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Chuckling, I look back at the half-fried eggs.
Having to start them over was a small price to pay for being seduced like that. Reaching down, I grasp my boxer shorts and tug them back into place.
After tossing the half-cooked eggs in the garbage, I’ve just finished cracking the last of the newly started eggs into the frying pan when I hear a noise behind me.
Turning, my gaze unexpectedly connects with Tyler’s angry and shocked eyes.
Fuck...
I see his hands clinch, forming fists as he stands at the entrance from the foyer into the open concept kitchen and living room. His eyes quickly move over my bare chest, scathingly taking in that I’m cooking eggs, dressed in only my underwear, before moving to settle on the clothes Cass and I had left discarded on the floor ever since last night.
“I think you should forget about breakfast and join me,” I hear Cass say in a seductive purr just moments before she enters the kitchen from the hallway. She comes to an abrupt standstill as soon as she sees Tyler.
I quickly thank God that she’s at least wearing my t-shirt, even though it only comes to the top of her thighs, as I hear my band members enter the room right behind Tyler. For a moment they remain completely oblivious to the situation as they continue to make jokes between them, but then silence reigns as everyone slowly begins to realize what is so very obviously in front of them.
There is absolute and complete shocked silence.
“You bastard,” Tyler says, as he launches himself across the room, gunning straight for me. I hear Cass scream as Tyler hits my stomach first and then my chin before he’s dragged off me by two of my band members.
“I told you once before that if you hit me again, I would retaliate but given the circumstances, I will let that one go too. But know this,” I grind out as I shake my head and rub my chin, “The next one I will not take so easily.”
I hear Cass gasp, but I keep my eyes trained on Tyler as he puffs and strains against Matt and Jo, my drummer and lead guitarist, who are still restraining him from coming after me again.
“You’re a bastard,” he spits out again.
Breaking eye contact with Ty, I glance at Cass who is standing, looking so unbelievably beautiful even as she trembles from shock with her hand over her mouth.
“Cass,” I say softly. “I think you need to go put more clothes on before we deal with this.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tyler wrench himself from Matt and Jo’s grasp and I brace myself to retaliate. But Tyler doesn’t advance on me again. Instead, his defeated eyes land on Cass, his eyes silently questioning her.
“I’m sorry,” Cass whispers between trembling lips, her shaking fingers giving away how hard this is for her.
“I thought we had something,” he says, his eyes imploring her.
“Tyler...” Cass says, but then she falls silent again.
I move over to her, knowing exactly just how hard this is for her.
She never meant to hurt Tyler.
I never meant to hurt Tyler.
But what we had was unavoidable.
Inescapable.
Tyler’s glance comes to me, watching as I slip my hand into hers, and then goes back to her again, as he snickers, “I tried to let you know we landed last night and were staying in a hotel close to the airport but I guess I now know the reason why you never checked your phone. You were too busy fucking him, a rock star who will leave you as soon as the next tempting piece of ass crosses his path.”
I hear Cass gasp and I squeeze her hand as I reply in a quiet but firm tone, “That’s enough, Tyler.”
Despite everything, I hadn’t wanted Tyler to find us like this. Me, with my cock still savoring the effects of having Cass’s mouth wrapped around me, my body still warm from her seduction.
It’s why I just give the warning instead of punching him in the face like I really want to do.
But if he keeps talking, I’m not going to be able to restrain myself any longer.
Tyler rubs the back of his neck and then looking at me he says, “You’re welcome to her,” and I feel Cass stiffen, as if she had been slapped.
“I think you should leave now,” I state firmly. I know it hasn’t been easy for him to lose Cass, but she did nothing wrong. She had told him about us, admitted to him that she needed a break and had already distanced herself with him. Despite his fight for her, he knew deep down that they were done the moment I’d went to his office to tell him about us because I’d seen the fear in his eyes.
Yes, it sucked that two people had gotten hurt in the process of us finding our way back to each other but someday both Sharon and Tyler would realize that they were better off without us. Being with someone who wanted someone else...it wouldn’t have been fair to them just as it wouldn’t have been fair for us to stay with them in an attempt to make them happy. I also know without a doubt that Cass and I would have been together these past five years if fate had not intervened. But fate had once again intervened and brought us back together because we were meant to be.
While it hurt the people that we were with, what happened between Cass and I, the connection we have, could never be denied.
She was meant to be part of me, I was meant to be part of her.
Always.
Tyler turns to leave and then stops, turning back to Cass and me.
“I expect you to finish out this contract and then I want your resignation,” Tyler directs his words to Cass. She inhales sharply as she realizes that Ty is forcing her out of a job. Tyler doesn’t wait for a response as he turns, slamming the door behind him.
The guys from my band remain quiet, feeling awkward even as they try to keep their eyes off Cass’s bared legs but sometimes unable to help themselves as they covertly sneak quick glances. Tugging on Cass’s hand, I pull her from the kitchen and down the hall to our room. As I shut the door behind me, I pull Cass into me for a reassuring hug. She was good at her job, someone would snap her up quickly if she didn’t want to take the job at Back to Basics.
“Cass,” I murmur soothingly. “It will be fine. If you don’t want the job at Back to Basics someone else will quickly snap you up. You’re good at what you do, and you’ve made a name for yourself over the past few months. It’s why Back to Basics want you.”
Cass shakes her head, turning her eyes up to me as she says, “No, I’m not worried and this takes the decision away from me of having to leave Your 15 Minutes.”
Smiling softly at her, I reply, “I know you won’t be unemployed for long.” Then trying to make light of things while also secretly wanting her for my own personal PR rep, I suggest, “Keep in mind that I’m currently in the market for a new PR rep.”
