Various States of Undress: Virginia (27 page)

Dex agreed, but he wasn't about to take Georgia's bait. He gave Virginia a smile. “Could we talk for a second?”

“What's wrong?” she asked immediately.

“Excuse me, but time is of the essence here. Maybe you could talk on the way?” Larry suggested.

Dex gave a short nod, but there was no way in hell he was going to spring the missing stock on Virginia while they were in a crowded vehicle. On their way to her photo shoot, dodging the paparazzi. Shit. The minute the shoot was over, he'd take her straight to his office and tell her. With a silent sigh, he stepped forward and steered Virginia toward the main entrance. “You're going to be great. If we get this done quickly, the media won't have a chance.”

She stopped walking. “Wait, why are we going out the front? Wouldn't we be a lot less conspicuous if we went out the back?” She frowned up at Dex, and he opened his mouth and then closed it again, watching her as she turned to Larry. “Right?”

Larry spoke into the mic on his wrist and, after a moment, shook his head. “It won't matter, Virginia. Idiots with cameras both places, I'm afraid.” When she sighed, he shrugged. “Sorry. But we're still willing to give this a try, at least. Are you ready?”

“Yes.” She grabbed Dex's hand. “All the outfits and accessories are in the trailer, right?”

God, he hoped so. “As far as I'm aware.” He smiled at her and allowed himself to be positioned by the agents. They walked through the main entrance in a clump, heads ducked, ignoring the media who stood behind barricades shouting. Within seconds, Dex found himself sandwiched between Georgia and Virginia, and the SUV took off. After a few turns down alleys and a couple of green lights, they were heading south on Fifth Avenue, and it appeared that they had shaken the paparazzi—for the time being.

“Great driving, Silent!” Virginia said to Charlie. He glanced over his shoulder and grinned but didn't say anything. She laughed and squeezed Dex's hand. “Oh, look. The park. There's the arch. I want to pose a few shots right there if I can.”

“You can't,” Larry commented. “It's too close to the street. We'll be lucky to get ten minutes at the fountain. The cops won't allow for more than that if a crowd starts to gather.”

Dex squeezed her hand back and gave her a reassuring smile. “It's going to be fine. You just worry about the clothes.”
And I'll do the same
, he thought to himself because he had to figure out what had happened to the missing stock. While Virginia was changing, he planned to call Ariel and find out. If he had to threaten her again with exposing her screwup with the fake diamonds, he'd do it.

When they reached Washington Square Park, the SUV rolled right over the sidewalk, zoomed past the arch, and took a sharp left into a clearing in the trees. Dex caught a glimpse of the trailer, parked alongside a walking path. It was in full view of the park. A lot of people milled around, watching as a couple of police officers set up temporary barricades near the fountain. Larry was right—they were going to have to hurry. “What's your first outfit?” he asked Virginia.

“The one that I can put on fastest.” She grimaced. “Maybe this wasn't a good idea. I'm trying really hard lately not to cause people any trouble.” She leaned in and whispered. “Especially you. You've worked too hard for this to get screwed up.”

“So have you,” he whispered back. “Even when I was a pain in the ass.”

“You're a good man, Dex Cameron.” She smiled up at him, pride in her eyes.

“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 know 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

V
IRGINIA 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.