Redemption (24 page)

Approaching footsteps caused him to pivot, ready to defend himself. Bryan’s fists relaxed slightly, and his shoulders slumped.

“Gainnes, I do not have time for you right now,” he grumbled.

“Make time,” Derek said.

“Don’t you people use the phone?” Bryan turned back to the Jeep, prepared to get inside and drive over Derek if he wouldn’t move. “Cass is waiting for me, and I’m not in the mood for round three.”

“She deserves better than you.” He crossed his arms and arched a brow. “Just like Miranda deserves better than me.”

Bryan whirled to face him. “What is
with
all of you?” In two giant strides, he was nose to nose with Derek. “Stay away from me. Get out of my business.”

“I’m not here about her. Or Miranda.” Derek was unfazed. “So you can take a step back.”

“Why the heck are you here? I’ll give you sixty seconds to get to the point.”

Derek took a deep breath. “We’re running out of time. Miranda’s dreaming again, and you know as well as I do that we all need to pay attention when she does.”

Shrugging, Bryan said, “And?”

“What have you gotten mixed up with, Roemer? Something seriously evil wants you.” At the less-than-impressed expression on Bryan’s face, Derek continued, “Tell me you haven’t felt anything a bit
off
since what happened last summer.”

Bryan played with the keys in his hand, twirling them on one finger while he stared down Derek Gainnes. This was the same guy who had stolen his happily-ever-after. Now he stood here, in the parking lot of the Hilton, talking to Bryan about one of Miranda’s crazy dreams. Life was truly bizarre.

“I don’t have time for this,” he said, turning his back to Derek.

Derek put a hand on Bryan’s arm to stop him. The muscles tensed.

“I get it. You don’t trust me. Trust her.” Derek let go of his arm. “And keep a very close eye on Cassidy. You may not care what happens to yourself, but you should care what happens to her.”

“The last time I trusted Miranda, it didn’t work out so well for me. Guess you can’t say the same though, can you?”

Derek glared at Bryan. The silence that stretched between the two of them was fraught with tension.

“Fine,” Bryan finally said. “Consider me warned.”

A ripple of guilt passed through him. The thing was, when it came to Cassidy, he did care. More than he should. He climbed into the Jeep and didn’t bother looking in the rearview mirror as he drove away. He knew Derek would still be standing there, arms crossed, looking every inch the defender Bryan knew him to be.

S
he shouldn’t be waiting at the door for him or waiting anywhere near it, for that matter. Cassidy realized that would send a much-too-eager-bordering-on-desperate message. And that was precisely what guys like Bryan usually ran from; actually, she supposed most men did. She decided to go back into the library, leaf through a book, and go through the events of her day one more time.

Cassidy scanned the bookcases and pulled a volume of poetry from the shelf. She stopped by the large windows that looked out into the backyard. A nasty wind was whipping through the trees, and the sky was dark and ominous. Snow was coming to New Jersey, and Cassidy could tell that it was going to be one heck of a storm. She hoped it wouldn’t hit tonight; that would interrupt her plans to cause a little trouble with Bryan. Whatever that might mean. Cassidy smiled and hugged the book in her hands to her chest. Even if they were only pretending, it was fun. These days, guys like him usually didn’t stick around for long, basically because of her huge, deal-breaking boundary.

For Cassidy, sex was off-limits. At least for now, anyway. One too many bad choices had scorched her enough to make that promise to herself.

Naturally, this caught some of the men she’d dated off-guard. It probably would’ve gone differently if she wasn’t so attracted to “the type”. Bad-boy in need of reforming. She was sure one day she’d find one with a heart soft enough to love her enough that it wouldn’t matter. It just hadn’t happened yet; and, at thirty, a lot of people just thought she was uptight.

All of this led her back to her earlier conclusion. She was having fun pretending with Bryan. There was a lot less danger of heartbreaking pain when the reality of there being no chance at a future was acknowledged up front.

Yeah, right
.

She knew she wanted a future with him, and Cassidy also knew she needed to squelch that desire very quickly. She found a comfortable chair and sighed as she opened the book that now lay on her lap. Her eyes fell upon the words of Shelley’s “Love’s Philosophy”. Cassidy bent closer to the words and read the poem twice before reading the final lines aloud.

“And the sunlight clasps the earth, and the moonbeams kiss the sea. What are all these kissings worth if thou kiss not me?” she said softly and a bit dreamily.

“If you wanted a kiss, Cass, all you had to do was ask.”

Cassidy’s head snapped up and her breath caught. “Thanks for the offer, Bryan. Just reading some poetry.”

“Hmmm.” He made a clicking sound with his tongue. “Not the sort of thing I had in mind, but...” Bryan shrugged one shoulder indicating that he’d give it a try. He walked toward her as he spoke, his gait slow, sensual, tempting.

She took in the sight of him. Wearing a black coat, dark jeans, and tight-fitting sweater, he was unbearably distracting.

“I thought you had a plan,” Cassidy said, swallowing.

“I always have a plan,” he replied, his voice teasing.

Eyes narrowed, frowning, she mumbled. “Yes, yes you do.”

He lounged against the back of the chair opposite where she sat and studied her. “It’s become obvious that I should’ve told you more about this plan,” he commented. “You’re not quite dressed for it.”

Cassidy looked down at her jeans and sweater. “And what’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” she asked, annoyed. She thought she looked cute - her favorite straight-leg jeans with a pink v-neck sweater.

