Worthy Opponent
Shauna rang the Chasez’s doorbell with a true sense of dread. Karen’s dinner invitation had been more or less a gently couched order. It seemed she had corrected her son’s opinion of Shauna and he needed to make amends. Seeing JC Chasez again was one of the last things she wanted. Being in his presence rated right up there with root canal work. This evening would just have to be survived; that was the best she could hope for.
JC opened the door for Shauna. She was beautiful with her lush hair cascading over her shoulders. The soft peach color of her blouse made her skin look delicious. His eyes dropped to the purple smudges encircling her arm just above the elbow. Guilt assailed him. She was so delicate and he never meant to hurt her. He reached out a finger to lightly trace the bruise. “Aww…honey, I am so sorry I hurt you,” he said quietly.
Shauna bristled against the electricity he sent through her at the slight contact. “I am not apologizing for slapping you,” she told him coldly.
“No need to. I deserved it.” Finding his manners, he stepped back, allowing her in before closing the door. “No manuscript?”
“I’m not staying that long.”
“I understand.”
“I highly doubt it.”
Dammit, she was not going to make this easy! “Shauna…”
She held up a hand to stop him. “I don’t want to hear an insincere apology for your mother’s sake. Let’s pretend you offered said apology and I accepted it for Karen’s sake.”
“I am sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion.”
“Jumped? Buddy, you vaulted to it.”
“Okay. I took some leaps,” JC agreed. “I already said I was sorry.”
“And I accepted. We can file this chapter under history.”
“Good.” He offered his hand. “Friends.”
She looked at his hand as if he had extended a poisonous snake. “Yeah, right, in some alternate universe.”
She really wasn’t making this easy.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’ll be civil and even polite for your parents’ sake. As for the rest, I want nothing to do with you,” she pronounced.
He supposed that was the best she would offer for the present time. “Okay, then let’s shake on that.”
Grudgingly, Shauna clasped his hand. Something akin to electric current sizzled along her nerve endings on contact. Previously, she had only written about such things, never having experienced them. It was warm, hot, exciting, scary and confusing all at once. Immediately she pulled her mask of indifference into place.
JC’s eyes narrowed slightly. He was convinced she had felt the pleasant jolt of attraction just as he had. She simply was not going to acknowledge it – almost as if she feared it. Interesting…
“You can let go now, Chasez.” She pulled her hand from his warm grip.
“Shauna!” Roy’s voice boomed. “Good to see you.”
Shauna smiled for him. “Good evening, Mr. Chasez.”
Roy’s eyes dropped to the ring of bruises. To him, they looked suspiciously like fingerprints. “What happened there?”
“I did it,” JC confessed.
“You?” Roy frowned.
Shauna cut in quickly. “When he escorted me to my car Friday evening, I tripped and he grabbed my arm so I didn’t hit the pavement.” The lie was to protect Roy from the truth, not JC.
“It’s those high heels. You’re gonna break your neck one of these days,” Roy warned. “You’re tall enough with out them.”
Shauna looped her arm through his and headed him towards the dining room. “I like the way the make my legs look.”
JC’s eyes dropped to her mile-high legs. Today she wore a fairly short skirt. He could just see those long, silky legs around him as they…
Almost as if she heard his thoughts, Shauna glared at him over her shoulder before asking Roy, “Did you come to escort me to dinner, sir?”
Roy smiled broadly. “As a matter of fact, I did.”
“I take it Josh apologized,” Karen said as she and Shauna finished in the kitchen after dinner.
She hadn’t let him. “Yes and I accepted,” Shauna told her.
“Good.”
“Has he said how much longer he plans to stay?”
“No, he hasn’t.”
“Oh.”
“You can still come and work with me.”
How could Shauna explain she didn’t like being in the same city as JC Chasez, much less the same house. “I don’t want to break into family time.”
“Nonsense. Josh and Roy watch television after dinner. More times than not, Josh falls asleep.”
