FLOWERS and CAGES (24 page)

Seeing the gesture—and understanding—Quinn smiled. "I suppose love is about taking a chance. The path I had chosen was straight and clear. My choice was simple. Stay the course or veer into the unknown. Admittedly, I jumped a little sooner than Ryder. Luckily, he wasn't far behind."

"I'm not in love with Dalton." Hearing the words didn't help. If anything, the twisty feeling intensified. "It's too soon. Isn't it?"

"You want to put a timetable on love?" The question seemed to amuse Quinn. "That's fair. How long. A month? Six? A year is a nice round amount."

"A week?" Colleen would have been the first to admit that it was a ridiculous situation. However, she couldn't find anything to laugh about.

"An intense week." Sympathetic, Quinn tempered her words. "Let me ask you this. When you take on the job of refurbishing an automobile, what do you look for?"

"A solid frame." Quinn's point clicked. "You think that Dalton and I have a good foundation to build on?"

"What do you think?"

"That I can't move ahead unless Dalton wants the same thing."

"And you can't ask?"

Wide eyed, Colleen stared at Quinn as if she had grown a second head. "Would you?"

"After a week? Not on your life." Quinn took a sip of water. "Is there anything stopping you from staying in Los Angeles?"

"My plan was to leave Midas next spring. Los Angeles was on my short list of destinations. "I love it here. But…" Would it look desperate? Colleen wondered. As though she was setting her sights on the
big prize
?

"If things with Dalton blew up tomorrow, would you still want to move here?"

"Yes."

"There's your answer. You shouldn't change your life because of Dalton. That said, if you are in the same city, at the same time? The timetable for falling in love becomes infinite."

"We could date. Like normal people." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Colleen knew how ridiculous they sounded. She burst out laughing. Quinn was right with her.

"Normal is relative when you are involved with a rock star."

Colleen had a lifetime of normal. She wanted more long before Dalton Shaw and his sputtering Porsche drove into her life. Changing her plans for a man? Even one that—if she were completely honest—already owned a piece of her heart? Absolutely not. That didn't mean she couldn't take a page from Quinn's book. For so long, she had been on the same boring path. Dalton made her swerve. And, Colleen realized, that wasn't such a bad thing.

"I can speak from experience," she said with a grin. "Normal is overrated."

SOMETHING WOKE COLLEEN at the break of day. To say she resented the interruption put it mildly. Slowly, reluctantly, she opened her eyes. What she saw almost made the effort worth it. Blinking once, she looked again. Naked Dalton. On his stomach. His face turned toward her. That sexy body, covers pushed off, stretched out on the bed less than an arm's length away. It would be like visiting the Louvre, ending the tour just before she got to the Mona Lisa.

She could sleep anytime. Beauty should never be ignored.

Warm and relaxed, Colleen pulled the sheet under her chin. They weren't at Dalton's house. It was a nice room. Luxurious. The penthouse suite in one of Los Angeles most exclusive hotels. The band's manager, Alden Christopher, had booked them the penthouse suite in one of the most exclusive hotels in Los Angeles. Since the after-concert reception was to be held in the hotel's ballroom, it made sense. Instead of worrying about dragging themselves to their separate homes, they could crash up here anytime they wanted.

Four bedrooms connected by a huge common area. Colleen hadn't seen a lot of it. She entered the suite slung over Dalton's shoulder after a heated make-out session on the elevator ride. But she was certain she would have plenty of time to explore before check-out time. The huge balcony she glimpsed before Dalton shut the bedroom door would be the perfect place to eat breakfast.

Dalton sighed, his hand brushing Colleen's. Holding her breath, she waited, but he didn't open his eyes. Not that she was surprised. The massive amounts of energy he expended on stage, the endless publicity pictures, followed by a reception where Colleen discovered Dalton could schmooze with the best of them—and slow dance to perfection.

A night like that would have knocked out anybody. Somehow Dalton managed to save the best for last. He pleasured her with so much care, it brought tears to her eyes. Over and over again. With his hands. His mouth. His body. Making certain Colleen found her release before taking his own. If Dalton stirred before noon, she would be surprised. He more than earned the rest.

