She took her shower and washed her hair. Every time the wind had picked up, dust had coated her body, but having sand on her beat LA smog every time. She stayed under the hot water for longer than usual, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere. Usually shows were mounted in hours rather than days. This weeklong time frame was a luxury, and she was determined to make the most of her time there.
After she dried her hair and tossed on casual jeans, she padded out to the living room barefoot. Max sat on the sofa reading a magazine.
“Mind if I join you?”
He glanced up and nodded. She caught how his look lingered. That pleased her. On the coffee table in front of him sat a chess set. Her father taught her to play as a child. When she was on the road, he’d often come by with a portable set. Those days would always remain precious to her.
She sat in the chair opposite Max. “Care to play a game?” She nodded to the set.
He put the magazine down. “You play?”
She might have been put off by the surprise in his voice, but she knew she’d been acting a bit ditzy every time he came near. “I’m a bit rusty.”
His smile came out full this time, and her stomach somersaulted. He rubbed his hands together. “Bring it on. Can I interest you in a glass of wine?”
She usually didn’t drink, but as long as Max offered, she’d take him up on it. “Okay, but I’m a lightweight. One is my max.”
“Red or white?”
“I’m up for a bold red.”
From the way his brow rose, that seemed to please him. The poor man had so much to learn about women. He disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with two glasses.
“Here ya go.”
He turned the board around so that she got the white pieces. She appreciated that he was giving her the slight advantage by going first. It had been years since she’d played, and she needed to concentrate. Devonne put away her flighty persona and went into competitive mode. “Are you the type of man to get upset if you lose?” She worked hard to keep a straight face.
He slapped a hand to his chest. “You wound me. I can take defeat with the best of them.”
She doubted that, but she’d be testing his resolve soon enough. She could hear her father’s words whispered in her ear about her opening moves. He always told her to control the four squares in the center of the board. She moved her pawn to d5, and Max countered to e5. So the man knew how to play the game. That would make for a more interesting challenge. The first few moves were rather standard, with her moving her rook diagonally across the board.
Once they began moving their kings and knights, the real strategy kicked in. Max was a very deliberate player as she expected him to be. His hand hovered above the piece for a long time before moving it. She could have requested he move a bit faster, but she enjoyed watching his gaze take in the entire board as if they were playing for some important prize.
After an intense hour, she saw her chance. “Checkmate!” A laugh escaped. Maybe that wasn’t nice, but this victory was sweet.
“Damn. I knew I should have moved my knights before my bishops.”
“You’re right.” Gloating wasn’t her normal style, but she loved that she could match wits with him.
He leaned back in his seat and polished off his glass. “I underestimated you.”
“Most people do.”
He dragged a hand down his chin. “You seem so relaxed around Ian as if you love to be carefree and like to party.”
“In reality, I’m not a big party person.” She lifted her glass. “I’m a one-limit girl, remember? I also don’t use drugs. Those two facts make me different from most.”
He leaned forward. “What other hidden talents do you possess?”
His interest stirred something in her. “If I told you, they wouldn’t be hidden, now would they?”
His big grin took her by surprise. The front door burst open, and a windblown Ian traipsed in. “Hey!” He let his gaze travel the length of her. “You win?”
She opened her mouth, but Max answered for her. “She whooped my ass.” Max faced her. “I’ll demand a rematch as soon as I do a bit of research on what I did wrong.”
“You’re on.” She leaned back in the seat and took in Ian. There was a glow in his eyes. “You go riding?”
“Yup. It’s my favorite pastime. There’s nothing like pushing my steed to the fullest.” He winked. “Actually, I was checking the perimeter for any fence damage.”
She caught Max’s raised brows. Doing ranch chores when he wasn’t asked might not be the norm for Ian. While it wasn’t even nine, she thought these two might like some privacy. “I think I’m going to call it a night. I’ve got some reading I’d like to do.”
That wasn’t a lie. Hotels were lonely places, and she often found solace in reading. Her Kindle had become her best friend in the last few years.
* * * *
Devonne awoke refreshed the next morning. Today, she’d be doing her fittings. Standing for hours while a seamstress pinned clothes on her wasn’t her idea of fun, but it was something she was used to. Making sure that clothes hugged her body was a necessary evil to all runway models.
Fortunately, she didn’t need to put on any makeup for the next week, which would give her skin time to rejuvenate. Ian told her he had some errands to do regarding some cattle, but that he’d be by later to pick her up. He gave her his cell number when she was ready to come back.
Max drove her over. On this trip, she noticed a change in him. He was a bit more relaxed around her, which pleased her to no end. Maybe it was because Ian wasn’t getting into trouble or else he had enjoyed their chess match more than he had anticipated.
When he stopped in front of his parents’ house, she opened the door herself. “I appreciate the ride. Ian said he’d pick me up.”
His jaw lowered for a moment then shut as if he’d been about to say something. “Tonight then.”
