“How did you find him?” Mason asked.
“He purchased a disposable cell. He dialed nine-one-one and left the line open before he slipped the noose over his head and kicked the chair away. A car went to check it out and found him.”
Parsa closed his notebook and slid it in a shirt pocket. “As far as the LAPD is concerned, the case is closed. All indications point to him working alone with no sign of an accomplice. If anything else happens, like with those wackos across the street, give me a call.”
“By wackos, you mean the four women protesting me?”
Parsa nodded. “I mean, come on, get a life.”
Cassidy smiled, feeling an immense relief. She didn’t wish anyone dead, but she also couldn’t muster much sympathy for Barry Nelson. He’d ruined lives. He’d killed.
“Let’s go celebrate with the best dance of the night,” Trey proclaimed. Then he glanced at Harlow. “Oops, sorry, Mrs. Oldham. How about we co-share best dance of the night.”
Harlow laughed. “That sounds like a plan. Now I better go find my partner before he thinks I ditched him.”
Sawyer slid out of the booth and helped his wife out. He shook hands with Parsa and they left.
“We’d better get some last-minute practice in,” she told Trey. He stood and shook Parsa’s hand.
“Thank you for all your hard work on behalf of my partner.”
Cassidy smiled, hoping he’d always stay humble and kind. He was young, and Hollywood had a way of corrupting even the most diligent souls.
After he moved away, she shook the detective’s hand. “Thank you so much, Detective Parsa. I appreciate all your hard work. I’ll sleep better at night.”
“My pleasure, Ms. Swain. Break a leg tonight…er, sorry. Are you supposed to say that to a dancer?”
She laughed. “Sure. We’re performers, too.”
Mason took his turn thanking the detective. “I can’t say it’s been a pleasure, but I appreciate all you’ve done, and for being so easy to work with. Some cops don’t appreciate our interference. You can expect a letter of gratitude from my company to be forwarded to your boss for your permanent file.”
Parsa looked surprised. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“I got one of those and look at me now,” Kellan remarked, his arms held wide and they all laughed.
“If I was twenty years younger, I’d consider applying for a job myself. You’re more organized and professional than any of the other cops or agencies I deal with on a daily basis.”
With one last wave, Cassidy followed Trey out the door. Mason caught up to them and placed a hand on her lower back.
She tried to sound casual. “I guess your assignment is over now that the culprit is dead.”
He leaned down to whisper, “You’re not an assignment.”
A delicious shiver raced all the way down her spine.
#
Mason sat in the front row with Sawyer and Kellan as the second episode of the season kicked off. Even though the case was officially closed, his contract with Russell and the television company lasted for the duration of the show. If Russell did decide to end it now, Mason wasn’t leaving Cassidy’s side. She’d managed to do what he swore he’d never allow to happen again. She’d gotten under his skin. He was afraid he was becoming addicted to her. Oh hell, who was he kidding? He was already. She was everything he didn’t know he wanted.
If someone asked him two weeks ago if he’d ever let another woman close, he’d have spat an emphatic no. Once burned, twice shy. The pain and heartache weren’t worth it. But Cassidy Swain was beauty and grace, elegance and strength, kindness and compassion. She’d laughed at Kai’s joke like it was the funniest thing ever. He’d overheard her sending coffee and pastries to the women who’d tormented her with vile insults. She’d stood tall and proud when being yelled at by Marcus Howe’s family. And she’d been courageous and strong while Barry Nelson set out to destroy her life.
She was in a word, perfection.
So was their dance. Three perfect scores. Trey’s prediction came true as Harlow and Glen tied for top of the leaderboard. After the final dance of the evening, the host called for all the couples to return to the stage for the first eliminations of the season. Mason was nervous, even knowing Cassidy and Trey and Harlow and Glen had scores that should keep them safe.