No sooner had Colleen finished the thought than her phone chose that second to buzz, signaling an incoming call. Cursing, she snatched it from the nightstand. Having adjusted the settings before the concert, she said a silent thank you that it was still on vibrate.

Colleen checked the screen.
Mom
. Careful not to disturb Dalton, she eased out of bed, grabbed her robe, and took the phone into the other room. Her mother was not an early riser. As Sherry often said, one of the benefits of owning her own business was the fact that she could get somebody else to open the salon. The sun wasn't visible, its light barely beginning to light the sky.

Concerned, Colleen hit the voicemail key. If her mother was calling at this hour, it had to be an emergency.

"Colleen!" Sherry sounded breathless, her voice vibrating with barely concealed panic. "This is an emergency. Call me immediately."

Any other time, Colleen might have laughed. She knew her mother. Sherry loved to draw out the drama. However, when the situation was truly serious, Mom understood the importance of brevity. Surprised to find her hand shaking, Colleen hit speed dial.

"Thank God," Sherry said. As greetings went, it did nothing to allay Colleen's anxiety.

"What's wrong, Mom? Is Rick okay?"

"Yes, honey. We're fine."

Relieved, Colleen filled her air-deprived lungs. Finding out nobody was hurt meant she could start to breathe again.

"You didn't call to say hello. What happened?"

"There's been a fire. Don't panic. Nothing more than some property damage."

"Your salon?" Colleen hated to think of her mother's business going up in flames. But she was fully insured. Lives were what mattered. Things could be replaced.

"No. Not the salon." Sherry paused. "It's your car, Colleen."

"My Thunderbird?" Colleen slowly sank onto the sofa.

"There's nothing left but a shell. And Colleen? The police say it wasn't an accident."

COLLEEN DIDN'T BOTHER to pack. Jeans, a t-shirt, some clean underwear. Followed by a pair of sneakers, her jacket, and her purse. That was all she needed. The entire time she gathered her things, she kept an eye on Dalton. The last thing she needed was for him to wake up. To her relief, he didn't stir, his breathing steady. Pausing, Colleen blew him a kiss before slipping from the room. Dalton wouldn't support her decision. He would insist on returning with her to Arizona. Since Colleen's response to that would be,
over my dead body
, she thought it best to save them both the aggravation.

"Did you at least leave him a note?"

Stifling a yelp, Colleen whipped around, knocking her shin against the edge of the glass coffee table. Out of the shadows walked Zoe, eyes narrowed, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Of course, she left him a note. Right, Colleen?"

Colleen looked at Quinn then Zoe. Both women were fully dressed in workout clothes. At this hour of the morning? They couldn't have gotten more than a few hours of sleep. A healthy body was one thing. This was ridiculous.

"Keep your voices down." Furtively, Colleen glanced toward the bedroom.

"Nobody is up but us."

Zoe took a step closer. Her hair was pulled back. She wore no makeup. With little or no sleep, she looked fresh. A freaking natural beauty. Under different circumstances, Colleen would have taken the time to hate her—just a little.

"Want to tell us what's going on?" Quinn asked, standing shoulder to shoulder with Zoe.

"No." Without another word, Colleen turned to leave. One step and she stopped. The point was to get as much distance between herself and Los Angeles before Dalton knew she was gone. Unless she gave them some explanation, she couldn't count on Zoe and Quinn to keep her departure under wraps.

"I'll tell you. If you promise not to say anything to Dalton."

"No." Zoe's answer was quick, short and emphatic.

"I'm with Zoe," Quinn nodded. "Dalton is family, Colleen."

That said it all. Colleen had never met such a tight-knit group. She couldn't expect Zoe and Quinn to side with her. Taking a breath, she realized there was only one way. Colleen didn't have time to go into detail. But she could tell them her motivation. Hopefully, it would be enough.

"Dalton can't go back to Arizona. I have to. You have your car here, right?"

Zoe gave her a brief nod.

"If you will drive me to the bus station, I'll fill you in on the way."

"Let's go." Without further preamble, Zoe headed for the door.

"You heard her."

For some unfathomable reason, Quinn grabbed her camera bag before pushing Colleen into the hall. The elevator dinged, doors opening, just as they reached it.

"Okay." Zoe hit the button for the lobby, pinning Colleen with her sharp, blue gaze. "Start talking."

