“Why do you think?”
She shook her head, but instead of trying to get him to see reason now, she surprisingly started to get angry. “You’re crazy. I’m not going to give up my dog, or my job, for anyone least of all you. My God, I can’t believe you’re even asking such a thing. I --”
“For Christ’s sake, shut up and listen to me. You’re about to ruin my life!”
And that was it.
That was the point where she’d finally had enough.
Always it was about him!
Him. Him. Him.
Dammit, there was no way he’d get Mitzy off her. She’d fight him to the death over her dog. She shouldn’t have to give up anything at all for this man. How dare he even ask that of her.
She straightened her already stiff shoulders. “You know, Steve, I’ve had about as much of you as I can take. You walk out on me for another woman, yet according to you I pushed you to it. You were a rotten husband and a lousy lover, but again, that was my fault. I can’t even remember the number of affairs you had behind my back. And now you have the cheek to come into my home and tell me I’ve ruined your life.” She put her hands on her hips. “Well, tough. I don’t give a rat’s ass about you and your problems. You are the most incredibly selfish man I’ve ever met. And you’re not getting my dog.”
“Why you --”
“What’s going on here?” Zac suddenly growled, and she looked past Steve to see a very aggressive male standing in her bathroom doorway.
Steve spun around and Cassie thought she heard him emit a groan. Then…
“That’s what I’d like to know,” a female voice said behind Cassie and she twirled around to see a beautiful, chic, young woman at her front door, staring at Steve with the most incredibly hurt expression in her eyes.
Alicia.
It had to be.
Cassie glanced back at Steve, who swayed and turned white. He was standing in the middle of a hallway without escape, definitely stuck between a rock and a hard place. Good. It made her angry that he’d used this young woman for his own purposes too.
“Alicia…” Steve began.
“I knew it!” the other woman cut across him. “I knew you were still in love with your ex-wife.”
Cassie sucked in a sharp breath. “He’s not in love with me. The only person he loves is himself, and you’re welcome to him. Perhaps having a private detective on hand would be a good idea though.”
“Cassie…” Steve muttered.
She turned on him again. “Do me a favor, Steve, and get the hell out of my life. I don’t need you and I don’t need you popping up every time you think I’m doing something on my show that you don’t like.”
There was a moment’s silence, then Alicia said in a mystified tone, “Your show?”
She glanced at the other woman. “I host a radio talkshow. Didn’t he tell you? It’s called “Night Talk” and --”
“My God!” Her gaze flew to Steve. “She’s Cassie King?”
“Er… yes.”
Alicia’s eyes widened. “So Cassie King and Cassandra Preston are the same person?”
“Yes, but darling, listen to me. I --”
“That’s the trouble, Steven. I listened to you too much.” She turned on her heels. “Daddy won’t be pleased about this.”
Steve didn’t even give Cassie a second glance as he took off after the younger woman. “But honey, I can’t be accountable for anything my ex-wife does.”
“It’s about the lying, Steven, or can’t you see that?”
“Yes, but you know it’s you I love.”
“Do I?”
“Alicia, please…” Steve’s voice faded as they got into the elevator and the doors closed behind them.
Finally feeling free of her ex, Cassie lightly kicked her front door shut. “Good riddance,” she muttered, wiping her hands together in a gesture that said she had now wiped him from her life.
“Too right,” Zac said behind her, and she spun around, having forgotten about him in all the commotion.
Her heart jumped. “Sorry to spoil your morning.”
He loved her.
And she still didn’t know what she was going to do about it.
He came toward her and pulled her into his arms. “You didn’t spoil anything. He did.” He eyed her with admiration. “And you did bloody good at standing up to him, sweetheart.”
Pleasure filled her. “Yeah, I did, didn’t I?” She let loose a long, slow breath. “Oh Zac, I feel like a huge weight’s been lifted from my shoulders.”
“I think that’s because you’ve forgiven yourself.”
Her forehead creased. “Forgiven myself? For what?”
“For falling in love with a man like Steve. Cassie, don’t ever think there’s anything wrong in having faith in the person you love, even if that person turns out not to deserve your trust.”
Oh, this man in front of her was so special.
She looked up at him and ran her fingers along his chin. “I won’t,” she said huskily. “Not ever again.”
“Good girl.”
Then something occurred to her and she winced. If Zac was so special didn’t he deserve the truth?
“There’s a problem?” Zac said, frowning.
She moistened her mouth. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
He stiffened. “I hear a goodbye coming on.”
She gasped. “No, that’s not it at all.”
He relaxed a little. “Go on.”
She felt a lump in her throat at what she had to say. “Remember when I was deciding whether I should go out to dinner with you that first time?” He gave a nod. “Well, Steve had called me to tell me to stay away from you. I’m sorry, but a part of me used you to defy him. He was the deciding factor in why I went out with you.”
A moment slipped by as he searched her face.
Then, “But did you go out with me only to spite him?”
“Um… no.”
“And did you go to bed with me because of him? Or was it because you wanted to?”
“I wanted to.”