“Now I will announce the bottom three. Remember, this isn’t necessarily the three couples in the bottom, but two do have the lowest combined judges’ scores and audience votes. The first couple in jeopardy are…” Long pause. “Trey and Cassidy.”
“What?” Mason surged to his feet. His question was drowned out by the voracious boos raining down on the stage. Trey smiled, but it waivered. Cassidy’s smile looked confident and calm as she attempted to reassure her partner. Mason was so lost in his anger, he hadn’t realized Sawyer and Kellan had joined in his boos.
“Okay, okay, folks, calm down,” the host chided. “Let’s not start throwing things. The next couple in jeopardy are…” Another ridiculously long pause. “Billy and Irina.” A few boos, but for the most part, it seemed as if the audience agreed with that announcement. Their dying swan routine would go down as one of the most ridiculous dances in the history of the world, at least in Mason’s unprofessional opinion.
“And the final couple in the bottom are…” These lengthy pauses were getting out of hand. “Ruth and Bryan.” Boos, but they seemed more polite than passionate. “That means the rest of the couples are safe and we’ll see you back next week. Trey and Cassidy, Billy and Irina, Ruth and Bryan, could you please join me down here.”
The couples all moved to where the host indicated. The lights dimmed, and they were hit with spotlights. Dramatic music played. Mason rolled his hand in the universal sign for “get on with it.”
“I can now announce the first couple who will be leaving us tonight.” Yep, extended pause. “Billy and Irina.”
The crowd booed—with help from assistants holding up signs instructing them to do so—while the duo looked sad but resigned. Mason thought Billy looked relieved. The two hugged and before they stepped forward to listen to what the judges had to say, Irina crossed over to Cassidy and whispered something in her ear. What the hell was that about?
Irina walked back to her partner and stood next to the host while he said nice things, then it was the judges turn. A waste of time if you asked him, but then, no one did. They were lukewarm with their criticism but encouraged Billy to keep dancing. Mason could practically hear the man say, “No way in hell.” Finally, they were done and waved to the crowd as they disappeared backstage. Spotlights framed the remaining two couples.
“And the other couple joining Billy and Irina and going home tonight…” Stupidly-long pause. Mason vowed to have a talk with Russell about these idiotic gaps. "…will be announced when we return from this commercial break.”
Mason threw up his hands. “Are you kidding me?” He was about to lose it. Though the breaks were only like three and a half minutes, this one would seem like an eternity.
“Bro, unclench.”
He swiveled his head and narrowed his gaze at Sawyer. “They shouldn’t be in the bottom,” he said through teeth that were indeed clenched tight.
“They’re safe,” Sawyer stated with complete certainty. “Russell, or whoever decides these things, is just doing this for the shock factor.”
“That better be the case or I’ll give him something to be shocked over.”
He ignored Sawyer and Kellan’s amused guffaws.
Finally, finally, the red light on top of the camera clicked on and they were live again.
“To recap…”
Mason goggled at the host. Recap? Who needed a recap? Did they think people’s attention spans were that short?
“Billy and Irina are the first couple who will be leaving the show tonight. Joining them and leaving tonight will be…” Mason could’ve walked back to Indiana in the amount of time it was taking him to make the final
announcement. “Ruth and Bryan.”
Ruth and Bryan. Ruth and Bryan! Not Trey and Cassidy. Good. All right. He could breathe again. His lungs began to fill with air. Cassidy was safe.
“See, I told ya.” Sawyer slapped him on the back. He glanced at the stage to see Trey hugging Cassidy and hopping up and down like a Mexican jumping bean. Mason wondered if he’d ever been that young and enthusiastic. Oh right, at Trey’s age, he’d been knee-deep in death and destruction, fighting tangos and serving his country.
The overhead lights snapped on and the crowd started departing. Cassidy and Harlow would have post-show interviews and then a short practice session where they would go over the dances for next week’s performance with their partners.
