by Alexa Aston
“Cassie?”
Zak Mercury stood in the narrow hallway leading back to the dining room. She hadn’t seen him at dinner but Jolene told her Zak was supposed to stop by after finishing a set at Bonkers.
“I heard all the press the past coupla days.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Sorry. Tough break,” he slurred. “I have good news. HBO picked up my special.”
She winced, smelling the whiskey on his breath. He must’ve guzzled half a bottle on his way to the restaurant. Still, he was a friend of Rhett’s and he’d been nice to her in the past.
“Congratulations, Zak. I’m sure you’re on your way to becoming their number one draw.”
“Hey, you’re outta job now,” he said, his voice loud enough to make her wince. “My offer’s still open. I could use an assistant.” His words started slurring more. “Things’re happenin’ fast. Scripts pourin’ in. Whad’ya say, Cassie? Wanna work for me?”
Two women came into the hallway and they squeezed by. The women went into the restroom before she answered.
“It’s a sweet offer, Zak, but I still work for Rhett.”
He looked puzzled. “Corrigan kept you on after that fiasco? Boy, you must be good at your job. And other things.”
Zak’s words and tone pissed Cassie off. She decided he was drunk and tried not to read anything into it.
“It was nice seeing you, Zak, but Rhett’s waiting for me. I need to—”
Zak blocked her as she tried to pass.
“Come on, Cassie. He’s just your boss. It’s not like you’re keeping a date waiting.” Zak’s eyes drilled into hers. “Or are you?”
Her mouth grew dry. She clutched her purse to her chest, trying to put some space between them.
“Zak, I really need to go.”
He didn’t move. “You’re screwing him, aren’t you? No wonder you were so quick to shoot me down. Who needs a tall, cute redhead when you can have Captain Hotshot?”
Cassie tried to take a step back but she had nowhere to go. Her heart drummed wildly as anger poured through her.
“You’re drunk and being stupid. Why don’t—”
He pressed against her, pushing her against the wall. “Let’s see if this changes your mind.”
Zak’s mouth covered hers, his tongue an invading army. Cassie fought for air as she tried to push him away, but even drunk, he was much stronger than his lanky frame indicated. She didn’t have enough room to knee him in the groin so she did the next best thing.
She smashed her high heel down and ground the point into his foot.
Zak broke the kiss, roaring an obscenity, as his body seemed to magically fly away from her. Then Cassie saw why.
Rhett had Zak by the collar. He slammed him into the wall face first. She heard the dull crunch and knew the comedian’s nose had broken.
The two women exited the restroom at that moment and one of them screamed. That started the other one screaming and their two-part harmonies could have shattered glass a block away.
Cassie watched in horror as Zak, his nose gushing blood, spun away from Rhett and then slugged him directly in the eye. Rhett’s head snapped back and hit the wall as Zak attacked Rhett’s ribs. Rhett roared something unintelligible and fought back, pummeling Zak, his blows striking Zak from his face to his stomach. Blood was everywhere.
The women kept up their symphony, drawing a crowd at the edge of the hallway. She heard Ken yell Rhett’s name, and then somehow Breck bullied his way through and pulled Rhett off. Zak lay still on the ground. Her eyes met Rhett’s. She ran the few feet between them and they clung together.
Then the flashes began. Cassie knew immediately that the paparazzi had somehow made their way in. Rhett turned them away from the intrusive cameras but the damage had been done.
“Call an ambulance,” Rhett hollered, trying to protect Cassie from the blinding light.
“Back off!” Breck shouted at the photographers. He stood and tried to block the scene from their lenses.
Rhett peeled off his jacket and slipped it under Zak’s head. As people pressed around them, he told Cassie, “He’s breathing. He’ll be all right. He’s got to be all right.”
Somehow, Breck came up with a few cloth napkins and Cassie mopped the blood from Zak’s face. He moaned.
“You’re fine, Zak,” she whispered. “The ambulance is on its way.”
His eyelids fluttered a few times and then opened. He glared at Rhett. “This piece of ass is worth our friendship, Hotshot?”
Rhett’s arm went instinctively around Cassie. “Pretty much, Zak.”
The comedian groaned. “Does this mean I can’t play poker with the gang anymore?”
