by Krista Lakes
Everything about Wyatt was against corporate policy.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cassie
The rest of the day was a nightmare.
The press kept the lobby filled and nearly caused a car accident when they saw Wyatt's SUVs leaving the parking lot. Even after they learned he was no longer staying at the hotel, many of them refused to leave.
They'd figured out that Cassie was the mystery woman from the night before. The press figured out why Wyatt Landers would be staying in a regular business hotel faster than Lenny did. It wasn't long before they were trying to sneak into her office and were calling her work phone non-stop.
She couldn't leave her office. Every time she stepped out to check the linen supplies or go to the employee areas to post the schedule, some reporter was hounding her for information.
Where had Wyatt Landers been hiding? How did she know him? Were they in a relationship? What was he doing back in the states? Was he going to disappear again? What did this mean for his company?
She didn't have answers for any of them. She didn't even have answers for herself.
“No comment” and “You should ask him yourself” were repeated until she grew hoarse.
It wasn't even lunchtime, and she was exhausted. It was easy to see now why Wyatt had chosen to hide out on a tropical island. A deserted one sounded even better at this point. She wished the reporters would just leave her alone.
There was a knock on her office door.
“Please go away,” she shouted at it. “I'm not interested in any interviews.”
The doorknob rattled, and she picked up her stapler, ready to chuck it at whoever decided it was a good idea to open the door. The door opened, and she let the stapler fly.
The stapler crashed against the wall, luckily avoiding Lenny's head by inches.
He jumped in the air and looked at her completely startled. “Misuse of company materials is not allowed, Miss Turner.”
Cassie blushed a deep crimson and hurried over to the fallen stapler. It was luckily unbroken and still in perfect working condition. “I am so sorry, sir. It's been a rough day.”
“Indeed it has,” he agreed. He cleared his throat. “That's actually why I'm here.”
“Sir, I'm doing everything I can to remedy this situation. Mr. Landers checked out hours ago. I'm sure the photographers will leave soon.” She hurried back to her desk, carefully putting the stapler back where it belonged.
“Unfortunately, Corporate doesn't agree.” His frown deepened as he looked at her. “They've asked me to tell you to take some personal days until this is settled.”
“What?” Cassie had to steady herself on the chair.
“In light of the current situation, Corporate feels it would be better for the hotel if you were not here causing a disruption,” he explained. “I'm sure this will all be over in a few days, but we need to think of what's best for the hotel.”
“What's best for the hotel...” Cassie sat down hard in her chair. There was still so much that needed to be caught up on from her vacation. The schedules needed to be posted. There were repairs that needed to be ordered, the kitchen required new staffing, and a multitude of other small issues that only a manager could deal with.
“Please, Cassie, I'm sure you understand. Corporate doesn't feel this meets their policy guidelines.” Lenny's mouth thinned. “Take a couple of days. You have vacation days still saved up.”
Cassie nodded slowly. “Of course. I'll take some time and let this all blow over.”
“I'll look after the hotel,” Lenny assured her. “I can manage. As long as you've been following corporate policies, everything will be fine.”
“Right.” Cassie didn't feel like everything would be fine. She felt betrayed by the company. She'd worked here for years, and at the first sign of trouble, they were forcing her to go home.
She stood slowly and grabbed her purse from the shelf on her desk.
“The manager's binder is in the front drawer of my desk,” she told Lenny. “It's up to date through yesterday. I'm afraid I haven't had time to update it for today.”
Lenny sighed. “It's supposed to be at the front desk. And it really should be updated for today. You know the policy, Cassie.”
Cassie just shook her head. There wasn't a place for it at the front desk, and she'd been busy all morning. It was a stupid policy. “Good luck, sir.”
She managed to sneak out through the back kitchen exit without the press seeing her. Luckily, they didn't know her car, so she just kept her head down, wore big sunglasses, and went the back way out of the hotel parking lot.
All she wanted to do was go home and relax. She planned on taking a nice shower and putting on a clean outfit before heading over to the address on her phone for dinner with Wyatt. At least that part of the day would hopefully be better.
Despite it all, she knew seeing him would make her feel good. Just thinking about him made her smile.
She turned into the street of her apartment building and stared in shock. There were cars everywhere. People filled every square inch of open space leading to her apartment. At first, she thought there must be a party for a neighbor, but then she saw the cameras.
They were all there for her. They wanted her photograph, and they were going to wait in front of her house to get it.
She parked on a side street and tried to come up with a plan.
Her phone rang with the apartment complex's name and number on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Turner, it's apartment procedure to notify you when someone wants into your apartment. I have your mother here, and she says she left something inside. May we let her in?”
Cassie hadn't spoken to her mother in months. The last she'd heard, she was at some casino in Florida and was going to “win big” any day. Her mother hadn't called since Cassie stopped sending her money.
“Whoever it is in your office is not my mother,” Cassie informed the office staff. “No one is allowed in my apartment. Not even if they're my long lost twin.”
“Of course. Is everything okay?”
