Safe With You

by DeMuzio, Kirsten

  “What do you want, Wyatt?” I asked staring at the sleek black cabinets with my hands pressed flat on the smooth white marble of the countertop. When he spoke his voice was low and strained, “I wanted to tell you so many times, Taryn. I know you probably hate me right now…” I turned around then and he stopped talking. “I’m not ready to talk to you yet, Wyatt.” I started to walk out of the kitchen. I was so mad at him, yet I couldn’t bring myself to let him think that. So I looked back to say, “I don’t hate you. I could never hate you.”

  I saw a glimmer of hope amidst the sadness and regret in his eyes, but I kept walking until I was in my room with the door shut behind me. I didn’t hate him, but I was mad as hell. I thought back to my conversations with Dr. Flannigan. I do have a problem with trusting people, and I had trusted Wyatt. I could forgive him eventually, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to trust him again.

  Chapter Seven

  Up Against the Wall

  I stayed awake for a long time looking at the city lights out my window until the early morning hours when I finally fell into a restless sleep. It was only a little after 8:00 when the beeping of my phone signaling an incoming text message woke me up. I burrowed under the covers to block out the sunlight while I reached for my phone.

  Lindsay: Wake up sleepyhead

  She knew me too well.

  Me: I’m awake. Thanks to you.

  Lindsay: I will be over before lunch. Bringing the salon to you.

  Me: Ok

  At least I wouldn’t have to spend the day holed up in my room avoiding Wyatt.

  Lindsay: You might want to avoid the paper this morning…

  Uh oh. I jumped out of bed and stopped in the bathroom to pee and brush my teeth before running to the kitchen, pulling my crazy bed hair back into a ponytail on the way. I skidded to a stop on the hardwood floors, momentarily distracted from my mission, when I saw Rosa fixing my favorite breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes.

  “Rosa!” I squealed and gave her a hug. Rosa had been our housekeeper as long as I had lived here, and she was like a grandmother to me. She held me at arm’s length and inspected me up and down making a tsk tsk sound, “Miss Taryn, you are too skinny. You need to eat more.” I grinned. She was always trying to force food down my throat, insisting I was too thin. “I’ll take some of those pancakes.” She shooed me into the dining room with a promise to bring me a plate and a cup of coffee.

  I suddenly remembered why I had run out here in such a hurry and found Dominic and Wyatt sitting at the table with the newspaper spread out between them. I didn’t even bother with a “Hello” before I lunged across the table to grab at the front page. But my hand smacked down on the empty table, because Wyatt had pulled the paper off the table and was now holding it behind his back. “I don’t think you want to see this, Taryn.”

  I scowled at him, “Give me the paper, Wyatt. I put on my big girl panties today. I can handle it.” At my mention of panties, his eyes darkened slightly before he quickly recovered and shook his head. Dominic was looking back and forth between us in amusement. “She looks pretty determined, Hunt. I think she might be able to take you.”

  I knew if I went around the long table he would just head in the other direction. So, when Wyatt turned his head to glare at Dominic, I climbed over the top of the table and launched myself at him. I heard Dominic break out laughing as Wyatt’s mouth dropped open and he reached out to grab my arms and stop me. When he did that he dropped the paper on the floor and I dropped to my knees and grabbed it.

  I kneeled on the floor surrounded by the newspaper and stared at the front page with my mouth hanging open. “Taryn,” Wyatt began and put his hand on my shoulder. I batted his hand away, as my eyes took in the grainy picture underneath the headline “Future First Daughter?” It was obviously taken from a distance and you couldn’t tell who the guy was, but there was no mistaking that was me up against the wall outside of Roxy’s.

  My head was thrown back and my eyes closed with Wyatt’s face buried in my neck and his hand hitching my leg up over his hip. My skirt was raised up to an almost indecent level showing plenty of leg and the look on my face was one of pure ecstasy. The picture could have been on the cover of one of my steamy romance novels. Below that there was a head shot of me, one I recognized as the one from our last family Christmas card, next to the article that I didn’t bother to read.

