Intimate Illusions [The Callens 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Melody Snow Monroe

  He hugged the woman and shook hands with the men. “Devonne is one of the models. This is my sister, Sam, and her two husbands, Wade and Heath.”

  “Hi.” It was true that Intrigue had a lot of ménage relationships. That made her feel more comfortable with the idea.

  Max couldn’t take his eyes off his sister. “Are you here for the show?”

  Sam glanced at her two husbands. “Like they’d let me not come. They’ve been threatening to buy half the clothes. You know them. They love me to dress up.” She cupped her hand over her mouth and leaned over. “To be truthful, I’ve really gotten the fashion bug of late.”

  Max laughed, a sound she’d rarely heard. “Is Juliette with you?”

  “April’s inside with the baby.”

  Max faced her. “Do you have time to meet another sister?”

  The warmth emanating from him was infectious. “Absolutely.” She’d be sitting around for hours anyway once they did her hair and makeup.

  Inside was a petite blonde holding a baby girl. She looked up and grinned. “Max!”

  He hugged his sister and made introductions. This was April whose husband was the hot piano player. They’d rehearsed with him yesterday. She had to say that Intrigue sure had its share of super hunky men.

  The coordinator came down the hall and spotted her. “You made it. Come on. We need to get you fixed up.”

  Max leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Good luck.”

  The unexpected kiss bolstered her spirits. Maybe he had been serious about not caring if she slept with Ian. “Thanks.”

  Today, she had four outfits to model. Tomorrow, she’d have the standard four, as well as the final wedding dress. Given all that had happened last night, she might feel a bit out of place modeling something like that, but there was no turning back now. The fitting had been completed. As it stood now, today she’d be modeling two cocktail dresses, one workout outfit, and a winter coat. Tomorrow, she’d be modeling a long gown to start the show, two outfits that could be worn around town, one dress and the wedding gown. That signature piece always ended the show.

  She went into the tent, and all the girls were there. The six women who were doing makeup and hair were busy, so Devonne checked the rack of clothes she’d be wearing. Each model was assigned a dresser who was responsible for helping the model change clothes. It was the dresser’s responsibility to make sure the model wore the right accessories with the outfit. In the heat of the moment having someone there to help was critical.

  A petite blonde came over. “It’s your turn.”

  Devonne smiled and sat in the dressing chair waiting for the beautiful transformation. She prayed she could keep focused on getting through these next few hours and not on what she was going to do about Max and Ian.

  * * * *

  Ian couldn’t take his eyes off Devonne as she walked down the runway. Her gait was a bit odd, but she looked regal and stunning. To be honest, she didn’t look anything like the fresh-faced girl staying with them. This woman had exotic eyes, fuller lips, and hair that was piled on top of her head. Though she looked hot in the pink outfit, he preferred the natural Devonne.

  He still couldn’t believe he’d made love to the remarkable woman. She was everything he wanted. She seemed to love his adventuresome side and didn’t need the party scene. In truth, he was tired of it all, too. Devonne made him realize what was important in life.

  His brother stepped next to him. They were both remaining behind the lunch crowd. Between the noise from the chatter and the piano playing, he figured they wouldn’t disturb anyone if they talked softly. Waiters rushed around filling glasses with wine, and several of the volunteers stopped at the tables to chat up the charity. Clearly, Mom wanted everyone to buy the outfits to increase the money going to the hospital.

  Max nodded to the stage as Devonne, wearing something light and airy did her spin and headed back up the stage. “She’s beautiful.”

  “I know.”

  “You need to be careful with her.”

  Ian rolled his eyes and faced Max. This was no place to argue, but he hated being treated like an imbecile. “I think I love her.” There. He’d said it.

  Max kept his gaze straight ahead. “You hardly know her.”

  He didn’t expect anything less from his big brother. “I guess you don’t believe in love at first sight.”

  Max took his gaze off the stage. “No, but I admit Devonne seems to see through both of us.”

  A slow smile filled his face. Ian punched Max’s arm. “You’re falling under her spell, too.”

  “Am not.”

  The lights on the stage flashed different colors, and the audience clapped when the next two models came out. Having the dual stages was cool. One got double eye candy.

  “She wants to stay in town for a while and asked if she could stay with us. I hope you don’t mind that I said yes.”

  Not only did Max’s eyes widen, but his chest expanded and a slight smile lifted his lifts. Aha. His brother wasn’t immune to her charms.

  “I’m willing to be a gracious host for little while longer.”

  Ian bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. “You’ve been avoiding her as much as possible. Loosen up.”

  Max said nothing, but he politely clapped as the next two models ducked behind the canvas curtain.

  There had to be a way to get these two together. He was convinced that once Max delved into the depths of Devonne, he, too, would be a goner.

  * * * *

  While the clothes changing took its toll on Devonne’s energy, after she modeled her last outfit, a bit of sadness fell on her. She knew that leaving her profession was the right thing for her, but at the same time she’d miss the girls and all the fuss that led up to the show. Having live music had been fantastic. Randy, who happened to be Ian and Max’s brother-in-law, was a genius at timing. He seemed to know when to slow things down and when to speed them up. That was so much better than walking to a canned song.

