“Fine. We’re done here.”
Chapter Sixteen
“What do you mean, ‘we’re done here’?” Cassidy walked up to Evan and stood in front of him as if demanding he give her his undivided attention. He slammed his camera onto the table and started logging the footage, ignoring her.
Evan filled out his paperwork as fast as his tense fingers would allow him. It had been a very long day and they’d gotten the last interview timeslot of the night. He was tired, annoyed, and ready to put this day behind him.
“I thought it was pretty self-explanatory.” He shuffled papers around the desk angrily, annoyed he had to do this tedious work when she wouldn’t leave him alone and let him think. “We’re done. There are no more questions to ask.”
“You don’t usually end the interview so abruptly, that’s all.”
“I ran out of questions.” Evan tried to focus his energy on the papers littering the desk instead of the turmoil eating away at him.
He hadn’t wanted to snap at Cassidy and end the interview prematurely, but he couldn’t bear to ask her any more questions about Brad. Every time he said that name, a spike of anger ran through his body.
“Why are you so grouchy? You’re acting like a jerk.” Cassidy touched his arm, but he shrugged her hand off. “What’s your problem?” she demanded.
Evan finished his paperwork and set it aside for the production assistants. “I’m not in the mood to be interrogated by you.” He picked up his camera and brushed past Cassidy. “Goodnight.”
Cassidy’s stare burned into his back as he walked out the door. He should be back in the room filming her every move, not doing his own thing, but he didn’t care. What he “should” do didn’t matter anymore. For weeks, he’d been doing exactly as he should, but tonight he was going to do exactly as he wanted — slack off on his filming responsibilities. He was breaking the rules and he didn’t give a damn.
Evan took the stairs two at a time, putting as much distance between himself and Cassidy as he could. He needed space to be able to figure out what the hell was going on with him, because he honestly had no idea why everything concerning Cassidy got to him.
Evan jammed his room key into the lock, shoved the door open and let it slam behind him. He sat on the end of his bed, angrily kicking off his shoes. Peeling off his socks, he threw them in the general direction of the closet, not caring where they landed and curled his toes into the carpet in an attempt to ease the tension.
What I wouldn’t give for a cold beer and a long hike in the mountains with Aspen right now. Whenever he was stressed, Aspen and a hike always made everything better.
Cassidy was right. He was being a jerk, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t stand that little weasel Brad.
When he’d seen Brad hug Cassidy, it had been all he could do not to slug him — but when he had to watch Brad kiss her, it was more than he could stand. He’d never wanted to punch someone as much as he had in that moment. If the situation were different, he would have walked up to him and punched the smug smile right off that asshole’s face. Instead, he was forced to seethe behind the camera and tighten in the focus.
What am I going to do when they have their private alone time? Try not to rip his lips off, that’s what.
Evan slid back on the bed and leaned against the wall, flipping channels with the remote, stopping when he found something with lots of guns and blood splatters.
Excellent.
A quiet knock at his door interrupted the gunshots — the door leading directly to Cassidy’s room, which meant it could only be one person. Sighing, he dragged himself from the bed.
He hoped she didn’t expect him to follow her down to the pool or anywhere else. He was done filming for the night and if she wanted to go anywhere other than her room, she would have to go alone. Chip could yell at him in the morning, but he wasn’t filming anything else tonight.
Evan opened the door and folded his arms across his chest. “What’s up?” He tried to make his voice sound neutral.
“What’s up with you?” She scowled at him and crossed her arms to mirror his.
“What do you want, Cassidy?”
“I want to know what the hell is wrong with you.”
Evan sighed. “If you’re upset about the interview, don’t be. Chip will be happy with the footage we got. Sorry if I didn’t ask a million questions about you and Brad and your budding relationship, but I’m tired and it’s been a very long day. Okay?”
“No, Evan, it’s not okay. What’s wrong with you these last couple of days? I’ve tried to be patient with you, but your little hissy fit after the interview was the last straw.” Cassidy pushed passed Evan into his room.
“Now,” she continued, “you’re going to explain how one minute you can stare at me like I’m a steak dinner and you’re a contestant on day thirty-nine of Survivor, and then kiss me like I’ve never been kissed before, only to turn around and ignore me for the next two days.”
“Hissy fit?”
“Yep. Explain.”
“I did not have a hissy fit.” Evan shook his head and smiled despite his anger. “Men don’t have hissy fits.”
“You’re dodging the question and I deserve an answer.”
“No, you deserve an award for kissing two different men in only a matter of hours. That’s gotta be some kind of record.”
“Hey, that’s not fair. You and Brad both kissed me. I never asked him to.”
“Well you certainly didn’t try to stop him.”
“What was I supposed to do, Evan? Slap him and tell him to fuck off?”
Hell, yes.
Evan smirked. “I would love to have seen that.”
“Get real. I couldn’t do that and you know it.” Cassidy sighed. “Do you really think I wanted him to kiss me after the kiss you and I shared?”
“I don’t know, Cassidy. You tell me.” Evan sat on the bed as Cassidy paced the room.
