by Burke, Dez
“Well you must not have shut it all they way either, because it had to be ajar for Asgard to have got in. I’m sorry about that by the way,” Shane said. “He’s very suspicious around strangers but he’d never hurt you. He was just smelling of you to check you out.”
“Jesus, Shane!” Angela finally burst out as her senses returned, her hands still grabbing her breasts in fright. “Your freaking…bear scared the shit out of me!” She suddenly realized what she was doing when she felt Shane’s gaze on her chest. She released the satin-cased mounds and pulled the covers up to her chin.
“He’s not a bear; he’s a Black Russian Terrier,” Shane said wryly, stroking the dog’s head. “Not such a popular choice for a pet, apparently - and he’s more a watch dog than a guard dog. Still…he’s very protective, loyal and active, yet controllable. You don’t need to be frightened of him. I promise.”
Angela swallowed, hating his shrewd observation that she was frightened. It was true that dogs scared her witless on a good day, especially ones the size of the imposing Asgard. She’d never grown up with pets and used to like dogs until she’d petted one who’d been dozing and almost had her wrist chewed off as a young child.
But she was twenty-six now, not ten. There was no need to freak out over what was obviously a house-trained pet by the way it licked on Shane’s palm, panting heavily all the while.
“Well, I guess he doesn’t look that aggressive,” she said after clearing her tight throat.
“He can be a little pushy and obnoxious if he likes you,” Shane replied drily. “But he’s perceptive so you shouldn’t show any sign of weakness around him.”
“Oh. Sure,” Angela said with equal irony. Trust Shane to keep a fearsome creature as his domesticated sidekick.
Suddenly, Shane grinned as if reading her mind. “Look, relax, okay? He’s fine and normally not up here in this part of the house. I was taking him for a morning walk when I realized I forgot my phone. He snuck out while I was looking for it and found his way in here. I’ll try to be more careful but please, make sure to keep the door closed completely. Otherwise I can’t guarantee this won’t happen again.”
“I won’t forget next time,” Angela said with a certainty. Though her heart couldn’t help but melt when the dog started to circle around Shane’s legs, sniffing affectionately. That was when Angela noticed the bare patches crisscrossing the beautiful black fur, and the way the big black dog limped on only three legs, one of the hind ones somewhat stunted.
“Oh…what happened to him?” she asked.
Shane went on one knee and grabbed the dog’s big head, and shook it playfully. “Some idiot pushed him under a moving train when he was a puppy. He survived but no one wanted him. Anyway, I found him at the dog rescue I fund and decided to adopt him. You could say there was an instant connection. Somehow he reminded me a little of myself,” he added in a faraway tone, before shaking his head as if to ward off any sentimentality as he straightened again. “We’re just a couple of screwed up guys, aren’t we buddy?”
Asgard licked his hand in agreement, happy for the attention.
“Well, now that you’re up, there’s breakfast if you want it,” Shane said briskly. “And then we’ll meet to discuss the order of the day as well as the coming week.”
“I didn’t really bring anything except a change of clothes…”
“Don’t worry about that; we’ll go over everything when you sign the contract. See you in an hour, Angela,” he said, as usual taking it for granted that she’d obey. She endured one more sweeping look from his penetrating grey gaze before he exited her room, shutting the door firmly after him, Asgard following closely.
Angela let out a shuddery breath and pushed her fingers through her tousled curls. What a way to start the day! Her heart still echoed a faint bass drumbeat. She could almost swear Shane had done it deliberately to scare the shit out of her but an instant later she felt bad for thinking that of him. Still, she hoped he’d keep the creature well away from her. She didn’t hate pets but she sure as hell wasn’t ready to keep worrying if some huge black hairy dog was going to jump on her and rip her to shreds.
Then she had to laugh at her ideas, knowing she was just being silly. Tossing the covers aside Angela headed for the shower, mind already focused on what the new day would bring. She would be signing the contract today, all things considered. Then they could talk about what lay ahead and she could wrap her head around it; prepare herself like she would for any other given role. Angela firmly told herself that the sooner she started the assignment off, the sooner it would get done and she could finally go home.
****
Angela made her way downstairs some time later dressed in casual clothes; jeans and a form-fitting black t-shirt and sandals. Her hair was done up in a loose ponytail. She followed the delicious scents filling the air and found her way to the kitchen.
“Good morning.” A matronly woman greeted her and waved a hand toward a large wooden island tucked into the corner of the cozy kitchen. Angela’s stomach growled with hunger now that she was in the den of delightful cooking judging from the increased intensity of the smells. The woman efficiently began to set Angela’s place.
“Please take a seat. I’m making breakfast this morning and it’s just about ready,” the older woman said. “I’m Bess, by the way. The day cook and house manager.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Bess. I’m Angela.” Angela planted herself on a stool behind her plate, and without thinking asked if Shane would be joining her.
She wanted to bite off her tongue. Why would she assume Shane would spend breakfast with her? He’d probably already eaten before he’d taken his dog Asgard for a walk.
But then there came a tingle up and down her spine. Even before she heard the sound of his voice, Angela knew he’d come in.
