14
CASSIE TURNED to see Pete sprawled in a chair against the wall, looking tall, California-blond and cold as ice. He had her water bottle from her desk in his hand, which he raised in a silent toast. “Well, look at who the cat dragged in,” he said. He purposely lifted the water to his lips and, smiling at the lip gloss outline of a mouth on the rim—obviously hers—he put his mouth to that exact spot.
Her heart was beating so hard she was certain Pete could see it, but she smiled and backed into her desk, reaching behind her, patting, searching for the steel, pointed letter opener she knew she had there somewhere.
Instead of cold steel in her fingers, she felt Miss Priss butt her head into her palm.
Useless cat!
Slowly, Pete came to his feet, standing between her and the door. “I still can’t believe you hurt me the way you did, tossing our friendship out the window. After all we meant to each other.”
“Yeah, being stalked tends to make me a terribly disloyal friend.” Okay so she couldn’t get to the door, but she could scream.
And yet that would bring Stacie running, she was certain of it. And what if Pete hurt her? Cassie would never be able to live with that, being the cause of something happening to her new and very wonderful friend.
And they were friends, the marvel of that could wash over her even now, strengthen her. She was more than just that woman here in Pleasantville. She had people around her who cared, making her and this place a unit. She had Kate; she’d always have Kate. And now she had Stacie, too.
And Tag. Even though she’d hurt him, he cared about her, deeply. She took strength from that, felt herself stand tall.
She needed that extra strength because Pete took a step toward her. “How did you get in?”
“Back door. It was locked, but ajar. Not smart, Cassie.”
Damn, she’d done it again with the stupid door.
“I know you told the police I was stalking you,” he said. “That nearly killed me, Cassie. I can’t show my face in my own hometown. My career is ruined. You did that to me, and I didn’t deserve it.” With a vicious swipe, he reached out and cleared the credenza of all the stock, boxes and papers carefully stacked there.
In spite of herself, Cassie flinched. “The police will come. They’ll take you back to New York and prosecute you.”
“Not that I want to disagree with you, but you’re wrong. You’re alone here. The store is closed and locked. In fact…” He kicked a stack of boxes and sent them flying before looking back into her face with a definite glee. “Scream. Scream all you want. No one will hear you, and even if they did, no one will care. Not about you.”
He couldn’t know that was her secret weakness. That no one cared. But people did, she knew that now, and managed a smile. “You’re the wrong one, Pete.”
“Here’s how this is going to work. You’re going to come back with me. Tell the police you were mistaken. I won’t take no for an answer, Cassie.” He moved toward her and she sidestepped around the desk, putting herself behind it.
“I’m not going back to New York.” She wasn’t, she knew that now. Oh, she’d go back to model, as long as they’d have her, but this would be her home base. Pleasantville. Bare Essentials. It’s what she wanted with all her heart, and if she wasn’t about to have the fight of her life, she would have reveled in the sudden epiphany.
Damn it, where was the letter opener? She couldn’t see it anywhere, but there was King-Size Kong, the latest, hottest, eighteen-inch-long, five-inch-thick dildo on the market. Kate had ordered it for fun, and hadn’t quite yet decided on how to display it. The thing was made of rubber and weighed more than a bowling ball. It even had batteries in it, because Cassie had put them in there to tease Kate about how to stay busy during late-night accounting sessions.
“Are you listening, Cassie?” Like a flash of lightning, Pete leaned across the desk and latched onto her wrist.
Tug-of-warring did no good; the guy was as strong as an ox. And because he was looking at her with a sick hopefulness that said he wanted her to try to fight him, she forced herself to remain calm. “Let go of me.”
“I’m not going to ever let go of you again.” He lifted his other hand, whether to hit her or to grab her and haul her across the desk she’d never know, because Miss Priss took one look at him towering over her and, with a hiss, swiped him right across the face.
With a howl, Pete dropped to his knees. “My face, my face!”
Cassie hefted the heavy dildo and brought it down on Pete’s head.
Just as he crashed to the floor, Tag slammed into the office, looking larger than life and battle ready with his gun out. He took one look at Cassie wielding her weapon, at Pete prone on the floor, and shook his head. “Damn, Cassie.”
“Did I kill him?” She came closer, the dildo resting on her shoulder like a baseball bat, ready for another swing.
But he didn’t twitch.
“Pete?” She kicked him gingerly in the leg with her toe, and would have bent over him to check for a pulse but Tag stopped her. He’d holstered his gun and had put his hands on her shoulders, making her look at him. “Jesus. I came to talk to you, and Stacie told me she’d heard banging back here and— Are you hurt?”
“Of course not.”
Gently he gave her a little shake. “Stop it. You don’t have to always be so tough. It’s okay to lean on someone once in awhile, damn it.”
“You don’t want me to lean on you.”
