All in the Game (8 page)

She averted her eyes. “Yes, but it doesn't matter anymore. We can't go back to the past. It's been too long, and we're different people now. I meant what I said last night, Tynan. We can't—”

“Cortnee said she heard you crying last night,” Ty interrupted her again. “Were you?”

“No! And even if I was crying, it doesn't mean that it would have anything to do with you!” Shannen countered crossly. “Don't flatter yourself into thinking otherwise.”

Ty stared at her. “I just had a thought.”

She opened her mouth to speak, then shook her head. “Too easy a target. Why bother?”

They both grinned spontaneously.

Then Ty became intent. “Shannen, was it you Cortnee heard crying last night? She never mentioned you by name, and she can't tell you and Lauren apart. Did she actually hear Lauren crying? Is that why you're so upset this morning, Shannen?”

His face softened, and this time he gave in to the need to touch her. He laid his hand on her forearm, his fingers stroking lightly.

“Did you get back to camp last night, still hungry after staving off temptation, only to find Lauren crying her eyes out over Jed? That's more than enough to cause a sleepless night and to make you wake up in a ferocious mood.”

“What?” Shannen's voice rose to a squeak. “What are you talking about? Why would Lauren cry over
Jed?
That jerk?
Please!
”

“Oh.”

It occurred to Shannen that he was still stroking her arm. And that she was enjoying it way too much. She swatted his hand away. “What do you mean ‘Oh'?” she demanded.

“Nothing.” He shrugged. “Just ‘Oh.'”

“You stand there looking totally clueless after making accusations about my sister and that narcissistic creep Jed but you—”

“I wasn't making an accusation. The production assistants all claim Lauren has a crush on Jed and that she looked devastated when Cortnee said he'd slept with those two other girls. I didn't see any devastation, so I thought I'd missed the crush, as well.” His eyes narrowed perceptively. “Did you miss it all, too, Shannen?”

“Lauren wouldn't like a preening, self-absorbed twit like Jed,” she insisted.

But a note of doubt had crept into her voice.

“Lauren could've been the one to cast the vote against Cortnee,” said Ty. “In fact, she
must
have been the one. There was no reason for Rico or Konrad to vote against her, and you said that you didn't.”

“Maybe Jed voted against Cortnee. She's been really bitchy toward him lately.”

“But then who voted against Konrad?” countered Ty. “It had to be Jed. He was convinced Konrad did something to make the boat sink. I agree, but there's no proof—”

“It's irrelevant who voted against Cortnee, Ty.” It was Shannen's turn to interrupt. “All that matters is that Jed was voted off. But I'll prove you're wrong about Lauren's
supposed crush. I'll ask her about it. When we're alone and the cameras aren't around,” she added pointedly.

“I wouldn't expect it to be any other way, especially given your penchant for secrecy—I mean, privacy.”

“By the snarky way you said ‘privacy,' I know you really did mean secrecy. In a negative way,” she added tersely.

“Not negative. Curious. You and Lauren never share any personal information about yourselves. We can recite Cortnee's musical triumphs from grade school on, we've heard all about Konrad's prison adventures and Jed's wilderness adventures and Rico's—”

“Is that how the crew spends their off time?” Shannen interrupted. “Gossiping about the contestants?”

“Pretty much,” he admitted. “But I didn't listen until they mentioned you and your sister. You're the only one on this island I'm interested in, Shannen. Now go ahead and throw it back in my face.” Ty laughed ruefully. “I've set it up for you.”

“When you put it that way, any retaliatory zinger I might make loses its—” Shannen paused, grimacing “—zing.”

“With that kind of encouragement, I may as well bare my soul,” Ty said wryly. “Well, why not? At this point I have nothing to lose.”

Shannen felt her stomach do a Flying Wallenda-type somersault. And then Ty reached for her hand and gently tugged her toward him. She went, unresisting, squinting against the sun. Trying to stay immune to the urgency, the desire in his eyes.

“I know we can't go back to the past and that we're different people now, but that's a good thing, Shannen. I want to move ahead, not backward.” Ty's voice was deep and low.

