David stared at her intently. “You and your friend don’t have the kind of money it would take if you don’t agree to do this.”
Sam’s face was hot. “Then I guess I have no choice. But don’t expect me to just roll over any time the mood strikes you. I will stay with you but I won’t make it easy for you.” She knew she was lying to herself, because there was no way on earth she would be able to resist the way he made her feel. She would be a complete doormat. A willing, wimpy slave to his every need and desire. She hated herself for her weakness but she was not foolish enough to believe her own bravado. And from the flare of dark fire in his eyes, neither was he.
David drew a deep, calming breath. He had just hit her in her most vulnerable spot. He felt like a bastard, but nothing mattered except keeping her. Deep inside his conscience railed at him. But he couldn’t stop now. He wanted desperately to tell her he would never harm her. But if he did, she might change her mind.
She was going to do it. But she wanted him to believe she wasn’t willing. In a pig’s eye. He could feel the trembling of her body as she tried so valiantly to face him down. He knew that she wanted him as desperately as he wanted her but she would try to make herself and him believe she didn’t.
That was okay by him. If she resisted him, he would enjoy it even more. But then he realized that in six months, she would be able to simply walk out of his life forever and he would have absolutely no hold over her.
Well, like she’d just said, six months was a long time. A lot of things could happen in six months. “I’ll have it put into writing. That way, neither of us can back out.”
“I’d prefer a gentleman’s agreement. Can’t we simply shake hands?”
“A gentleman’s agreement won’t work if one of the agreeing parties is not a gentleman.”
“You have a point there.” Her soft sigh made him fight the smile that wanted to spread over his face. “I suppose we should try to get some sleep. You have a big day ahead of you and I have my own arrangements to make. I hope that you realize you are completely turning my life upside down.”
“Then we’re even.” Hadn’t she already done that to his life?
He was sleeping soundly, his face pressed against her throat, with his heavy arm draped across her body. She sighed and shifted to a more comfortable position, not wanting to wake him. She had lain awake for the past hour, just gazing at him as he slept. It was impossible to believe that she had actually dreamed this face, dreamed this body, years before she had ever known about him. She had dreamed the sensual, delicious way he made love to her. She had written about it in her novels. She swallowed hard. He was too gorgeous to be real. If she blinked, he might fade away into her dream.
She remembered her mother’s voice, so long ago, when she had smiled at her young daughter and had said softly, “Sometimes dreams are nothing more than other spirits trying to touch ours.”
She closed her eyes and tried to picture him in her dreams. It was definitely him. Something from this man had reached out to her from across the miles and years and had touched her dreams. She could believe him capable of that kind of will. Then she drew a deep breath and willed herself to sleep. She was going to be a wreck in the morning.
“Yeah, we all saw you on TV last night!” Phyllis’ voice seemed so very far away. Sam inhaled deeply and licked her lips.
“It was all part of the hype. The fans ate it up.” Sam was really getting good at fibbing.
“Well, they weren’t the only ones, girl. If that magnificent hunk kissed me like that, I don’t think I would have survived. What on earth was all that? Were you part of the act? The fans who saw you are absolutely raving about how brave you were, taking on that giant to save your lover. Book sales have gone through the roof again. We’re ordering a reprint and the book’s only been out for a month!”
Sam cleared her throat and interrupted her business manager. “Look, Phyllis, I didn’t call to ask if you watched TV last night. I called to tell you that I won’t be back to Cleveland after ninety days. It might even be more like six months.”
“What? What the hell do you expect me to do here, Sam? Book six is scheduled for release in five months. I sure as hell hope you’re writing up a storm, on something totally new here because if you aren’t I will have my ass in a wringer.”
Sam winced at the woman’s tone. “Look, Phyl, if I don’t stay, you may damn well end up losing one hell of a lot more than just your ass. Like you said, he won’t settle for less.” There was no sound from the other end of the line. “You still there?”
“My God, Sam. I had no idea he would go so far.”
“Well, he has. So don’t count on seeing me for the next several months, unless it’s on TV.”
She hung up and chewed the corner of her lip. Okay, that wasn’t as bad as she’d expected. Now all she had to do was go slowly and gently and not blow it. If she messed up this deal, she would have to staple a sign on her forehead that read, “I am a complete washout”. And maybe walk around in sackcloth and ashes for a few years.
She let her mind wander to the last ten hours of her life and she blushed hotly as she recalled exactly how wicked and wanton she had been. She had let herself be used shamelessly and, of course, she had done a bit of shameless using herself. A wicked smile curved her lips. And she had another few months of shameless, wanton activity ahead. She could so handle that.
Joe and the guys stepped out of the limo in the underground entrance of the arena to find the place thronged with fans. They moved shoulder-to-shoulder in a phalanx as Sam stepped out behind them and then David. Sam hurried along behind them as they made a path to the arena entrance. David followed more slowly, grinning and signing autographs and shirts, posing for candids with some of the fans who had brought cameras.
They were escorted into the pre-show party area where the backstage visitors were circulating, talking to the divas and the wrestlers. Greg was beside himself when Wolfman came up to him and clamped his huge hand on his thin shoulder and said, “I hear you wanted my autograph, boy. How about we give you something better than a signature on a piece of paper?”
“You shittin’ me? Wow. Sure!” Greg followed the giant wrestler instantly.
An entire battalion of cameramen was shooting as the huge wrestler grabbed one of the microphones and asked Greg what his name was. Then Sam and the others watched as the Wolfman introduced Greg as his “practice partner” and demonstrated a variety of holds, locks and overhead slams-without dropping him-as the TV cameras caught it all. Greg was red and excited when it was all over but when the cameraman handed him the video they had just made of him for his family and friends, he nearly fainted. “You mean this is mine?”
Wolfman posed for a few shots and made sure that Greg and the guys were given copies. Joe was shaking his head and saying how he envied Greg when the tall blonde diva tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Hey cutie, you wanna be my practice partner?”
Joe flushed and stuttered but allowed the statuesque blonde to cajole him into posing for some publicity photos with her and the other divas. He especially enjoyed the one where all five divas were holding him to the mat with five spike-heeled shoes on his back, while he was pretending to scream in pain. But when all five of them grabbed him and picked him up over their heads, he was laughing so hard he could hardly breathe. The other boys were invited to do similar things and by the time David had come into the room, they were all having a wild time. Sam was watching them, her eyes alight and a smile on her face.
“Okay, Chance, you wanna give us a few publicity shots with the lovely lady there?” one of the cameramen asked quickly.