All in the Game (15 page)

“The very fact you assumed I wouldn't want to hear from you simply proves my point about not knowing each other very well,” Shannen said urgently. “Not then or now. And I have to go before they break the sound barrier again with that awful horn.”

Ty gripped her shoulders. “Shannen, we can't leave things this way.” He wondered if he sounded as desperate as he felt. “I won't let you end it and just walk away.”

“Ty—”

“Which is what I did nine years ago,” he admitted grimly. “And even knowing that I took the high moral ground back then is no consolation now, Shannen. If you wanted revenge, baby, you've got it.”

“Will you stop jumping to stupid conclusions and just shut up and listen to me for a minute?” Shannen's temper flared. “I'm not out for revenge, and if you actually believe that, you've once again proved that you don't know me.” Her voice softened. “But I want you to, Ty. Let me put it into TV terms you'll understand. I'm putting sex on hiatus, not canceling our relationship. If you can't accept that…”

The ear-splitting boat horn blared again. Shannen pulled away from him and ran to the boat.

“It's about time,” grumbled the other network executive, the one who wasn't Ed. “What was going on, anyway?”

“I was thanking Mr. Hale for being kind to me today,” Shannen replied demurely. “I'm most appreciative, espe
cially after Clark Garrett's attitude toward my sister's fall. His lack of concern bordered on negligence!”

“I wasn't—” Clark started, but Shannen cut him right off.

“Just thinking about it made me furious all over again, and Mr. Hale was trying to persuade me not to commandeer this boat on the way back and kick Clark Garrett overboard.”

“Oh,” both network execs chorused. They glanced uneasily at the driver, who paid no attention to the conversation going on.

“Don't worry, Mr. Hale convinced me not to do it.” Shannen was all smiles and reassurance. “You really ought to think about giving him a raise, if you value Clark Garrett. Because Ty Hale saved him from being shark food.”

 

“What were you and Ty really talking about back on the beach, Shannen?” Lauren asked as the twins entered the hotel lobby. Clark and the bosses were far ahead of them. “And don't give me that lunatic story that he convinced you not to hijack the boat and throw Clark Garrett to the sharks.”

“Actually, he told me to go ahead and do it. That I'd be making the world a better place. And then we could toss Slick Bobby overboard tomorrow night,” Shannen said flippantly.

“Shannen!”

“Lauren!”

The twins held one of their familiar face-offs, then grinned at each other.

“I'm so glad you're here, Lauren.” Shannen gave her sister a small squeeze. “You'll like our room. It's pure heaven to take a long, hot shower, and the bed is king-size and like sleeping on a cloud. Tomorrow we'll go to the pool and—”

“Shannen, look, there's Jed!” Lauren exclaimed. “He's
over there with the others by the entrance to that hallway. Let's go say hello.”

Shannen saw the nervous excitement light Lauren's face, and gulped back an exclamation of dismay. “Why not wait till tomorrow, Lauren? After you've had a shower and a good night's sleep.”

And I've had a chance to try and talk some sense into you, she added silently.

Jed was standing among the other ousted
Victorious
contestants and hadn't seen them yet, but Lauren was quick to change that. She bolted across the lobby.

Shannen felt she had no choice but to go after her. “Lauren, just play it cool,” she whispered as they approached the group.

Lauren made no reply.

Shannen watched her sister closely and proceeded to duplicate her every move and every nuance of expression. It was a skill they'd perfected back when they were kids, and confusing people was a fun game.

Right now it was a necessity, Shannen decided grimly. If Jed couldn't tell who was who, she doubted he would risk making a play for Lauren. The rat would be too afraid he might be hitting on the Scary Twin, the one who'd had “homicide in her heart” last night.

“Hi, Jed,” Lauren said, slightly breathless.

“Hi Jed,” Shannen imitated her twin right down to the appealing head tilt. She wanted to laugh out loud at the look of sheer panic that crossed Jed's face as his eyes darted from one sister to the other.

