Shannon realized she couldn’t continue to pretend to sleep through all that. She sat up, grabbed the sheet up and then reached over the edge of the bed to the floor and picked up her bra. She fumbled with it under the covers and got it on. Then she grabbed up her dress from yesterday and slipped it back on. She crawled out of the bed and smoothed the dress down. Snatching her purse up off the bedside table, she dashed to the bathroom and slammed the door.
Leaning back against the door with her eyes closed, she heard their laughter. Mortified, she opened her eyes and took in the bathroom. It was the only room in the loft that was actually boxed-in, with walls, ceiling and a door. Directly in front of her was a beautiful antique dresser that had been turned into a vanity by the addition of a gorgeous glass bowl that sat on top and served as the sink. A large framed mirror hung on the wall over it. To the right was a toilet, and to the left was a large, glass enclosed shower encased in a beautiful slate tile.
Shannon stepped forward, slung her bag on the vanity and leaned toward the mirror, studying her face. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was a mess. She dug in her bag and got to work trying to make herself presentable. A moment later, there was a tap on the door. She turned, staring at the closed door and asked hesitantly, “Who is it?”
“Got your bag, Princess,” Crash responded. “Thought you might want it.”
She opened the door a crack and peeked out at him. He smiled and held the bag up.
She reached a hand out, grabbed it, pulled it in and slammed the door shut. She heard his laughter and a “Your welcome, babe,” as he walked off.
Crash was standing in the kitchen, his arms folded over his chest, leaning back against the counter listening to his brothers go on about their night last night. And the whole time all he could think about was the way Shannon had looked all spread out on his bed. She still hadn’t come out of the bathroom. He really should just get these fuckers out of here while she was in there. He was contemplating how to do it, short of just saying ‘get the fuck out’, which he knew would only make them determined to stay longer, when he finally heard the bathroom door open.
“And then, Mary goes and dumps the whole plate of spaghetti on his head,” Wolf was telling the story. “No one knew what to do. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to start the applause.”
“Fuck you, Wolf,” Red Dog said.
“What? Come on, man. You were sitting in a restaurant full of people with spaghetti all over you. I didn’t take one shot. Now that’s love.”
Green chuckled.
Just then, Shannon walked around the corner of the L-shaped kitchen, and Crash’s arms came unfolded as he took her in. She was dressed in a black off-the-shoulder top made of a soft whisper-thin material that draped loosely until it got to her waist, then it clung tightly, revealing her hips. It was paired with white leggings. She had a pair of high-heeled slides on her feet. Her blonde hair was up in a twist which showed off her beautifully bare shoulders. Classy gold hoop earrings dangled from her ears. She moved past him, ignoring them all and opened the refrigerator. That gave him, and unfortunately, his brothers, a nice shot of the back view. And what a view it was. The white leggings showed off her perfect ass. But it was the top that caught all their eyes. It was held together by a string across her shoulder blades, leaving the rest of her back bare and also revealing the fact that she was braless under that draping. Holy shit.
She turned with the orange juice carton, and Crash immediately moved to get her a glass.
“Good God Almighty.” This from Wolf, murmured low under his breath.
“Um-um-um,” Green added.
Crash took the carton from her shaking hand and filled the glass for her, grinning at her.
“You gonna introduce us, brother?” Wolf asked.
“Shannon,” he nodded toward them. “The trifecta of fuck-ups. Larry, Curly and Moe.” He watched a smile pull at her mouth as her tension eased with his joke.
“Seriously, dude,” Wolf begged for mercy.
He nodded again toward each. “Wolf, Green, and you probably remember Red Dog from yesterday.”
Green leaned his folded arms on the bar, eyeing her up and down with a grin, and then he pulled the toothpick out of his mouth and pointed it at her with a smile. “I remember you, darlin’.”
Shannon looked at him with a stricken look, and Crash’s eyes cut between them.
Green’s eyes skated to Crash and back. “Gave your girl, here, her first ride. Didn’t I, sweetheart?”
“Green, knock it the fuck off. Leave her be,” Crash snapped.
“You remember me, don’t ya, babe?”
Crash watched Shannon’s back straighten like someone had jammed a steel-rod in it, and her chin came up. Then she tore into Green like Crash had never seen a woman do before. “Yes, I remember you. I remember when you dropped me off at the gate of my father’s estate you told me that I better remember what I’d been told. That I’d better not say, how did you put it, ‘nuttin’ to nobody’? And then you’d looked at the gate and back at me and sneered how I wouldn’t be too hard to find. Yes, I remember you,” she snapped.
Green straightened, the smile turning into a murderous expression, and Crash watched Shannon’s nerve falter as she took a tiny step back.
He stepped between them, his back to Shannon. “Told you once, brother. Knock it the fuck off.”
Green’s expression smoothed right out as he tore his eyes from her and looked at Crash and smiled. “It’s all good, man. Just playin’ with her. Little kitten’s got some claws, don’t she?” He looked back to Shannon. “Sorry, darlin’. I’m really not such a bad guy.”
“Yeah, you’re a real sweetheart,” Wolf supplied. “In your own special psychotic way.”