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I felt the jealousy surge in my chest.
“I’ll stay up here.” I gritted my teeth. “Problem solved. Go be the damn fiancé.”
Vanessa exhaled. “You’re sure?” She looked around for the ring. I held it up to her. I had put it in the same pocket the condoms were. I just couldn’t handle fucking her with that rock on her finger.
She closed her eyes as I slipped it over her knuckle.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“No problem. You have a TV up here somewhere? I’ll look for a movie.”
“Yes. In my bedroom. Keep the door locked.”
“Got it.”
“How am I going to explain this paint?” She looked to Dylan for an answer. There were green streaks in her hair.
He laughed. “I don’t think it’s any of Charlie Maine’s business what we do up here, darlin’.”
She raced to the intercom system and pressed the screen.
“Hi, George. Yes, please send Ms. Maine up to the house. Thank you.”
I could see it in her eyes. She was sliding back into her cocoon. Two minutes ago, I had seen who Vanessa McCade really was. She was like an angel. A beautiful woman who had more power and grace in her skin than all the Warriors dance team put together.
Now, she was reminded she couldn’t be that woman when she wanted to be. She had to fall back to her new calling—she was the Warriors’ owner. It was already changing her.
I stepped in front of her. “Wait, why is Charlie here?” It was never a good sign to have the fixer show up.
“It’s something I’ve handled. It will be fine.” She bit her lip. “As long as she doesn’t find out about you, we’ll be fine.”
She moved around me and I watched her descend the stairs with Dylan. I wanted to be that man. The one she could lean on.
I walked to Vanessa’s bedroom, locked the door, and landed on the bed with the remote in my hand.
When the hell had I turned into such a sucker for feelings? Why did I give a shit what happened? When had this happened to me? I smelled the scent of Vanessa’s shampoo on her pillows as I propped myself up to flip through the channels. She was all around me.
Fuck. She was changing me. Making me want things I never cared about before.
Thirty
Vanessa
By the time we made it to the foyer Charlie was standing at the front door.
I opened the door and she blinked at me.
“What happened to you?”
I ran my fingers through my paint-colored hair. I tried to laugh. “I got a little carried away with a canvas.”
“I can see that.” She walked inside.
Dylan had already grabbed a beer from the fridge. He leaned on the counter, acting as if he had always belonged in that spot. He looked calm and comfortable. And with bits of paint splattered on his hands and cheeks, he looked sexier than I’d ever seen.
“Hi.” He tipped the beer toward Charlie.
“I didn’t know he was here.” She twirled toward me. “You paint too, Dylan?”