  Taking a scoop of makeup remover, she slathered the goo on her face and tried to get as clean as possible. Even though the air was a perfect seventy-five degrees, the hot lights had made her sweat. She couldn’t wait to get into the shower. The image of washing again with Ian made her stomach nearly somersault. Though she had dated a lot of men, she’d never showered with any of them. From now on, it might be a necessity.

  After she finished wiping her face, Devonne straightened her station. She couldn’t take her mind off Ian and Max’s reaction. Were they pleased with how she wore the clothes or indifferent? She prayed they liked what they saw.

  Tomorrow would be the big day, and she wanted to be ready.

  Needing to get out of there, she exited out the back and inhaled the sweet air. The tension in her shoulders released. She took out her phone and called Max. She’d spotted them standing behind the seated diners and figured they might still be there. A lot of the patrons might be milling around in front, and it wouldn’t do for them to see her without her makeup as it spoiled the illusion of grandeur.

  Max answered. “You were awesome!” His opening line sent a rush of adrenaline through her.

  “Thanks. Would you mind coming to the back of the tent? I need an escort to escape with me.”

  He laughed, implying he must have enjoyed the show. “I’ll bring a cloak so you can hide.”

  “Cool.” She smiled at his lightheartedness. What a pleasure to see him loosen up.

  Max appeared around the corner and smiled. He was truly a beautiful man when his troubles weren’t weighing him down.

  “Ready to escape?”

  “You bet. Where’s Ian?”

  “Mom asked him to take care of something. He’ll be home shortly.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, almost acting as if last night with Ian hadn’t happened. “We’ll go around the back of the house and emerge on the other side. That way we’ll avoid the crowds.”

  “Works for me.”

  His ploy was succe
ssful. She slid into his truck and kept her back to the side window, hoping some patron wouldn’t stop her and ask about one of her dresses. The customers either wanted to know how comfortable the dress was or how they could get their daughter into modeling.

  Tomorrow, she might be in a better mood to do the meet-and-greet thing. Now wasn’t a good time. Right before the show started, Heather called again to complain about another shortage. Devonne had hoped to stay around for a while after the show, but now it seemed as if she had to take a quick trip back to Los Angeles to see who was stealing from her.

  Now that her modeling career was about to end, all she had was this store.

  “You look worried.” Max looked over at her with pinched brows.

  He was a good businessman. Perhaps he could help. “I never mentioned it before, but I own a boutique in Los Angeles.”

  While his eyes didn’t widen, his grip on the steering wheel tightened. She wondered what that was about. “Boutique, as in you sell clothes and stuff?”

  Another illusion of his shot to hell. “Yes. I sell high-end clothes. With my contacts, it was easy for me to buy the best.”

  “You make a living doing that?”

  So he had been worried about her. “I make a lot of money. That was why I don’t have to model anymore, though I wasn’t lying about being old.”

  “You were the best-looking woman on the stage.”

  “Thank you, but you’re a bit prejudiced since you know me.”

  “Not true, but go on about this shop you own. What’s the problem?” He entered his driveway, killed the engine, and faced her.

  “It seems that this week, I’ve had some thefts.”

  His jaw tightened. “Did someone break into your store? Don’t you have an alarm system?”

  She grabbed his arm. “No and yes. The theft occurred in transit. In theory, the warehouse said it shipped fourteen boxes. When the shipping company arrived, they delivered eleven.”

  “Then the shipping company is stealing the goods.”

  Blowing out a breath, she leaned her head back. “I wish it were that simple. There are a lot of ways something like this could go wrong. I’m trying not to panic.”

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  “After the show closes tomorrow, I’m flying home to deal with it.”

  He held her gaze for a long time. “I’m coming with you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Devonne stepped out of the shower, still not certain if it was wise to agree to have Max come to California. The problem was, he seemed determined to join her, and having a strong-armed man with her would be nice. Plus, she’d get to be with hot Max for a few days. Alone.

  Once she pulled on some jeans and a T-shirt, she went into the kitchen where Max was at the stove cooking.

  She stepped behind him and inhaled the delicious smells. “What are you doing?”

  He turned around. “Making dinner.”

  “You aren’t up for socializing with all the models?” She wasn’t really in the mood either. “The catered food is quite good.”

  “I know, but Ian is keeping up the appearances for us. I thought I’d fry some chicken. Mom sent over a vegetable casserole a few days ago that I’m thawing. I can drive you over to the ranch if you’d rather eat there.”

  “No. I can’t think of anything nicer than a restful evening without the chatter.”

  “Maybe I can talk you into a chess rematch after we eat.”

  He almost sounded as if he was gloating, like he’d actually studied some famous chess moves and couldn’t wait to try them out on her. “Uh-oh. Am I going to lose?”

  He flipped the chicken. “Most likely. Can your ego handle that?”

  Since when was he so cheerful? “Let’s see after the match about whose ego will get bruised.”

  He lifted the chicken out of the pan and onto two plates. After removing the steaming casserole from the oven, he scooped up portions on each plate. How did he know how much she wanted? Or was this a control thing?

