Various States of Undress: Virginia Page 21

  “All right, ladies,” Larry said suddenly. I’ve got the go ahead.” He hopped out and opened a passenger door. Charlie did the same thing on the other side. “Go,” Larry commanded. As Dex watched, Virginia and Georgia were quickly surrounded by agents, and they disappeared into the trees. The SUV was empty; he immediately pulled out his cell phone and dialed Ariel. It rang and rang, and then went to voicemail. He let out a long breath before leaving a message.

  “Ariel, if you don’t call me back within half an hour and tell me what happened to Lilah’s new stock, then I’ll need to have a discussion with Granddad about diamonds. Let’s avoid the drama, shall we?” He clicked off and got out of the vehicle, nodding at the agent who stood guard nearby. When he reached the trailer, he spied a bench nearby and sat down, pulling out his phone again. He wanted to call his grandfather and ask him about the missing stock, but his gut told him he ought to wait.

  If Dex was right—and it had been Ariel—then Granddad would unnecessarily know that there was trouble at Lilah’s. The old man already had the upper hand because he owned the place, and Dex’s pressure on him to honor the real Lilah’s memory would only go so far. Dex would have to maneuver and manipulate to get what he wanted—just like a CEO ought to be able to do. Hunching over, he rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the sidewalk. The irony of all of this mess? He knew, deep down, that he didn’t want to be CEO of Cameron Enterprises anymore. All he cared about was Virginia—and Lilah’s.

  “Dex,” Virginia said in a furious whisper. He jerked his head up and saw her peeking out of the trailer door. A second later, the door shut, and he walked over and knocked. Georgia opened it and stepped back to let Dex in. “She’s half naked, but no shocker, right?”

  “I’m not going to answer that,” Dex said, grinning when Georgia laughed. He pushed past the racks of clothes and found Virginia at the end of the cramped space, holding up two blouses. She stood there in nothing but a pair of shorts and a striped red bra, which pushed her ample breasts up. There was a tiny bow in between the satin cups.

  “My face is up here,” she said dryly. When he looked up, she grinned. “Okay, now, which blouse? I know the new Lilah’s logo is blue, so do I go with the orange print or the red?” She made a face at the red blouse. “Oh hell. It has stars on it. Red, white, and blue? What was I thinking? The orange it is.”

  In spite of his anxiety, Dex chuckled. “Why do you need me again?”

  “You know why,” she answered, handing him the orange blouse. With a twitch of her hips, she walked back between the racks toward the front of the trailer. Dex followed and watched as she sat down on a padded bench to pull on a pair of platform sandals. When she was finished, she looked up at Georgia, who stood near the door. “Go tell Muscles I’ll be ready in thirty seconds.”

  Georgia winked at her. “Yes, sis, I’ll be happy to leave you alone with Dex.” As Virginia laughed, she pulled open the door and hopped down the steps, closing it behind her. Dex held the blouse and simply stared at Virginia for a moment. She really was beautiful. And caring. And funny, and—all he wanted in the world was to make everything work out for her. He smiled at her.

  She didn’t smile back. “Okay, something’s wrong. What is it?” she asked.

  “I’ll tell you later. Just focus on the photo shoot and—”

  “Don’t shrug those big shoulders at me, Dex,” she interrupted. “Your whole world is in your eyes right now, and don’t tell me I’m wrong.” Virginia stood up and took the blouse from his hands. She slipped it on, and, even as she began to button it, she gazed at him. “Spill it.”

  To his relief, there was a knock on the door, saving him from having to explain. “Yes?” Virginia asked.

  Larry opened the door, his face apologetic. “I’m sorry. The crowds are growing by the minute, so we can’t safely do this today. If that isn’t enough, WNBC figured it out. They’re setting up a camera guy right next to the fountain.”

  Virginia stared at him for a moment and then nodded in resignation. “We’ll reschedule. Okay. So what’s next, Muscles?”

  “Another vehicle is en route for your sister. I’m taking you and Dex back to Lilah’s for the time being.”

  Dex’s stomach sank because he knew the minute they were back at the store, he’d have to give her even more bad news about the stock. “Sorry, Virginia. I know your were looking forward to this today.”

