behind?”
“It’s business.”
“And you will not let anything or anyone stand in your way, will you?”
His soft question nearly crushed her with guilt. She shoved the feeling aside. Giving up over half her life and the chance to finally reach her dreams? “No.”
-84- Sneak Peek: Watch Me
Chapter Seven
Alejandro paced in the security room, watching the video feed from Sneak Peek’s front door. He checked his watch. Eight-forty five. People were beginning to stream in, in greater numbers than usual for this time of night on a Thursday.
The word about his scene with Shanna was out. He and Del had seen to it personally, not using names, of course…but promising it would be special.
If Shanna showed up. And he wasn’t sure; she was fifteen minutes late. Where the hell was she?
“You’re going to wear out the carpet,” Del teased. Alejandro shot him a dark glare. “She’s not coming.”
“She’ll be here. You said yourself the woman is prickly and contrary for the purpose of needling you. You admitted that she likes to control her situation, so it can’t have been easy on her when you told her when to show up, what to wear…and nothing about what she could expect.”
All of that was true, yet he’d had a larger purpose than being a controlling jackass. “I want Shanna to lean on me. I want her to know that she can trust me.”
He wanted her to see what it felt like for someone to stand by her, even if she wasn’t winning.
“You can’t force her to figure that out.”
“Normally, I would not try, but with Shanna…” He sighed and stared at the video monitors that showed no sign of her arrival. “If I cannot find some way now to encourage her to latch on to me, she will slip through my fingers.”
-85- Shelley Bradley
Del shrugged. “Why does it matter? I mean, I agree that she will be helpful in finding the blackmailer, but we can flush out the asshole without her.”
“She is not just business to me; she’s personal.”
“How personal?”
Interpretation: How deep were his feelings? There was the question that had been plaguing him all day. Shanna meant more to him than catching a scumbag blackmailer, more than an amazing lay, more than an intriguing woman. Analyzing how it had happened and why was pointless. It was what it was, and Alejandro always trusted his gut.
“I think I am in love.”
“That was fast. Less than a week.” Del arched a dark brow.
“More time will not change what I feel, except to make it deeper.” He sighed, knowing he spoke the truth, even as he said the words. “She is strong and vulnerable, smart, adorably stubborn and in utter need of someone to love. How can I resist?” He flashed Del a self-deprecating smile.
“How, indeed? If you intend to resist, get your poker face on fast. She’s here.”
Alejandro whipped his gaze up to the bank of monitors and smiled.
“Aww. She’s wearing a damn trench coat,” Del groused. Laughter bubbled up inside Alejandro. “Of course she is.” Her little rebellion. “But I will bet she wore what I sent her underneath.”
“I can’t wait for this.” Del rubbed his hands together. With blood beating a burning path in his veins, Alejandro burst out of the security office and stalked toward the front door. Del followed close behind.
Alejandro intercepted Shanna two seconds after she walked in.
“ Querida , are you all right?”
As Shanna strode in, she lifted her lashes and sent him a skittish
-86- Sneak Peek: Watch Me
glance. “Fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Her guarded tone set off alarm bells. So she was trying to push her armor back in place, put distance between them. Damn it. Perhaps he had pushed her too hard last night…or made her feel too guilty.
“When you did not arrive at eight-thirty, I grew concerned.”
“No need.”
He reached up to help her with her coat. She jerked away. “Don’t. Just wait until…”
“We are on stage and I’m supposed to fuck you?”
She swallowed
“It’s business.”
“And you will not let anything or anyone stand in your way, will you?”
His soft question nearly crushed her with guilt. She shoved the feeling aside. Giving up over half her life and the chance to finally reach her dreams? “No.”
-84- Sneak Peek: Watch Me
Chapter Seven
Alejandro paced in the security room, watching the video feed from Sneak Peek’s front door. He checked his watch. Eight-forty five. People were beginning to stream in, in greater numbers than usual for this time of night on a Thursday.
The word about his scene with Shanna was out. He and Del had seen to it personally, not using names, of course…but promising it would be special.
If Shanna showed up. And he wasn’t sure; she was fifteen minutes late. Where the hell was she?
“You’re going to wear out the carpet,” Del teased. Alejandro shot him a dark glare. “She’s not coming.”
“She’ll be here. You said yourself the woman is prickly and contrary for the purpose of needling you. You admitted that she likes to control her situation, so it can’t have been easy on her when you told her when to show up, what to wear…and nothing about what she could expect.”
All of that was true, yet he’d had a larger purpose than being a controlling jackass. “I want Shanna to lean on me. I want her to know that she can trust me.”
He wanted her to see what it felt like for someone to stand by her, even if she wasn’t winning.
“You can’t force her to figure that out.”
“Normally, I would not try, but with Shanna…” He sighed and stared at the video monitors that showed no sign of her arrival. “If I cannot find some way now to encourage her to latch on to me, she will slip through my fingers.”
-85- Shelley Bradley
Del shrugged. “Why does it matter? I mean, I agree that she will be helpful in finding the blackmailer, but we can flush out the asshole without her.”
“She is not just business to me; she’s personal.”
“How personal?”
Interpretation: How deep were his feelings? There was the question that had been plaguing him all day. Shanna meant more to him than catching a scumbag blackmailer, more than an amazing lay, more than an intriguing woman. Analyzing how it had happened and why was pointless. It was what it was, and Alejandro always trusted his gut.
“I think I am in love.”
“That was fast. Less than a week.” Del arched a dark brow.
“More time will not change what I feel, except to make it deeper.” He sighed, knowing he spoke the truth, even as he said the words. “She is strong and vulnerable, smart, adorably stubborn and in utter need of someone to love. How can I resist?” He flashed Del a self-deprecating smile.
“How, indeed? If you intend to resist, get your poker face on fast. She’s here.”
Alejandro whipped his gaze up to the bank of monitors and smiled.
“Aww. She’s wearing a damn trench coat,” Del groused. Laughter bubbled up inside Alejandro. “Of course she is.” Her little rebellion. “But I will bet she wore what I sent her underneath.”
“I can’t wait for this.” Del rubbed his hands together. With blood beating a burning path in his veins, Alejandro burst out of the security office and stalked toward the front door. Del followed close behind.
Alejandro intercepted Shanna two seconds after she walked in.
“ Querida , are you all right?”
As Shanna strode in, she lifted her lashes and sent him a skittish
-86- Sneak Peek: Watch Me
glance. “Fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Her guarded tone set off alarm bells. So she was trying to push her armor back in place, put distance between them. Damn it. Perhaps he had pushed her too hard last night…or made her feel too guilty.
“When you did not arrive at eight-thirty, I grew concerned.”
“No need.”
He reached up to help her with her coat. She jerked away. “Don’t. Just wait until…”
“We are on stage and I’m supposed to fuck you?”
She swallowed
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