Sam winced at the woman’s tone. “Look, Phyl, if I don’t stay, you may damn well end up losing one hell of a lot more than just your ass. Like you said, he won’t settle for less.” There was no sound from the other end of the line. “You still there?”
“My God, Sam. I had no idea he would go so far.”
“Well, he has. So don’t count on seeing me for the next several months, unless it’s on TV.”
She hung up and chewed the corner of her lip. Okay, that wasn’t as bad as she’d expected. Now all she had to do was go slowly and gently and not blow it. If she messed up this deal, she would have to staple a sign on her forehead that read, “I am a complete washout”. And maybe walk around in sackcloth and ashes for a few years.
She let her mind wander to the last ten hours of her life and she blushed hotly as she recalled exactly how wicked and wanton she had been. She had let herself be used shamelessly and, of course, she had done a bit of shameless using herself. A wicked smile curved her lips. And she had another few months of shameless, wanton activity ahead. She could so handle that.
Joe and the guys stepped out of the limo in the underground entrance of the arena to find the place thronged with fans. They moved shoulder-to-shoulder in a phalanx as Sam stepped out behind them and then David. Sam hurried along behind them as they made a path to the arena entrance. David followed more slowly, grinning and signing autographs and shirts, posing for candids with some of the fans who had brought cameras.
They were escorted into the pre-show party area where the backstage visitors were circulating, talking to the divas and the wrestlers. Greg was beside himself when Wolfman came up to him and clamped his huge hand on his thin shoulder and said, “I hear you wanted my autograph, boy. How about we give you something better than a signature on a piece of paper?”
“You shittin’ me? Wow. Sure!” Greg followed the giant wrestler instantly.
An entire battalion of cameramen was shooting as the huge wrestler grabbed one of the microphones and asked Greg what his name was. Then Sam and the others watched as the Wolfman introduced Greg as his “practice partner” and demonstrated a variety of holds, locks and overhead slams-without dropping him-as the TV cameras caught it all. Greg was red and excited when it was all over but when the cameraman handed him the video they had just made of him for his family and friends, he nearly fainted. “You mean this is mine?”
Wolfman posed for a few shots and made sure that Greg and the guys were given copies. Joe was shaking his head and saying how he envied Greg when the tall blonde diva tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Hey cutie, you wanna be
Joe flushed and stuttered but allowed the statuesque blonde to cajole him into posing for some publicity photos with her and the other divas. He especially enjoyed the one where all five divas were holding him to the mat with five spike-heeled shoes on his back, while he was pretending to scream in pain. But when all five of them grabbed him and picked him up over their heads, he was laughing so hard he could hardly breathe. The other boys were invited to do similar things and by the time David had come into the room, they were all having a wild time. Sam was watching them, her eyes alight and a smile on her face.
“Okay, Chance, you wanna give us a few publicity shots with the lovely lady there?” one of the cameramen asked quickly.
“No photos, fellas. I think you got enough last night, if I’m not mistaken,” he grinned, shaking his head.
“Aw, come on, Chance. Just a couple of poses.”
“Okay, just a minute.” He looked around until he found the boys and called them all over. He explained what he wanted them to do and then he turned to the photographers. “We’re ready.”
All five of the guys jumped on David, trying to drag him to the floor, and the photographers were snapping away, getting shots that had Sam laughing and pointing at them as Joe slid down one leg and tried to drag his foot out from under him. He had two of them in headlocks, one under each arm, and he was still holding himself upright despite their best efforts. Then the small dark haired diva jumped on Joe’s back and was pretending to bite his neck and Sam shouted out advice as he tried to dislodge her. Sam was laughing so hard, she could barely stand up, doubling over and guffawing as the young man everyone called Mouse jumped on the tall diva and got her in a headlock. The diva flipped him over her shoulder and pinned him on the floor, sitting on him and tickling him until he shouted for mercy.
The whole place was in an uproar for the next twenty minutes or so, until David allowed the guys to pin him and he shouted to Sam for help. She managed to gather her wits enough to drag one boy off, then another, until David lay there on the mat, his face dripping perspiration and his arm shading his eyes. He didn’t move and she frowned.
“Are you hurt or just faking it?” she asked, standing over him.
She saw the flash of movement but was helpless to stop herself from tumbling headfirst as he reached out and tripped her. But she didn’t hit the floor. He was amazingly fast as he caught her and rolled her on top of his body, coming to rest plastered to him as the cameras clicked madly.
She was laughing breathlessly when he caught the back of her neck and pulled her down to devour her lips, his tongue driving into her mouth with such hunger and ferocity, she couldn’t help but respond for a breathless moment. He tasted so damn good, felt so damn good, she lost track of everything but his kiss, his body, the way his hands moved over her so deliciously, scattering her thoughts and shredding her resistance to the winds.
Wolf whistles filled the room and after she realized what was happening and struggled to free herself, he allowed her to scramble to her feet and then, with one amazingly fluid movement, he had flipped up to his feet and was facing her as she stood there, breathing raggedly and ready to smack him upside the head.
“I wouldn’t, if I was you,” he breathed softly, his eyes aglow with laughter and something else.
“What will you do, beat me up in front of everyone?” she whispered, her eyes sparkling angrily.
“No but a good spanking might settle that temper of yours. It was all in fun. You’re the only one taking it wrong.” His eyes were dark and unreadable.
She swallowed and drew a deep breath. “I suppose I just can’t handle having you make a spectacle of me for the cameras. If you want to kiss me, David, do it in private.”
“That’s easier said than done. You’re very kissable.”
She glared at him, trying to remain angry, but her sense of humor won and she grinned slowly. “I can see I’m going to have to learn to deal with being notorious.”
“If I can do it, you can. The first lesson in dealing with fame is to never be afraid to be bad. Being bad gets you places, Sam. And you are the main squeeze of the baddest boy in wrestling, so deal with it.” Hearing him say it aloud was enough to make her blush hotly, and several others close to them heard it as well. She flashed him a threatening glare and he just grinned broadly. “Promises, Sam?”
“I’ll deal with you later, Chance Braza.” Her use of his ring name made him laugh and she said softly, “And you can take that as a threat.”
They were seated at ringside and Sam had the feeling that every pair of eyes in the arena was on her. The cameramen panned her often and her picture appeared on the huge overhead screen too much for her comfort as she tried to concentrate on the action on the mat. The guys were enjoying seeing their own faces on the huge TV and they grinned and made the victory sign for the folks at home. Joe was grinning and she knew why. One of the younger divas had given him her phone number and her e-mail address. He was riding the top of the waves tonight.
The warm-up matches between the middleweights and the tag teams had the crowd screaming and yelling. And when the divas came out, Joe was cheering his pretty little brunette as she took on one of the bigger blondes. The girl was good. When she won, she pulled off her see-through tank top to reveal a very sexy lace bustier and she tossed the tank to Joe, who caught it and blushed hotly as she gave him a broad wink and a come-hither smile that would have melted most older men. He pumped his fists in the air and shouted, “Way to go, Heather!”
Wolfman and the sumo guy faced off for a cage match and Greg was on his feet yelling encouragement at his hero, even though Wolfman lost that one when the sumo knocked him out with a chair that someone slipped under
