by Unknown
With supreme effort, he lifted his mouth and held her securely against his chest. His breathing as ragged as hers, his hand swept up and down her back, soothing her the only way he could. It was several minutes before their breathing returned to normal, her hands on him stopped being desperate.
He rubbed his chin against the top of her head. Even with the rain falling on them, their clothes wet, he enjoyed just holding her. “We better go back to the house while we can.”
“I suppose,” she said, regret in her voice.
Shane knew exactly how she felt, but he also knew she wasn’t ready to take the irrevocable step. Once done, it couldn’t be undone. For Paige, it had to be right. Too many times, things in her life had gone wrong. If he had to take a thousand cold showers, he wouldn’t ruin her first time for her.
Silently they started back.
Chapter 18
“Are you going to be able to sleep if you don’t hear from Gayle?” Shane asked as they climbed the stairs together.
“No.” Paige stopped in front of her bedroom door. “Although I am trying to think positive.”
“But you’re worried.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Friends worry about friends.”
“If it doesn’t work out, she’ll see it as a failure.” Having stood where Gayle stood, Paige knew exactly how that felt. “Noah said things didn’t go well last night. I don’t think it had anything to do with memories of the photographer trying to use her.”
“You and Noah will always be there to help her see differently.”
But Shane might not be there. Panic clutched at Paige’s heart. She didn’t want to think of a time he wouldn’t be with her. As her mother said, it wasn’t like Paige not to face reality. But she’d never been faced with the possibility of losing the man she loved.
“Go inside and change into some dry clothes.” Shane opened her door. “I’ll meet you back downstairs. We can neck and find a bad movie on TV.”
“You don’t have to babysit me.”
“I’d like to know how she did as well.” He gently pushed her into the room. “Ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes.” Inside her room, Paige grabbed fresh undergarments, reached for a sundress, then chose a pair of slacks and a blouse instead. There was no sense in tempting fate.
Setting the clothes aside, she undressed and stepped into the shower. Shane had only to touch her and her body took over. He brought to life all the pent-up needs she had repressed for so long. She’d thought there was an abnormality in her, but it wasn’t her, it was the men.
Shane was the one. He was the only man who filled her with desire, made her heartbeat quicken. For her, there wouldn’t be another. If she had to risk it all for his love, so be it. She didn’t want to look back on this one day with regrets, should-haves, if-onlys. She would know that she had held nothing back and take satisfaction from that.
For as long as she could remember, she had planned her wedding. She’d wear a beautiful white French reembroidered lace gown with pearls and Swarovski crystals, and come to her husband chaste. That was before Shane kissed her, before he made her body crave his touch. He could just look at her and she trembled with desire.
And never once had he taken advantage of her weakness. She wasn’t sure if she agreed with his restraint. This achy need left her restless. With a trembling hand, she shut off the water, dried, and dressed.
The way things were going, she might never know the intimacy of his body, the heated touch of his bare skin against hers. Her hand curled around the handle of the hairbrush she’d picked up. She wanted that intimacy more and more. Shane wanted it, too, but he was holding back because he respected her and her mother. While she appreciated his restraints, she just wasn’t sure she agreed with him any longer.
Perhaps she should have let him move out when he first suggested it, she mused as she brushed her hair. But making love wouldn’t solve the real problem. Shane wasn’t committed to her or to staying in Atlanta. Until he was, she was on borrowed time.
So make the most of it. Finished with her hair, she picked up her cell phone and went downstairs. Another thing about Shane she loved, she didn’t have to dress up or wear makeup for his eyes to narrow and burn with desire. He made her feel seductive and desirable.
“I was about to come get you.”
Just as he did now. His gaze, bold and hungry, swept over her. “Women have more to put on.”
He slowly walked to her, like a knight coming to claim his lady. “You didn’t have to bother on my account.”
Her body tingled. “Shane.”
His finger traced her lower lip. His warm breath flowed over her heated skin. “You make it hard for me to resist you.”
Her forehead dropped on his muscular chest. She couldn’t say it while she looked at him. “If you got a place . . .”
“We both know what would happen, and so does your mother.” His arms closed around her, anchoring her to his taut body. “She trusts both of us.”
Paige blew out a frustrated breath and accepted the inevitable . . . at least for tonight. “I can see why none of my friends live at home.”
“There is that.” Taking her hand, he pulled her toward the curved teal leather sofa and turned on the television. “There’s not much on tonight. Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce. Heather Locklear in The Return of Swamp Thing.”
She sat, slipping off her sandals and drawing her feet under her. The only light in the room was a lamp on dim at the other end of the sofa and the TV. Necking seemed a definite possibility. The news was just coming on.
“The Return of Swamp Thing. At least it led you to believe there would be a happy ending for the Swamp Thing and the woman he’d saved and loved. Mildred loved her daughter too much, and they both paid for it.”
Shane turned to her with the remote in his hand. “Sometimes love hurts.”
Paige knew that all too well. “I—” She gasped as two women’s faces filled the television’s wide screen. She grabbed the remote from Shane.