“I was actually glad to hear Cortnee say you were crying last night, because maybe it meant that you didn't really mean what you said when you left me. That you didn't
want it to be over between us—to be over before anything had really begun,” he added, as if expecting her to jump in to correct him.

He slipped behind her, brushing her body with his, in slow, sensual motion.

Shannen knew she was incapable of any kind of verbal gymnastics at this point. He was hypnotizing her with his tone, with his big hand that had begun to caress the bare skin of her back, between the end of her halter and the low waistband of her shorts.

“I hoped that what you really meant was that we should call some kind of moratorium until the game is over.” The heels of his palms massaged her shoulder blades, and she tried to stifle a small moan of sheer pleasure.

Tried and failed. Her eyelids fluttered shut.

“We'll make plans to see each other after the game, to continue what we've begun. To be together.” He lowered his mouth to her neck, flicked his tongue against her skin. “I want us to be together, Shannen. I want you to want that, too.”

She didn't reply. Talking required too much thought, too much effort, and she didn't want to break the spell. Instead she inclined her neck to give him better access, shivering in pleasure at the feel of his lips, his breath against her hair. Didn't actions speak louder than words, anyway?

He whispered her name again and glided his hands around to the front of her, cupping her breasts with sensual care. He teased her nipples through the cotton of her halter, and she felt them tighten almost immediately. She pressed against his palms, encouraging, demanding.

This was what she wanted, what she needed. Ty, his touch, his voice murmuring what he wanted to do, what they would do together. Her defenses, already weak against him, crumbled. And she didn't care.

Suddenly, being caressed wasn't enough—she had to touch him, too. To kiss him the way she'd been dying to.
Shannen turned quickly and grasped his shirt, pulling him even closer, lifting her head as he lowered his to hers.

Their kiss was explosive, devouring. He held her head, burying his fingers in her hair as she clutched him, their tongues caressing, mating in erotic simulation.

They kissed long and hard, their bodies locked together, passion running hot and unrestrained. Shannen felt her knees buckle and she let Ty fully support her, knowing if he were to let her go, she'd fall. She was heady with sensual weakness and gave in to it, savoring it.

When Ty began to slowly, carefully lower them both to the ground, she clung to him, trembling with anticipation.

“Is there a hidden camera filming all this?” The voice, sounding exactly like Shannen's, filled the air. “Because the only camera I see is on a rock, and it's definitely not being used.”

The sweet illusion of intimacy surrounding the lovers abruptly shattered.

Shannen pulled away first, and for a moment Ty stood there befuddled. He swore he'd heard Shannen's voice, but that couldn't be. His lips had been covering hers, his tongue deep in her mouth.

“Lauren.” Shannen inhaled a breathless gulp of air.

Ty's head cleared and he opened his eyes. “Busted,” he muttered.

“And then some,” agreed Lauren. Ty blinked. She didn't sound as sweet as she usually did; her tone had an edge that was definitely Shannen-esque.

“What the hell is going on here, Shannen?” Lauren demanded, an auditory dead ringer for Shannen, as well as a visual one.

Shannen cast a covert glance at Ty. He nodded his head, giving her the go-ahead to tell all. In fact, he wanted Shannen's twin sister, the person closest to her, to know the whole truth about their relationship. Past, present and future.

Shannen bit her lip and looked down at the sand, seemingly disinclined to say anything. She needed time to regain her composure, Ty thought tenderly. Well, she could count on him to step in and explain everything.

“Shannen and I know each other,” he began, giving Lauren his warmest we're-going-to-be-friends smile.

“Duh!” Lauren snapped. “I figured that out in the ocean yesterday, but I didn't know just how well you two ‘know each other.'” She turned to her twin. “He gave you that ointment, didn't he, Shannen?”

Shannen nodded. “It's not truly cheating, I shared it with everybody,” she said in a plaintive tone Ty had never before heard her use. “And he hasn't given me anything else, honest!”

“Not for lack of trying, obviously.” Lauren was sarcastic.

