Turning away, she started to walk toward the wardrobe, but everything hit her at once. She had never felt such pain inside. She sat down in the nearest seat, completely paralyzed. Sobbing quietly, Anna wondered if she could ever recover from it. How many heart-wrenching blows could one person take, before they lost the ability to move on from them, at all?
Without a doubt, Anna loved Shayne. She'd fallen in love with him that first night—love at first sight. That love had been rejected, though, and definitely not wanted. She was just grateful she hadn’t made her feelings known. Something had broken inside of her with his departure, something that could never be repaired. Whether she lived another day or a lifetime, the hopes she'd harbored of ever finding someone who could love her was gone.
Several minutes passed. Then a gentle knock sounded on her door. “Anna? Are you awake?” a quiet British voice asked. When she didn't answer him, Ian partially opened the door and peeked around it. His face was serious and drawn, and she could see the endurer was deeply concerned.
She stood up, her cheeks flaming, as she made sure everything was covered. “Yes, give me a moment please. I’ll be right out.”
“I’ll wait for you downstairs,” Ian replied, closing the door. She heard the sound of his footsteps as he walked away.
Determined not to let on about how upset she truly was, Anna quickly washed her face and dressed. Maybe Shayne didn’t feel like she was worth much, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much it devastated her. She would be leaving, just as soon as possible.
Going downstairs, she couldn’t help but notice how lovely his home was. It was very natural looking, with lots of wood and creamy white walls. The ceilings in the rooms were high, leaving plenty of open space.
Checking from room to room, she finally found Ian in the kitchen. The tension in her shoulders left her when she realized he was alone. Her emotions were raw, and the last person she wanted to see was Shayne.
Ian watched her approach with a speculative look on his face. His usual cheerful countenance had been replaced with a somber and drawn look that didn’t bode well for her. He looked deeply uncomfortable, and she had a premonition that he was going to tell her something she didn’t like.
“Anna, I’m just going to say this outright,” he said. “Shayne is gone, and he doesn’t plan on coming back until this is over.” He waited for her reaction.
The hurt and anger she felt at his words nearly crippled Anna, but she was determined not to show it. Although Shayne couldn’t have made his feelings any plainer, it wasn’t Ian’s fault. He had left his fellow endurer in an awkward situation, leaving him to deal with the woman he couldn't commit to. She was going to make it very easy for Ian.
“I’m leaving tonight myself,” she informed him, in a practical voice. Anna wasn’t sure where she’d go, but there definitely was not a shortage of hotels in Las Vegas. “In fact, I was hoping you could make the arrangements for me.”
“You can’t,” Ian exclaimed, his eyes widening. “Your life is in danger out there. Why would you risk yourself like that? Shayne would kill me if I just let you leave.”
“I’m not asking permission, Ian,” she replied, standing up. The sooner she packed and left, the better she would feel. “As for Shayne being upset that I left, I wouldn’t bet on that, and you shouldn’t, either.” She let out a short bitter laugh and continued, “After all, he walked right out of the door himself, without a backwards glance.”
Ian's blond eyebrows had lifted with each word she said. For a moment, he looked too stunned to speak. “Look. I can see you're upset. And being pulled into this makes me want to go out and kick Shayne’s ass for leaving me in this situation. When it comes to women, the only way I know how to handle them is in bed. However, something tells me you wouldn’t appreciate those skills. Right?” Ian stopped talking, a question in his eyes.
Anna vigorously shook her head and then exhaled loudly. She wondered what the hell she'd gotten herself into. “I’m going upstairs to get packed. Could you call me a cab?” She quickly left the room before he had a chance to reply.
“SHIT!” IAN EXCLAIMED out loud, jumping up out of the chair to pace back and forth. He slammed his fist into the wall, trying to figure out how to diffuse the situation. He vowed the next time he saw Shayne he was going to hand his ass back to him on a platter. “Women,” he irritably muttered, “are more trouble than they are worth.”
Suddenly, he had an idea. A big, smug smile crossed his face as he realized exactly what he needed to do. There really was something to drinking your problems away, and it was time Anna was introduced to it. If nothing else, she’d end up too drunk to remember why she wanted to leave in the first place. As possessive as Shayne had been, Ian felt sure his friend and comrade would be back soon.
Then they could both thank Ian for his intervention later. For now, he needed to get his plans in motion, the sooner, the better. Ian quickly raced out of the room, certain he had stumbled across the perfect solution to his unwanted problem.
AN HOUR LATER, ANNA found herself sitting in the darkened nightclub, the music thumping all around her. Instead of taking her straight to a hotel, Ian had convinced her to go there. She was sipping her first Blue Hawaiian.
Ian seemed to be in his element. He was dressed tastefully, in a black shirt and dress slacks. His golden-blond hair was tousled, and the first few buttons of his shirt were undone. He looked