“What—”
“Shhh.” Holding up her hand, she came to her feet and increased the volume of the TV. Her hand clenched as she stared at a picture of Dominique Falcon-Masters, Trent’s wife, and that of another woman. The resemblance between the two striking women was so strong they had to be related.
“Today it was confirmed that a European fashion magazine was the high bidder to publish the wedding photos and story of billionaire real estate mogul Blade Navarone’s marriage to Sierra Grayson.”
“We’re missing the movie,” Shane said.
Paige evaded Shane’s hand reaching for the control. Her gaze remained locked on the TV. She’d heard about the secret marriage, but hadn’t connected it to Dominique.
“Dominique Falcon-Masters, cousin to the bride, with a growing reputation as a photographer, and her mother, Boston socialite and art patron Felicia Falcon, will author the piece. The money will go to a Darfur charity.”
Cousins. Why hadn’t she had his wife, Dominique, investigated instead of concentrating on Trent?
A picture flashed on the screen of an incredibly handsome man staring down into the face of a beautiful woman. The love, the sizzle between them, leaped from the photograph. Grudgingly, Paige acknowledged that Dominique was indeed good. The picture was sensuously beautiful.
“The newlyweds, married July twentieth at the Navarone Riviera Maya resort in Playa del Carmen, remain secluded on the estate of Mrs. Navarone in Santa Fe, New Mexico.”
“So that’s where she was?” Paige whispered, her gaze glued to the TV screen.
“Paige, talk to me.”
She swung around to Shane. So many conflicting emotions were running through her, but anger was at the forefront.
Shane wanted to curse on seeing the shattered look on Paige’s face. Why hadn’t Rio warned him? “Honey, are you all right?”
“I—excuse me.” Tossing the control toward the sofa, she tried to run from the room. She’d gone no more than a few
steps when Shane captured her arm.
It was risky, but he had no intention of letting her go. “We talk and you keep your head up. Remember?”
She looked away. She didn’t want to talk. She was too afraid of what might come out.
“You wouldn’t be this upset unless it was close and personal,” he suggested carefully. “I want to help.”
“Help?” The single word trembled over her lips. “Only Mother can do that.”
His eyes narrowed on her face. There was one certainty that would help her cope with this. “Your mother loves you.”
“Not enough.” There, she’d said the painful words, but then she couldn’t meet the censure in Shane’s eyes. “There’s never any excuse for lies.”
He was walking a dangerous tightrope. “You can’t say that until you have all the facts.”
“And she won’t give them to me, and I’m tired of asking.” Anger and tears sparkled in her eyes. “You didn’t lie to me about how you feel about relationships.”
His hands flexed on her arms. He’d lied about so much more. He didn’t want to add more lies. Yet somehow he had to help her to understand. “Paige, you’re obviously upset because of what you just saw on TV. Doesn’t your mother’s love and devotion for twenty-seven years weigh heavier?”
“Not anymore.” Her voice shook, then firmed. “No matter what, I could always count on my mother to put me first, to be there.”
His dark brow lifted. “You sound jealous.”
“What if I am?” Trent didn’t have any right to her mother. His absurd question was so far-fetched, it was ridiculous. But she knew there was something going on between them. “She’s my mother, and I need her here.”
“And that’s where she is,” Shane said.
Now. What about the times since her father’s death? What about next week or the next? What drew her to Trent? She’d lost her father. She couldn’t lose her mother. She wanted to explain to Shane, but didn’t know how. “I don’t feel like watching a movie. Good night.”
“Running isn’t going to solve anything,” he said, disappointment in his face.
“I’m tired. Good night.” She twisted out of his arms, and he let her go.
“You should know your mother will always be in your corner. She’d fight anyone who tried to harm you. She certainly warned me off. Twice.”
That got her attention. Slowly, she turned to face him. “I don’t mind telling you I would have rather faced a barrage of gunfire.” He shook his dark head. “Anyone who messed with you would have your mother to deal with. Mrs. Osgood and Mrs. Hamilton found that out at the luncheon. No more free rides at your expense.”
“They had to give up their seats for Mother and a security guard who, of course, never sat. They were both embarrassed and livid.” Paige had heard from a couple of friends who were there. Her mother had only said the luncheon had gone well. She wasn’t the gloating type.
“Their own fault.” Shane didn’t have any pity for the two gossipers. “You can’t tell me those two didn’t spread what had happened here to anyone who would listen,” Shane told her. “I bet they wished they’d kept their mouths shut when the governor’s wife showed her support of your mother. And don’t forget her help with Gayle. Your mother is firmly in your corner. No one can change that.” He walked to her, taking her forearms in his hands. “Not even you.”
Her head rested against his chest. “No matter how much I push her away, she keeps coming back.”
His hand cupped her cheek. “Love will do that.”
Her cell phone rang. If she hadn’t been waiting for Gayle’s call she wouldn’t have answered, not with Shane staring at her like he wanted to eat her alive. “Gayle.”
“I quit tonight,” the young woman said.
Paige glanced at Shane. Love meant acceptance. “It was your decision to make.”
“That’s all you have to say? You aren’t disappointed?”
“I believe in you, Gayle. You’ll find another job.”
