Page 36 of Sharing Shane

“Shane, you’re such a romantic,” Wyatt said and gave her a light squeeze. “Did you buy that red bikini with face cream money?”

She turned slightly to smile over her shoulder at him. “You liked that?”

“I loved that,” he told her with unabashed relish and an exaggerated leer. “I wanted to peel it off you with my teeth.”

“Oh. Well.”

“Excuse me!”

Veronica turned back to Derek with a sigh. “You’re still here?”

“You gave away my stuff?”

“Shirts, pants, ties, shoes. Oh, and the suit.”

“The suit? The suit?” He flapped his arms in the air as though he was trying to take flight. “It was nearly brand new. I’d only worn it once!”

“Well, now someone else is going to be wearing it.”

“I can’t believe—wait. You said shoes. Not the loafers.”

“The lady at the agency was thrilled to get them,” she said and watched him close his eyes in pain. “I’m sure whoever got them will put them to good use.”

“Agency?” Wyatt asked.

“Fresh Start,” she told him. “They specialize in helping recently incarcerated people find jobs. They help with resume writing, provide clothes for interviewing, stuff like that.”

“Nice,” Shane told her.

“I thought so.”

Derek’s face filled with rage, his mouth twisting with it. “You bitch.”

“Well, ouch,” she said mildly.

“You owe me what I paid for my half of this vacation, the two thousand dollars I had to shell out for the last-minute plane ticket down here?—”

“Is he high?” Wyatt wondered.

Shane grunted and tried to take a step towards Derek, but Veronica curled her hands into his shirt, shaking her head.

“Not worth it,” she said when he looked at her.

“—plus the cost of the suit, and the shoes, and all my skincare products,” Derek finished.

She rolled her eyes. “Go away, Derek.”

“I will not,” he declared haughtily, his cheeks still flushed with temper. “Not until you write me a check.”

“Is he really this clueless?” Wyatt wanted to know.

“I guess,” Veronica said and sighed when Shane broke free from her grip to stomp across the small room.

“Stay away from me,” Derek warned in a quavering voice, then squeaked when Shane fisted a hand in his shirt and started towing him toward the door. “You can’t do this! This is assault!”

Veronica glanced up at Wyatt. “Is he going to hurt him?”

Wyatt shook his head. “Nah,” he said, then pursed his lips when Shane slammed Derek against the wall and lifted him off his feet. “Well, maybe.”

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