And then he smiled directly, confidently at Lauren.

“Well, hello there, Lauren. And welcome! Can I help you with this?” Jed offered to take Lauren's things, which she'd almost dropped while hurrying across the lobby.

“Thanks, Jed.” Lauren gave him a dreamy smile.

For a moment Shannen was too stunned to react at all. How had Jed known which one of them was Lauren? He
certainly couldn't tell last night when he'd drunkenly barged into her room.

She looked at her sister, who was handing her bundle of belongings to Jed. And realized how he'd suddenly acquired the ability to differentiate between them.

Lauren was wearing the shorts and triangle top she'd worn during much of the
Victorious
filming, Shannen was in a sundress. Nobody wore dresses at camp on the island.

And while Shannen had enjoyed the luxury of a leisurely shower and shampoo in her private bathroom this morning, Lauren had to make do with the meager spring on the island.

A moment later Miles joined the group, no longer the effervescent lad who had greeted Shannen yesterday. He was subdued and sullen, the result of a scathing lecture from his uncle Clark and the network bosses, Shannen assumed.

“I'll take you to your room,” Miles said flatly, making none of yesterday's grandiose offers. “You're sharing it with your sister. You can order something from the room service menu as long as it costs under twenty-five dollars, tip included.”

“I know where the room is. I can take her there,” Shannen volunteered.

“I have a better idea,” said Jed. He turned to Shannen and dumped Lauren's things in her arms. “You take these to the room, and I'll go with Lauren to the coffee shop where she can order something—under twenty-five dollars, Miles.” He winked at the production assistant. “Then I'll show you around the hotel, Lauren.”

“That sounds wonderful!” Lauren beamed up at him.

“No, it doesn't!” Shannen snapped. “Lauren, you—”

“It's okay, I'll come up later, Shan. Don't worry, I'll find my way.” Lauren took another small step closer to Jed. “Oh, and thanks for taking my stuff to the room, Shannen.”

Jed slipped his arm around Lauren's waist and whisked her off. “She'll see you later, sis,” he called, shooting Shannen a look over his shoulder.

A you-lose look, Shannen thought furiously. A triumphant ha-ha look.

Lauren didn't look back at all.

What should she do? Shannen wondered. Would Lauren be terribly upset if Shannen chased after them? Shannen was torn. She glanced up and saw Lucy eyeing her with sympathy.

“Hey, hon, why don't you join us in the Tikki Lounge?” Lucy asked. “Ron—you remember him, don't you? We voted him off right after the tribes merged—has a credit card and is buying everybody a round of drinks.”

A pity invitation! They thought she couldn't bear to be away from her twin. Never mind that she'd played along to get to the island today. Shannen was humiliated.

“No, thanks,” she murmured. “I, uh, don't really remember Ron. Sorry.”

“I'm Ron, and it's okay.” Ron stepped forward. “Nobody remembered me. I'd love to get better acquainted with you, though. Let me buy you a drink.”

Shannen thought how much she didn't want to get better acquainted with Ron or any of the other guys in the group. There was only one man she wanted to become better acquainted with, and that was Ty.

She wondered if she'd made a major mistake by telling him that she wanted to put sex on hiatus. Not that the hiatus was a mistake—she was certain she was right about that—but saying so the moment before she had to leave him might not have been the best timing.

Maybe she should've said a simple good-night and left it at that.

Shannen trudged to her room carrying Lauren's things.
Timing. A crucial element in any game. The timing had been wrong for her and Ty nine years ago, but now…

Timing Is Everything, the saying went. Was it wrong for them all over again?

S
hannen put on her one-size-fits-all West Falls University nightshirt and studied the list of movies available for viewing in the rooms of the resort. For a fee, of course. If she ordered Russell Crowe, would the cost be deducted from her food allowance?

