Safe With You (6 page)

“I know
, Taryn, your mother and I just want to protect you.  We will be coming home this weekend.  I know you and Lindsay were looking forward to your trip to the Hamptons, but I have to insist you stay put.  Now that the press has caught wind of this, they will be all over you.  So I don’t want you going back to your apartment yet.”

“Fine.
  I’ll stay at home for now.  But we need to really talk about this when you get here.”  I said goodbye to my dad and handed Wyatt’s phone back to him, still refusing to look at him.

When we pulled up to my parents’ apartment building there were reporters out front already. 
Wyatt helped me out of the car and hurried me inside, nodding at the doorman when we passed.  Apparently everyone but me knew who Wyatt was.  We got in the elevators and Wyatt punched in the code to take us up to the top floor.  When we entered the foyer, Wyatt motioned for me to stay put while he walked through the apartment.  I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest – I seriously doubted any reporters were hiding in a closet, but I guess this was his job.  His job, I thought with a heavy heart.  Was everything between us just a perk of his job?

A few minutes later Wyatt came back into the foyer
and approached me cautiously, like I was a rabid animal about to attack.  “Taryn,” he began.  I held up a hand to stop him.  “I need some time to process this, Wyatt.  I can’t talk to you right now.”  I quickly walked past him and down the hallway on the left towards my room before he could see the tears that were threatening to spill down my cheeks.  I didn’t want him to see how much he affected me.  Not now when I wasn’t sure what was real.

O
nce I was alone in my room I shut the door and walked over to the window not bothering to turn on the light.  As I looked out the window over the lights of the city, I remembered the first night I had spent in this room.  It was two weeks after my parents had met me at the Children’s Home.  They had used my dad’s connections to expedite the adoption process, and my mom had everything ready for me when they brought me home.  My bedroom was the most beautiful room I had ever seen decorated in shades of white and cream with accents of pale pink and gray.  It was peaceful and calm with just the right amount of feminine touches.

My parents had offered to have it redone as I got older, so I could choose the décor, but I loved it too much to change a thing.  It became my sanctuary as I grew up, my safe place, and tonight was no different. 
I don’t know how long I stood there looking out the window before I heard a knock and Wyatt’s low voice.  “Taryn?  Dominic is back with Lindsay.  Can you come out to the living room?”  I opened the door and tried to avoid looking at him, but it was impossible not to look into his dark eyes and see the pain there.

Lindsay had changed out of her dress and was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.  I saw she had brought my laptop and packed a bag for me.  She raised her eyebrows at me as a silent way of asking if I was okay.  I sat down next to her on the couch and shrugged my shoulders in response.  I honestly didn’t know if I was okay yet.  Dominic was there with
the blond guy I had seen arguing with Wyatt that day he had walked me to class, probably another one of my security team that I didn’t know.

“So, I talked to my mom on the way over here.  She told me our trip to the Hamptons is off.  Boo.”  Lindsay said with a pouty face.  “Yeah, I know.  I guess I’m s
tuck here until my parents come home this weekend and fill me in on what is going on.”  Lindsay glanced behind me to where I knew Wyatt was standing and whispered, “Maybe it won’t be so bad.  You know, four long days and nights with your hot bodyguard.”  I rolled my eyes at her.

Wyatt cleared his throat before motioning to the third guy saying, “This is Ethan Roberts, another one of
our team.  He will accompany you back to your parents tonight, Lindsay.”  Lindsay raised her hand.  “Lindsay, you don’t need to raise your hand,” Wyatt sighed.  Lindsay giggled and put her hand down, “Oh, right.  So, can Taryn leave the apartment at all?  Like even for a trip to the salon?  Can I come back and hang out?”  Wyatt crossed his arms over his chest and looked very authoritative like that.  It was clear he was in charge of my security team.

“Mr. Ross prefers that
Taryn stays in the apartment until he and Mrs. Ross arrive home on Saturday to avoid any unnecessary run-ins with the press and to ensure her safety.  You are welcome to come and go as you please, Lindsay.”   He paused in case either of us had any other questions.  “So, like I said Ethan will take Lindsay home whenever she is ready.  Dominic and I will be staying here with Taryn, and the housekeeper will be here in the morning to restock the kitchen.”  My parents had been in DC for the last month, so there probably wasn’t much in the way of food here.