Rhett frowned. “Not if you try treating Cassie like some two-bit whore in a back alley. And not if you continue to drink yourself into these stupid situations. It’s time you got help.”
Zak sighed. “I better get some really good material outta this, Hotshot. Fight stuff. Hospital stuff. Nurse sympathy.” He managed a weak grin. “Lots of nurse action.”
“Are you serious?” Cassie asked. “You’re beaten to a pulp and all you’re thinking about is your act?”
Zak shrugged. “Sorry, Cassie. The act always comes first—but sex is never far behind.” He grinned sloppily. “If I do rehab, I’m bound to get some great stuff from there.”
“Coming through!” yelled a paramedic. “Move over, people.”
Rhett and Cassie stood and moved back to the restroom doors.
“I’m so sorry,” Rhett apologized. “I saw him on you and you struggling and I went nuts.”
Cassie took his hand. “I know. I’m sorry, too.”
“You didn’t do anything, babe.”
Cassie steeled herself. “Rhett, maybe this isn’t meant to be. I seem to bring trouble with me. I can’t imagine what this incident will do to your career.”
His fingers sank into her arms. “Don’t say that, Cassie. Fuck my career! I have enough money to live on for the rest of my life. I could paint houses or train horses or sack groceries. It wouldn’t matter. I don’t care what the papers print. I do care what you say. Please. Don’t leave. Promise me.”
Cassie saw in his tortured eyes how much he really cared for her. Tears began to flow down her cheeks.
“I won’t leave you. I love you,” she blurted out.
Rhett’s forehead came to rest against hers. “I love you, too.” He kissed her deeply, clinging to her as a drowning man would a piece of driftwood.
”Excuse me.”
They broke apart and Cassie saw two policemen standing in front of them.
“Mr. Corrigan, we need to speak to you about what happened. You, too, Miss.”
CHAPTER 22
Rhett held the Ziploc filled with ice against his face as he left Pomodoro, partly to ease the ache along his cheekbone and eye and partly to block his face from the photos being taken as he walked to the limo.
Johnny leaped from the vehicle and had him in and the door shut in record time. He pulled away from the curb and into the flow of traffic. Rhett hoped no paparazzi followed.
“Home, Mr. Corrigan?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Rhett sank into the leather and tossed the ice bag on the seat next to him. He reached for a bottled water, downing half of it in the first swallow. He’d spoken to a couple of cops for half an hour and then he’d cooled his heels another hour before they let him leave the manager’s cramped office, where they’d questioned him. He could tell they weren’t happy cutting him loose but one of them spoke directly with Zak, who refused to press charges.
Rhett took out his phone and toyed with it. He wanted to call Cassie. He’d sent her home with Breck and Jolene after the police spoke with her. He hoped she’d gone back to the gatehouse although she might have returned to Ken and Melanie’s. He wondered if she’d even want to talk to him after such a disastrous night.
His head pounded viciously. He asked Johnny, “Got any Tylenol?”
�
��Yes, sir. Extra Strength.” The chauffeur produced a travel-size bottle and passed it over his shoulder. “I never go to work without it.”
He laughed. “You’re always prepared for pain in the ass customers that might give you a headache?”
The chauffeur nodded. “Once a Boy Scout, always a Boy Scout. Be prepared in any situation.” He hesitated. “Would you like to go to the emergency room instead, Mr. Corrigan? You ain’t looking too good to me.”
Rhett shook his head. “Nothing’s broken. It’s only some bruises—and maybe a little bruised pride. I’d rather head home.”
He pocketed his phone and settled back with the ice bag again. He decided to wait and talk to Cassie in person.
And hold her. God, he needed her right now. It surprised him how much he needed her. In his arms. In his life.
His mom always told him when love happened, it would come out of nowhere. Breck had told him the moment he’d seen Jolene, it had had struck him harder than a lightning bolt, so fast and furious that Breck said he knew he’d never recover. Well, Rhett had definitely been furious when Cassie plowed into his beloved BMW. He and Breck had spent hours restoring the classic model to pristine condition before Cassie slammed into it, catching it and her car on fire. It was certainly fast when he’d asked her to come to work for him on the spur of the moment. Yet Rhett knew somehow that he couldn’t let the fiery Texan with mascara staining her cheeks charge upstairs for her interview at Merriman Smith.
