by Force, Marie
“Is that right?”
“Mmm-hmm.” This is said against my neck as he kisses and licks and nibbles me. “I hate to say that we need to get up and get moving. I need to get you home for school tomorrow.”
That makes me groan. Three days have never gone by so quickly. “Something tells me that winter in New York isn’t going to look quite as magical to me after experiencing winter in southern California.”
“You’re the only one I know who’d call winter in New York ‘magical.’”
“If you knew how hard I worked to get there, you’d think it was magical, too.”
His phone rings, and he goes still.
“What?”
“That’s Addie, and she wouldn’t be calling me today unless she really needed me for something.”
“How can you tell it’s her?”
“She programmed in her own ringtone, so I’d always know when it’s her.”
“That’s awesome. I love her.”
“So do I, but I don’t love her quite as much as usual this morning.” He reaches for the phone. “Yes, ma’am?”
I can’t hear what she’s saying, but I can see his expression tighten and the pulse in his cheek kick in. Something’s wrong.
“Have you spoken to the hotel? What did they say?” He runs his fingers through his hair until it’s standing on end. “Yeah, that’ll work. I’ll call them when we’re ready. Thanks, Addie.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The hotel is surrounded by press, and they all want to know more about you. Liza is being slammed with calls. Fuck!”
“Hey.” I wait for him to look at me. “We knew this would happen, so don’t stress. They’ll lose interest in a day or two when we don’t give them anything.”
“I don’t think they’re going to lose interest that quickly. Addie said they’re ravenous to know more about the gorgeous ‘kiss girl’ who has changed my life so completely. We’re going to have to leave through the loading dock to avoid them.”
“I know you’re upset and worried about me, but please don’t let this ruin what was the best night of my life. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It was…”
“For me, too, sweetheart.” He kisses me before we get up to take showers and get ready to leave.
When we’re set to go, hotel security works efficiently to get us out of the building and into a waiting Cadillac Escalade that Addie arranged.
Flynn doesn’t relax until we’re safely on our way to LAX. He spends much of the ride on the phone with Addie, ensuring the security detail someone named Gabe hired for me is ready to meet us in New York. I’m hoping that will be a temporary thing, until the interest in us dies down.
I take the time to read texts from Leah, who says I looked A-MA-ZING, and Aileen, who loves that I kissed Flynn after Tina and Amy’s comments about him. Very well done, Aileen proclaims. You looked beautiful! (And so did he! Haha!). Both of them ask me to convey their congratulations to Flynn on his big win.
We’re on the plane before Flynn finally ends the call with Addie, satisfied for now, anyway, that everything is in place for our return to New York.
“Sorry about all that,” he says when he stashes the phone in his pocket.
“It’s not your fault.”
“Well, it kind of is. I knew if I brought you last night, it would turn into a bit of a circus. But from what Addie said, it’s an even bigger circus than we expected.”
“I was warned, so no worries. I had the best time. It was well worth any aggravation we have to deal with now.”
He laughs at my choice of words. “Aggravation is one word for it. I hope you’ll understand if I’m a little overprotective where you’re concerned.”
I send a side-eye glance his way. “Are you planning to be my personal bodyguard?”
“You bet your ass I’m going to be guarding your sweet body.”
The low growl that accompanies his words sends a shiver through me.
“You can start now if you’d like.” I wonder who this new Natalie is, but I can’t deny that I like her.
“I’d love to, but I’m not touching you until you have time to recover from last night. I can’t bear the thought of hurting you in any way.”
“You could never hurt me.”
“It would hurt if we had sex today, so we’re waiting, and that’s nonnegotiable.”
“You’re not the boss of me,” I say with a teasing smile.
“In this case, I am.”
As the plane taxis toward the runway for the trip back to New York, I reach for his hand and hold on tight for takeoff.
“Thanks for the best weekend of my life.”
He kisses my hand. “It was for me, too. Thanks for coming.”
We move to the sofa as soon as we can, and after a few heated kisses, we end up sleeping for most of the flight. It’s now safe to say I’m addicted to sleeping in his arms.
It’s snowing in New York, and the approach to Teterboro is bumpy. Flynn holds my hand the whole way, and I breathe a sigh of relief when we touch down. The cold and snow are harsh reminders we’re not in California anymore. I feel an overwhelming sense of letdown at realizing my big adventure has ended and it’s back to reality.
My third-grade classroom is an awfully long way from Gucci Couture.
“This must be what Cinderella felt like when her coach turned into a pumpkin,” I say to Flynn as we drive through sloppy wet snow and ice on our way into the city.
“Are you calling my Bugatti a pumpkin?”
“I would never insult the Bugatti. It was a metaphor for the weather and the end of a rather grand adventure.”
“The first of many grand adventures we’ll have together, sweetheart. You can count on that.”
We arrive at my place a short time later. We’re greeted by Fluff, who is so happy to see me, she barely registers that Flynn is with me. Leah isn’t home, so we settle in to wait for the security detail to get there. Four huge men arrive an hour later, and all of them seem to know Flynn.