The two women headed towards the front of the house. Stopping in the living room archway, they noticed neither men were asleep.
JC looked up to see Shauna studying him. He’d give anything to know what she was really thinking. He patted the sofa cushion next to him. “Join us, ladies?”
Shauna shook her head. “Not me. I’m heading home.”
He popped up and came towards her. “I’ll walk you out. Wouldn’t want you to trip again.”
She could have cheerfully strangled him. Maintaining the promised façade of civility, she said, ” Thank you, but I’ll be fine. Don’t trouble yourself.”
He took her hand, guiding her to the door. “No trouble at all.”
“Goodnight!” Shauna called over her shoulder before she was escorted out the door. This is what she got for trying to spare someone else’s feelings, she thought darkly as JC walked her to her car.
Like a gentleman, he took her key to unlock the door, then held it open for her. “There you go, honey.”
“Thank you,” she muttered tightly.
Before she could escape, he had her hand again. “Shauna, I’d like to make amends.”
“No need.”
“There is a need. I was guilty of judging you without the facts. That isn’t like me.”
She snorted ungraciously. “Go sell that somewhere else.”
“Let me take you to dinner…”
Turning to face him, she pulled her hand from his. “Are you deaf, stupid or both? I do not want anything from you. I do not want to spend any time in your presence. What I do want is to have absolutely nothing to do with you. Do you understand now? Or do I have to drill a hole in that thick skull of yours and pour it in?”
He couldn’t help but smile. God, she was fantastic when she was mad. Passion just seethed from every pore. “I guess that means a goodnight kiss is out of the question?” His smile turned into an infuriating grin.
“Oooh!” Shauna swung away in disgust. She slid into the car and slammed the door. A moment later, the engine roared to life and she sped away.
JC watched until the glow of her tail lights disappeared. The chase had begun. A small smile played on his lips as he returned to the house. It had been a long time since he’d enjoyed a game of pursuit with such a worthy opponent. That would make his ultimate victory all that much sweeter.
It had become a battle of nerves. JC had extended his stay and Shauna decided she’d just have to ignore him if she wanted to work with Karen. She avoided dinners with the family, minimizing the time spent in his presence. When she and Karen went into the den, Shauna closed the door. Still, JC never failed to poke his head in at least once and ask if they needed anything. His mother found it sweet; Shauna found it annoying.
Then came the night JC asked if he could read her manuscript. Shauna was prepared to refuse. Karen handed him the first chapter. He took a seat on the sofa in the room and began reading.
Shauna became irritated with herself when she realized she was watching him from under lowered lashes. She found she was trying to read his face. Did he like it? She noticed how his curls tumbled onto his forehead as he bent his head in concentration. He chewed his fingernails. Her eyes took in how the fabric of his t-shirt was stretched taut across his shoulders. How…She yanked her eyes from him just before he looked up.
Getting to his feet, JC crossed the room directly behind Shauna’s chair. “Honey, this is awesome,” he said in a quiet voice, his hand resting on her shoulder. “I can’t wait to read more.”
It was difficult to concentrate with him standing so close, touching her. She could feel the heat emanating from him; smell a hint of his cologne. “Thank you.”
Karen rose. “I could use something to drink. Would you like something?”
“No, thank you.” Shauna had mistakenly believed JC would leave with his mother. Her heart sank when he remained. “What will it take for you to just leave me alone?” she demanded.
He bent so his lips brushed her ear when he spoke softly. “Why do you want me to leave, Shauna? Do I make you nervous?”
“Certainly not,” she scoffed.
“Does just knowing I’m near make you tremble?”
“You arrogant ass,” she muttered.
“Thou dost protest too much.” Moving a fraction of an inch closer, he rubbed his lips against the shell of her ear, tickling it with his warm breath, sending a sizzling jolt of electricity through both of them. “Feel that, baby?”
“Feel what?” Was that shaky, breathless voice really hers?