“It's fine.” She sighed. “Actually, I'm going to be out of town for a few days. Will you tell whoever is pretending to be my mother that I'm going to visit her in Florida? And have security keep an eye on my place while I'm gone?”
“Of course. Thank you for letting us know.”
Cassie clicked off the phone and tried to come up with a plan. She couldn't go to her apartment. They were watching. She looked at the address on her phone. At least she could go there.
Her stomach felt sick. She wasn't safe. There were people trying to break into her house. They were trying to find her secrets, and while her secrets were arguably mild, they were hers. The idea of someone going through her underwear drawer had her sweating and ready to throw up.
She didn't know how to handle this. Two days ago, she'd felt safe in her home city. Now, it felt like everyone might turn on her. She needed someone to show her how to live this kind of public-eye life.
The only person she could think of that could help her feel safe again was Wyatt.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Wyatt
“You can stay here as long as you need,” Wyatt promised Cassie.
She sat on the couch with her feet curled up underneath her like a cat. He handed her a cup of iced tea that she carefully sipped on. Cold drinks seemed to be favored in Arizona, no matter the season.
“Thank you,” she told him with a small smile.
“Do you need anything?” Wyatt asked, taking a seat next to her on the couch. He made sure to give her an appropriate amount of room. “I can send someone out to get you a toothbrush and anything else you might need.”
She smiled up at him. “I stopped and picked up some essentials on my way here. Luckily, the paparazzi don't know where I shop yet. I still had my suitcase from the trip in my car, so I have some clothes if I can use your laundry machine.”
“Of cours
e. Maria will be happy to clean them for you.”
“Maria?” A hint of jealousy crossed her face, and it gave hope to Wyatt's heart.
“My housekeeper,” he quickly explained. “She makes sure everything is taken care of for me. Food, laundry, errands, that kind of thing. I will admit, I did miss having someone do that for me on the island.”
The jealousy faded into a comfortable smile. She startled as her phone rang. She reached into her purse and frowned at the screen.
“Another unknown number,” she said, silencing the call without answering. “The reporters found my phone number.”
“I'm so sorry, Cassie.” His stomach felt like ice. The last thing he'd wanted to do was make her life harder. He wished there had been another way to win her back, rather than coming back to the states. The media frenzy was because of him. If he had simply let her be, she wouldn't have to deal with this. She could have just continued in her life.
She reached out and touched his hand. “It's okay.” She waited until he looked up at her. “You didn't tell them to all call me. You couldn't have known this was going to happen.”
“I suspected,” he admitted. “I just hoped that I could fly under the radar a little bit longer. I didn't mean to make your life more difficult.”
She shifted on the couch, turning her body to face him better. “The way I see it, there were two options. The first is that you didn't come and find me. We both would have lived out our lives wondering what would have happened between us.”
He nodded, wondering if that was what she would have preferred at this point.
“The second is this.” She motioned to the world around them. “That you gave up your peaceful life to find me. To give us a chance.” She reached up and touched his face. “Just so you know, I'm glad you went with option two.”
His heart sped up. She wasn't angry. He looked into her eyes, seeing all the melted chocolates and hints of warm gold in their depths. She was so beautiful it made it hard to breathe sometimes.
“You would choose this?”
“I choose this.” Her voice was husky as she leaned in and kissed him. Her lips were so soft against his. Everything about her was wonderfully sweet and sensual. Her skin, her lips, her scent, even her laugh. They all pulled at him with a primal need to feel her.
Time froze as he kissed her back. It started gentle, their lips simply pressed together, but then she sighed, and her mouth opened. He tasted her tongue, and she tasted his. The floodgates of their passion opened once again. The physical connection between them couldn't be denied.
Her fingers went to Wyatt's shirt. He could feel them press against the fabric as she undid buttons and then pushed the material away from him. Without breaking the kiss, he shrugged out of his shirt. Her hands sent heat surging south as she pressed her palms into the skin of his chest. He was surprised she didn't feel his chest pounding under her fingertips. Maybe she did, but she didn't say anything.
She pulled back slightly from the kiss, looking up at him with big brown eyes. Once again, he was caught off guard by her beauty. It shone out of her like the sun. She grinned before biting her lower lip between her teeth as she looked up at him.
He could feel his pants getting uncomfortably tight.
Her hands went to his waist, and with that seductive grin still filling her face, she undid the button and zipper. Her eyes came back up to his as she pulled down on the pants. She looked a little nervous, but excited.
“Are you sure?” His voice came out husky and thick with desire.
She nodded. “I've been sure since last night.”
“So I didn't have to wait?” he teased, putting his palm to her neck. He stroked her jawline with his thumb, marveling at her beauty.
She chuckled. “Good things come to those who wait,” she replied. “And I seem to recall you're the one always turning me down.”
She leaned back and began undressing. It was a good thing that his underwear was made with elastic because anything else would have torn at the seams as he watched her.