“Let’s stop pretending we don’t know what’s really going on.” She’d stopped walking and was now facing him, hands on her hips, challenging him. She was feistier than he’d ever seen her. He liked it despite being totally annoyed.
Stop liking it.
“You’re jealous of my ex-boyfriend. You’re jealous of that stupid kiss with him.” She didn’t have an ounce of uncertainty in her voice. Damn it.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Cassidy.”
“Oh no?” Cassidy sauntered toward him swinging her hips, her voice low and sexy. “So you didn’t mind when he grabbed me and pulled me into his arms and kissed me, hard on the lips?”
He flinched at the memory of Cassidy and Brad kissing. Every agonizing second of that kiss was burned into his brain, and he’d done nothing but compare that kiss to one he’d had with her only hours earlier. Which had she liked more? His anger toward Brad flooded back to him.
“You’re right,” he admitted bluntly, annoyed that Cassidy knew what he was really thinking — that he couldn’t hide his feelings from her. He hadn’t exactly been subtle, but he hadn’t thought he’d been obvious either.
Evan stood up from the bed, mere inches separating himself and Cassidy. She took a step backward, but he caught her arm, stopping her. Minutes earlier, he’d wanted nothing more than to be far, far away from her, but now he didn’t want her to go anywhere.
“I was jealous … No, I am jealous, because ever since I kissed you, I haven’t been able to think of anything else.” I’ve never had a kiss like that before.
Evan swept the back of his hand along Cassidy’s cheek and traced the line of her jaw until his hand stopped under her chin. He held her there, his gaze locked on the green eyes staring back at him.
“All this time, I’ve been fighting to stay away from you, trying to ignore the desperate urge I feel to kiss
you.” He sighed, fighting for the right words. “That kiss — it was … amazing. Stopping was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in a long time.”
His thumb stroked her bottom lip. He wanted to kiss her again.
Don’t do it. Stop.
“I hated seeing you kiss Brad. It was as if someone decided to use my chest for batting practice.” He tried not to focus on her inviting mouth. “I couldn’t believe the same lips I’d just had the most intense pleasure of experiencing, were now smashed up against the surfer boy’s undeserving smart-assed mouth.”
A small gasp escaped her mouth as her lips parted. The urge to kiss her flared inside him, the desire she sparked in him overwhelming. “I acted like a jerk, and I’m sorry.”
He didn’t want to feel this way about her. It went against his plans, but he couldn’t help it. Cassidy was simply too much to resist.
“I’m sorry, too,” Cassidy whispered. “I only ever wanted one man to kiss me that day, and it wasn’t the surfer boy. And, there’s only one I want to kiss me again.”
His mouth hovered above hers. “I’m going to assume you mean me.”
Without waiting for her confirmation — without letting his conscience protest — he claimed her mouth. Her lips were as soft and delicious as he remembered. Cassidy’s tongue caressed his top lip, exploring and tasting him with gentle licks. The thought of her tongue exploring him anywhere else was almost too much for him to dream about.
Her tongue plunged into his mouth, her eagerness apparent, fueling the fire burning inside him. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her body tight to his. Her every curve melted against him. His body instantly responded. Sliding his hand down the small of her back, he kneaded the rounded flesh hiding beneath her jeans.
Cassidy groaned in response, running her fingers through his hair and kissing him deeper. Her breath grew heavy and ragged to match his.
Evan’s head spun as he told himself to stop. What they were doing was a serious breach of contract, but where they were headed was absolutely forbidden. Not to mention, he was pretty sure once he’d been with her fully, there’d be no way he could stay away from her — no way to avoid getting involved.
Goddamn, Susan was right — he was doing it again. But it was different this time, wasn’t it?
Cassidy dropped her hands to his waist and slipped them under the edge of his shirt. Her fingers lingered low on his abdomen, caressing the trail of hair leading to the place he couldn’t wait for her to find.
As she ran her hands up his abs, teasing his sensitive flesh with every stroke, he knew there was no going back. He wanted Cassy tonight and she wanted him, too. His body tingled under her touch. Her hands trailed along the ridges of his pecks, her fingers brushing past his nipples sending an electric pulse rushing through him.
Every inch of his body was aroused because of her. He needed her. Soon.
Cassidy pulled his shirt over his head. He smiled as her eyes skimmed his abs and chest with approval before meeting his gaze again, with eyes half-lidded — obviously heavy with desire.
He carefully unbuttoned her shirt, lingering for a moment after each button to savor the small patch of ivory skin it revealed. When he released the last one, the shirt fell from her arms leaving her standing before him in only a black lace bra and jeans. He didn’t know why her mic pack wasn’t still wrapped around her waist, but he didn’t care. He was just happy it was out of his way — one less thing to take off.
He paused, taking in the beauty of Cassidy’s body that he’d only be able to dream about until now. She was stunningly gorgeous and perfectly simple at the same time. She was everything he never knew he wanted or needed. And she was going to be his.
He unfastened her bra, letting it fall to the floor then caressed her ample breast, his fingers dancing across her nipple. She arched her back and gasped as he sucked one beaded peak into his mouth.
