be yes.

Otherwise there would never be peace between them and he was
tired of living without peace. He sighed softly. She deserved to tell him how
she felt, just as he had done earlier. Time to stop running from his past or he
would never be able to move on.