Exclusive / a Touch of Heaven

by Samantha Chase

  “So another month and then you’re free,” she said with what sounded like forced cheerfulness.

  “Looks that way,” he said, hoping she’d ask for what was next.

  But still she didn’t.

  Sawyer decided to do his father proud and reach for what made him happy. “I was hoping maybe you wouldn’t mind having me around for a while,” he said and saw first the shock and then the smile spread across Regan’s face.

  “What did you have in mind?” she asked, tilting her head as she studied him.

  “For starters, I’d like to stop going to my hotel to shower and change every day. Neither of the new jobs are far enough away that I can’t handle the commute. What do you say? You up for a roommate?”

  Regan was speechless. He wanted to live with her. Her! For the first time ever, a man was asking her about their future. It was a pretty heady experience, and she didn’t want to seem overly excited. At the moment, she was kind of enjoying the look of near-panic on Sawyer’s face.

  “Hmm…I don’t know,” she said, as if weighing her options. “What’s in this for me? I mean, do you clean up after yourself? Seems to me you’re pretty spoiled by having housekeeping picking up after you every day. I’m not even going to try to compete with that.”

  “I’m a big boy, Regan. I promise to pick up after myself and do my own laundry. I certainly don’t think of you as housekeeping,” he teased.

  “Well, that’s good. That’s very, very good. What about cooking? Do you know how to cook?”

  “I whip up a mean macaroni and cheese.”

  She stared at him in mock horror. “If you even try to feed me stuff out of a box, I’ll hurt you.”

  “Okay, now we’re getting someplace. Note to self: no boxed mac and cheese for Regan. Anything else?”

  “Sex.”

  He arched a brow at her. “Sex?”

  She nodded. “I mean, if you’re going to be staying here for a little while, I don’t want you to take it for granted that I’m just going to put out whenever you want.” Rising from her spot on the sofa, she walked over and took the paper plate he had been using from his hands and flung it on the coffee table before straddling his lap.

  “So, no putting out just because I’m here,” he restated and situated her more comfortably in his lap. “Hmm…that could be a definite deal breaker, but then I guess I could counter with the same thing. I’m not going to put out on your every whim either.”

  She wiggled in his lap. “Seems to me we’re at a stalemate here.” Soon she felt his arousal growing and wiggled a little more. “Oh well, at least we gave it a shot.”

  Sawyer flipped her onto her back so fast that she didn’t know what was happening. “You drive a hard bargain, but here’s my final offer: sex anytime, anywhere you want it. I’m all yours.”

  “Ooo…I like that,” she purred. “How about right here, right now?”

  Sawyer kissed her long and deep. “I think I’m going to like staying with you.”

  * * *

  The week flew by once Sawyer moved his meager belongings into Regan’s home, and before they knew it, it was Friday. Regan was getting ready for work while simultaneously packing for their weekend. Sawyer had packed up his entire suitcase because they planned on stopping by his place in New Bern on the way to the coast so he could refresh his wardrobe.

  “What time do I need to be there?” she asked, tossing a bathing suit into the open suitcase on the bed.

  “If you get there by eleven, we should be ready for you. We’re moving furniture in this morning”—Sawyer looked at his watch—“or actually, right now, and we told your mother to get there around ten thirty. We want to shoot the reveal with her alone first and then we’ll do one with you. How does that sound?”

  “Like a tight schedule,” she said as she continued to hurry around. “I want to be packed before I leave. But I shouldn’t have any problems getting to the house by eleven. Mom promised to go in to the spa this weekend and check on things.”

  “You told her we were going away?”

  “What? Um…no. I just told her I was going to the beach for the weekend with some friends.”

  “You’re going to have to tell her eventually, you know.”

  “I know, I know. I just wanted to get through the whole renovation thing and let her have her time in the spotlight with the big house reveal and Max, and…well, I didn’t want to take the focus off of her right now. She deserves to shine.”

  Sawyer leaned over the suitcase and kissed her. “You are an amazing woman.”

  Regan blushed. “Thank you. Now go and play contractor and host so I can finish packing and get to work. I promise to see you at eleven.”

  Sawyer grabbed his suitcase. “I’ll be the one that you’re supposed to shoot daggers at but then get all overwhelmed by my craftsmanship. Remember that.”

  Regan chuckled. “I’ll try.”

  Once she heard the front door close, Regan did a little excited dance. The week had been wonderful. It had seemed natural to come home to one another. On the nights when she had stayed to close the spa, she came home to Sawyer’s smiling face and dinner on the table.

  And it was never macaroni and cheese.

  She knew he was spending a fortune on takeout, and she hoped they’d come to a compromise on that one eventually. For now she was giddy to go in to work, then head over to her mother’s and be done with the whole renovation thing, then head off to the coast for what promised to be an amazing weekend.

  Sawyer was still being vague about what they were doing, and Regan was happy to let him be. It was nice not to be the one making plans, and it really seemed to make him happy to do it this way.

  With one last glance around the bedroom, Regan closed the suitcase and headed down the stairs. Caroline would look in on the place over the weekend, so with a little skip in her step, she walked out the door, locked it, and set off for a fabulous day. The sun was shining, there was a great song on the radio, and Regan thanked her lucky stars that she was so blessed.