Cassidy slipped her fingers inside the waistband of his jeans, tugging them open. Evan growled at her touch as she stroked his hardened length. He felt liked he’d waited an eternity for this moment.
“You’re irresistible, Cassy.” He lifted her into his arms and tossed her gently onto the bed. He kicked the adjoining door shut, grabbed his “just in case” condoms from his wallet, and shed the rest of his clothes before joining her. He quickly tugged her jeans and panties off, dropping them on the floor.
He kissed his way up her body, starting with the beautiful, delicate ankle she’d twisted days earlier. She giggled as he licked the inside of her thigh, his chin stubble tickling her skin. But when he found the junction of her thighs, her giggles turned to soft moans until she trembled beneath him.
A quiet gasp escaped Cassidy’s mouth the moment he thrust into her, their bodies finally joining fully. They moved together, finding the perfect rhythm as she wrapped her legs around his waist and moved her hips in time with his. Her warm heat surrounded him, threatening to send him plunging over the edge, but he held back, hoping the night would never end.
• • •
Cassidy’s eyes fluttered open. The room was dim and quiet, but a steady rhythm beat beneath her ear. The constant rise and fall of the tanned muscle against her cheek told her Evan was still asleep.
She sighed deeply, her thoughts drifting back to their evening together. Outstanding. Amazing. Unbelievable. Those adjectives didn’t even come close to describing her night with Evan. The thought of it made her shiver with desire again.
Best sex ever. Twice!
Cassidy traced her fingers along the line of Evan’s ribs. She tilted her head to watch him sleeping only to find him staring back at her with a lazy smile. She propped herself on one elbow, moving away from Evan slightly to get a better view of him.
“Don’t even think about going anywhere,” he mumbled, yawning. “I’m not done with you.”
She blushed at the suggestion of repeating what they were already recovering from. The warmth of a smoldering fire sparked to life inside her again. “I’m not going anywhere yet. I just wanted a better view.”
“I think I’m the one with the good view.”
His gaze traveled down the length of her naked body. Her cheeks warmed to what must have been a bright red and she reached for the blanket to cover herself.
Evan shifted beneath her and in one quick movement she was on her back as he hovered over her. Every part of her body flared to life when he brushed her hair back from her shoulder and left a trail of soft kisses from her collarbone to her belly button.
Oh my God, he’s like the Energizer Bunny.
“You,” he said between kisses, “are not allowed to hide in the sheets. I’ve been tortured by you wearing little pink bikinis and sexy dresses for weeks. Now that I get to see you, all of you, I plan on looking. A lot.”
“You didn’t seem tortured,” she said, breathless.
“Only because you couldn’t read my mind.” He smirked. “Let me assure you, Cassy, what we did last night was tame compared to what I’ve been doing to you in my head.”
“Evan, stop.” She hit him on the shoulder, embarrassed by his words. “I can’t even imagine anything more than what we’ve already done.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to imagine for long.”
Cassidy held her breath as he kissed her with more affection than she expected. Passion burned in his kiss, but an undertone of something else was present now too — something that lingered in the pit of her stomach even after he pulled away.
She forced her eyes to focus on him, not wanting to get carried away in the moment again before they’d had a chance to talk. She didn’t know anything about Evan. This wasn’t typical Cassidy behavior, but that’s why she’d come here in the first place — to do something unlike her normal life. She hadn’t realized that would include doing someone, too.
“Yo
u know, I don’t even really know you and you’ve already gotten me into your bed.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re the one who came to my room asking for trouble.”
“True. But I was looking for answers, not sexy time.”
“Sexy time?” He laughed. “I like that. We should do less talking and a lot more sexy time.”
“No, you should tell me about yourself, Evan — great. I don’t even know your last name.”
“Last names are highly overrated. But it’s Burke. Evan Burke.”
“Are you related to Bond, James Bond?” She couldn’t help but smile.
“We’re only related by our amazing ability to seduce unsuspecting women into our beds.” He grinned. “It’s a superpower, really. We should come with a warning label.”
“So where are you from?” She tried not to laugh at his bad joke. She didn’t want to encourage him to make more of them, even if he did make her giggle. “What do you do when you’re not here filming me? Any other women in your life I’m going to have to worry about hunting me down because of this?”
“I’m from outside of Denver. I have a nice little cabin in the woods. I film all kinds of stuff. This is my first reality show and it may be my last if anyone finds out about what we just did. And yes, there is another woman in my life.”
“What?” Cassidy gasped and tried to wriggle her way out from underneath his weight.
Evan held her tight. “Cassy, stop wiggling. It’s driving me to distraction. There is another woman. Her name is Aspen and she’s a chocolate brown lab who drools. Trust me, she’s not going to hunt you down. Unless of course you’ve got a medium rare steak in your back pocket.”
Cassidy stopped wiggling. She could feel his arousal and now she was the one distracted. She shifted, hooking her ankle behind his knee and tilted her hips slightly. Evan groaned and grabbed a handful of sheets beside her.
“I think I may have a superpower, too.”
Unscripted Love: The Complete Reality TV Romance Collection Page 15