He introduces me to each of them and lets me know that at least one of them will be with me at all times going forward.
“What about when I’m in school?”
“We’ll be outside the building to ensure that no one tries to gain access to you.”
“They’d try to get into my school?” I ask, incredulous.
“We’ve learned to be prepared for any and all possibilities.”
“They’ll also drive you to and from school when I can’t be here to do it,” Flynn adds.
“Well, that won’t suck in light of the current weather.”
“One of us will be close by at all times,” Dylan, the one in charge, says. He hands me a black object that has a big red button in the middle of it. “This is a panic button. If you need us, don’t hesitate to push the button. We’ll get to you within seconds.”
I swallow hard at the thought of needing them that badly. “I will, thanks.”
“We’ll leave you to get some rest, and we’ll see you in the morning for the ride to school. Your roommate is welcome to come, too. I understand she works at the same school.”
“Yes, she does. Thank you. She’ll appreciate that.”
“Good night, then.”
They nod respectfully on their way out.
“Are you okay with all this?” Flynn asks.
“I guess I have to be. It’s weird, but I suppose I’ll get used to it.”
“I’m sorry that it’s necessary, but I won’t take any chances with your safety or security.”
I go to him and put my arms around his waist.
He gathers me in close to him. “You want me to go so you can get ready for tomorrow?”
“No, I don’t want you to go.”
“Good answer.”
We take Fluff out to pee and then work together to make a simple dinner of pasta with vegetables. He insists we turn in early since I have to get up at what he calls the “butt crack of dawn.” Lovely. In bed, he holds
me close but refuses to even kiss me so he won’t be tempted to make love to me.
Nothing I do, and I try just about everything, convinces him to change his mind.
“Stop trying to break me,” he mutters. “I can’t be broken.”
Fluff, who has worked her way in between us, growls at him.
“Good girl, Fluff.” I stroke her ears. “You tell him if he’s going to sleep in our bed, he has to follow our rules.”
“Tomorrow night, you’ll be in my bed following my rules, so you’d better watch your mouth.”
Fluff growls again, making us both laugh. We consider it a major victory that she’s allowed him into the bed in the first place.
The next thing I know, my alarm is going off, and Flynn is groaning in protest.
I lean over Fluff to kiss him. “Go back to sleep for a while. I’ll let you know when I’m leaving.”
“Wait, do you take Fluff out first thing?”
“Usually.”
“Not today you aren’t. I’ll do it.” He gets up slowly and reluctantly. “Five o’clock in the fucking morning? Seriously, Nat?”
“I have to ease my way into the day. It’s my routine.”
“Your routine is fucked up.”
“And you’re cranky in the morning.”
“This isn’t the morning! It’s the middle of the fucking night.”
I laugh at him as I gather up my clothes and head for the shower. “Fluff, be nice to Flynn. He’s taking you out to pee. And isn’t it cute that you both have names that start with FL? You’re a match made in heaven.”
“Do you have to be so fucking cheerful in the middle of the night?”
I’m still laughing when I step into the shower. I love that he’s cranky in the morning and that his hair stands straight up and he looks nothing at all like a movie star. Rather, he looks exactly like the man I love with all my heart.
He’s talking to Leah when I emerge from the bathroom, dressed and ready for work.
“Um, Nat, there’s a movie star in our apartment,” she says, smiling at me over a mug of coffee.
I wink at her. “Nah, that’s just Flynn, and he’s grumpy in the morning.”
“It’s not morning. It’s the middle of the fucking night.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Leah says.
We all leave together, Flynn to head to his place while the security guys take Leah and me to work. She loves that we now have our own driver. Flynn kisses me good-bye on the sidewalk and waits until we drive off to head to his car.
After three days with him, I miss him already.
Chapter 23
Watching Natalie drive off in the big SUV with her security detail, I experience a sense of unease. I hate that she needs security simply because she’s dating me, but like I told her, I’m not taking any chances where she’s concerned.
The seven hours until she gets out of school stretch out before me like an endless ordeal I have to endure so I can be with her again. Tonight, I’ll take her to my place, and we’ll pick up where we left off the other morning. I honestly can’t wait to be inside her again. That’s the closest to heaven I’ve ever been. But I can’t think about that now or I’ll be walking around with a hard-on all day.
I go home to shower and change before heading to the Quantum office to do some work. I’ve let everything slide over the last ten days, and it’s time to get caught up. I’ve got a meeting at two thirty with Hayden to go over the plans for post-production on our new film, which has defied naming. That’s one of many decisions that must be made soon. I keep the meeting short and sweet, because it’s almost time to see Natalie. She has to tutor her student Myles right after school, but at four o’clock, she’s all mine.
Hayden calls me right on time. “How’s it going?” he asks.
“Great, you?”
“I’m still high from Sunday night. I can only imagine how you must feel.”
I can’t tell him that winning the Globe is the least of what happened Sunday night. “It was a good night.”