She slid out of her silk blouse, tossing the shirt to the floor. She shimmied out of her very work appropriate skirt, but the motion showed off her curves to the point where Wyatt was panting. Her body was curves and softness. Her bra was simple, as were her panties, but they held the same simple elegance that made everything she wore look good.
When she reached behind her and undid her bra, Wyatt nearly lost himself.
She grinned, noting the effect she was having on him. She kicked her skirt out of her way and kissed him, pressing her naked breasts against his chest.
“Cassie...” He loved the way her name felt in his mouth. He loved the way her eyes sparkled when he called to her.
His hand went to her side, feeling the swell of her breast pressed against him. She had such lovely breasts. Firm and smooth, small but sensual. They were perfect in his eyes.
“I need you,” she whispered, her lips barely breaking the kiss to speak. “Please don't make me wait any more.”
He grabbed her hand, leading her to the bedroom. The grand tour of the apartment could wait. Right now, a primal, urgent need filled him. It stole his thoughts and made his body hard. He didn't just want her. He needed her like a man dying of thirst required water.
He couldn't survive without her.
The bedroom shades were drawn, so the room was a comfortable shade of darkness. Light filtered in through cracks in the curtains, giving him just enough light to find the nightstand with the condoms. His hands shook with need.
“Let me,” she whispered, coming up beside him.
She took the foil packet from his hands and dropped to her knees. The sight of her looking up at him from that position was quite possibly the hottest thing he'd ever seen. She tugged on his underwear, freeing him from its confines.
He loved the little whimper she let out when she saw him. He loved the way she unconsciously licked her lips as she wrapped the condom around him. Her touch was light and soft, but it sent spirals of heat and pleasure up his spine.
She stood up slowly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. She was so warm against his skin as she pressed her body into him, kissing him with her delicious mouth.
He grabbed her thigh, raising it up and hooking her leg over his forearm. Her arms tightened around his shoulders as she looked into his eyes and nodded.
With his free hand, he guided himself into her and found heaven.
Her smile faded into a moan of pleasure as he filled her. She tightened around him, her body calling for more as she whimpered her pleasure.
Wyatt thrust deep, filling her. The motion satisfied and yet made him hunger for more. It felt so good, yet it wasn't enough. He needed more of her. He needed to fill her.
The motions were primal and raw, yet gentle and sensual. Every thrust urged for another, and her little moans of delight spurred him on. He loved the way her body responded to his, wrapping and tightening around him. She was so warm and wet, sweet and sexy.
He needed more. He dropped her leg, and she whimpered like she'd lost something precious. But, then she saw the bed behind him and grinned, giving a gentle push to his shoulder. He lay down, and she was on him in a second, legs straddling his hips and poised with heaven over him yet again.
His hands tightened on her hips as she slowly lowered herself onto him. A fresh wave of unbearable pleasure rolled through him. Wyatt's head fell back, and he groaned. He let her lead for a moment, watching her undulate and dance on his length. She rose and fell, her mouth and face twisted in the exquisite pleasure she found riding him.
Wyatt could no longer control himself. His hips began to thrust upward as she came down. Every motion was powerful and primal as he lost control. He needed her. He was lost to the pleasure that she gave him. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced with a woman.
“Wyatt...” She moaned his name like a prayer of need.
His entire body vibrated with desire. There was no stopping him now. She turn
ed him on and sent his body to the edge without even trying.
She looked down at him, her brown eyes shining in the dark. The sensations weren't heaven. She was. Cassie was heaven. She was worth coming here for. She was worth leaving his life and coming back to the world he hated.
Because with her here, it really was heaven.
Her palms splayed on the smooth skin of his chest, her eyes fluttering as she too found the apex of pleasure. Other than her name, his mind went gloriously blank. Other than the essence of Cassie, he didn't exist. Her body tightened and clenched around his as she lost her soul to him the way he'd lost his to her.
She collapsed onto him, her breaths coming fast and hard. His heart beat out of control. His body twitched with the release she'd given him. Her skin stuck to his, but he loved it. He never wanted her to leave.
Wyatt reached up and touched her cheek. She was an angel. He couldn't believe how good it felt to have her back with him. The world was right when she was near.
“Stay with me. Here. Until this, all blows over. It'll be like we're back on the island, only without the ocean nearby.”
Cassie sighed with contentment. “Okay.”
He couldn't believe it was that easy, but if something was meant to be, maybe it could be.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Wyatt
Wyatt hated being back in the public eye.
He hated knowing that if he looked out the window, someone might photograph him. He hated that he couldn't just go to the grocery store without bodyguards. Heck, he couldn't even go get the mail without Thor or Odin watching his back.
He missed his simple life on the island. He missed the freedom of anonymity. He missed talking to strangers without them knowing his entire life because they'd read his Wikipedia entry.
But he loved having Cassie.
Cassie made it all worth it. To wake up and find her sleeping in his bed or sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee, was like living in a dream. Time didn't matter when they were together. He would suddenly find that the sun had set and the only thing they'd done all day was snuggle and talk about their favorite jobs growing up.