Okay, maybe she looked too
innocent
. He had said they were going out to cause some trouble. Pink wasn’t really a trouble-causing kind of color.

“We’re not headed to the local ice cream shop, Cass. Keep the jeans. Lose the top,” he began. “I’ll just wait here.” He dropped into the chair and crossed his legs.

The light of the fire danced in his eyes.

“Fine. I’ll put on something more your speed.” Cassidy smacked him with the book of poetry as she passed.

 

Bryan watched her leave the room. He couldn’t have her in that sweater. The hint of skin he saw was maddening. He hoped she came back in a turtleneck; it was the only thing that would help him maintain his sanity. He knew she wouldn’t, though. Besides, it didn’t really matter what she wore, she’d drive him crazy no matter what. He’d asked the concierge for some recommendations, places that were fun, places for a good time. As long as he could spend more time with her, it didn’t really matter to him where they went. But he wanted her to have fun. Bryan leaned back and closed his eyes. He was still feeling pretty good from the beers he’d had earlier. Not at all buzzed, just not as twisted-up inside as before.

What was it about being near Cassidy that made him feel so at rest? His entire life had been about conflict. To be honest, he was tired of it and wanted a little peace. Hadn’t he earned that much? After years of being the one who took the beating so others didn’t have to feel the pain, wasn’t he entitled to a little goodness in his life?

Bryan reached into his pocket and removed the necklace that Cassidy had asked him to wear the night of her birthday. He ran his thumb over the smooth side of the stone and turned it over, looking at it in the firelight. Then, reaching behind his neck, he fastened the clasp and slid it under his sweater. It felt cool against his skin, calming him. He smiled.

The clearing of a throat behind him made Bryan sit up and look. No such luck with the turtleneck. Cassidy spread her arms wide as if to ask if she passed inspection. She’d changed into a black, fitted top that exposed one shoulder. He noticed that her jeans were different, too. Skin tight and hugging every delicious curve. Bryan’s heart thumped in his chest.

She was killing him.

“Well, is this outfit more appropriate for the evening you have planned?” she asked, one hand on her hip, head tilted, eyes shining. She could tell by his expression that he liked the change, and it thrilled her.

Bryan was speechless. He stared at her and considered all the possible ways to answer. He couldn’t tell her what he was really thinking, that there was no way he’d be able to be near her all night without wanting her, needing her.

“Better,” he managed, then flashed a smile. “Let’s go.” He held an arm out to her.

Cassidy narrowed her eyes at him again and slipped her arm through his. “All right. I’m expecting some fun, Bryan Roemer. Isn’t that your specialty?”

He laughed. “I’ve been told I’m good at it.”

“Excellent. I need my coat and purse and we’re outta here. Where are we going, anyway?”

“The concierge recommended a place across town. It’s called Cornerstone. Supposedly, it’s pretty cool,” Bryan explained.

“Sounds fun.”

“Well, he also said the place is always packed, so if we want a table we need to get going. As it is, we’re pushing it. Between Derek and the quick change here, it added time I hadn’t factored in.”

Cassidy pulled her arm back and put a hand on Bryan’s to stop him. “Derek?”

“Long story,” he began. “We’ll talk later.”

She gave him a cautionary look.

“Really, Cass. No big deal. Come on,” he began, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

 

Twenty minutes later, they were seated at a table in a section of the bar that looked a lot like New Orleans. Shuttered windows, wrought iron railings, and murals on the walls completed the effect. Across the room, a guy with a guitar was playing music. Cassidy was overwhelmed by the atmosphere. The vibe seemed entirely too cool for her. She fidgeted with her shirt nervously.

“Stop fussing. If anyone’s looking, it’s because they can’t take their eyes off you,” Bryan said, amused.

“Yeah, probably because I scream small-town-country-girl. This place is seriously amazing, Bry. I don’t fit in,” she countered.

“Okay. One, if you scream anything, it’s freakin’ sexy in those clothes. Two, you fit so perfectly, it hurts.” He held her gaze for a moment before returning his attention to the menu.

Cassidy cleared her throat. “Um. What are you thinking of getting?”

“Drinks.”

“I meant to eat,” she said.

“Drinks,” he repeated, smirking.

“You are so difficult. Fine. Then I’m getting a martini,” Cassidy began. She picked up the menu and scanned her options. “Spiced pear, to be exact.”

His earlier comment still hung in the air between them. She had to know what he’d meant. Reading into it would only cause trouble.

“Bryan, what are we doing, exactly?” she asked.

“Drinking. Hopefully a lot,” he answered, still looking at his menu. He knew what she meant, but there was no way he wanted to go there.

She pulled the menu down, forcing him to look at her. “Bryan.” Her eyes were serious, her voice stern.

“We’re just having a good time, Cassidy,” Bryan said. He searched her face for a sign, any sign. “What did you think was going on?”

Her expression fell ever so slightly before recovering. “Nothing. Just making sure we’re both on the same page.”

The waiter - who introduced himself as Brandon, which made Cassidy think of that TV show she used to watch back in high school - took their order, returned with their drinks, and after a few more awkward moments, Bryan broke the silence.

“So,
Derek
,” he said, his eyes widening a bit when he said the other man’s name, conveying all the irritation he obviously felt.

Cassidy was grateful for the topic change. “Tell me about that. He came to see you? Why would he do that?”

“Well, unlike everyone else who seems to have some issue with me, his was mainly about some dream Miranda is having,” Bryan answered, tipping back his glass.