“Okay, thanks. That’ll give me enough time to talk to Norm. My gears are slipping between five and six and he’ll know what to do,”

Shannon lied through her teeth. There was nothing wrong with her bike. Even if there was, she could fix it better than the THS mechanic Frank kept on staff. “If you’ll excuse me.” Shannon quickly sidestepped

• 112 •


Descent

her. She didn’t relax until she had turned the corner and was heading back toward her hotel. Even then she kept glancing over her shoulder, expecting to see Nikki following her.

The sliding doors opened silently and a whish of cool air blew over her skin. It was hot and more than a little humid and she had practically run the half mile from the expo to her hotel. She veered to the left and within five minutes had a lukewarm beer in one hand, a glass of ice in the other, and a bowl of pretzels between them.

The hotel lounge was crowded, another sign that one of the biggest events in Switzerland was in town. She had managed to get to a table in the back of the room without being recognized and she sat with her back to the wall watching the scene in front of her. Even though it was considered a big no-no by beer aficionados, Shannon preferred her beer ice cold and expertly poured the beverage over the ice and waited for the small head of foam to subside. Studying the room, she recognized more than a few fellow riders, both male and female, all sporting their sponsor logos like the money on their back it was.

Not long after she sat down, a pair who had been all over each other in one of the dark booths in the corner practically ran out of the lounge to what Shannon guessed was one of their rooms. Hooking up was one of the pastimes of riders at every race. Some did it to kill time, others to alleviate the stress of the ride, and others simply because they could. One rider went so far as to call his liaisons his “weekend wife.”

Shannon wondered if his “weekday wife” was savvy to his escapades.

She doubted it. What happens on the circuit stays on the circuit. At least as far as the riders were concerned. It was the worst kept secret as to who was fucking whom, but nobody said anything about it outside of the tour.

She was into her third beer when Caroline walked in with the woman Shannon had seen her with in Scotland. Fran had also been with Caroline in Madrid, France, and Germany and Shannon couldn’t help noticing how close they were. She had watched them together, Fran handing Caroline her gear, wiping off her goggles, and even straightening her shirt. The act was almost intimate, implying that they were more than just friends.

A surge of jealousy crept into her throat and she unsuccessfully tried to wash it down with her beer. She signaled the waitress for another and

• 113 •


JuliE CaNNoN

couldn’t stop herself from watching the two of them squeeze through the patrons at the bar. Fran was leading, holding on to Caroline’s hand with what looked like a firm grip pulling her deeper into the crowd.

Finally they had their drinks and Caroline looked relieved to get out of the crowd and into a booth.

As they laughed and talked, Shannon saw Fran touch Caroline’s hand more than a few times to emphasize a point or God knows what.

Every time she touched Caroline or laughed at something Caroline said, the hair on the back of Shannon’s neck stood up. She had no right to feel this way about Caroline. She was free to socialize with whomever she wanted, but Shannon hated it nonetheless.

She was jealous, pure and simple. For no good reason other than she was. She couldn’t pinpoint why and didn’t even try. She had never been jealous of anyone before and it was an uncomfortable sensation.

She wanted to rip Fran’s head off, and if she touched Caroline one more time she might have to cut her hand off at the wrist.

Without warning, Caroline looked her way and caught Shannon staring at them. Shit. The last thing she needed was for Caroline to know how she felt, but by the look on her face, she did. Faking bravado she didn’t feel, Shannon raised her glass as if to say “here’s to you and your girlfriend.” She drained the half glass of beer without stopping to take a breath. The waitress must have been watching her as she appeared out of nowhere and Shannon nodded for her to bring another.

Against her better judgment, Shannon drank the beer knowing she would feel groggy and sluggish in the morning. She didn’t have to race until after two, but she had enough experience chasing away hangovers to know exactly what to do to be in shape for her race. An espresso, two tall glasses of pure orange juice with extra pulp, a poached egg, three slices of bacon, and she’d be ready to go.