“Look, let me—” Ty interjected, but both sisters ignored him.

“Shannen, we've come this far, we're almost down to the Final Four. One of us could actually win the whole game,” cried Lauren. “We could win the million dollars! Why would you risk screwing things up like this?”

Shannen heaved a sigh. “I wasn't thinking, Lauren.”

“Tell me something I don't know, Shannen,” Lauren retorted acidly.

“You could plead not guilty by reason of malnutrition, Shannen,” suggested Ty in an attempt to lighten the tension.

A mistake, he realized as the twins both glowered at him.

“Stay out of this, Tynan.” Shannen's tone was sharp, dismissive.

“Sweetie, I'm in as deep as you are.” He meant to sound cajoling and was surprised to hear the mockery in his tone.

Well, not too surprised. He was getting impatient, not to mention all that raging sexual frustration surging through him. Why wouldn't Shannen simply tell her sister the truth?
They hadn't committed a crime; they were two people in love….

That rogue flash of insight struck him with the precision of a stun gun. He knew he wanted Shannen, that she intrigued and attracted him as much as she had nine years ago. More. But he hadn't thought of himself as in love with her. When was the last time he'd been in love?

For that matter, when was the
first
time?

Howes didn't fall in love; they had relationships that invariably soured, whether those involved were married or not.

This time Ty felt as if he'd been hit over the head with a shovel. He'd followed the standard Howe emotional blueprint by lying to Shannen about his financial status because he didn't fully trust her not to want him for his money.

And yet he thought he was in love?

Ty remembered that long-ago “coming of age” talk his father had given him and Trent.

“You'll be hearing all sorts of nonsense about love from girls.” Dear old Dad had snickered, not bothering even to try to keep a straight face. “Don't be chumps and fall for it. The only kind of genuine love that can exist between opposite sexes is the mother and son and father and daughter kind. Possibly sister and brother. But so-called romantic love is pure fiction and don't forget it. Men and women get together for either sex or convenience, and don't be duped into thinking otherwise.”

Ty winced at the memory. Well, when it came to his feelings for Shannen, he could safely rule out convenience. But sex was an integral part of their relationship. Was that all it was between them? A hot sexual infatuation fueled by the lush tropical setting, plus the enticing element of the forbidden?

Shannen must think so; she certainly wasn't pouring out her abiding love for him to her sister.

“Pick up that camera and start filming us,” one of the twins said.

Ty blinked. Which one had spoken, Shannen or Lauren? For the first time he was unsure.

“I'll start talking about how hungry I am for the fabulous silver dollar pancakes at the diner,” said Shannen. “We might as well get in a little free advertising for Gramma.”

One telltale sign clued Ty that it was Shannen who was speaking; her lips were still moist and swollen from their kisses. But that startling moment when he couldn't tell one sister from the other jarred him. It seemed symbolic. Of exactly what, he wasn't sure. Right now he was sure of nothing at all.

“Okay,” agreed Lauren. She picked up the camera and handed it to Ty.

He didn't turn it on. “You're one superb actress, Lauren,” he said lightly. “After all those hours of filming, this is the first and only time I've ever seen you lose your temper or even display a hint of aggravation. Who knew that beneath that sweet serene exterior is—”

“Lauren
is
sweet and serene,” Shannen jumped to her twin's defense. “She only gets upset when she's with me.”

“You mean she'll only allow you to see how she
really
feels,” corrected Ty. “Everybody else gets the Lady Lauren facade. As a control freak, your sister beats you hands down, Shannen.” He laughed. “I feel privileged to see the true inner Lauren. Makes me feel like family.”

Lauren look at him, aghast. “Shannen, what have you done?” she wailed. “I can tell that we can't trust this guy. He could make us lose the game. And we're so close, I can almost feel that money!”

“Ah, the sweet feel of cold hard cash.” Ty's dark eyes glittered. “I can relate. You, too, hmm, Shannen?”

Shannen shot him a glare and caught Lauren's hand, dragging her away to join the others back at camp. Ty followed them, his camera rolling.

B
obby Dixon showed up later in the day with food, money and another contest.