She wasn't tired, and though she wouldn't have minded something to eat, she wasn't about to call room service. After the network decree, there was probably a block on the phones of all
Victorious
guests, anyway. Raiding the little fridge in the room wasn't worth it, either. There was nothing in it she wanted.

All she really wanted was Ty.

And
to have Lauren come to their room saying she hated Jed's womanizing guts, that she hadn't slept with him and had never wanted to.

If she were given a choice, whom did she want more, Ty or a Jed-hating Lauren, to appear at her door? Shannen
debated her hypothetical options. At least it was something to do.

Ty was her first choice every time.

When she heard a light knock, she opened the door without bothering to look through the peephole. She was sure it was Lauren, of course. Shannen could only hope it wasn't the under-Jed's-spell version of her twin.

Instead, Ty stood in the doorway, holding a bag.

“Room service. This is the alternate version provided by me and the coffee shop. I have sandwiches, fruit and cake. And wine from the infamous Parrot Room,” he added, deadpan. “Not to get you drunk, of course, since that might lead to sex, which you've put on hiatus.”

Shannen's heart beat very fast and very hard. “What…how…” She couldn't seem to find the words to ask the obvious questions.

“What am I doing here and how did I get here?” Ty supplied them for her, and she nodded mutely.

“I drove the boat over. I simply told the crew I was taking it to the resort. Nobody tried to stop me.” His eyes gleamed. “It helped that Clark Garrett is already here and everyone probably assumed he'd asked me to bring something over. But nobody bothered to ask.”

Shannen felt an absurd attack of shyness, definitely a first for her. Shy she'd never been. But standing here with Ty, who was looking so virile and gorgeous and oh, so dear, evoked feelings so powerful that she could do nothing but gaze at him.

“Now we get to the ‘why I'm here' part.” Ty handed her the bag of food. “I came for dinner. We can eat out on the balcony, like last night.”

“Ty…” She was warm all over. From blushing from head to toe? “Last night—”

“Don't worry, I'm not expecting tonight to end like last night's little al fresco picnic. Though I'm certainly not objecting if it should.”

Ty put his hands on her waist and carefully moved her aside so he could enter the room. “I respect the limits you've set, Shannen.” He shut the door, closing them both in the room. “Stupid and unnecessary though they may be.”

His arms encircled her, and he smoothed his hands over the length of her back. Just when she thought he would move his hands lower, just as she anticipated him doing so, he released her.

“You're as safe as you want to be with me, Shannen. Always.” He kissed the top of her head. “Now let's eat.”

Shannen watched him walk toward the balcony. She gulped for air as a sharp stab of desire pierced her to the core. It would be so easy to suspend her new rule, to lie down on the bed with Ty and make love with him. He was here, she was in love with him, and he wanted her.

After all, they had known each other for nine years. Never mind that she'd had no contact with him from age seventeen to twenty-six and that technically they weren't strangers. Especially not after last night.

She walked to the balcony and stood nervously on the threshold. “I'm in my nightshirt,” she murmured, glancing down at the blue-and-white shapeless bag she wore. Wishing it were an eye-popping little number from Victoria's Secret.

“I ought to get dressed.”

“Don't bother on my account.” Ty grinned wickedly, then added, “Why not just stay comfortable in that? Keep in mind I've seen you in far less every day on the island. Those skimpy little tops and shorts you wore, that sexy bikini of yours… My brain short-circuited every time I looked at you—which was all the time. It was all I could do to remember to keep my camera rolling.”

“Cortnee's bikini was much scantier than mine,” Shannen protested weakly.

“I never noticed. You were the only one who interested me, Shannen. You still are. Now come out here and eat.”

Trembling, Shannen went to him.

 

Two hours later, they were still out on the balcony, the food completely consumed, the second bottle of wine down to the last drop.

A light breeze from the sea broke the tropical night heat, a full moon lit a pathway in the ocean, but Shannen was oblivious to their physical surroundings. She could've been in a dank cave and she wouldn't have minded, as long as Ty was with her.