  I looked over the photo of Wyatt and me again, this time focusing on his messy hair, the way his shirt stretched over his back and how nice his ass looked in those jeans. Wyatt cleared his throat and I looked up to find he had moved away from me and was watching me like I was a rabid animal again. I looked over to Dominic on the other side of me, and he gave me a sympathetic smile, but I could see from the glimmer in his eyes that he found this situation pretty amusing. I was sure he had been giving Wyatt shit about the photo before I came in.

  I couldn’t help it. I started to giggle, and when I heard Dominic trying to stifle a laugh, I broke down into full out laughter. Covering my mouth with my hand in an attempt to control myself I looked back to Wyatt. He was staring at me like I had lost my mind. I got up and went over to stand in front of him, slapping the paper back on his chest. “Come on, Wyatt. Lighten up. Your ass looks pretty good in that picture.” Dominic lost the battle and dropped his head to the table, his shoulders shaking with laughter. Wyatt glared at him and back at me. Then he shook his head and I saw the hint of a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “I don’t think anyone will be looking at my ass in that picture, Taryn.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m assuming my dad wants me to call him?” He nodded and held out his phone. In a quieter voice he said, “He doesn’t know I’m the guy in that picture. I didn’t tell him, but if you want me to I will. And if you don’t want me here with you, Roland can send someone else to partner with Dominic.” I took the phone from his hand, letting my fingers linger.

  “Nobody outside this room and Lindsay needs to know it’s you in the picture.” He exhaled in relief. He looked so serious that I couldn’t help myself, “Although your ass is going to spark some serious speculation about your identity in the society pages.” That sent Dominic into another laughing fit and Wyatt smacked him on the back of the head as he went back to sit down.

  Rosa brought in my pancakes and coffee while I was calling my dad. “Ross,” he snapped. “Hi, Dad.” His voice softened when he heard mine, “Taryn, princess, I take it you’ve seen the paper.”

  “Yeah, I saw it. I’m sorry if this messes up anything for you.”

  “Don’t worry about me, Taryn. You are an adult, and while I don’t like to think of you in those situations, much less have it on the front page for all the world to see, it’s not your fault. Just promise me you will lay low and stay in the apartment until your mother and I get home.” I promised him and we said our good-byes before he handed the phone to my mom. She asked me about the guy in the picture, but I just told her I would fill her in when I saw her next. I didn’t want to get Wyatt in trouble, and I didn’t know how to explain our relationship or if there was still anything to explain. We chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.

  I slid Wyatt’s phone down the table in his direction and devoured my pancakes. I was famished and having Rosa cook for me again was like a dream come true. Lindsay and I weren’t exactly talented in the kitchen, and we mostly lived on take out and food that could be cooked in the microwave. When I was done with breakfast I let the guys know I was going to hit the treadmill for a while before Lindsay arrived. They seemed to already know Lindsay was coming, and I assumed they knew who or what she was bringing with her.

  After running three miles on the treadmill, I showered and twisted my damp hair into a loose braid over one shoulder. Since I wasn’t going anywhere I didn’t bother with makeup or dressing nicely and threw on a pair of denim shorts and an NYU t-shirt. Lindsay showed up at exactly noon and she immediately started talking about the picture in the paper. “Oh
my God, Taryn. That is a hot picture! I didn’t know you had it in you.” I slapped her arm and looked offended, “Of course I have it in me. It just hasn’t had an opportunity to come out before.”

  “Was your dad totally pissed? Does he know about Wyatt?”

  “No, and I want to keep it that way for now. Wyatt doesn’t need to get into trouble because of me. Dad wasn’t mad at me. He wasn’t exactly thrilled to see me in that situation, but he was more upset that my privacy was violated than anything.”

  She nodded, “Good. Have you talked to Wyatt yet? About…you know…him lying to you?”

  “No. I’m not ready to have that conversation yet.” She smirked at me, “Well, don’t wait too long. You don’t want to let that hot piece of ass get away.” I rolled my eyes, knowing she was referring to how great he looked from behind in the picture. She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the kitchen where she gave Rosa a big hug. “Rosa, can you bring our lunch out to the terrace?”

  “Of course, Miss Lindsay. Now you girls run along and let me work.” She swatted our butts as we left the kitchen.