  * * *

  If one more thing went wrong, Sawyer was going to scream. Jobwise, things were running like clockwork, but it was the little things and Devin’s attitude that were really starting to grate on his nerves.

  Someone had nicked the wall in the hallway, which required a last-minute coat of mud and paint that they were waiting to dry. The sofa that had been chosen for the living room came, but in the wrong color. It still worked, but he was pissed that there was an error at all. As he walked from room to room making sure everything was in place, Devin dogged his every step.

  “You’re a natural with this, Sawyer. You can’t just walk away.”

  “Devin, please. We’ve had this discussion and my decision is final.”

  “The network is prepared to up your salary by ten percent.”

  “Not interested.”

  “Sawyer, be reasonable. They’re also willing to give you a larger cut of the merchandising and more of a say in the jobs we take.”

  That stopped Sawyer in his tracks. “And the drama shit?”

  Devin threw up his hands. “It’s freakin’ nothing in the grand scheme of things! So we make some people fight on camera. What the hell difference does it make to you? Stop being such a martyr and take the offer, Sawyer!”

  Sawyer glanced around to make sure no one on the crew was too close by. “You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t about being a martyr, Dev, this is about wanting to have a little control over my life and doing something for myself. I don’t want to instigate drama and I certainly don’t want to perpetuate and benefit from the drama. There are enough freaks on television now. I don’t want to contribute to creating any more!”

  “They’ll be there whether you put them there or not, Sawyer. That’s just a fact of life.”

  Sawyer shook his head sadly. “I d
on’t want any part of it, Dev. Believe me, this isn’t a rash decision and I’m not trying to negotiate for more money from the network. I’m just ready to be done with it all. End of story.”

  “You’re a fool, Sawyer. You know that? You’re a damn fool. You could be a very wealthy man, and money will buy you whatever it is you think will make you happy. Give us another couple of years and you can retire! Then you’ll be free to do whatever you want and I won’t try to stop you.”

  “Dev, listen to me and listen good—I’m done.” Sawyer took a step back and watched the rage play all over the producer’s face. “You should be happy I’m leaving.”

  “What?” Devin snapped. “How do you figure that?”

  “With a new guy, you’ll have all the control. You’ll say jump and he’ll ask how high. You know I’m never going to do that.” In an attempt to ease some of the tension, Sawyer placed a hand on Devin’s shoulder. “You’re a great producer and you have a great vision for where you want to go. Take this chance to build it to what you want without someone like me holding you back—and believe me, I’m holding you back.”

  Devin considered his words. “Dammit, Sawyer, we work well together. Why can’t you just suck it up for now? What’s changed?”

  “I have. I need a break.”

  “So if we gave you like…six months off? Would you come back?”

  Sawyer laughed. “No, Dev, I won’t come back. I want to do my own thing. Go back to doing jobs that aren’t being done for the camera. Working in the private sector always was more appealing to me.”

  “What happened to you, man? We used to want the same things.” No longer angry, Devin’s voice was now just filled with disappointment.

  “I want a life. I want to sleep in a bed of my own and make my own choices. You can’t tell me that on some level that doesn’t sound good to you?”

  Devin eventually shrugged. “I know the traveling is a bitch, but the money is great. You’re going to miss it.”

  “No,” Sawyer said confidently, because what he was gaining was worth so much more. “I’m really not.”

  * * *

  An hour later Caroline pulled up in the driveway and the camera crew followed her every step as Sawyer met her at the door and gave her a tour of her newly designed home. Even though she had been there through most of the renovation, it was still a big surprise to see everything put together.

  “Oh, Sawyer,” she gushed, “it’s more beautiful than I ever imagined it. Thank you so much!” And then she wrapped her arms around him before wiping the tears from her face. They were a combination of joy and sadness. This was the home Caroline had before she lost her husband, and since that time, it had never been a priority. “You don’t know what you’ve given me,” she said as the tears continued to stream down her face. “This was the first home my late husband and I bought, and we raised our family here, talked about all our hopes and dreams here, and—” She stopped as the emotions clogged her throat.

  Sawyer pulled her close and hugged her until she was able to speak again.

  “I think Sam would have loved what you did here,” she finally said. “It’s beautiful, it’s just so beautiful. Thank you.”

  They continued to walk around the house for the B-roll shots until Regan pulled in. Devin positioned Sawyer and Caroline where he wanted them and put the camera crew in place to catch Regan’s immediate reaction to what she saw.

  Sawyer was more nervous for Regan’s response than he had ever been for anyone else’s. Beside him, Caroline sensed his tension and squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry, she can’t possibly have anything bad to say about what you’ve done.”

  Sawyer knew that was true. They had talked about the house often enough that he was confident Regan had come to terms with it all. He wanted her to be proud of him, of what he had created.

  “Action!” Devin yelled and Regan was cued to walk in.

  She stepped through the door and Sawyer held his breath as he watched all the emotion play over her face. Regan was speechless. She stepped into the living room and looked around. Caroline ran up to her and hugged her. “Do you love it? Can you believe this is our house?”