They talked and laughed, conversing as comfortably as old friends one minute, then switching to the intoxicating seductive manner of new lovers. Shannen felt an ease she'd never felt with anyone but Lauren, combined with an excitement she'd never experienced with any man. And a desire for him stronger than anything she'd ever known.

It was an irresistible blend, and she wondered if Ty felt the same way.

She should ask him, Shannen decided giddily. Why not? She trusted him enough to ask the question and to hear the answer.

“Ty?” She stood up, and the balcony suddenly took a precarious lurch. She grabbed onto the back of a chair for support.

Ty quickly supplied support of his own. “Uh-oh.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her back against his chest. “Maybe we shouldn't have knocked off that second bottle of wine.”

“I'm fine. Just a little light-headed.” She looked up at the stars, which seemed to have turned into fireworks, exploding before her eyes. “Maybe very light-headed.”

“Into bed you go, Ms. Cullen.” Ty scooped her up and carried her inside.

“Ty, I have something to tell you.” Shannen linked her
arms around his neck and snuggled against him. “I'll suspend the hiatus for this one night.”

Laughing softly, Ty put her on the bed. “You're going to sleep, Shannen. And I'm heading back to camp.” He started to tuck the sheet around her. “Good night, baby.”

Shannen's fingers fastened around his wrists. “I decided I don't mind if you call me ‘baby' every now and then. But only when we're alone.”

“Duly noted,” agreed Ty. He attempted to disentangle his wrists from her grip, but she held on fast.

“Don't you want me, Ty?” The thought suddenly struck her, and she lacked the control to keep from blurting it out. At this moment she also lacked the inhibition to be horrified by it.

“You know I do, Shannen.”

He leaned down to kiss her hungrily, letting her know how much he wanted her. His hands cupped her face, holding her mouth firmly under his as he slanted his lips over hers, drinking deeply from the moist warmth within. His tongue moved provocatively against hers in an erotic, arousing simulation.

Pure liquid pleasure flooded her. She was aware only of Ty and the thrilling mastery of his lips and his hands. Lost in the head-spinning world of sensation, Shannen was completely unprepared for him to lift his mouth from hers.

She watched in confusion as he slowly straightened.

“I didn't come here to get you drunk and take you to bed, Shannen.” His voice was husky, his smile roguishly sexy. “I don't
need
to get you drunk to get you into bed. But I do want you to be sure that we know each other well enough, so making love is officially on hiatus until then.”

Shannen felt a fierce yearning swelling inside her, so intense she could hardly breathe.

“We know each other well enough, Ty,” she whimpered urgently.

Ty walked to the door as if she hadn't spoken at all. He
opened it and paused in the doorway. “When you're stone-cold sober and say those words, we'll make love, Shannen. But you're not, so we won't. Good night, my love.”

 

Sunlight poured into the room through the open curtains, making it literally bright as day.

Automatically, Shannen put her hands over her eyes to block out the light. Closing the drapes after Ty had put her to bed last night hadn't even crossed her mind.

She heard a hoarse moan from the other side of the bed.

“What time is it?” Lauren asked groggily, putting a pillow over her face to shut out the sunlight.

Shannen sat up and looked at the clock. “Five to six. That's a.m.,” she added gingerly.

“Is that all?” Lauren wailed. “No wonder I feel so wrecked! I
have
to get some more sleep.” She flopped over onto her stomach and buried her face in the pillow.

“I didn't hear you come in last night, Lauren,” Shannen said. Or if she had, she didn't remember it.

Shannen vividly recalled her last memory of the night. It was of Ty kissing her senseless and then leaving her, her blood roaring in her ears, her body taut and wet.

His words sounded in her head as a narrative for the visual pictures playing in her mind.
I don't
need
to get you drunk to get you into bed.
No, she'd proved that beyond all doubt.

