Chapter 14- Beautifully Complicated

Shannon turned on the radio, the sound of the water lapping against the yacht was making her sick.

Boone sat at the table, the lights were dimmed and he was looking over something.

A smile crept across her face. He looked so sexy. She got up and then walked over to him. "Are we going to pretend that I'm not even here?"

Boone looked up, "Huh?"

Shannon crossed her arms, "Don't play stupid with me,"

Boone rubbed at his forehead and then placed his hand on his thigh. "I was looking over this agreement lease,"

Shannon sat down on the table.

Boone could smell her perfume, she was wearing his favorite perfume on women Versace woman. He focused on ignoring his senses, and then on the letter. "I want to start another business in Manhattan."

Shannon smiled, "A spa?"

"No,"

Shannon frowned, "Then what is it," She scratched at her legs which still itched and then crossed her arms again.

"No need in telling you."

Shannon grabbed his arm, "Why not?"

Boone frowned, "Because I don't want your feedback, it's always negative."

Shannon flipped her hair off her shoulder impatiently, "Fine, I don't care."

"Good," Boone stood up and walked towards the refrigerator/freezer. "What do you want for dinner,"

"You," Shannon teased suggestively.

Boone paused and then continued to open the freezer, "Shrimp, it is,"

"Teach me how to cook,"

"I don't have the time,"

Shannon pushed herself up, "C'mon,"

"I don't…."

Shannon hit him on the back, "I'm a fast learner and besides I guess I'm going to get married again one day…so I might have to learn how to cook."

"That's always a possibility." Boone muttered.

Shannon leaned against the wall, "Then teach me, Claire tried, but she didn't have enough time."

Boone started to open the package of shrimp, but Shannon eased it out of his hands.

"Let me open it," She said.

"You might break a nail," Boone replied.

Shannon looked around for a knife, "Do you have a knife,"

"To kill me?"

Shannon tilted her head to the side, "Don't be a smart ass, but if I did have a knife then I would use it to kill her."

"Isabella, my soon to be fiancé." Boone mumbled quickly.

"If you do marry her then I will kill you." Shannon growled.

"Well, it's a little too late for that."

Shannon raised an eyebrow. No it wasn't, she was going to stop at nothing until she separated Boone and Isabella, even if it meant going as far as to object at the actual wedding.

Boone sliced the knife through the package and then placed it down on the counter.

"Now show me how to make shrimp."

"Okay, well first you have to put a little bit of oil into the pot so it doesn't stick, and then some butter will be…"

As Boone talked, Shannon sat back and watched him. He was so charming, and beautiful, and no matter how much she treated him like shit, he still cared. As Boone continued to explain to her how to make shrimp, she drifted off to a night in Paris, when she was in need of saving, and Boone came to her rescue.

Shannon crossed her arms as she stared out at the Eiffel Tower.

She felt lousy and alone, because no matter how much she partied, and how many new guys she met, she still felt all alone in this place.

Shannon flopped down on her bed, and then reached for a bottle of water, and inside her dresser for sleeping pills, she wanted to sleep the night away. With frustration she popped off the top and then poured five pills into the palm of her hand. Shannon bit her lip, five was way too much, but what did it matter? Would anyone really care if she died.

"I need to stop this," Shannon whispered to herself. "This self-defeating behavior is making me act like him." Shannon tossed the sleeping pills down on the counter, and then placed her hand against her cheek. The one person she went to Paris to escape, plagued all of her thoughts.

Shannon reached for a Paris couture magazine, and then started to leaf through the glossy pages. If she had to she was going to force herself to get over him. Her eyes rested on a male model that resembled Boone. "Dammit, I just want to forget about him!" She then threw the magazine across the room, and slouched against the bed in defeat.

The bustling sounds coming from the street filtered into her room. Laughs, and people talking in French bounced off of her walls. Her empty walls.

Someone knocked at the door.

Shannon stared at the door blankly. It was probably some person selling something, no one came to visit her, not even her father.

They knocked again.

"What do you want?" Shannon growled.

They knocked again.

Shannon let out a loud grunt and then forced herself up, her fists were balled and she was ready to attack whoever was on the other side of the door. Shannon opened the door enraged.

He stared back at her.

Shannon's heart skipped a beat, "What are you doing here?"

"I talked to your father, he told me everything."

Shannon shrugged, "So,"

"I don't think you can get through this by yourself so I…"

Shannon bit her lip, "Why do you care huh?"

"I can't tell you why, because I don't even know."

"Do you know what I was doing to myself, and do you know why?"

Boone shook his head, "No, I don't know why you would do that to yourself, because you're so…"

"What, I am so what…and please don't say beautiful."

Boone swallowed down a lump in his throat, "You are,"

Shannon pushed Boone away from her, "Please don't start with me Boone, I just don't…" Shannon looked down, "I don't want to hear it."

Boone stepped inside, "Where are your friends…what about that guy, the one that hit you."

"He's gone,"

"Shannon did you make him up."