Mason plopped in his seat. How would he ever endure more eliminations like this? It wasn’t as if the show was solving world peace or curing cancer or anything. It was a dance competition, for hell’s sake. Still, he knew how much it meant to Cassidy and therefore, it meant everything to him.
Chapter 26
Cassidy ran through the two dances Trey would need to learn for next week. One was a Viennese waltz, the other a jive. She’d choreographed the routines before the season started, not knowing who her partner would be. She could change things around if needed, depending on her partner, but with Trey, she didn’t need to “dumb down” the steps. He was made for the jive with his boundless energy and infectious personality and he’d nail the Viennese waltz with his grace and technique.
Suddenly, she realized that for the first time since the new season started, she could go out in public after the show without fear of being killed. Sure, Marcus’s fan club might want to rip her hair out, but still, she felt like a hundred-pound weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
After a quick shower, she dressed in a pale yellow top and a black skirt covered in sunny wildflowers. She hoped she could talk Mason into going out for dinner. Rosa probably had a meal already prepared, but they could wrap it up and save it for tomorrow night.
Mason was waiting for her when she stepped out of her trailer. Her heart flipped in her chest. It seemed to do that a lot around him. She smiled and walked directly in his arms. She seemed to do that a lot, too.
“I’m going to punch Russell,” he murmured against her hair.
She angled her head to look up at him. “Why would you do that?”
“For putting you in the bottom three.”
She smiled and resettled against his broad chest. “I heard your, uh, voracious disagreement.” And she had. Despite the hundreds of other people in the audience, it was his voice that carried to her. “They do that for the shock factor.”
“That’s what Sawyer said,” he grumbled. “Still, I don’t like it.”
“Trey didn’t either. I thought he was going to have a heart attack.” She felt Mason’s chuckle all along her front. “I’ve been in that situation before. You just have to expect it.”
Reluctantly, she stepped back but threaded her arm around his tree-trunk one. “Now that the threat is over, can we all go out for a nice dinner? I know a great Italian place that serves the best pasta.” The evening after a show was usually her splurge night where she could eat anything she wanted.
“I already called Rosa and told her not to come over tonight.”
“You did?”
He smiled down at her. “Yeah. You deserve a celebration.”
She clutched his arm tighter, falling even more in love with this man.
“I hope the place isn’t too fancy since we’re dressed like, well, bodyguards.”
She smiled. “It’s not.”
“And Cassidy? I know the threat is over, but I’d feel better if you kept wearing the Kevlar.”
She tugged up her shirt in the front, revealing the bullet proof vest. “It’s why I didn’t wear a sundress like I planned.”
He inhaled and then exhaled. “Thank you. I expected an argument.”
“From me? Never. Well, maybe not never. I do reserve the right to argue when necessary. You are a man and that means eighty, eighty-five percent of the time, you’ll be wrong.”
His deep chuckle was one of her favorite sounds. “Duly noted.”
They met up with the others and Harlow was excited to try a new restaurant. The three men were still vigilant as they loaded into the SUV.
“Notice anything, Cassidy?” Sawyer asked as they drove through the gates.
She leaned down to peer out the windows. “My gosh, they’re gone.” The protesters had abandoned their post.
“Looks like the coffee and pastries did the trick.”
Her head snapped to Mason. “You knew about that?”
“I overheard you asking the caterer to send some over.”
“That was so sweet,” Harlow said. “And genius. Kill them with kindness…oops, sorry. Bad choice of words.”
Cassidy squeezed her hand. “I know what you meant.”
Dinner was a loud and lively affair with laughter and wine. Lots of wine, at least for her and Harlow. The men, she noticed, nursed one beer a piece. She was blissfully tipsy walking to the car and might’ve leaned on Mason a teeny bit more than necessary.
It was almost midnight by the time they returned to the house. After goodnights, she retreated to her room and dug through the suitcase of items she’d brought from her apartment for the sexiest nightie she owned. It was fire-engine red with little scraps of lace covering the naughty bits. Spaghetti straps held it in place and if it did what she hoped, it would be ruined after tonight.