“Natalie seemed to enjoy it.”
“She did.”
“Addie says the press is going wild over her, trying to get the skinny.”
“Liza is dealing with them.”
“You can’t stonewall them forever, you know.”
“I’ll stonewall them for as long as I can.”
“So it’s serious with you two? What you said in your acceptance speech…”
“It’s serious. I’m in love with her.”
“Flynn… Jesus, you just met her. Don’t you think you ought to take some time before you start talking about love?”
“You ought to know about taking some time.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“When are you going to admit that you’re in love with Addie?”
He’s silent for so long that I wonder if he’s still there. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I have eyes, Hayden. Perfectly good working eyes, and I’ve known for some time that you’re in love with her.”
“You’re out of your fucking mind! You fall in love and suddenly you see love everywhere?”
“It’s not sudden. You’ve been into her for years now, but you’re too damned afraid to do anything about it. So don’t sit in judgment of me just because I choose to act on my feelings for Natalie.”
“I don’t even know what to say to you right now. We’ve got a ton of shit to deal with, and you’re throwing this at me?”
“I’m just pointing out that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
“Poetic, Flynn. Really.”
My phone chimes with a text from Addie. 911. Our code for call me right now no matter what you’re doing. My stomach drops, and my first thought is of Natalie. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back.”
“Flynn, wait—”
I drop the desk phone into the cradle and call Addie on my cell.
“We’ve got a huge problem,” she says.
“What? You’re freaking me out.”
“I don’t even know how to tell you this, but Hollywood Starz is reporting that Natalie is actually a woman named April Genovese who accused the Nebraska governor of rape when she was fifteen. It went all the way to trial, where he was convicted and sentenced to twenty-five years to life in prison.”
I’m going to be sick. “I’ll call you back.” I run for the bathroom that adjoins my office, where I’m violently ill. Oh my God, I’ve brought down the wrath of hell on my sweet Natalie. All I can think about is getting to her. Right now.
I wash my face, brush my teeth quickly and grab my coat and phone on the way out of the office. In the elevator to the parking garage, I feel like my skin is too tight to contain the rage and fear that I feel. She’ll never forgive me for this. I’m certain that any chance I had of a life with her is gone now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do everything within my power to try to make this right.
Driving the Range Rover, I emerge into a swarm of reporters staked outside the Quantum office who are screaming at me for a comment about Natalie. I press the accelerator, not caring in the least if I run them down. All that matters is getting to her.
Liza calls, and I take it even though she’s about the last person I want to talk to. “Flynn, oh my goodness! Is it true?”
“There’s no comment from us on this, you got me?”
“You have to say something.”
“No, I don’t. This is her personal business, and it has nothing to do with me or my career. It’s off-limits.”
“But—”
“Liza, if you wish to continue working for me, I want the full resources of your company on this. I want you to threaten lawsuits and anything else you can think of to make it stop.”
“It’s too late to stop it. It’s already all over the Internet.”
“I can’t do this right now. I need to get to her. Do what you can to contain it.”
“Is it true?”
“I
don’t even know, but that doesn’t matter. This is going to hurt her, and I promised I’d never hurt her.”
“You didn’t do this. You had nothing to do with it.”
“You know goddamned well I had everything to do with it.” After a quick call to Dylan to put Natalie’s security on alert, I throw the phone into the passenger seat and hit the gas. Getting to her is the only thing that matters.
Stone-faced Mrs. Heffernan is waiting for me when I return to my classroom after seeing my students off at the end of another long day. “We have a problem, Ms. Bryant.”
“What’s that?”
“We have reporters at our door looking for you, and we’re hearing from them that you aren’t who you say you are.”
I feel the earth shift under my feet, and for a brief terrifying second, I fear I’m going to pass out from the absolute shock that hits my system like a high-voltage bolt of electricity.
“Nothing to say?” She seems smug and satisfied, as if she’s always known I’m no good.
“I… I’m exactly who I say I am.”
“And you were never known by the name April Genovese?”
That name coming from Mrs. Heffernan is another high-voltage shock that rips through me. I can’t seem to speak over the huge knot of fear that grips my chest. It’s similar to the way I felt when I had the wind knocked out of me the day I met Flynn.
“The contract you signed is very clear, Ms. Bryant, or Ms. Genovese or whomever you are. Fraud of any kind will not be tolerated. I’m afraid your position here has been terminated. You’re to clean out your personal effects and be out by five o’clock, or you’ll be escorted from the premises by the NYPD.”
I’m being fired, and there’s nothing I can do about it. As a contract employee with a charter school, I don’t benefit from the protection of a union. I’m completely on my own. And then I think about the children I’ve come to love in the months we’ve been together.
A sob erupts from my tightly clenched jaw. “You can’t fire me. My legal name is Natalie Bryant. I haven’t lied about anything.”
“None of this appeared in your background check, which leads us to wonder what else you’re hiding. We can’t take chances with the safety and security of our students. The decision has been made, and your contract has been voided. Please clean out your classroom immediately.”