  “I was. But we can go to my office and work.” She turned her head away from Larry’s line of vision and gave Dex a scorching look—her eyes full of promises. He nodded and managed a smile.

  “Good. Wait for my signal,” Larry said. As Virginia grabbed her bag, Larry spoke into his wrist mic and, a moment later, waved them out of the trailer. When they were in the SUV, Virginia pulled out her phone and leaned away from Dex, texting. A few seconds later, his phone made a swooshing noise. He raised his eyebrows and pulled it from his suit coat pocket, looking at the screen. Virginia had texted: My office door has a lock, right?

  He grinned at her and began typing. This is a lot more efficient than your notebook. Why didn’t we think of it earlier? And yes, a lock.

  Good, she texted back. Does the sofa pull out?

  You mean you haven’t checked yet?

  She covered her mouth and snickered. Hard to believe, but no, she texted back, and then she scooted close to him, her phone resting in her lap. “Come here,” she whispered.

  Dex leaned down and met her gaze. She still had a teasing glint in her eyes, but there was something else too. It was something close to adoration.

  “I want . . . I want you to make love to me,” she whispered, so softly that he barely heard her. A thrill of joy ran through him at her words, and it mixed, bittersweet, with his worry. He touched her cheek lightly.

  “That’s exactly what I want too,” he whispered back. “It is.”

  She let of a sigh of relief. “Good. I mean, I thought so, but . . .” She nodded and squeezed her hands together around her phone. “Good.”

  His phone made a swooshing noise again, and Virginia looked at him—then back down at her phone—in surprise. “I didn’t send . . . wait, did I?”

  “Huh?” Dex stared at the new text on his phone, his apprehension returning with a vengeance. It was from Ariel, and he read it silently twice, his heart sinking. What do u think ur doing, threatening me again, Dex? I don’t know why the fuck Lilah’s new stock went missing, but I’m going to help u out and ask Granddad. I’ll bet he has a clue. Xoxo.

  “Did you get my text?” Virginia asked.

  A second later, his phone swooshed again—this time the text coming from Virginia. He forced a grin at the winky face she’d sent him. “Yeah. Cute.”

  “Thanks, but I sent it only once, and your phone went off, like, three times. Maybe there’s something wrong with it.” She leaned over and Dex quickly angled the screen away. “My phone is fine,” he said, just as another text came in from Ariel. And another thing . . . u probably want 2 rein in your little famous girlfriend. She’s made the news again. LOL.

  “Your phone is on crack,” Virginia said, laughing. Before he could turn it off and put it away, she snatched it out of his hands. “Let me see. If you check the settings on . . .” Virginia trailed off as she stared at the screen, and Dex closed his eyes. He sat there a moment, the blood pounding in his brain, and then Virginia spoke.

  “Muscles, any reason we can’t go through the loading dock door when we get to Lilah’s?” she asked in an even tone.

  “Nope,” Larry answered.

  Dex opened his eyes and looked at Virginia. She was staring out the window, a sheen of tears in her eyes. “I was going to tell you the minute we had some privacy, sweetheart. I didn’t want your photo shoot to be ruined, and I’m so sorry you had to find out that way. I swear I’ll get to the bottom of it,” he said, his voice shaking with frustration and anger.

  Virginia turned to him, her eyes full of disappointment. He hated seeing that, and he didn’t kn
ow what else to say. All he could do was reach for her, half afraid that she wouldn’t come to him. She did, and he held her close, her face buried in his shoulder. Dex stared out the window, his jaw tight.

  Chapter Fifteen

  VIRGINIA FOUGHT TEARS all the way to Lilah’s, and when the SUV arrived, she didn’t wait for Muscles or his signal. She grabbed Dex’s hand, jumped out, ran straight up the steps of the loading dock, and banged on the door. Seconds later, Muscles and Silent were next to her but didn’t admonish her. Silent whipped out a key and unlocked the door. “Thanks,” she muttered. When she stepped inside, she let go of Dex’s hand and stared at the empty space where her stock had been earlier that morning, a numbness slowly replacing her sense of horror. It was all gone—all that work, everything she’d staked her reputation on. Gone.

