His apology for running out of the tower room yesterday was a good one, and every orgasm-filled minute was worth the tiredness. If every night was as deliciously draining, I wouldn’t complain about the lack of sleep—I’d welcome it. As for today, on top of everything else, I was sure I could find plenty of other rooms and closets that needed cleaning.
My phone beeped, and immediately rocks dropped to the bottom of my stomach. I knew who it was before looking. Shane hadn’t texted since yesterday, but that didn’t mean he was done with me.
Find that wolf yet? S
My fingers hovered over the keyboard to type a reply that told him to get lost, but before I could, the bedroom door opened a crack.
“You awake in there?” Barb didn’t wait for me to answer before she pushed the door open and leaned against the doorjamb. Max peeked out from an oversized handbag and watched his adopted owner with loving puppy eyes. He had it bad. I knew how he felt.
Barb smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly smile; it was how a wolf might smile after devouring a deer. “Have you checked your emails?”
“Not in the last ten minutes.”
“You’re in for a surprise. I’ll meet you in the banquet room in ten so we can discuss Violet’s latest requests.” Barb disappeared before I could question her.
Apprehension settled in the pit of my stomach along with the rocks. Whatever news was waiting in my inbox wouldn’t be good.
I refreshed the emails on my iPad. Three from Violet all sent within a minute of each other. None with a subject line. This didn’t bode well. Violet rarely contacted me directly.
My bridesmaids can’t be as thin as me on my wedding day. When they arrive, serve them nothing but carbs. The tighter their dresses, the better I’ll look. I want their stomachs bloated in the pictures. If you have to, steal their Spanx. Especially from Sierra Winters. That bitch beat my box office record last week. She needs to look as if she’s four months pregnant.
Every girl needed a friend like Violet. I opened the next email.
All bridesmaids must be the same height. I want to be the tallest. Since I’m five-four, you need to make sure they all wear heels that make them at least three inches shorter than me. I’m wearing four-inch heels. Make sure they’re all five-five. I will measure their height.
Not at all demanding. I clicked on the third email.
I don’t want to pay for anything. Make sure I don’t have to. That includes you. Your payment will be the publicity you get from your name being in every magazine in the world. You’re welcome.
The words distorted in front of my eyes and blurred until they were nothing but black blobs on the screen. No payment? Free? No way could I work for free. No one could. Too many people depended on the revenue this wedding would bring in. I sagged into the chair. Violet’s demands were ridiculous. How nice to live in a world where you earned a fortune and still expected people to give you freebies.
Keegan sauntered out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and droplets of water sticking to his skin. If Violet’s emails hadn’t stomped all over my good mood, I would have whipped the towel off and licked him dry.
“Something wrong?” he asked, warming his back by the fire. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, which wouldn’t surprise me in this place.”
“The grim reaper paid a visit.” I handed Keegan my iPad. “Read my emails.”
His brows lifted higher by the second. “I’ve worked with some shites in my day, but this… Jesus. Does Barb know?”
I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded. “She practically flew away and cackled when she asked if I’d read my emails.” I held my head in my hands. “I can’t work for free. I know this job will bring in lots of publicity, but that won’t pay my current bills or pay the contractors’ bills. I can probably negotiate a lower fee, but I’m already at rock bottom.”
Anxiety hopped between my synapses. If I had money in the bank, I’d consider doing what I could for free, because, yes, a job as prestigious as Violet’s would bring in hundreds of thousands in revenue for years to come. But most of those jobs were months away, and I needed money now.
I stood and paced around the room, tapping my fingertips against my lips. “I’m meeting Barb in a few. Maybe she knows how to change Violet’s mind. I’m worried about Brendan as much as anything. Getting him to agree to this wedding in the first place wasn’t easy. There’s no way his bank account will cover all the repairs done to the castle.”
Keegan placed himself in front of me and caught my hands in his. The softness in his eyes soothed some of my jangled nerves. His sweet, dimpled smile almost made my problems disappear.
“Let me talk to Barb.” He smoothed his hands over my shoulders. “I’ve been through negotiations with tougher people than her.”
“Thanks, but I need to handle this by myself.” I stared over his shoulder at the snapping flames.
He clasped my chin between his fingers and turned my face until our eyes met. “I’m not the enemy. Not anymore. They’re going to take advantage of you.”
I blew out a breath and met his eyes. “I’m not a weak little woman who needs rescuing, Keegan. Let me take care of this.”
He firmed his lips, then nodded. “I’ll try to keep my mouth shut, but I can’t promise.”
I lowered my gaze and focused on a droplet of water