When you're stone-cold sober and say those words, we'll make love, Shannen. But you're not, so we won't.
He had been noble again. Shannen clenched her teeth in frustration.

Noble and outrageously confident. Of course, why shouldn't he be, when she'd practically pleaded with him to go to bed with her? When she'd rescinded her ban on sex less than three hours after making it!

“Ohhhh!” Shannen groaned.

“My thoughts exactly,” Lauren replied through gritted teeth.

 

“I don't think we're the type for living luxurious lives of leisure, Lauren.” Shannen closed her book. “Having all this time on my hands with nothing to do is driving me crazy. At least when we were back on the island, we were always foraging for food. It kept us busy.”

“We're doing something, we're reading,” said Lauren, not looking up from her book. The cover was a frightening pair of eyes staring demonically at the silhouette of a cowering victim. Knives and droplets of bright blood completed the picture.

The sisters had gone to the gift shop earlier to buy paperbacks to read. Lauren remembered the thousand dollars they'd gained by not eating in the reward contest, money Shannen had completely forgotten about.

Shannen chose a historical romance and expected Lauren to select one in a similar vein. Those were their favorites, but Lauren had bluntly declared she wanted a page-turning thriller, grisly and gory, with a high body count. She'd read every book jacket until finally finding the most horrific. Shannen hated having it in the room with them; it seemed to emit bad vibes.

Or maybe that was Lauren emitting those vibes, because she'd been uncharacteristically difficult since they'd been awakened too early by the morning sun.

Lauren refused to walk on the beach or go to the pool. She wouldn't leave their room for breakfast, lunch or dinner, either. Shannen brought her food from the coffee shop, staying within the daily allowance, and the sisters ate together on the balcony.

Worst of all, Lauren completely clammed up when Shannen asked why she didn't want to leave the room except to buy her gruesome tome of terror. When Shannen casually mentioned Jed's name, Lauren exploded, insisting she never wanted to hear it again. Or the names of any of the other
Victorious
contestants. In fact, she never wanted to
talk about the game and the time they'd spent on the island for as long as they lived.

Which ruled out speculating on who would get voted off the island today and who would be the Final Two. Shannen pictured Ty filming it all and silently speculated with herself.

Then she went back to her book, reading until she was stiff from sitting. She stood up and leaned against the balcony railing, gazing at the white sand on the beach and the vast expanse of ocean. The water looked aqua in the sunset. At noon it had been a deeper blue.

Shannen tried to guess which direction the
Victorious
island was. And she thought of Ty again. She'd relived last night in her head over and over, remembering how much she enjoyed being with him. The talking, the laughing, the kissing…

She swallowed hard. She missed him, she wanted to be with him. It was too much to hope that he would come back to the hotel again tonight after the day's filming was through. He simply couldn't keep taking the crew boat to go where he pleased; she knew that, too.

Resignedly she sat back down and picked up her book. The heroine was at that stage of holding off the advances of the hero, whom she claimed to loathe but subconsciously lusted for.

“Stop giving the poor guy such a hard time, Jacinda,” Shannen muttered to the girl in the book. “You know you're going to surrender in the end.” She gave up and laid it aside. “How's your book, Lauren?”

“Excellent! Another clueless jerk just got offed,” exclaimed Lauren ruthlessly.

Now Lauren was rooting for the killer. Shannen walked inside the room to check the clock. How could it only be a few minutes past seven o'clock? This day had gone on for years! And the evening loomed endlessly ahead.

When a knock sounded an hour later, Shannen made a
quick stop at the mirror before answering the door. She pulled her hair out of the ponytail and fluffed it with her fingers. Her striped tank top and navy shorts were a definite improvement over the shapeless nightshirt she'd worn last night.

She admitted to herself that though she'd tried all day to pretend otherwise, she was expecting Ty. After all, he'd shown up unannounced twice before. Still, just in case, she warned herself to be braced for disappointment as she peered through the peephole.