Several times Shannon caught Caroline looking her way and then quickly turning her attention back to Fran. Was she the type of girl to cheat? Shannon didn’t think so, but what in the hell did she know about her? She never would have thought she’d be sitting here in Geneva, Switzerland, a favorite to win the world championship, but here she was. Things definitely change in ten years. But then again—she studied the shape of Caroline’s legs, the curve of her breast, the way her face lit up when she smiled—some things never change.

• 114 •


Descent

v

The bright lights of the bathroom were not pretty on Shannon’s bruised and battered skin. Road rash covered her left arm from the top of her shoulder to her wrist. Blood had seeped through the bandage around her elbow and would need to be changed soon. The crash during her second run had ended Shannon’s day in a very painful way.

Her riding gloves had protected her hands, but her fingers hurt as she opened and closed her fist. Moving down to her legs, the knee pad and shin guard had taken most of the damage, but a purple bruise was already forming on the outside of her left knee. A matching bruise was well under way on her hip spreading to the middle of her ass cheek.

Somehow, she had a scrape on her right cheek, a fat lip, and she would have a doozy of a shiner on her right eye by morning. All in all, it could have been much worse. She could have broken her neck or her collarbone at a minimum. The result of going ass-end-over-tin-cups, as her grandfather used to say, was not pretty.

Shannon’s entire body ached when she reached to turn on the water in the tub. She would have preferred a shower, but the aide at the health center had washed off most of the dirt and grime and she doubted if she could stand the force of the water against her raw skin. Shannon downed three ibuprofen with a beer from the minibar, unconcerned with the potential side effects of mixing alcohol and medication. Hopefully, it would knock her unconscious for the night because sleeping was probably out of the question.

She ignored the knock at the door and watched the hot water slowly fill the large Jacuzzi tub. Any other time she would slide in and let the jets work their magic, but just the thought of them bombarding her flesh sent a chill down her spine.

Cursing the persistent knocking, she limped to the door. “Go away.

I don’t want anything, and I’m in no mood for company.” She peered through the peephole and into the concerned eyes of Caroline.

“I’m not going away, so you might as well let me in,” came the muffled reply.

Shannon couldn’t see Caroline’s body language, but her tone definitely said she was not taking no for an answer. Sighing, she slid open the safety chain and turned the knob.

• 115 •


JuliE CaNNoN

Caroline held back a sob at the sight of Shannon’s face peeking out from behind the door. She was pale, her face clearly showing the pain she must be in. “I came to check on you.”

“You did, I’m alive, now go away and leave me alone.”

She started to shut the door but Caroline refused to be dismissed.

Shannon had taken a nasty spill on the last run and, along with the crowd, Caroline had held her breath until Shannon gave them a thumbs up while being carried to the first aid tent.

“Not a chance. Let me in or I’ll knock you over, and you know I can.” She watched as Shannon debated with herself as to whether or not to obey. When she stepped aside Caroline knew she had won—this round.What she wasn’t prepared for was that Shannon was totally naked and not even trying to cover herself. Her lustful thoughts were quickly replaced by concern and horror at the sight of her injuries.

“My God, Shannon. How are you even able to walk? Let me help you.” Caroline dropped her bag on the floor, hurried over, and froze when she didn’t know how to help or where to touch her where it wouldn’t hurt.

“I was just getting into the tub,” Shannon said, indicating the open door to what Caroline guessed was the bathroom.

“Good idea.” She stood with her hands up trying to find a place on Shannon’s body that wasn’t bruised or scraped. She settled on taking her hand and wrapping her arm around her waist. Slowly, they walked the short distance to the tub.

The water was about three-quarters full and Caroline turned off the spigots. The last of the water dripped into the tub with a drip, drip, drip. “Can you get in?”

Shannon lifted her injured leg and banged her ankle on the side of the tall tub. “Ouch, shit. The goddamned tub is too high. I can’t even lift my leg over the edge.”

Still holding Shannon, Caroline surveyed the situation. The tub was on a pedestal of sorts. It was designed more for sensuality than functionality and she knew there was no way Shannon would be able to get in or out on her own. There was only one thing to do.