Shrugging away from me, Cass shakes her head emphatically, as she says, “No, Borden. No more mixing business and pleasure. I’ll find a way on my own. I’ll just finish this contract and take some time to figure things out starting with finding a new place to live.”
Holding her eyes for a moment, I understand what she is saying even though I want to argue.
And it’s why I love her.
My strong, beautiful, smart Cass.
Nodding, I pull her into me, squeezing her tight, having every faith in the world that things will work out for the best for her.
For us.
During the shoot over the next few days, I can’t keep the smile of amazement off my face as I watch Cass easily and comfortably orchestrate and organize the crew of people. She does it with such ease and confidence that when my management company contacts me to ask me my opinion on hiring Cass as my tour manager for the upcoming tour if I accept it, I don’t hesitate in agreeing with them but I don’t mention their intentions to Cass as I don’t want her to think that I had anything to do with it.
On the last evening at the end of a very busy but extremely satisfying week, I feel proud of what Cass has managed to pull together. Needing to touch her, I call out her name after they’ve called it a wrap and invite her to sit next to me on the log bench that had been placed in front of a roaring outdoor fire. The song that I’d once sang to her a few months ago when we sat on the beach at her and Tyler’s beach house is my first release off the album. I’d known immediately that I wanted the video shoot to be around an outdoor fire because of that night. Despite all the pain and anger that resulted after that night, it was the beginning of the end of the relationships that we had with other people. Now that we were reunited in a place filled with snow and cold, it couldn’t be more fitting for my first solo song launch because as I look into Cass’s excited upturned face, everything surrounding me – the complete blank slate of white snow - matches the new beginning we are starting together.
Pulling her in close to me, I kiss the top of her head and whisper, “Everyone needs to disappear now. I want you all to myself.”
I feel her glove covered hand come to my chest and I wish I never had to wear this large, winter jacket. Cass’s touches, the way she seems to make me come alive makes me crave skin to skin contact with her. I hear her sigh and I know she feels the same.
“So...I have something to tell you,” she murmurs a few moments later as we both sit cuddling by the fire.
Squeezing her tight, I ask softly, “What’s that?”
“I don’t think that I’m going to accept the position at Back to Basics,” she says.
Knowing that she had been thinking a lot about her career, about which direction to take, I push her away slightly to look down at her questioningly.
Her smile begins slow but then takes over her whole face as she says, “I’ve decided instead to possibly accept a job offer with your management company. They were so impressed with me throughout your contract with Your 15 Minutes that they contacted me and made me an offer yesterday. If you decide to do the tour, and if you’re okay with it, they want me to be your tour manager.”
Beaming, happy because she’s happy, I place one finger underneath her chin to tilt her face up to mine for a soft, quick kiss.
But then she pulls away from me and I watch as her face changes and sobers.
I feel myself tense as I wait for her to tell me the rest of it.
“What is it, Cass?” I ask softly. “Just tell me.”
She sighs heavily and while holding my eyes, she murmurs, “You never had anything to do with this, right?”
Her words hang in the air between us as she closely waits for my reaction.
“I won’t lie and say I knew nothing about it because I did,” I see her stiffen and anger fills her eyes, so I quickly continue, “But it was never my idea. They came to me a few days ago and stated their interest in you. I only agreed that you would be really good as my tour manager.”
Cautiously, she exams my face and I hold her eyes steadily. Finally, seeing the truth in my eyes, she nods.
I can’t stop the immediate wide grin that spreads across my face. After all, I would be getting the best of both of my worlds. Cass next to me as I toured around the world as a solo artist.
Cupping her face in my hands, I give her a quick, excited kiss. Her eyes continue to search mine as happiness continues to fill me.
“You’re okay with me being your manager?” she asks worriedly.
Chuckling, I ask, “Why wouldn’t I be? I couldn’t be in better hands.”
“Because I’ll be going on the road with you, managing your entire two-year tour,” she continues in a doubtful tone.
Pulling her into me, I wrap my arms around her, squeezing her tight as I murmur into her ear, “I told you before. I wouldn’t even consider signing the contract for the tour if it meant leaving you behind.”
“Really?” I hear her ask softly.
Squeezing her even tighter, I reply, “Yes, really. I’ve told you before. Everything that I’ve had in my life means nothing if I don’t have you.”
I feel Cass’s arms come around me, hear her soft sigh of relief as she relaxes into me, finally accepting what I’ve been telling her since she became mine again.
Suddenly, I have this overwhelming feeling that I needed to get away with Cass. Some place remote and quiet before the press got wind of my upcoming tour.
I call Eric immediately and book a room at his B&B, but I keep where we are going from Cass. It takes a bit of convincing but finally I manage to persuade her that she deserves this week off before launching herself into her new career. As soon as we touch down in LA, we are immediately shown to Eric’s private helicopter. I love the expression on Cass’s face as we fly over the beautiful terrain of the Napa Valley.
“This kind of looks familiar,” she admits as she presses her face to the window, eager to see where we are as the helicopter lands.
I can’t help but chuckle at the absolute wonder on her face.
I’m also excited to show her so much more of the world than this.
After exiting the helicopter, Cass looks around her and comes to an abrupt stand still as if she is in sudden recognition.
“Are we going to see Alexa and Eric?” she asks in a squeal.
Nodding, I grin as I say, “We’re here for a week.”
Smiling widely, a chuckle of laughter escapes her lips as she replies, “This is just what I needed!”
Then throwing herself into my arms, I wrap my arms around her tightly and tuck my head into her shoulder, so very grateful to have her here like this.
After placing a hard kiss on her lips, I murmur, “Come on, Let’s go.”
Chapter 7