  Because our apartment was on the top floor we had exclusive access to a rooftop pool and terrace. It was my favorite place in the apartment other than my bedroom. Lindsay had arranged for manicures and pedicures, followed by the lunch Rosa brought out. I chose a shimmery silver for my fingers and toes, and Lindsay went with a bright coral. It wasn’t the Hamptons, but it was relaxing, I thought as I admired my nails. And it gave me the chance to ogle Wyatt in his swim trunks. I had never seen him without his shirt before and I was mesmerized by his strong arms and ripped abs. The sun glinted off the silver dog tags that hung around his neck, and dark aviator sunglasses hid his eyes. Now, that was sexy. Thankfully my equally dark sunglasses hid the fact that my eyes were on him the entire time. Dominic was equally well built and attractive with black hair and blue eyes, but he didn’t hold my interest like Wyatt did.

  When we were done with our light lunch, Lindsay directed me to get changed into my swimsuit because we would be having pool side massages next. We went to my room and Lindsay slipped on a silver sequined bikini while I chose my favorite black one. I didn’t bother with a cover up but I did apply sunscreen. I tanned well, but my skin was still pale and I didn’t want to burn on my first trip out in the sun. There were two massage tables set up at the near end of the pool, and two massage therapists in the standard polo shirt and shorts of the salon that my mom always went to.

  I hadn’t put my sunglasses back on yet and my eyes went directly to Wyatt when I stepped out onto the terrace. He pushed his glasses to the top of his head so I could see his eyes as they ran slowly down my body and back up again. He was sitting on the other side of the terrace, but even so far away I could see the desire in his eyes. And I was sure it was reflected back in my own.

  Lindsay snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Come on, Taryn. He can undress you with his eyes later. It’s time for massages.” I settled myself face down on the table and untied my bikini top, turning my head to face Lindsay and away from Wyatt. Lindsay lay down and smirked, “I think he just had an aneurysm when you took off your top.”

  “You’ve got your top off too,” I pointed out. “No way, Taryn. It’s you. I could strip naked and do a rain dance around the pool, and he wouldn’t take his eyes off you.” I rolled my eyes before closing them to enjoy the massage.

  Chapter Eight

  Missing You

  I made Lindsay stay for dinner and late into the evening until I was ready for bed. I could feel Wyatt’s eyes on me always, and I needed Lindsay here as a buffer. The next day Lindsay had made plans to go shopping with a friend, so I was on my own until she came over later for dinner. After sleeping in and taking a ridiculously long time getting ready for a day at home, my growling stomach finally forced me to venture out of my room.

  I took a deep breath and stepped out of my room and right into Wyatt’s broad chest. He put his hands on my upper arms to steady me, but I shrugged away and stepped back against the opposite wall.

  “Jesus, Wyatt! It’s kind of creepy to loiter in the hallway,” I snapped at him. He crossed his arms over his chest, causing his t-shirt to stretch over his biceps. “I’m not loitering, Taryn. I’m trying to get a second alone with you to explain…” I placed my hand on his chest to keep him from coming any closer.

  “You want to explain? You want to explain how we met for coffee everyday for a month, and you never thought to mention you were hired to watch me? How you kissed me and touched me like I actually meant something to you? What was that, Wyatt? Just a perk of the job?”

  I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes and I swiped at them angrily. I was mad and I was hurt, but more than anything I was afraid that he would tell me it didn’t mean anything, and I didn’t think I could handle that.

  He started to reach for me, but I backed away down the hall, shaking my head. “No, Wyatt. No.” I scurried into the kitchen where I knew Rosa would be, knowing Wyatt wouldn’t talk about this in front of anyone else. Before I turned the corner I heard his fist connect with the wall and I heard him swear, “Fuck!”

  Rosa fixed me a plate and I ate in my room while trying to get started on my research paper. The computer screen kept blurring from the tears that constantly clouded my eyes, and after two hours I finally gave up. Since I hadn’t slept well again last night, I fell asleep the second I lay down on my bed for a nap.

  It was close to dinner time when Lindsay woke me up. I realized I had been asleep for more than three hours. Great, now I would never get to sleep tonight. “Hey, how was your day?” Lindsay asked.