Colleen gathered her thoughts, took a deep breath, and plunged in.

"Somebody torched my T-Bird, and it has the stench of Collier Langley written all over it."

DALTON WAS DISAPPOINTED when he found the other side of the bed empty, but not alarmed. Squinting at the bedside clock, he groaned. Ten-thirty? Damn. He would have stayed in bed much longer.
If
there had been a warm, sweet-smelling woman to cuddle with.

Instead, he rolled to his feet, stretching his arms over his head as he slowly made his way to the bathroom. A hot shower wasn't the perfect substitute, but it would have to do. He would take his time before joining Colleen. He smiled, picturing her on the balcony she found so intriguing.

Twenty minutes later, he stood in front of the mirror. With a final swipe of his razor, the last of yesterday's stubble disappeared from his face, swirling down the drain. It had become a daily routine, one he did without thought or hesitation. For a man who had always hated to shave, it was telling. Colleen was a part of his life. A big part. If he had his way, a permanent part. He would do whatever it took to make her feel at home in his world. Protecting her delicate skin might seem like a strange way to go about it. It was a small step in a longer process.

How to woo a woman by Dalton Shaw
. Grinning, he wiped the last of the shaving cream from his face. No. Not
a
woman. A very specific one. Colleen McNamara. Some of it would be work. Some might not. As corny as it sounded, Dalton wanted all of her. Body, heart, and soul.

Picking up his pace, Dalton threw on his clothes. As he expected, there was activity in the other room. Ashe was catching up on last night's baseball scores while Ryder's fingers flew over the keyboard of his laptop.

"Too much testosterone." Passing by, Dalton slapped Ashe on the shoulder. Finding the balcony empty, he called out, "Where are the women?"

"Before we fell asleep, Quinn mentioned that she planned on joining Zoe in the gym. I assume they took Colleen with them."

It sounded reasonable. Except for one thing. Zoe always worked out at the crack of dawn. No matter what.

"How long have you been up?"

Annoyed by the distraction, Ryder shifted his focus to the timestamp on the computer screen.

"Eleven o'clock? That can't be right. I was fiddling with this new music program and lost track of time. Ashe? Do remember what time I started?"

"Nine thirty. Don't panic." Ashe sounded like the voice of reason, but he was the one jumping to his feet. "When did Colleen leave?"

Frowning, Dalton shook his head.

"Ryder? Did you see Quinn this morning?"

"She was gone when I woke up."

"Check Zoe's room," Dalton called to Ashe, already headed to his.

Nothing was missing. Colleen's suitcase was in the closet. The dress she wore last night, flung over the chair where it landed after he pulled it off her. He tried to remember what she had packed. Not much. They weren't staying more than one night. Jeans? Sneakers? They were gone. So was her purse.

Ashe returned to the living room, shaking his head. "Zoe's room looks like it did when we checked in. I swear. That woman is freakishly neat."

"Quinn's camera bag is gone. Nothing odd about that. She takes it everywhere except the bathroom. Clothing wise, her workout stuff is all that's missing."

"Call them."

"Are we overacting?" Ashe asked, dialing Zoe's number.

"Better safe than sorry is a cliché for a reason." Dalton paced as he listened to Colleen's phone ring. He stopped when it went straight to voicemail.

"Hey, Red. Just checking in. Give me a call as soon as you get the chance."

Ashe hung up after leaving a message for Zoe. "Considering the way you're clutching your phone, that sounded impressively calm."

"Ryder?"

"Same here. Voicemail."

Ryder picked up the hotel phone. Just his luck. The night staff working the front desk went off shift at nine o'clock. The woman currently on duty was certain the women hadn't passed her way. She was a huge fan. If Zoe Hart were nearby, she would have noticed.

"Can you check to see if Zoe's car is still in the parking lot?"

"Right away, Mr. Shaw." There was a short pause while the woman used a different line. "According to our records, she had the car brought around just before six this morning."

"Five hours ago."

Dalton hung up. He had tried to tell himself that Ashe was right. In all likelihood, they were overreacting. So what if all three women were out. And not answering their phones. Or had bothered to leave a note. Zoe driving off in her car was no big deal. But at six in the morning? Damn it. What was going on?