  “Miss Fulton?” Ruston scuttled forward. “We’ll find out what happened. Don’t you worry.”

  She shook her head and began pacing. The noise from her heels hitting the concrete floor echoed in the cavernous space like some kind of death knell. “Ruston, that’s really sweet of you, but I think—I think that, unless we can find out what happened quickly, we will have to delay the grand reopening.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dex step forward and regard her cautiously, a bit expectantly, but she looked away, struggling with what to do. He’d hidden the truth from her to protect her, but this project meant the world to her. She’d had a right to know immediately. From Ariel’s cryptic texts, Virginia would bet her ass that there was a lot more happening than Dex had let on.

  There was way too much to think about right now—none of it was good, and all of it was connected to him. She glanced at him again, the man she was in love with, who had his heart in his eyes. Then she nodded at him, swallowing back the lump in her throat. Dex closed his eyes, his chest deflating as he let out a long sigh and he came to her, taking her hand. “Your office?”

  She nodded again, right as her phone dinged with a text. “Wonder who that is?” she muttered sarcastically and pulled the phone from her bag. When she clicked it on, she froze, her heart speeding up. She stared at the screen, not quite believing she was looking at the damning photo in front of her—a photo that had to have been taken only twenty minutes ago—a photo of her in the trailer in her bra, her breasts half spilling out. She stared at the playful expression on her face—was that her tongue showing as she laughed? The photo was captioned with the words “Drama Magnet” and had originated as a tweet from someone called @IloveLilahs. What the hell? She glanced at the accompanying text from Georgia—Heads-up. Paparazzi at it again. So, so sorry, sis. I love you—the floodgates opened and pure frustration spilled out. “Fuck,” she spat.

  Ruston’s head snapped back at the vehemence of her tone, but he didn’t say anything. Dex did.

  “Fuck!” he echoed, and then he took her arm and steered her out of the stockroom and toward the elevator. For once, Eddie didn’t say a word since it was obvious from her abject expression that she wasn’t in any shape to joke with him. Silent stayed silent, and Muscles stood behind her like a solid mountain of calm. Dex touched her shoulder briefly, which only made her stiffen. When she reached her office, she went straight for the sofa and collapsed on it, face down, burying herself in the soft cushion. She didn’t cry. She was beyond crying.

  The door closed softly and a few seconds later, Dex knelt beside her; then his arms came around her. Slowly, he turned her to face him. His eyes were wet.

  “I made you cry?” she said. “The paparazzi is right. I’m a drama magnet.”

  He shook his head. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”

  “Everything I touch turns to a pile of shit,” she said in a rusty whisper.

  “Last time I checked the mirror, I didn’t see a pile of shit staring back at me. But then again, I haven’t checked in a couple of hours. I ought to. I am a pile of shit, but it’s not your fault.” Dex eased onto the sofa and gathered her close. “You have every right to be pissed at me right now. I was an idiot—they were taking the clothes away right under my nose. I even signed the release, and then, when I realized what had happened, my first instinct was to tell you, but the timing . . . I fucked up. I . . . honestly don’t know what happened to the stock, but I’m pretty sure my sister has something to do with it. Or my granddad . . .” He trailed off and stared across the room, a miserable, defeated look in his eyes. As she gazed at him, her heart flooded with empathy. Slowly, she reached up and wiped wetness from his cheek.

  “Dex. Your grandfather is an asshole, your sister is a complete mess, and I think you might despise them as much as I do the paparazzi. The worst part is there’s very little we can do to stop either one of them.” She wiped his other cheek. “Do you think your grandfather was responsible for stealing my stock?”

  “No, I think it was Ariel, but who the hell knows. If it was him, he didn’t steal it. Technically, he owns it.” Dex cupped her chin. “But I swear to you, I’m going to get to the bottom of this and work it out. I’m also going to hunt down the fucking weasel who took that photo of you. That person was lying in wait and deserves to be murdered.”

  She gave him a weak smile. “We talked about this before, Dex. I don’t want to visit you in prison.”

  “Right. That wouldn’t be a great life. And my life . . .” He took a long breath. “Virginia. Despite everything falling to pieces today, despite the future being what it is, I can’t imagine my life being more perfect, and it’s because of you.” He gazed at her for a moment and then gave her the crooked, sheepish smile that made her heart sing.