  “Super,” I said sarcastically. “I yelled at Wyatt in the hallway and then hid in my room for the rest of the day.” Lindsay smoothed my hair, “Oh, Taryn. I wish you would just talk to him. Maybe it will all work out okay. In the meantime, let’s go see what Rosa is making for dinner and crack open a bottle of wine.” Make that two bottles if I wanted to get some sleep tonight.

  Lindsay and I decided to eat by the pool, and as we walked through the living room I tried to avoid Wyatt’s eyes. But like a magnet I was drawn to him, and his eyes were filled with as much pain as I felt in my heart. When we got outside, Lindsay shook her head. “You both look miserable.”

  When Lindsay and I came inside much later after finishing off the second bottle of wine, I found Dominic and Ethan watching TV in the living room. I stopped in my tracks and asked, “Where’s Wyatt?” Dominic turned to look at me with a warm smile. “He had a few things to take care of. Ethan will be here tonight.” I frowned and made a humph sound. Even though I was still mad at Wyatt and had been avoiding him all day, I didn’t like it that he wasn’t here. I knew that was a spoiled, bratty thing to think, but I couldn’t help it.

  Lindsay said her goodbyes and headed home. I went to my room and got ready for bed, planning to listen to music until I fell asleep. But I couldn’t find my iPod. “Dammit,” I muttered, digging through my purse. Giving up, I grabbed a book instead and settled in for another long, restless night.

  Wyatt still wasn’t back when I rolled out of bed around 10:30 the next morning. For some reason that I didn’t want to think about, this put me in a very bad mood, and I was snippy with my parents when they called to check on me. My dad assumed I was still pissed about being holed up in the apartment, and he promised they would be home first thing on Saturday morning. I didn’t correct him, because there was no way I was going to tell him the real reason I was acting so pissy.

  Dominic and Ethan exchanged glances over the dining room table as I stabbed my fork into my pancakes with much more force than was necessary. Dominic cleared his throat, “Uh, Taryn? Is everything okay?” I glared over at him and he shrank back a little. “Of course, everything’s just peachy,” I snapped. I slammed my palms on the table and pushed my chair back, grabbing my plate and stalking to the kitchen. Rosa raised a white eyebrow at me when I dropped my plate in the sink, but wisely said nothing.

 
; By the time Lindsay came over after lunch, there was practically smoke coming out of my ears. Yes, I had barely said a word to Wyatt since seeing the picture in the paper two days ago, but that doesn’t mean he can just disappear. I was standing at my window, hands on my hips, foot tapping on the floor when Lindsay came in to my room.

  When I heard the door open I whirled around with a murderous expression on my face, ready to give Wyatt a piece of my mind. Then I saw it was just Lindsay, and my face fell as I realized he still wasn’t back. Was he coming back? Or had he already given up on me?

  Lindsay held up her hands in surrender, “Whoa. No wonder Thing 1 and Thing 2 warned me to be careful. You look like you’re ready to kill someone.” I had to laugh at her nicknames for Dominic and Ethan, and I flopped down in the gray velvet chaise lounge in the corner of my room.

  “Wyatt’s gone. He left last night and he hasn’t come back yet. What if he decided I’m not worth the trouble and he asked to be reassigned?” Lindsay rolled her eyes at me. “Come on, go get in the shower. We’re going out.” I popped my head up. “What? I’m not supposed to go out.” She came over and grabbed my hands pulling me up from the chair. “I have approval from your Dad. Now go take a shower.” She shoved me into the bathroom and closed the door behind me.

  Half an hour later I was sitting in front of my vanity in just my robe as Lindsay dried my hair and sectioned it down the middle. I gave her a look in the mirror, “Pigtails, Lindsay? Seriously?” She just smiled to herself and twisted my hair into two long braids on either side of my head. When she was done, she patted the top of my head and set my makeup bag in front of me. “Put on mascara and lip gloss. You still have some color from the pool the other day, so you don’t need any blush.”

  I saluted her, “Yes, maam.” When my minimal makeup was done I walked into my bedroom and saw Lindsay’s outfit choice laid out on my bed. I pointed to the white eyelet sundress and brown cowboy boots, “Where are we going? A hoe down? And why aren’t you dressed like a cowgirl too?” Lindsay was wearing denim capris, a tank top and flip flops – nothing close to what I was about to be wearing.