“Thank you,” Gayle said, clearly relieved. “I’m seriously going to look into decorating for people. I helped the man put the tile down in the kitchen. He said I did a good job. The home improvement store has classes, and it’s on the bus line.”
Paige glanced at Shane again. “That’s a wonderful idea. You’d be great at it.”
“I think so,” Gayle said. “Good night, Paige, and thanks for giving me room to make my own decision.”
Paige looked at Shane as he curved his arm around her waist. “You’re welcome. Good night.”
She disconnected the call and shoved the cell phone back into her front pocket. “She thanked me for giving her room. If you hadn’t come by the office today, I might not have.”
“You wanted her to know you were there for her.”
“But it was the wrong approach.”
“Don’t beat yourself up over it,” he told her. “I’ve lived longer.”
“I can tell by the stoop of your shoulders and the gray hair,” she quipped, hoping to get back to their earlier playful mood before she’d seen Dominique’s picture.
“Old?” He tugged her closer. “Why don’t we just see about that?”
His mouth melded with hers, soft, gently, then heated, his tongue delving into her mouth, sucking and tasting. With a low moan, Paige sank into him for a heart-pounding, body-altering moment, then she pushed away, rapidly blinking.
“I’m sorry. Good night.” Biting her lower lip, she turned and ran from the room.
Feeling helpless, Shane let her go. By the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, she had disappeared.
He wanted to help her, but Paige didn’t want to talk and there was nothing he could do. She was upset enough that she hadn’t become suspicious about his lack of pointed questions.
Shane stopped at her door, knowing she was inside and upset. Paige needed to let it out, not keep it in, if she was hurt. For too long she’d been the little girl trying to fit in, to please everyone, and it had continued in the woman. Although she was getting better, she wasn’t over her insecurities yet.
Blowing out a breath, Shane went to his room. There was time enough to warn Mrs. Albright in the morning. She’d spent enough restless nights worrying about Paige.
Unhooking his cell, he stared at a blank screen and cursed softly. He might have prevented this.
The cell phone linked him to Blade and his security team. He checked it frequently to ensure it was operating properly. Anything man-made could malfunction. No wonder he hadn’t received a call from Rio.
He retrieved a second phone from his bag and activated it. Four messages. All from Rio. All urgent. The first one had come two hours ago.
Walking onto the balcony, he punched in Rio’s number. He answered on the second ring.
“You all right?”
“Yeah. Dead phone.”
Total silence stretch between them. Communication was paramount. They’d learned that as Army Rangers, and had incorporated it as the key directive of security. He had to be able to communicate with all of his men, and them with him. No matter what the circumstances. No exceptions. Forgetting was grounds for reprimand, and possible termination.
“Was the urgent message about the news broadcast about Blade and Sierra?” Shane asked in the silence. Rio had read the report of the night Shane tackled Paige, and knew Paige was searching for answers.
“Yes. You just checked in under the wire,” Rio said.
“Glad you didn’t call the firm I hired to check on me,” Shane said. As second in command, it was Rio’s responsibility to ensure that everyone, including Shane, was all right.
“Jefferson is on standby” came Rio’s answer.
Blade’s pilot. Shane blew out a breath. There was no way to tell why a phone wasn’t being answered. Shane could take care of himself, but accidents happened. “It won’t happen again.”
“Paige.”
There went that uncanny perception of Rio’s again. A helpless feeling came
over Shane. He didn’t like it. Nor was he used to not being able to fix things. That was what he did, what he prided himself on. “We were watching the TV and she saw the news piece. She’s hurting, and it’s not going to get better until Mrs. Albright comes clean.”
“Have you thought of what will happen when she does?”
“Yes.” Shane’s gut clenched. He’d be exposed. “It’s for the best. Neither of them can go on like this.”
“And if she turns against you?”
Rio didn’t shy away from the tough questions. Shane wouldn’t shy away from the equally tough answers. “Her happiness comes first.”
“I thought you’d say that. Keeping both their secrets puts you in the middle.”
“There’s no other way.”
“So you say. Night.”
“Night.” It was going to be a long one.
“Paige has connected you with Trent Masters.”
Mrs. Albright gasped and swung around from the kitchen counter, the package of coffee falling from “ her hand. Shane caught the bag before it hit the tiled floor.
“How?” Shock radiated across her unlined face. Her hands covered her trembling mouth.
“We were watching television last night. There was a news story that a European magazine won the bid for Blade and Sierra’s wedding story and photos. The wedding date was mentioned. Paige’s happy mood changed immediately on seeing a picture of Dominique. She wouldn’t explain, but she said enough for me to know you were involved,” he explained. “My phone was down and Rio couldn’t warn me. I’m sorry.”
Her hands lowered. “I didn’t want this to happen.”
“It was a secret that, unfortunately, wouldn’t be kept forever.” He placed the coffee on the counter. “I don’t know if she’s figured it all out, but I do know that she’s hurting. It’s time for you to tell her everything.”
“No.” Frantically, Joann shook her head. “She doesn’t understand. I’ll lose her.”
You’re losing her anyway, Shane thought. “You’ve always been the one person she could count on. She doesn’t like sharing you,” he said cautiously.