“I’m right here,” he said, before taking the stool to her left. He barely glanced her way and she sucked in a breath, taking in the scarred side of his face which was turned to her. Angela noted that he’d showered and changed, dressed in an open-necked white shirt and jeans. He looked…great. Minus the fact that at this angle his face was a road map of scarred skin, there was no denying he had a hot body well fitted in clothes.
Shane lowered his head to within an inch of her ear as he said, “We’ll have that talk after breakfast.” Angela gave him a slight nod even as she trilled from the way his warm breath had played a minty two-step across her lobe, teasing the tiny hairs there. Angela watched as Bess placed their meal on the island. Breakfast consisted of juice and coffee, plenty of eggs, toast, bacon, as well as a large bowl of fruit placed in the middle.
It all looked and smelled so appetizing that Angela had no problem tucking right in. She’d reined in her appetite during dinner last night what with all the attention from Shane’s friends and especially from those catty-eyed girls Bridget and Melissa. She focused on her meal and tried to ignore the disquieting silence of the kitchen with the only sound being Bess cleaning up. Shane’s breakfast was a good sized pile of bacon and an omelet and a whole stack of buttered toast. She felt his intense gaze once or twice but chose not to take it on as she made serious headway into her food.
Much later their plates were cleared and Bess was thanked for such a delicious meal. Afterwards Shane led her to a room which she recognized from the first day. The windows were drawn tightly closed but it was better lit than the last time. Angela could see each lush and yet masculine detail in the room; with a lot of deep reds and light tans which went well with the whole setting.
They didn’t go to the desk but to the living room area where he invited her to take the leather couch while he took the plush armchair across from her. Between them was a low table with official looking papers placed on top, and a pen. Butterflies tickled the insides of her belly as she realized this was it. Once she signed there’d be no going back. From what she’d experienced so far, she felt she had nothing to worry about and yet…certain doubts remained about the
man seated right opposite.
His piercing grey eyes studied her for a few moments before he began to talk. “As I stated that first day, your job will be very straightforward. At this point I have no problems giving you more details. I assume you probably have done some research about me?”
She nodded.
“Well as you know, I spent almost a year in a burn treatment center undergoing surgeries and rehabilitation. The pain was excruciating, more than you can possibly imagine. Especially the daily debridement where they held me down and scraped off the dead skin. The process was supposed to help with healing and scars, but as you can see…” He stood up and moved to the window.
“They say the screams are the worst part of working in a burn center and I can verify the accuracy of that,” he continued. “I still hear the screams, both my own and those of the other patients. In an effort to control the pain as best they could, I was given very strong pain medication. Not that it helped that much. Morphine, narcotics, everything you can think of. They pumped me full of the stuff for almost a year to basically keep me alive and functioning so I could heal.”
Angela held her breath, almost unable to bear thinking about what he must’ve gone through. She knew he needed to say it and even more so, she knew she needed to hear it.
“Are you still in pain?” she asked, her words a hoarse whisper. “Do they hurt?”
“Thankfully no,” he replied, turning to give her a sad smile. “Not on the outside anyway.” He paused, raking his hand through his hair. “What they didn’t tell me or maybe they did and I just didn’t listen was how hard it would be to come off the pain pills once I didn’t physically need them anymore. My parents were very concerned about my ability to stop taking the painkillers once I came home. I’m not going to lie. It wasn’t easy. They’re extremely addictive. I’m a very disciplined person though, so when I made up my mind to put them down, I did; with professional help, of course. Afterwards, I went through months of depression and probably drank way more than I should have. But that’s all in the past.”
He walked over and settled down on the couch beside her. “The problem now, and the reason you’re here, is that my mother is not convinced that I’m better. She’s still worried about me and I suspect that she’s planning to stage an intervention of some sort at her birthday party. You know, the kind of thing where family and friends gang up on you and tell you how worried they are.” He let out a humorless laugh. “She remains convinced I spend my days walled up here in a drunken stupor, or worse.”
Angela leaned back and let out the breath she’d been holding. She understood exactly why Shane’s mother was worried about him. She would’ve felt the same way.
“Are you saying you haven’t been doing that?” She asked with a smile to soften her words.
Shane hesitated for a moment too long, letting her know she’d hit a soft spot. “Let’s just say I’m better than I was,” he finally admitted. “Maybe not 100%, but definitely better. Your job is to convince her of this. Make my family believe I’m fine and back in the land of the living again. For real.”
Angela frowned. “So let me get this straight. To head off this planned intervention, you need a fake girlfriend to prove you’re off the painkillers and are living a full life again?” Angela asked with a twist to her smile. “It’s a bit far-fetched, don’t you think? Even for a rich guy with cash to burn?”
“I think I know better how my mother’s mind works, Angela,” Shane replied, expression stone sober. “And believe me, this is the best way to stop her from worrying and to get her off my back. She’ll know I’m truly better if I’m dating and going out in public again. You need to understand the car wreck didn’t just happen to me. This whole thing has affected my parents greatly too. They’ve both suffered enough. They’re almost sixty and should be enjoying their life now, not worrying about me. Do you understand why I’m doing this?” His words were almost pleading.