  “This is horrible timing, but I have to say it. I’m not just obsessed with you. I love you, Virginia. I love you, and I think I have from day one.”

  As his words sank in, filling her with relief—with redemption—she stared at him. Her chin began to tremble. “Thank God.” She threw her arms around his neck and began to rock as tears finally spilled from her eyes, warm against her cheeks.

  “Oh, thank God. I love you too, Dex.”

  He hauled her onto his lap and held her, his face buried in the crook of her neck. After a moment his lips brushed over her collarbone, sending tingles down her spine. Then he kissed his way up to her face—slowly, lingeringly, his mouth brushing against her skin—until his lips hovered over hers. He froze and smiled wickedly.

  “Tease,” she whispered.

  “You’re so worth teasing.” He kissed the corners of her lips and then ran his tongue over her bottom lip. Right as she let out a small gasp, his phone went off with a chiming noise. He groaned.

  “What fresh hell is that?” she asked.

  “A Twitter alert. Just let me—”

  “Oh hell no,” she said, and scrambled off his lap. “Give it to me.”

  Dex pulled the phone out of his pocket and glanced at it. “Okay.”

  “Now.” She held out a hand. “If you don’t, I’m going to take both of our phones, throw them in the trash, and light it on fire. They’re obviously cursed.”

  “Okay.” He looked up, his eyebrows raised, and handed her his phone.

  She intended to toss it on the sofa without looking, but she caught sight of the bra photo again, posted by the mysterious @IloveLilahs. She read the accompanying tweet aloud. “In one minute it goes viral.” Virginia let out a disgusted huff. “Okay, who the hell is behind this? And if they love Lilah’s, why would they perpetuate the horror?”

  Dex pulled the phone out of her hand. “I don’t know. I’ve been trying to figure it out. Whoever it is started following me on Twitter the day after we had the prelaunch party at Flash. At first I thought was Stacey because most of the tweets were kind of dumb.” He winced. “Sorry.”

  Virginia chuckled. “Stacey would never do that, but she does enjoy pretending to be dumb. I used to enjoy joining her, actually.” She stared off into space for a moment and then shook herself. “Anyway, this person is obviously a troll who deserves to be ignored.” But then his phone chimed again, and she grabbed it,
scrolling the screen. “Oh! What a bitch. Whoever it is posted the photo again and added a TMZ hashtag, a Post hashtag, a—”

  Dex yanked the phone away and looked around the cluttered surface of her desk. He grabbed a bottle of water, opened it, and poured it into an empty coffee mug. Then he dropped the phone into the mug. “There. No more trolls.” He grinned at her but then looked down into the coffee mug and rubbed his jaw.

  “Holy shit,” Virginia said. “You murdered your phone.”

  Dex looked up with a stricken expression, and then she started giggling. The giggles escalated, and within seconds she was laughing hysterically, hanging on to his arm for support. “That . . . was . . . awesome,” she said, gasping.

  “Give me your phone,” he said suddenly. “I need to see what else—”

  “No way.” She let go of him and reached for her purse, swinging it over her head and across her breasts, scampering toward the windows. “Just let it be.”

  “You do realize, don’t you, that now I’m not going to give up until I get your phone?” He sauntered toward her, but she held her ground.

  “Hmm. There are a couple of obstacles between you and my phone that I’m pretty sure will distract you.”

  He continued to walk toward her. “Are they round? And soft?”

  She shrugged and then faked a yawn, making sure to thrust out her chest the tiniest bit. When Dex growled and made a grab for her, she shrieked and ran back across the room, stopping near the door. “Nice try, sexy Dexie.”

  “I want it on the record that I completely oppose that nickname.” He began walking toward her again.

  “Sexy Dexie?”

  “What?”

  She chuckled and pressed her back to the door. “See? You answer to it.” There was a sharp rap on the glass behind her, and she sucked in a breath, jumping forward and straight into Dex’s chest.

  “Who is it?” Dex asked, his arms coming around her.

  Muscles opened the door and peeked his head in. He didn’t even blink at the sight of Virginia in Dex’s embrace. “Excuse me, but you have visitors.”