  He waved the plates. “You want to eat inside or out?”

  The weather was perfect. “Out.”

  “If you can carry out my plate, too, I’ll pour us some wine.”

  He acted like this was a date. “Sure.”

  With the two plates in hand, she had to use her hip to open the door. Outside, she set the dishes on the small side tables. She sat down and admired the view. The land seemed to go on forever with the rolling plains in the foreground and the majestic mountains in the background.

  Max came out a few minutes later with two glasses of wine. “Here ya go.” He sat down. “Tell me about this shop that you own. How did you know about opening a store? That’s a big undertaking.”

  She smiled. “My father is a big businessman. Since I was a little girl, he’s been teaching me about supply and demand.”

  “It takes more than an understanding of basic economics to be an entrepreneur.”

  “I have a business degree.”

  He jerked toward her and almost looked comical in his surprise. “No shit. I thought you were homeschooled.”

  “I enrolled in an online university. It’s accredited, so my degree is legit.”

  “I had no idea.”

  She bit into the chicken, and the juices almost ran down her chin. “You got a napkin?”

  “Crap.” He shoved back his chair and sprinted inside. A moment later he returned with a half-used roll of paper towels. He tore one off. “Here.”

  She wiped her chin. “Thanks.” After taking a sip of the wine, she leaned back. “Listen, I know you think I’m some ditzy model because you think all models are ditzy. But that’s not the real me.”

  His glance stroked the ground before looking up at her. “I’m beginning to learn that.”

  She held up a hand. “I bet it seems odd that I own my own boutique on Melrose Avenue and am attracted to Ian who seems to be a playboy. Right?”

  “Right.”

  “Do you know why Ian acts so irresponsible sometimes? And why he likes to drive a fancy car and have everyone think that he’s some party animal?”

  Max leaned forward as if the answers to all his problems would be solved if she gave him the answer. “No.”

  “He wants to be like you. He wants to be respected.”

  “Then why not earn the respect?”

  How could such a smart man not understand his own twin? “Because he’s afraid of failing. He doesn’t want to disappoint you or your dad, so he pretends not to try.”

  Max shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong. I love my brother, but he’s been a fuckup since we were ten.”

  “Give him a chance.”

  “Are you planning to? He’ll only hurt you, you know.”

  “I’ll take my chances.”

  Max picked up his fork and focused solely on the food. His mind was probably sifting through what she’d said. The meal was delicious. It was better, in fact, than the fare at Mrs. Callen’s ranch. Or maybe it was the company that made the food taste so good.

  Once they finished eating, she brought in her plate. “Why don’t I clean up while you get out the chess game.”

  He stepped next to you. “Game’s already up. We’ll clean together.”

  She liked that they worked well together. Something was different about Max. Maybe when he realized she could support herself, his opinion of her rose. After they’d put the dishes in the dishwasher and washed the frying pan, they headed into the living room.

  “Since I won last time, you can have the white pieces.”

  “Oh, no you don’t. I want to win by starting with a disadvantage.”

  This guy was so serious about winning. She’d have to bring on her best game. “You’re on.”

  She sat opposite him and made her standard first move toward the center of the board. He countered the same way. Now she’d have to get creative. She moved her rook, and he countered by using his knight to get closer to the center. After her next move, the ga
me slowed down. Max studied the board for a long time before making his move.

  “Damn.”

  A small smile lit his face. “You didn’t see that coming, did you?”

  “No. It’s a bold move.” She liked to keep her king and queen more protected, but maybe she could use that to her advantage.

  She moved a pawn, and he pounced on her man with his knight. “Gotcha.” He waved the victory piece.

  This wasn’t how she thought the game would progress. She, too, studied the board, trying to think a few steps ahead. Unfortunately, no matter where she moved, Max’s move was better.

  “Are you sweating yet, Devonne?”

  “Hold your horses. You haven’t yelled checkmate yet.”

  He leaned back in his seat and drank his wine. Damn. He’d boxed her in. No matter what she did, he’d get the queen. Whatever. She moved her pawn closer to his side and he swept in and took his reward.

  “Damn.”

  “Willing to admit defeat?”

  “Never.” There was no way to win. She was going to lose in the next two moves no matter what she did. “Okay. I admit defeat.”

  He grinned and stood. She got up, too, thinking the evening was over. He took the glass from her hand and set it next to the chess set. His eyes turned a deeper blue, and his lips softened.

  “I think we started something by the car that I never got to finish.”

  Without waiting for her response, he picked her up and carried her down the hallway. She could say no, but her body was screaming yes, yes, yes.

  He charged into the room and set her on her feet. His lips descended on hers like a drowning man who’d been thrown a line. Having Max’s strong arms around her gave her a sense of security she’d never had before. He knew what he wanted and was going to take it. Streaks of pleasure shot across her body.

  Her lips parted, and he dove in. The rich, bold taste of the red wine blended with the spices in the chicken. As she drew his head closer to get more contact, her palms tingled from the silkiness in his hair. His chest pressed against hers, all she could think about was being one with him. Mentally, they were so well matched.