“I love my father too, so yes, I understand.” She impulsively reached over and squeezed his hand once in a quick comforting gesture before letting go. “So…what exactly is expected of me?”
His eyes lowered to the table. “It’s all in the contract. Please go through and tell me what you think. I’ve set everything out plainly and you can rest assured you have nothing to worry about. You’ll need to accompany me to a few social events, as well as the weekend stay at my parent’s home in the mountains. The main idea is to prove a real relationship exists. I’ve already set the wheel in motion with the dinner party last night, as my mother is definitely going to hear about you from Bridget and Melissa. They’re her spies of course but they’re the least of our worries. We’ll have to worry more about the Press, and members of the outside world who’ve always taken an interest in my affairs in the past.”
Angela had picked up the papers and was looking through them when his words made her glance up in surprise. “So you really meant it about going out in public again?”
“It’s something I was always aware I’d have to do eventually,” he said casually. “I can’t stay holed up forever. This is the best chance I have to show the world my scars don’t define me; it’s only a small part of who I am and I can no longer hide from that. I know the process won’t be entirely painless….”
At this, he grimaced slightly before continuing, “But I think I’m ready now, more than I’ve ever been.”
Angela nodded silently, her thoughts full. She looked down at the papers again and began to read through them. He was right; everything was set out pretty simply. Nothing seemed out of place or enough to cause her worry. She certainly wouldn’t be needing an attorney to look through them as she already knew what to look out for. He expected among other things that she date no one else for the duration of the agreement, which was certainly a viable request. There were other stipulations and prerequisites but the bottom line was, she was his for a few weeks and he’d be able to control her movements as well as other aspects of her life which used to be her call alone. For the kind of money she was to be paid and other consideration such as her father’s healthcare and Sasha’s new job…Angela figured it was a fine bargain.
She looked up a while later to find that he’d picked up a newspaper and had been flicking through while she’d been perusing the contract. He held the paper lower than his face so she could see his every feature. There was only a small distance between their chairs and like in the kitchen, she was struck by how aware of everything about him she was. She couldn’t help but be drawn by his smell; clean, spicy and sexy and reaching her easily. He made her think of the fact that he’d tasted good too, judging from that brief yet searing kiss they’d shared last night after dinner.
The more time Angela spent around him, the easier it was not to dwell on his scars, awful as they were. It surprised her that he wasn’t making an effort to conceal them. Not that she expected him to wear a mask or anything around her. But someone vainer would have tried to consciously ensure the scars stayed hidden or disguised.
“You’re staring, Angela,” Shane pointed out lightly, not looking up as he casually turned to the next page of the newspaper.
Angela quickly glanced down, cheeks warming. “I’m sorry. I just…I admire how you don’t seem at all ill at ease with your um, scars.”
“Do they make you ill at ease?” he asked, suddenly meeting her eyes.
“They should, but no. I’ve seen worse, believe me.”
“That’s interesting to note. However, the reason I have to behave this way especially with you, is for a reason. I hope that you grow accustomed to being comfortable around me even with the scars. How else can we convince anyone we’re actually together if you let on my scars repel you?”
“Wouldn’t you say that kiss last night did a good job of being convincing?” Angela challenged. For some perverse reason she needed to bring that up. Not that she was looking for more praise but it really had been one hell of a good kiss as far as performances went. And to be honest she hadn�
�t needed to pretend to enjoy it…
Now she wished she could take the question back because Shane was staring at her lips narrowly. She swallowed a tight gulp.
“I already told you it was a commendable touch,” he drawled. “However, with far more practice I’m certain we can easily perfect a sure-fire technique – one authentic enough to fool even the most eagle-eyed observer.”
“P..practice?” Angela was gaping at him and wondering, why was she stammering so hard? And why did something hot, fast and wild shoot right through her core at his silkily delivered words?
“No need to panic, Angela,” he said drily at last on noting her expression. “Sometimes, you’re so easy to tease. I’m beginning to enjoy that way too much.”
“Well don’t,” she said with flashing eyes. “There’s no cause to be a jerk.”
“I guess I still have to keep working on my people skills then,” he said with a humorous curve to his lips. Angela expelled a long held-in breath and warned herself to maintain her calm. She wasn’t going to let him get away with needling her every chance he got. There was something of a bully in him she figured, and at any sign of weakness, he might take advantage. Angela vowed to be two steps ahead of him with that.
“You’ll definitely have to work on a lot of things,” Angela replied. “You may have picked me thinking I’ll be a pushover, but I’ll let you know right now it’s not the case.”
He regarded her silently for several moments. “I picked you because I liked what I saw. I still do,” he told her with an intense look that made her shiver inside. “And I certainly didn’t want someone who’d let me push her around either. When you meet my mother, you’ll understand that I found you a perfect choice because you seemed like a woman who can hold her own in any situation.”
Angela felt mollified by his comments while feeling a twinge of unease. Any time he mentioned his mother, he made her sound like a force of nature. Angela actually found it completely understandable that Mrs. Davis was concerned and wanted to make things better for her son. What mother wouldn’t? But obviously Shane didn’t appreciate her interference.