She headed on over to the changing room tent. The air was a perfect seventy-five degrees. With the canvas blocking the wind, she’d be comfortable standing in her underwear. As soon as she walked in, three workers approached her. Let the games begin!
She’d only been stuck a few times, but in the end, the outfits hugged her curves well. There were a few dresses that hung loosely around her body, and the only alterations involved hemming.
Close to eleven, the seamstresses shooed her off to get ready for the next victim. She found an empty table and called Ian to come pick her up.
He answered on the first ring. “Are you up for an adventure?”
From the excitement in his voice, he was. “Sure.”
“I’m on my way.”
While she waited for Ian to arrive, she chatted with some of the girls. Red sauntered up to her. “How’s it going in the hottie house?”
“Wonderfully.”
Damn. Tell Red anything, and the whole world would know in seconds. Who needed Facebook?
“You sleep with them yet?”
She should tell the truth, but playing with Red was more fun. “And if I have?”
Red slid next to her. “I want details. What’s it like to have two men?”
“I’m not kissing and telling.” She tossed Red her sexiest grin.
“Damn you, girlfriend. Before we leave, I want a full report.”
That would be the day.
Since Ian would be there soon, she made her way to the parking lot to meet up with him. She sat on the fence post and looked out over the thousands of acres of land. The scent of peppermint and rose attar wafted from the multicolored flowers and helped calm any remaining nerves.
A dust plume trailed behind the shiny, red truck that was pulling a trailer. Leave it to Ian to make a grand entrance. He stopped short of where she was sitting. She couldn’t help but smile at his flair.
He rolled down the window. “Howdy, pretty lady. Anyone interested in helping me buy some cattle?”
She pushed off from the fence. “Absolutely.”
Max would have gotten out of the cab and opened her door. Not Ian, though he had in the past helped her in. For all of Ian’s flirtatious ways, he treated her as an equal. She liked that. Since Ian had showed her where the stepping pad was, Devonne hopped in. “So where are we going?”
His cheeks sagged a bit. “I just told you.”
“Oh, my. You were serious.” The trailer behind the truck should have confirmed it.
“Dead.”
Wouldn’t this be an interesting day? “Then let’s go buy some cattle.”
Chapter Six
Devonne truly believed she was a world traveler. Now she knew she’d been wrong all these years. Other than both coasts, she’d not seen most of the United States. Getting to watch Ian work the cattle auction was something she’d never experienced. “I thought you said you bought cattle last week.”
“We did, but a new shipment came in. We might not get a chance to bid on this quality for a long time. You buy when you can.”
Once she stepped into the enclosed building, the odor hit her. The smell was a combination of hay and some musky odor that probably entailed something that could be turned into fertilizer. She tried to be a good sport and not pinch her nose but being around all these animals made it a bit hard to breathe.
He had a pass that allowed him into a pen to look over the cattle. “Stay back while I go in there. It’s no place for a lady.”
She held up her hands in surrender. “You’ll get no argument from me.” Her sandals were not the shoe of choice when in this oversized barn.
No sooner had Ian entered the cage holding some black cows than two other men went in. They shook hands and slapped backs with Ian. While it would appear they were best of friends, she detected some tension in Ian’s shoulders. The older men must have been competing with Ian for these fine animals. She intently watched him work. He took out his smart phone and was probably typing notes on which animals he did or didn’t want. She couldn’t tell which. Maybe the ones he spent the most time with were the ones he wanted the least. It was like playing cow poker.
He left that pen and entered another one. She was content to watch and stay out of harm’s way. About thirty minutes later the loudspeaker announced the auction would begin shortly.
Ian appeared shortly. “You ready to see the master at work?”
He seemed to have an overinflated opinion of his talent, which was a tad odd since he appeared unsure of himself most of the time. Oh, sure, he acted tough, but inside was a boy ready to prove to the world he was worthy.
“You bet.”
He led her to some stands that surrounded a small pen. He carried a paddle with a number on it. She’d been to enough art auctions to know how they worked. The auction began, but she couldn’t keep up with the auctioneer or the speed of the bids. There wasn’t a person with a flashlight that pointed at the winning bidder. The auctioneer would move on to the next animal before she understood who the proud owner was. Every minute or two, some cowboy would either walk in one animal or several. Each animal had his ear tagged with a large number.
She knew to keep her mouth shut and not ask questions, as Ian didn’t need the distraction. This was his livelihood. If Max trusted Ian to do the job, he must have been good at it.
Sometimes Ian would bid right at the start and then stop, and at other times, he’d not make his move until the end. Every time he got the animal he wanted, his back got straighter, his breath increased, and his fingers tightened on his phone. This was his adrenaline high. She, too, caught the excitement. After forty-five minutes, the auction ended.
She glanced over at Ian who broke into a smile. “That was incredible. Did you get all the animals you wanted?”
“For the most part. I went against the gentleman in the brown jacket last week. He lost big time. This week, he caught on to my moves. Next time I’ll have to be more careful.” He stood and grabbed her hand. “Come on. I need to pay then gloat.”