Wyatt walked over to talk with Ethan and Dominic and I picked up my bags and headed back to my room.  Lindsay followed me and plopped down on my bed while I unpacked my bag and took my toiletries into my bathroom. 
“Soooo….wow.  I didn’t see this one coming,” Lindsay said.  I stuck my head around the corner to glare at her, “Yeah, no shit.”  She laughed, “I love how you start swearing when you’re mad, Tar.  I know your dad was thinking about running but I didn’t know it was a sure thing.”

I came out of the bathroom and walked into my closet to get some pajamas.  “I talked to him in the car.  He said he hadn’t decided yet, that some
one just leaked it to the press…besides a presidential campaign I can handle…but finding out the guy I like has been my secret bodyguard and didn’t tell me.”  Lindsay waved her hand dismissively, “So what?  He probably knew you wouldn’t get close to him if you knew.”  I stomped my foot and put my hands on my hips, “Exactly!  He tricked me into liking him.”  Lindsay laughed at me, which I didn’t appreciate.  “He didn’t trick you, Taryn.  He genuinely cares about you.  You should see how he watches you.”

“It’s his job to watch me,” I retorted. 
Lindsay pulled me over to sit next to her on the bed.  “No, it’s his job to keep you safe.  It’s not his job to watch you like he needs you to breathe.  Just give him a chance to explain, Taryn.  Trust someone.  Trust him.”  Lindsay gave me a hug and stood up.  “Do you want me to stay here tonight?”  I shook my head, “No, it’s okay.  I’m just going to go to bed now anyway.  Come by tomorrow if you want.”

After Lindsay left I washed
the makeup off my face, brushed my teeth and put on pajama pants and a tank top.  My mother had instilled in me good manners, so against my better judgment I went to make sure that Wyatt and Dominic were settled in and had everything they needed.  They were in the living room watching ESPN.  Well, Dominic was watching.  Wyatt was standing by the floor to ceiling windows staring out into the dark night, but his eyes snapped to mine when he heard me enter the room.  “Um, did you guys find the guest rooms okay?  Do you need anything?”

Dominic turned to give me a warm smile, “Yup, I took the room near your dad’s office, and Wyatt’s in the one across from you.  I think we’re good.  You okay?”  I nodded, “Yeah, I’m just going to go to bed.  See you in the morning.”  I turned and quickly went into the kitchen w
ithout looking at Wyatt again.

I got a glass of water and
had just taken a drink when I felt Wyatt come into the kitchen.  He didn’t make a noise but I knew he was there and I knew it was him.  He didn’t say anything and I didn’t turn around while I finished drinking my water and dumped the rest down the drain.

“What do you want, Wyatt?”
I asked staring at the sleek black cabinets with my hands pressed flat on the smooth white marble of the countertop.  When he spoke his voice was low and strained, “I wanted to tell you so many times, Taryn.  I know you probably hate me right now…”  I turned around then and he stopped talking.  “I’m not ready to talk to you yet, Wyatt.”  I started to walk out of the kitchen.  I was so mad at him, yet I couldn’t bring myself to let him think that.  So I looked back to say, “I don’t hate you.  I could never hate you.”

I saw a glimmer of hope amidst the sadness and regret in his eyes, but I kept walking until I was in my room with the door shut behind me.  I didn’t hate him,
but I was mad as hell.  I thought back to my conversations with Dr. Flannigan.  I do have a problem with trusting people, and I had trusted Wyatt.  I could forgive him eventually, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to trust him again.

Up Against the Wall

I stayed awake for a long time looking at the city lights out my window until the early morning hours when I finally fell into a restless sleep.  It was only a little after 8:00 when the beeping of my phone signaling an incoming text message woke me up.  I burrowed under the covers to block out the sunlight while I reached for my phone.