“This.” Holding her hair to one side, he skimmed his mouth along the side of her neck.
She jumped from her chair as if the seat had burned her. She swung to face him, her hands balled into tight fists. She was furious. “Quit toying with me. I don’t want to play your game.”
“I’m not toying with you, Shauna,” he informed her softly. “And as far as the game is concerned, I play to win. I play for keeps,” he warned.
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Why are you doing this to me? I’m sure you could have your choice of women.”
JC shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way. I want you.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re beautiful and intelligent. Because you challenge me.”
“You can’t have me. End of story.”
He took a step closer. She tried to move back, only to find herself trapped between the desk and JC. He took another step, then another. Their lower bodies bumped together. “The price of me leaving you alone the rest of the night is a kiss.”
“No!”
“Want me to leave? Kiss me.”
Surely she could survive one little kiss. “Okay,” she whispered.
Taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he lowered his mouth over hers tenderly. It was more devastating than a hard rough kiss and he had to know it. He didn’t try to invade her mouth, merely tasted and caressed her lips. Lifting his head, he gazed at her soft expression before her reserve fell back into place.
Before she could let loose a tirade, JC pulled away. “Good night, Shauna,” he bade her as he quit the room.
Shauna remained frozen in her place, staring after him. She had no idea how long she stood there before the spell was broken. “Damn the man!” She grumbled.
Finally, because of his schedule, JC was forced to leave Chicago. Much to Shauna’s irritation, he made much ado about giving her all of his contact numbers and where he would be when. She could reach him if she needed him – any time, day or night, he’d said. When the limousine arrived to whisk him away, he grabbed her hand, forcing her to accompany him or make a fuss in front of his parents.
The driver opened the door as they drew closer to the car.
“Chasez,” she hissed as he tossed his bag in and turned to her.
JC put his hands on her shoulders. “This isn’t the end of it,” he assured her.
She almost pleaded. “Why not?”
“Because I won’t let it be.” Placing a hand beneath her chin, he kissed her in that gentle melting way of his. “See you as soon as I can, honey.” With one more touch of her face, JC climbed into the car and the driver closed the door.
Shauna watched the big car pull away. She was glad he was gone. Now maybe she could get her sanity back.
Shauna stared at the blank page of the word processing program on her computer. She was blocked. She’d never had writer’s block! The words of her fan fiction usually just flowed from her fingertips. Now if she managed to string a few words together, they were pitiful and hollow. She knew exactly what her problem was. He stood about five-eleven, had hot blue eyes – and he would not leave her in peace!
Her answering machine never failed to have at least one message from JC on it of an evening. He called when he figured she’d be home, so she had to screen her calls. “Hi, honey. It’s JC. Miss you. See you soon,” was the usual message.
Her e-mail in box was clogged with little missives and e-cards. She was pretty sure he could be charged with spamming with the sheer volume of e-mails.
He sent her postcards from nearly every venue saying he missed her and wished she was with him.
Large bouquets of flowers had to be turned away.
Small gifts began to pile up in a corner of the Chasez den. Not a one had been opened.
Shauna wanted to beg Karen to make him stop. Karen, believing her son smitten by Shauna, saw nothing wrong with his excessive behavior.
She had met the real JC Chasez and she was unable to reconcile him with the man she had always written about. The real life JC couldn’t compare to the fantasy JC, despite all he was currently doing. She wasn’t buying what he was selling. The truth was simple; Belletrist was finished. One could not romanticize a pushy, arrogant man who thought the world revolved around him. JC had nailed the coffin closed on her fan fic career. All that remained to do was to tell her readers. How could she tell them the man they regarded as some romantic hero was far from it? She was the one who had created this mythical JC, putting her rather girlish imaginings in print. She couldn’t very well announce to the world that JC Chasez was not what he appeared to be. Once again, she was forced to fabricate a lie for JC to protect others.
Dear Readers…she began.