“Than that’s all I need to know.”
For a heartbeat she couldn’t believe he’d dismissed her concerns so easily. Then she realized she should have expected nothing less from this man.
But before she could thank him, he brushed his lips over hers. “I have my own admission to tell you. I kissed Erin this morning.”
It was her turn to stiffen.
“And it made me realize something. That she wasn’t you. Sweetheart, you were right. I was jealous of Erin, not because I wanted to protect her as I thought, and not because I wanted her myself, but because I didn’t want Adam to have her. That’s what it was all about.”
“Oh Zac,” she murmured, appreciating his honesty. “I’m so glad you figured it out.”
“So am I. Adam’s been in love with Erin all along. I think she might be in love with him too. I left them to it.” He gave her a soft kiss on the lips again. “Now I can concentrate on us.”
Her pulse quickened. “Us?”
He suddenly had a possessive gleam in his eyes. “Want to try for Happy Ending Number Two? Erin and Adam are settled, so now that just leaves us.”
She hesitated, all at once torn by conflicting emotions again. As much as she wanted to throw everything to the wind and take what he offered, she had learned that nothing was as simple as it seemed. They lived on separate continents, for Pete’s sake.
“Cassie, I heard you tell Steve that you wouldn’t give up your job for anyone,” he said, as if reading her mind. “I want you to know I’d never ask you to give up your job. I love you, and while I don’t know what we’re going to do about it, you giving up anything for me isn’t an issue, okay?”
She melted against him with a tiny feeling of release that he wasn’t putting any pressure on her. “Okay.”
Relief went over his face. “Good. Because I don’t want to smother you.”
She tilted her head in con
fusion. “Why do you keep saying you’re smothering me?”
He pulled a face. “Sorry. Erin said I smothered her after the accident. I know she had her problems but maybe it’s me, not her. Maybe --”
“Zac, you don’t smother me. Far from it. You make me feel wanted and… and… loved. Very much so.” She took a ragged breath. “And that’s something Steve never made me feel.”
His eyes caressed her. “Speaking of feeling loved…” he murmured, lowering his head toward her.
As if on cue, the phone rang.
His head stopped lowering and he gave a resigned sigh.
Cassie was disappointed too. “That’s probably Leon. He’ll be phoning to make sure we’ve already left for downtown.” She gave him a quick kiss, then hurried toward the bedroom. “Can you answer it while I go throw some clothes on?” Thankfully all her clothes were laid out on her bed, so she only had to put them on, then do her hair and make-up.
“Sure.”
Suddenly she was glad Leon had called right now. It gave her time to think, if only for a moment or two while Zac chatted on the phone to him.
What a morning! First, Zac tells her he loves her, and then her ex turns up and shows her there is no comparison between the two men. As far as she was concerned Steve would never be the man that Zac was. Zac was honest and gorgeous and he deserved someone who would love him. Someone like…
She gave a soft gasp. Someone like her? Undoubtedly! Not long ago this man had been inside her, making her his, and yes, making her love him. She could still feel the sensation of having him move within her, with deep thrusts but with so much more than that. She swallowed.
She loved him.
It had been crystallizing in her from the moment he’d rejected that woman’s advances at the dinner.
No, even before that, since the first time he’d walked into the booth and seduced her with his words and those eyes. She just hadn’t known she’d been falling in love with him.
Until now.
She loved Zac Ryan.
And he loved her.
Call her crazy, or psychic, or maybe just a damn fool, but never before had her gut instinct been so strong as it was at this moment.
They belonged together.
That’s all there was to it.
And he was leaving soon.
Unless she thought of something fast.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“G..O..O..D…afternoon, Chicago,” Cassie said, an hour later. “Welcome and a big hello to everyone here on Michigan Avenue from the crew of “Night Talk”.”
There was quite a cheer from the crowd in front of them and she had to wait until they settled down. It was satisfying to get such a wonderful reception. She really hadn’t known what to expect.
“I bet my on-air listeners are wondering if he’s here again. Well, put your minds at rest, folks. He’s here and he’s left a trail of fainting women as we came through the front doors. Isn’t that right, Zac?”
He chuckled. “Actually there were a couple of men who fainted too.”
Her eyes widened in false surprise. “Over you?”
He laughed again. “No, over you, silly.”
“Well, he is rather gorgeous, isn’t he, ladies?” she said, and got another roaring cheer from the audience.
He blinked as if a little startled by her comment. Usually she hid behind her on-air persona, but this time she was ready to let everyone know how she felt about him. He seemed to sense that.
“Watch it, lady,” he growled, “or I might sweep you off your feet.”
“Anytime, Zac.”
Again, another spurt of surprise in his eyes, and she knew he was more surprised by her response than the crowd. She smiled to herself. She was beginning to like shaking him up. Lord knew, he’d done it often enough to her.
He gave a wry shrug. “See what I have to put up with, folks?”
Cassie sniggered. “I’m sure they all feel real sorry for you, honey.”
His eyes flashed when she said “honey”.