“Today we're going to have an auction. I'm going to give each of you five one-hundred-dollar bills. You can bid on all of these savory delights and spend as much as you want on anything you want—until your money runs out.”

With a flourish, he unveiled an array of food: a cheeseburger with choice of condiments, a piece of chocolate cake topped with whipped cream and hot fudge, an enormous fresh fruit salad and a turkey sandwich on thick fresh bread.

Shannen's eyes connected with Ty's over that one. She felt her stomach rumble because she knew exactly how that sandwich smelled and could imagine how it tasted. Ty merely smiled, and she looked away, scowling.

Bobby was offering more food to be auctioned. A large bag of potato chips and a cold beer, a liter bottle of cola, a plate of nachos, a barbecued chicken, a tub of potato salad. A movie theater counter's assortment of candy. A
container of fruit-flavored yogurt, a container of frozen yogurt. A quart of designer ice cream packed on dry ice so it wouldn't melt before the bidding concluded.

“If we have any cash left over after bidding, can we keep it?” asked Konrad, fondling the stiff new hundred-dollar bills.

“Sure,” Bobby assured him smoothly. “But I sincerely doubt anybody will have any money left. Did I tell you I also have a steak dinner, complete with baked potato and salad with the dressing of your choice? And I'll throw in whatever you want as a beverage to go with it.”

Rico gasped. “I bid three hundred dollars on the steak dinner.”

“I bid three-hundred-fifty,” said Konrad.

The twins exchanged glances.

“Red meat, ick!' exclaimed Cortnee. “I'll bid one hundred for the fruit salad. And fifty for the frozen yogurt.”

The auction unfolded at a lively pace, with the cameras filming each contestant avidly devouring what they'd won.

Except for the Cullen twins. Neither bid on anything. Both stared resolutely at the five one-hundred dollar bills they held in their hands.

Ty noticed right away, of course. Amid the auction hoopla, it took the others a while longer.

“Shannen, Lauren, you haven't bid on anything yet,” Bobby Dixon exclaimed at last, his dimples deeper than ever. “Let me tempt you with this—a monster BLT, with a pile of crisp bacon, fresh lettuce and tomato on the bread of your choice.”

“No, thanks. Gramma makes the world's ultimate BLT at the diner,” Shannen said blithely. “I wouldn't want to settle for anything less.”

“N-not even here, when you're starving on an island?” Bobby's dazzling smile faltered a bit, but he quickly recovered. “All right, then, here is something you won't be able to resist…a made-to-order pizza. And whatever you
want to drink. And fresh garlic bread.
And
dessert—which you'll get to choose. Wow, I'm making myself hungry!”

“We're not bidding on anything,” Lauren said sweetly. “We've decided to keep the money instead.”

The other contestants gasped.

Bobby Dixon paled. “Surely you don't mean that.”

“Yes.” Shannen nodded. “We do.”

Beside him, Ty heard Reggie Ellis chortle.

“Bobby'll be called on the carpet for this. He was supposed to get all the cash back. Guess nobody thought it was possible for any of them to hold out against all this food after what they haven't been eating. But now there's
two
holding out with a cool grand.”

“Guess nobody thought the twins would love the feel of that cash in their little hands so very much,” muttered Ty.

Reggie nodded, guffawing. “Think the network will deduct the twins' thousand bucks from Bobby's paycheck?”

Bobby must have thought so, because he went into an auctioneering frenzy, offering every kind of food and drink imaginable to entice the twins to bid. Long after Konrad, Rico and Cortnee had spend every cent of their five hundred dollars and proclaimed themselves stuffed to the point of nausea, Bobby kept it up.

And Shannen and Lauren refused to bid on anything.

“Give it up, Slick B,” Konrad said at last. “They ain't buyin' whatever you're sellin'.”

“I guess not.” Bobby managed a tight-lipped smile. “Color me amazed at the strength of your willpower, girls.”

Color me unfazed, Ty thought grimly. He'd already seen Shannen's willpower in action, and Lauren had given him a hint as to how much they wanted money. Given a choice of a thousand dollars between them and a chance to eat, it was no contest at all.