  Regan had to remember her role in this whole silly scenario and went directly into character. “But it’s not our house anymore, not really.” It didn’t feel right to say the words, and anyone who knew her would know she was lying, that it was all just an act.

  For the next ten minutes it was Caroline who took Regan on the tour with the cameras rolling behind them. When they finally finished, they met up with Sawyer in the kitchen. He was standing behind the granite-covered island, doing his best to keep his expression neutral when all he wanted to do was kiss her and whisk her away from all this. He caught Devin watching and signaling him to get on with the dialogue.

  “So, Regan, you had a chance to tour the house with your mom and I’m sure you can tell she is thrilled with the end results. How about you? Did this meet your expectations?”

  She wanted to tell him yes, the house was beautiful and his work was amazing. That he was amazing. But that would have to wait until later. “I think you do very nice work, Sawyer,” she said evenly.

  “Well, I guess that’s a start,” he said. “Tell me, if you had to pick something, and I mean had to pick something here that you’re most pleased with, what would it be?”

  Regan spun and looked around the place. Tears filled her eyes as she turned to him. “It still feels like home,” she said tearfully and had to wipe her eyes. “I walked in here and it’s still home. You did exactly as you said. You didn’t destroy, you enhanced.” She took in the entire space and knew she couldn’t lie. “It’s amazing, Sawyer. So much more than I thought it would be.”

  The urge to say to hell with everything and kiss her was nearly overwhelming, but Sawyer reminded himself that it was only a few more minutes. If he could just wrap up the filming, everything would be all right. “I’m glad you’re pleased, Regan. I know you didn’t want us here, but I’m pleased that in the end, you’re happy with the results.”

  Sawyer turned toward the camera and did his ending credits speech to the at-home audience and was relieved when Devin finally yelled, “Cut! That’s a wrap, people!”

  Everything went into motion at once. There were congratulations, people shaking hands, and Regan and Caroline were laughing and joking with the crew. Yet Sawyer felt a sense of dread coming over him. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he couldn’t fight the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong.

  Max walked over and put his arm around Caroline, and Sawyer heard him telling everyone how he found the love of his life on this job. People were toasting them with the beverages that were always kept on hand in a cooler, and although Sawyer lifted his own bottle of water, he kept scanning the room for trouble. Regan was talking to Devin, so Sawyer dropped his water and crossed the room to make sure Devin wasn’t saying anything to make her upset.

  “We really are pleased you like the house, Regan,” Devin was saying. “If you’re interested, the network also has a great real estate show where we can showcase the home and really work at getting you top dollar for it.”

  Regan smiled graciously. “Thank you for the offer, but that decision will be up to my mother. Me, personally? I’m done with the whole reality show thing. I am definitely not comfortable in front of the camera and I’m glad we’re done.”

  “Well, that’s a real shame, Regan, because you are a beautiful woman who’s a natural in front of the camera.”

  It sounded like a compliment, but coming from this man it made Regan feel dirty. She smiled and thanked him, making her excuses to go and thank the rest of the crew. Sawyer watched her go and then looked at Devin with disbelief. “What is wrong with you?”

  “What?” Devin asked, a smirk on his face.

  “Why would you offer her another reality show when she ha
ted this one?”

  Devin shrugged. “Hey, I’m a network guy and the network really liked her.” Sawyer’s eyes narrowed. “As a matter of fact, they really wanted more of Regan in the episode but I told them how she kept her distance.”

  “Good,” Sawyer said, relieved.

  “However,” Devin said slyly, “I do have an awful lot of B-roll on the two of you. Kissing in the yard, the date where you went strolling downtown. Personally, I liked it when you picked her up and carried her to the car. Classy. I think maybe you romancing her was a nice touch. Sure, it cut down on the drama we could have had, but if you sleeping with her kept her on a leash and made the reno go so smoothly, then I bow to the master.” He was smiling when his eyes caught on something right beyond Sawyer’s shoulder. “Job well done,” he said and walked away.

  Sawyer turned and felt as if he had been punched in the gut.

  Regan.

  The look of utter devastation on her face nearly brought him to his knees. “Regan,” he said, reaching for her, but she recoiled.

  “Is it true?” she asked softly, not wanting anyone to hear her.

  “Nothing Devin says is true, trust me.”

  She looked around and stepped closer to him. “Did you”—she cleared her throat—“did you seduce me for the sake of the show? To make sure your precious renovation went smoothly?”

  “No!” he said a little too loudly, and all heads turned to look at them. Off in the distance, Devin gave a jaunty wave and walked out the door. Sawyer wanted to throttle him. “What happened between us was because of our attraction to one another, not the show. You have to believe me!”

  Regan wrapped her arms around her middle. “Did you know he was taping us?” She saw Sawyer’s hesitation and felt sick to her stomach. “You bastard,” she hissed. “You knew there were cameras on us? You let them tape us? Where did it end, Sawyer? How much did they see? Are there hidden cameras in my house? Is that why you wanted to move in, so you can have extra footage to use?”