“Then they shouldn’t, honey,” he teased right back.
She looked at the crowd. “See what I have to put up with?” she mocked, and heard their rolling laughter.
Once the noise subsided she could continue. “Anyway, folks, we’re really glad to be here today, aren’t we, Zac?”
“Too right we are. And I want to say to all my little chickadees out there - and everyone else in radioland - you’d better start digging deep in your pockets.” He winked at the crowd suggestively, “But don’t enjoy that too much, will you, people?”
Cassie smiled. “You know, Zac. I’m thrilled we’re able to do something to help all those sick kids in hospital.”
“For sure. Anything to make their little lives more comfortable will be greatly appreciated.”
“And now we have some things to give away. Has everyone got their tickets ready? Yes? There’s some great prizes to be given out. And for all those people listening on-air we have some prizes too. All you have to do is call this number and your name will go in the draw for a new car.” She heard a murmur from the crowd. “For the folks here today, don’t worry. You’ll get a chance to fill out a coupon and personally put it in the box. No one’s going to miss out.”
After that they really had a lot of fun…
And once the prizes were given out and everyone had grown quiet again, Cassie knew it was time to move on to much more important things. “Now, Zac, I see Leon’s brought your super-duper book about relationships here today and I’ve had him mark some pages.” She took a deep breath. “So, tell us what your whizz of a book says about L.O.V.E.”
For an instant his glance sharpened, then he picked up the book and opened at the first page indicated. “Let’s see. Hmm. Okay, here’s what is says about the Big L. 'If you can get through the courtship part, then it could be the real thing.'”
“Could be the real thing?” She frowned. “That doesn’t sound very clear-cut.”
“Well, that’s what it says.”
“Then I say it’s wrong.”
“Hey, my book’s never wrong,” he said, shooting her a grin, but his eyes had a confused look in them, as if to ask whether she was being serious or not.
Poor man. She’d just have to put him out of his misery. “Zac, I happen to know that if you do get through all the crap, then it is love.”
He straightened in his chair, the confused light in his eyes replaced by a speculative one. He was beginning to suspect something. “How do you know that?” he said softly.
This was the moment she’d been waiting for. She moistened her suddenly dry lips. “Zac, there’s something I need to say to you. It’s important and I want to say it in front of everyone here because the people of Chicago have been behind us from the beginning. They saw the spark between us before we knew what it was, and I can think of no better place to say this.” She took her deepest breath yet. “Zac, before we came here today you told me you love me.”
The crowd gasped.
“I didn’t know what to say at the time,” she continued. “But I do now.” She paused. “Zac Ryan, I’m in love with you too and I want to marry you.”
Another gasp from the people, but she only cared about one thing. The joyous look in Zac’s eyes.
“Say that again,” he murmured.
Her hands were shaking. “Zac, I love you with all my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
His face softened with sheer love. “Just when I think I know you…”
They stared at each other as everything pure and deep between them hovered in the air like a living thing.
Indeed, it was a living thing.
Living inside her.
In them both.
“Yes.”
She blinked. “What?”
He gave her a slow smile. “Yes, Cassie. Yes, I love you. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
The audience burst into a roaring cheer that didn’t deter her eyes as Zac got to his feet a
nd pulled her out of her chair and into his arms. She went willingly.
“Say it again,” he said huskily, his eyes so full of love it made her breath catch.
“I love you, Zac,” she said huskily, not concerned about sharing this personal moment with everyone. It didn’t matter now. “You’re everything I want. Everything I’ll ever need. You’re kind and strong and you know how to make me laugh. I can think of nothing more perfect than spending the rest of my life with you.” She slid her mouth over his, her kiss full of promise for their future.
And what a wonderful future it would be, whether she went to Australia with him, or he stayed here in America with her if things really took off with the radio show.
And that reminded her…
She’d been speaking to Leon before the show and…
She pulled back. “Zac, there’s something else.”
“More?” He looked like a man who already had his fill.
“It seems our listeners want you on the show for a while longer. How would you like to take up a three month position as my co-host? What do you say, darling? Will we be a team both on-air and off?”
“That sounds fan-bloody-tastic.”
The crowd went wild, so he kissed her again, then drew back and grinned at the sea of people. “I can’t believe my luck, ladies and gentlemen. I came to the States for a holiday and I end up with the woman of my dreams.” He winked at her. “One particularly memorable dream too.”
“I hope I was the main attraction?”
“You were. And the other girls didn’t mind in the least.”
She playfully punched his arm. “You’re going to pay for that remark.”
“If I pay for the rest of my life I’ll be a happy man.” He slipped one arm around her shoulder. “There’s going to be a short break, folks. For the moment, I’m sure our producer will be only too pleased to take over from us.” With a roguish grin, he unclipped the microphones from their collars and threw them toward a smiling Leon, before pulling Cassie off the stage and into a more private area.
And then he began to turn her on with a kiss that would be a prelude to a beautiful night of warm loving.
A lifetime of warm loving.
Yes, Chicago, the show had only just begun.
Talking Sex Page 24