Shannon's mouth dropped open, "Why would I do that, do you think that I am that messed up that I would lie about that!"

Boone closed the door behind him. "Shannon, I'm not here to scold you."

"Then why are you here?"

"To…" Boone looked down in thought and then looked back at Shannon, "I guess I'm here to…"

"Watch me fall apart, watch me suffer for all the shit I put you, your mom, and my dad through. Well you know what I guess I deserve this, I deserve to suffer, and watch my life fall apart in front of me because…"

Boone grabbed Shannon gently by the shoulders. "It wasn't easy getting on that plane to come out here,"

"So why the hell did you come."

"Because believe it or not, I care about you…and I know deep down you care about me to."

Shannon narrowed her eyes at Boone, "I don't care about you."

Boone raised his chin defiantly, "Prove it,"

Shannon looked away.

Boone gently tightened his hands around Shannon's thin arms. "Prove it to me Shannon, tell me you want me to get back on the plane and go back to the U.S., and I'll be gone in seconds."

Shannon opened her mouth, "I…"

Boone's thick dark brown eyebrows lowered over his pale blue eyes.

She didn't want him to leave, but then again she didn't want him to see her in this disastrous state.

"Let me take care of you." Boone said.

Tears were started to sting Shannon eyes. Tears of a lost, pathetic person, she thought miserably to herself. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"You've asked me the same question twenty different ways." Boone replied placing his hand under her chin.

Shannon looked up at Boone with big hazel eyes, "I just don't understand."

"You need someone to be there, and I only can hope that when I need you, you'll be there for me too…even if I am in Japan."

Shannon hugged Boone.

He rested his chin on top of her head. "I'll always be here for you, even when you stomp me to the ground, and spit on me."

"You're a fool," Shannon whispered, loving him all the while.

"Did you listen to my tutorial at all," Boone asked.

"Huh?" Shannon said.

Boone rolled his eyes, "You beg me to teach you how to cook something, and then you zone out while I'm trying to explain?"

"I was just thinking that's it, now continue." Shannon said waving her hand.

Boone's cell phone rang.

"It's the hoar don't answer it." Shannon complained.

"I'm not answering it."

"You had a change of heart?"

"No, I just need a break from Isabella, and I needed a break from you, but you came along for the ride."

"And do you want to know why I came."

"I'm not sure," Boone said turning on the stove.

Shannon turned the stove back off, "You've always been there for me, and I guess…I wanted to be there for you."

"I feel like I need a drink again."

Shannon looked down, "No you don't…but you need me as much as I need you."

"I get what you're doing." Boone whispered.

Shannon traced her hand along Boone's chiseled jaw, "I'm trying to think of someone else besides myself…which includes you on your back, and I'm giving you a massage with hot oil, and your liking it."

Boone stepped back as Shannon pushed her body against his.

"I want to make love to you," She whispered in his ear.

"I thought you claimed to care." Boone said sarcastically.

"I do care, but I need to feel comfort right now, and I can only get that with you." Shannon kissed him on the cheek. She was going to seduce Boone, and then she was going to make sure that Isabella found out about it.

"You have a twisted, messed up way of showing your love," Boone said.

Shannon traced her fingers along his lips, "Because I'm messed up."

Boone looked down.

Shannon removed her hand and then kissed him. "I love you, and if you marry her, then I'll be crushed."

Boone raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Shannon looked away, "I'm not repeating that! I love you Boone…and until I can figure out how to show you that, without feeling disgusting and gross, then…"

"Then what?" Boone asked.

"I'm going to come off as a big heartless bitch, that only cares about herself and no one else…but I do love you…God, I can't believe I'm saying all of this…"

Boone placed his hands on Shannon's shoulders. "You know how I feel about you, but I always felt as if my feelings are wrong, because…"

"I'm your step sister," Shannon filled in.

Boone shook his head, "No, not because of that…but because of the way you made me feel…the way you always had complete control over me, I used to enjoy being wrapped around your finger, but now I know I need to move on, I need a backbone, I need…"

"You need me Boone," Shannon reached for his hands, and then placed them on her waist. "Show me how much you love me, and I promise I'll give you the real me…at least for tonight."

"And what about tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after…"

Shannon slapped Boone's hands away from her shirt, and then worked on taking off his. "Just shut up Boone, I'm trying to give you me…let you know how much I care about you, how much I love you, and how much I hate it when I see you with other women, women uglier than me, women that don't deserve you like Isabella,"

Shannon tossed Boone's shirt across the floor.

"Being alone, is better than being used, being a pawn in your game. Do you know what it feels like to give into you?"

Shannon brought Boone towards the couch. "Just love me, give me one more night not holding anything back, and if you at least give me that much, then I'll go. I'll get out of your life forever, and I'll let you live unhappily ever after with her…Just give me one last night with you Boone, holding nothing back, so I can know that I didn't leave without trying to redeem myself in your eyes."

(Hey guys thanks for the reviews!)