She flicked the lighter, touching the flame to the wick on the candle she stole from the kitchen pantry, turned off the lights, slid into bed and waited.
#
After a shower and shave, Mason donned one of his only clean t-shirts. Okay, his only clean t-shirt. He’d have to do laundry tomorrow. A pair of gym shorts worn commando, and he was down the hall to Cassidy’s room. He didn’t bother knocking, just slipped inside and locked the door behind him.
The first thing he noticed was a soft glow illuminating the room and the scent of gardenias. The second was the knee-weakening sight of Cassidy reclining in the bed, dressed in a lacy red garment that barely covered the essentials. He took a step backward. Need, desire and some other emotion that he didn’t want to name punched him so hard in the gut, he had trouble pulling air into his lungs. If this was a dream, he hoped to hell he never woke up.
His legs finally remembered how to work and he was moving towards her in a lust-filled haze. She was his weakness, his own personal sea siren, luring him to his doom. And what a way to go.
“God, you’re so beautiful, Cass. You take my breath away.”
“You do the same thing to me,” she whispered.
It was his undoing. He fell on her, capturing her lips in a passion-filled kiss. She met his desire and with little finesse, he ripped off the red lace, murmuring promises to buy her another, and then he was sliding inside her, their harsh groans mingling. It was the most extraordinary feeling in the world.
Mine.
The word whispered through his head. For once, it didn’t scare him. She was his. His heart. His hopes. His future.
He wanted to make it last, but the sensations were too raw, too urgent. Her scream preceded his guttural groan as they rode the wave together in pure bliss. He might’ve even blacked out for a second.
Damn, he couldn’t get enough of her, would never get enough of her.
Mine.
She was his. It was then that he realized he’d forgotten to use a condom. He pushed to his forearms, keeping their lower bodies connected. “Cass…”
“I know. It’s okay. The timing’s wrong.”
Lowering his forehead to hers, he murmured, “Babe, I’m sorry. I’ve never done that before in my life. I needed you too much. I’m clean. We get checked regularly.”
“I’m clean, too and…it’s been a while for me.”
A low growl sounded in his throat. “I don’t want to think of any other
man touching you. Ever.” Maybe that made him sound like a caveman, but he couldn’t help it.
“I don’t want any other man, Mason. Only you.”
Damn if his body didn’t respond, hardening again, gearing up for round two. She made him feel invincible, insatiable. He might even be able to leap a tall building in a single bound.
This time, he’d go slow. He’d worship her as she deserved. At least that was the plan. The reality was that once her inner muscles squeezed him along with her arms, he was a goner.
Mine.
#
Cassidy couldn’t wipe the satisfied smile from her face. She was happy. Truly, ecstatically happy. Part of it was knowing Barry Nelson would no longer torment her, but the biggest reason was the man spooned against her back. His big body surrounded her and she felt protected. Cherished. Maybe even loved.
“Cass?”
“Hum?”
“What did Irina whisper to you on stage after she’d been eliminated?”
She’d almost forgotten about that. Talk about shock. She never thought she’d hear the words from the woman who made it her mission to make Cassidy’s life on the show miserable. “She said that she was sorry for how she treated me over the years and that we deserved to win.”
She could practically hear Mason’s brows raise in surprise. She’d had the same reaction. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. I don’t know whether to believe it or not. I think she’s probably playing me for a fool. Russell as much as told her this was her last season. Maybe she’s hoping to change his mind.”
“Or get you to stand up for her.”
Maybe. Probably. “After all the torment she put me through over the years, I won’t be her champion.”
“But you won’t support her being fired either,” Mason murmured. He knew her better than she knew herself. “You’re too sweet, Cassidy.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
He rolled to his back and maneuvered her on top. The man was Incredible Hulk strong. “Not at all,” he rumbled before he captured her lips, her body and her heart.
Last Dance Page 20