“Is that what you think?” His voice had gone a little hoarse as he ran his hands down her arms, linking their fingers. “That I don’t want you to lean on me?”
She closed her eyes, a little overcome by all the emotions she’d allowed to swamp her lately—as in the past twenty minutes.
“Cassie?”
“No,” she whispered. “I know what you want.”
“And that is?”
“Me.” That still could make her tremble in amazement and she opened her eyes. “You want me. Not just sex, you want all of me. I’m…getting used to that.”
“You are?”
Oh, the things in his voice—the gruff yearning, the hope, the wariness. “Tag, this morning, I realized some things. I realized—”
Pete groaned and Tag backed up a step to put his foot in the middle of his back. “Go on,” he said to Cassie.
She looked down at Pete. “Shouldn’t you—”
“Tell me.”
But Stacie poked her head through the open office door. “I hope it’s okay that I let Tag in. I heard the noise and got worried. You wouldn’t believe the crowd out here, Cassie. Sheriff, the backup just pulled up outside. I think we should—”
“Cassie?” Kate pushed Stacie aside. “Oh, my God,” she whispered, looking at Pete sprawled on the floor, at Tag who was holding him there with a foot in the small of his back. “Oh, my God.”
“You already said that,” Cassie said.
Two more uniformed officers pushed their way through, followed by Diane and Will and at least half the population of Pleasantville, all of whom tried to fit into the doorway to see what the commotion was all about.
Cassie looked at them and felt none of her usual resentment and anger. They weren’t there to see her fail, or to make fun of her behind her back. They were there because they cared, and suddenly she grinned.
“What’s so funny?” Kate stepped over Pete. “He could have killed you.”
“Nah. I was armed.” She lifted the ten-pound dildo from her shoulder and laughed.
Tag frowned and exchanged a worried look with Kate. “Cassie, sweetheart, I think maybe you should sit down.” He stepped back from Pete and let one of the deputies haul him out of the office. “Come on.” He reached for her, but she danced away, far too full of joy to be contained. “Cassie.”
Kate said her name then, too, and so did Stacie, but she just whirled around in a circle until she was dizzy, finally collapsing…right in Tag’s arms, as he reached out with an oath to catch her.
“Hey, look at that,” she said, gripping his shirt, putting her face close to his. “Just where I wanted to be.”
His arms tightened on her. “I think this is delayed shock. Let’s sit down, okay? And—”
“Nope, not delayed shock.” She cupped his face, and right there in front of everyone in her entire world, she sighed. “It’s called an epiphany, Tag. I came here to get away, but I also came for revenge. It wasn’t going to be pretty. But the oddest thing happened.”
“What?” he whispered.
“You,” she whispered back. “And Kate. And Stacie. And everyone else. I came for revenge but got something even better. I got you.” She raised her voice so everyone could hear. “I’m not going back to New York. I’m going to stay.”
Kate grinned. “Yes!”
“Someone’s got to keep things hopping.” Cassie kept her eyes on Tag, who was watching her very carefully, very intently.
“How do you intend to keep things hopping?” he asked softly. “More stalkings? Another interesting shop? More tickets?”
“Nope.” She swallowed, because this is where it got a little risky. Not that she wasn’t above risk, but this was the mother of all risks. “I’m going to marry the sheriff.”
Stacie gaped, then laughed.
Kate whooped.
Tag went utterly, utterly still. “You’re going to marry me.”
“Yep.” She held her breath. “Because I’m assuming you still love me.”
“My love wasn’t the love in question,” he pointed out, now holding her with a death grip, as if he was afraid she’d vanish.
“No, it wasn’t, was it?” She laughed, then kissed him. “But now, no one’s love is in question.” She bit her lip. “Right?”
“Is that your way of asking if I still love you?”
“A Tremaine would never ask such a thing.”
“Hmm.” Tag lifted a doubtful brow, then ruined it by shaking his head, cupping her face and kissing her long and hot and wet. Coming up for air, he put his forehead to hers. “I do love you. I always will.”
“That’s good.” She was shaking. Shaking.
“It’s your turn, Cassie,” Stacie hissed.
“Yeah.” She took a deep breath. “Okay. Tag…”
“Yes, that’s his name,” Kate said impatiently. “Damn it, Cassie, just tell him! You’re killing us here.”
Tag nodded in agreement. “Killing us.”
God, he was adorable. How could a man be so hot, so sexy, so absolutely magnificent, and still be adorable? “I love you, Tag. I always will.”
“Well, then.” His voice was suspiciously wobbly. “What do you say we kick everyone out of here, and…” Leaning forward he whispered a lovely, very wicked suggestion in her ear involving King-Size Kong Dildo and her desk.
Even more wobbly now, she gestured behind her back for everyone to go, her eyes on Tag’s as her heart rate kicked into gear. “Lock the door on your way out,” she said to them and, with a grin, reached for Tag.