Bobby was visibly displeased. This outcome was obviously not what he and The Powers That Be had intended.

“Okay, listen up, everybody! After bidding and eating all that food, are you ready for a surprise?” Bobby asked robotically, following the script as previously written without noting the twins' unexpected lack of participation.

“This auction is also an immunity contest.” Bobby's flat tone failed to convey excitement. “The person with the most money left is the one who wins immunity at the tribal council vote-out tonight.”

“Hardly the moment of suspense you were hoping for, huh, Slick Bob?” Rico cackled. “We all know right off the bat who gets immunity. The twins. Too bad they aren't one person.”

“Funny, that's what our mother said when we were born,” Lauren piped up. “And many many times after.”

Shannen gave her sister a censorial nudge that only Ty recorded with his camera. Everybody else was watching Bobby trying to smile deeply enough to get his dimples back in place.

The twins' mother was not entranced with the prospect of twins? Ty pondered that as he studied the sisters' identical looks of chagrin. Both appeared to regret Lauren's impulsive revelation.

“Does this mean both Shannen and Lauren get immunity?” Cortnee asked.

“No!” Bobby was quick to reply. “Only one can have immunity. Shannen and Lauren, one of you gets the totem pole and one of you goes to the meeting tonight without its protection.”

“I can almost read your mind, so why don't you go ahead and say it, Bobby?” Shannen challenged him. “One of us goes to the meeting tonight to be voted off, am I right?”

Bobby went into a soliloquy that he'd obviously rehearsed, about one twin facing the prospect of leaving her twin sister on the island. Which one would it be? He ges
tured to the twins, directorially calling to the cameras to focus on them.

“You girls will have to make the decision yourselves, to choose which one of you gets the immunity totem,” Bobby added dramatically.

Ty zeroed in on Shannen. Her expression was priceless, and he came close to laughing out loud.

“Do you expect us to have a catfight or something?” Shannen glowered at Bobby. “Not a chance! Lauren, you take the immunity totem. I'll brave the council on my own.”

Shannen waited expectantly for Lauren to make the same offer back to her. She would insist that Lauren keep the totem pole, of course, but she fully expected Lauren to refuse at least once.

“Thanks, Shannen!” Lauren was all smiles as she threw her arms around Shannen's neck. “You're the best sister in the world!”

“I'll say she is!” seconded an admiring Konrad. “Because you know we're going to vote you off tonight, Shannen. Nothing personal, but we can't keep two of you around anymore.”

“I understand. Two of a kind is one too many,” Shannen murmured.

She managed to smile, though she felt sick with disappointment. It surprised her; she didn't think being out of the game would bother her so much.

Shannen kept her eyes away from Ty and clutched her money, smiling till her face hurt.

She wanted a little time alone with Lauren, but the cameras constantly stayed on them both. Hoping for some sort of sisterly tiff?

It didn't happen. The twins didn't mention the immunity issue. They recounted their hundred-dollar bills, all ten of them.

For a change, Ty wasn't filming them, Shannen noted.
He'd staked out a place on the beach by Konrad and Cortnee.

Cortnee was trying to teach Konrad some dance steps, and they both laughed uproariously at his failed attempts to match hers. Rico lay on the sand, clutching his stomach and groaning about the too-rich meal he'd eaten.

 

“Do you think Shannen will get voted off tonight?” Heidi asked Ty as they set up for filming at the tribal council area later that night.

“I didn't hear Rico or Cortnee jump in to refute Konrad when he said they'd vote her off, but who knows?” Ty shrugged.

“After experiencing Shannen's PMS moments today, I have to say that I like Lauren better,” admitted Heidi. “She's always so sweet.”

“PMS moments?” echoed Ty. “I believe Shannen blamed her bout of temper this morning on being accosted by a germ last night.”

The germ being him, of course. And he hadn't accosted her! He frowned. Why had he prolonged this stupid conversation with Heidi, anyway? Because he wanted to talk about Shannen at every opportunity with anyone? He was bordering on pathetic!