Lindsay:  Wake up sleepyhea
d


She knew me too well.

Me:  I’m awake.  Thanks to you
.


Lindsay:  I will be over
before lunch.  Bringing the salon to you.

Me:  Ok

At least I wouldn’t have to spend the day holed up in my room avoiding Wyatt.

Lindsay:  You might want to avoid the paper this morning…

Uh oh.
  I jumped out of bed and stopped in the bathroom to pee and brush my teeth before running to the kitchen, pulling my crazy bed hair back into a ponytail on the way.  I skidded to a stop on the hardwood floors, momentarily distracted from my mission, when I saw Rosa fixing my favorite breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes.

“Rosa!”
I squealed and gave her a hug.  Rosa had been our housekeeper as long as I had lived here, and she was like a grandmother to me.  She held me at arm’s length and inspected me up and down making a tsk tsk sound, “Miss Taryn, you are too skinny.  You need to eat more.”  I grinned.  She was always trying to force food down my throat, insisting I was too thin.  “I’ll take some of those pancakes.”  She shooed me into the dining room with a promise to bring me a plate and a cup of coffee.

I suddenly remembered why I had run out here in such a hurry and found Dominic and Wyatt sitting at the table
with the newspaper spread out between them.  I didn’t even bother with a “Hello” before I lunged across the table to grab at the front page.  But my hand smacked down on the empty table, because Wyatt had pulled the paper off the table and was now holding it behind his back.  “I don’t think you want to see this, Taryn.”

I scowled at him, “Give me the paper, Wyatt.  I put
on my big girl panties today.  I can handle it.”  At my mention of panties, his eyes darkened slightly before he quickly recovered and shook his head.  Dominic was looking back and forth between us in amusement.  “She looks pretty determined, Hunt.  I think she might be able to take you.”

I knew if I went around the long table he would just head in the other direction.  So, when Wyatt
turned his head to glare at Dominic, I climbed over the top of the table and launched myself at him.  I heard Dominic break out laughing as Wyatt’s mouth dropped open and he reached out to grab my arms and stop me.  When he did that he dropped the paper on the floor and I dropped to my knees and grabbed it.

I
kneeled on the floor surrounded by the newspaper and stared at the front page with my mouth hanging open.  “Taryn,” Wyatt began and put his hand on my shoulder.  I batted his hand away, as my eyes took in the grainy picture underneath the headline “Future First Daughter?”  It was obviously taken from a distance and you couldn’t tell who the guy was, but there was no mistaking that was me up against the wall outside of Roxy’s.

My head was thrown back and my eyes closed with Wyatt’s face buried in my neck and his hand hitching my leg up over his hip.  My skirt was raised up to an almost indecent level showing plenty of leg and the look on my face was one of pure ecstasy.  The picture could have been on the cover of one of my steamy romance novels.  Below that there was a head shot of me, one I recognized as the one from our last family Christmas card, next to the article that I didn’t
bother to read.

I looked over the photo of Wyatt and me again, this time focusing on his messy hair, the way his shirt stretched over his back and how nice his ass looked in those jeans.  Wyatt cleared his throat and I looked up to find he had moved away from me and was watching me like I was a rabid animal again.  I looked over to Dominic on the other side of me, and he gave me a sympathetic smile, but I could see from the glimmer in his eyes that he found this situation pretty amusing.  I was sure he had been giving Wyatt shit abo
ut the photo before I came in.

I couldn’t help it.  I started to giggle, and when I heard Dominic trying to stifle a laugh, I broke down into full out laughter.  Covering my mouth with my hand in an attempt to control myself I looked back to Wyatt.  He was staring at me like I had lost my mind.  I got up and went over to stand in front of him
, slapping the paper back on his chest.  “Come on, Wyatt.  Lighten up.  Your ass looks pretty good in that picture.”  Dominic lost the battle and dropped his head to the table, his shoulders shaking with laughter.  Wyatt glared at him and back at me.  Then he shook his head and I saw the hint of a smile tug at the corner of his mouth.  “I don’t think anyone will be looking at my ass in that picture, Taryn.”