Devonne never expected to have such a good time. Seeing Ian shine was wonderful. He truly did understand how to work a room. If he didn’t like riding horses so much, he could have been a great trial lawyer. She could picture him standing in front of a jury pleading his case and winning. A new respect for the man grew.
After he paid, they had to collect the six animals he’d purchased. Getting them into the back of the trailer took some doing. She would have volunteered, but if one of those cows had stepped on her foot, it would have broken. Instead, she sat in the cab as he instructed.
The back doors closed, and Ian slid into the cab. “Ready?” From the way he was grinning, he was pleased with the outcome.
“You really love being a rancher, don’t you?”
“I can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s in my blood. I am, after all, a Callen.”
She liked the amount of pride in his voice. “It’s a whole different world from what I do.”
“Do you like modeling?”
Her laugh didn’t come out as cheerful. “It’s all I know. But yes, it has its benefits. The drawback is that there’s pressure to always look my best. I worry that my hip might be at the wrong angle or the expression on my face might not match the mood of the outfit.”
“Seriously?”
People had no idea what it took to be a runway model. “The buyers are looking at you as much as the outfit. The way you wear the dress depends on how much the designer sells.”
“If you’re not feeling well, your boss might lose money.”
“Precisely.”
“If you quit, what are you going to do?”
The worry in his voice implied he didn’t think she had any other way to support herself. “I could get another job, I suppose.”
“You could teach girls to be models.”
She hadn’t thought of that as an option for herself, but she knew of a lot of models who did that. “I’m not sure I want to encourage woman to starve themselves. A woman’s self-esteem takes a beating all the time.”
He glanced over at her and made a right turn into the Callen estate. “Come on. People are in awe of models.”
“We might look good with all our makeup, but we’re often told our eyes are either too wide or too close together. One cameraman may say our legs are too long and another that our hips are too narrow. We are always being compared against some mythical being of perfection.”
He cleared his throat. “Well, I think you’re pretty perfect.”
“Thanks.” That meant a lot to her.
He stopped, jumped out of the cab and came over to her side to open the door. That was a nice change. He helped her down.
“I need to get some hands to help me. It’ll be dusty out here. I’m betting you’ll want to take a shower after being at the auction.”
She appreciated how considerate he was. “I do.”
Once she stepped into the cool house, her stomach grumbled. They’d left the main ranch after her fittings, and she hadn’t gotten a chance to eat. She bet Ian hadn’t eaten either. As a nice gesture, she decided to make him a sandwich.
She didn’t think they’d mind if she looked in their refrigerator. Since there wasn’t any noise from inside the house, Max must have been out and about. Maybe he was taking one of the other models someplace. After all, it wasn’t fair that she got to have all the fun and the others didn’t.
A shiver of possessiveness snaked up her spine. Whoa. She hadn’t expected that reaction. These men were the sponsor’s sons. They had no obligation to her. Ian happened to be focused on making her happy, which pleased her to no end, but she wouldn’t assume it was their job to do so.
She opened the fridge. All she could find was some luncheon meat. That would have to do. It took about fifteen minutes to make a nice presentation of food.
“What are you doing?” The deep voice made her jump.
“Max! I didn’t think you were here.” He had on reading glasses and looked so intelligent.
He immediately took them off, as i
f he felt self-conscious about wearing them. “You made lunch?”
The three plates would be a clue. “Ian and I missed lunch.”
“That’s nice.”
Ian came waltzing in and smiled. “Hey. Lunch. Nice.”
He picked up a plate and carried it to the kitchen table. While she often ate with the models, it was rare to sit with regular people. Being with these two made her realize what she’d been missing—a family. Too bad Ian had no interest in settling down and Max wasn’t willing to open up enough to let anyone in.
* * * *
Max added more numbers into his spreadsheet and studied the bottom line. So far this year, the ranch was on schedule to do well. The sale of their exceptionally good beef had brought in a nice profit thanks to Ian.
He checked his watch and figured he had time to start his next chore as Devonne wouldn’t need a ride for another few hours. Max had volunteered to drive Devonne back to the ranch after she showered because Ian had to make sure the new cattle were taken care of.
The fashion show director had called and said she wanted to go over a few things with the ladies. Max supposed he could have let her drive his truck the mile to the ranch, but where would the fun be in that?
He wasn’t certain when Devonne had begun to get under his skin. It was probably during the chess game. She was good, he’d hand her that, mostly because she was patient and analytical in her approach to the game. He never would have expected her to possess those talents given how she was always laughing when she was around Ian.
In retrospect, if he’d been paying a bit more attention to her interactions with others, he would have seen her dual sides. When she was with her girlfriends, she seemed to hang back as if she was trying to stay away from their drama. He respected someone who wanted her own space. At lunch, she caught onto some of his double entendres, but she pretended as if she didn’t. Devonne was an illusion. She was flighty one minute and very shrewd the next. It was as if she didn’t want anyone to know her secrets.
Intimate Illusions [The Callens 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 5