“A germ is just a euphemism for PMS, of course,” scoffed Heidi. “Like I used to call my ex-fiancé a germ because he made me sick.”

Now that was definitely a discussion to avoid. Ty pretended to be completely absorbed in adjusting the angle of the standing camera.

 

The contestants filed into the meeting place, and Bobby launched into a long monologue about the Final Four and Destiny.

Shannen barely tuned in to listen. She was too preoc
cupied to pay attention and kept looking around, trying to prepare herself for the voting to come.

She knew she was going to be voted off and so did everybody else. She wouldn't throw a tantrum over it as some others had, Shannen vowed. She wouldn't tear up and babble something insipidly sentimental, either. She was going to make a graceful exit, smiling, saying it had been fun and wishing the others good luck.

Reflexively she located Ty behind his camera. He wasn't looking at her; he was filming Cortnee, who was chatting quietly with Konrad while Bobby droned on. It was strange not to have Ty's full attention, not to have him watching her through his lens.

Shannen realized just how accustomed she'd become to having him focus on her. But from the time the auction had ended this afternoon, he had ignored her, filming everyone else
but
her.

She thought back to the passionate kiss Lauren had interrupted this morning. No use kidding herself—that had been a kiss meant to lead to much more. And it was her last private interaction with Tynan and had ended on a sour note, with her snapping at him, glaring as she left him.

But that was how most of their encounters on this island ended, and it had never altered his behavior toward her. Invariably, the next time she saw him, he would be watching her, that intense look in his eye as his camera rolled.

But now…he didn't even glance her way when he thought she might not be looking. She knew because she watched him covertly but constantly.

She felt anxiety begin a slow, steady build inside her. Ty was acting as though he was completely uninterested in her.

Because he was? Shannen fought against the sinking of her heart.

We'll make plans to see each other after the game, to continue what we've begun. To be together.
She closed her eyes and could hear his voice as she relived their brief time
together this morning at the spring.
I want us to be together, Shannen. I want you to want that, too.

She felt Lauren's hand squeeze hers.

“Shannen, don't fall asleep during Bobby's big talk,” she whispered. “Though it's tempting 'cause he's such a windbag.” Lauren giggled.

Shannen opened her eyes. Cameraman Reggie was filming her and Lauren, and Ty still wasn't looking their way. If—when!—she was voted out of the game tonight, she knew she would go to a nearby island to stay with the last seven contestants who'd been voted off the island.

There was a hotel there where they all stayed until it was time for “jury duty,” when the ten rejected contestants would appear at the final tribal council to vote for a winner, choosing between the Final Two.

She would be over there, and Ty would be here on this island, filming the surviving contestants all day and spending the nights in the crew's camp. She wouldn't see him anymore!

Shannen inhaled a sharp breath of dismay. Though she'd told Ty repeatedly that she didn't want to see him, that whatever was growing between them was over, at last she faced the truth.

She wanted what Ty had said he wanted.
We'll make plans to see each other after the game, to continue what we've begun. To be together.

But how could she tell him so, if she were on some other island? She knew the procedure: the rejects gathered their belongings immediately after the vote and were whisked away in a boat, not to be seen again.

The departure was never filmed. A pair of production assistants accompanied the loser until the boat left shore. She wouldn't have the chance to say anything to Ty.

When would she see him again? When the jury of contestants were brought back to the island to cast their votes
for the winner? There would be no chance to be alone with Ty then.

The anxiety swirling through her was awful; she hadn't felt this nervous about a man since she'd been back in high school, wondering if Ty would call her.

In the midst of her unbridled emotional storm, the voting came as a distinct anti-climax. Shannen cast her vote against Rico.

“Nothing personal,” she said, as the cameraman—who was not Ty—filmed her slipping her vote into the box.

Konrad, Rico and Cortnee voted against Shannen, as she'd expected. No, it wasn't personal, and she didn't take it that way. If she'd kept the immunity totem herself, they would have voted off Lauren. The alliance had included both twins until now, when one had to go.