Within the space of a few weeks, he’d tumbled headfirst into love.
Moms were always right. Especially Nadine Corrigan.
Johnny punched in the code that allowed the gates to open and pulled up into the circular driveway. He cut the engine and got out, opening the door and lending him a hand to ease out of the car. Rhett already felt the stiffening in his body. Getting out of bed tomorrow would not be a pleasant experience.
”You hang in there, Mr. Corrigan,” Johnny encouraged. “And hang on to Miss Carroll. She’s a keeper. I’m a good judge of character, being in the people business, and I’d say that one is good for you.”
He offered the driver his hand. “I agree with you, Johnny. Thanks for your time tonight.” Rhett slipped him a generous tip and walked awkwardly to the front door, his body throbbing in pain.
The door opened before he could slip the key into the lock. Cassie stood there, her eyes full of tender understanding. She took his hand and pulled him inside, closing the door behind them.
“What did the police say? Did you call your lawyer? Will Zak—”
Rhett took her in his arms, almost crushing her to him. “You are my lifeline in this crazy, mixed-up world,” he whispered against her hair.
She snuggled closer. “I thought I was simply your efficient personal assistant. I suppose since being a lifeline includes major responsibility, Corrigan, I should ask for a hefty raise.”
He met her teasing eyes with his and quipped, “Under the influence of three Tylenol Extra Strengths, I will probably agree to just about anything.”
His mouth came down on hers before she could fire off a smart-ass reply.
Cassie welcomed his kiss, long and hard and unbelievably hot. She clung to Rhett as his hands explored the curve of her hips, sliding around to cup her bottom.
“Mmmm, nice and tight,” he murmured. “You’ve got a great ass, Cassie Carroll.”
She nuzzled his neck. “And don’t forget. Sensational legs. Or were you just feeding a line to that blonde bimbo reporter?”
Rhett chuckled. “You do have hot legs. Why do you think I let you run a little ahead of me sometimes? It’s a view I can’t afford to pass up.”
Cassie pulled away from him. “What about—” She stopped, frowning. “Come into the light.” She pulled him along and stopped cold in her tracks as they moved into the light.
“Oh, Rhett. You look awful.” She brushed a soft kiss along his brow and then his cheek, stopping when he winced.
“You need a hot shower and plenty of—”
“—you,” he finished, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her near. “Yeah, I’m a little banged up. I guess Zak didn’t read in the script that when Prince Charming moves in for the big rescue, he shouldn’t suffer a single scratch.”
“Zak was plain drunk. Lucid, but he smelled like a whiskey distillery. I don’t know what got into him.”
Rhett shrugged. “He’s had some problems in the past.”
“I guess he wasn’t kidding about going to rehab?”
“No. I’ve talked to him about it before. So has Darin. With his career taking off, now’s the time he better get it under control. He told me to call him in the morning. I think he’s ready to listen to a reality check.”
“When did you talk to him?”
He rubbed her ass suggestively. “About an hour ago. From his hospital bed. He told the cops he wouldn’t swear a complaint against me. Admitted he was intoxicated and provoked the whole incident before the paramedics took him to ER. He told me he wanted to apologize to you.”
Cassie stroked Rhett’s cheek. “Sounds like he’s taking responsibility for everything.”
He gave her a squeeze. “Zak’s a decent guy. I’ll go see him tomorrow. Maybe you can help me find somewhere to take him. If he gets the right help, that’s half the battle. Plus, he’s got solid friends to stand behind him.”
“Any family?”
“Not really. The poker pals are as close as he comes to it. Zak’s dad ran off when he was still in diapers. He doesn’t remember him at all. His mom died in a car crash when he was thirteen. He went the foster home route but who wants to adopt a gawky teenager? Especially one oozing attitude like Zak.”
She grinned. “He does have a smart mouth but it’s going to make him famous.” She frowned. “In the meantime, both of you—and probably me—will be infamous. I don’t know where all those photographers materialized from.”
“Zak won’t care. He definitely belongs to the ‘any news is good press’ school of thought. I can see the tabloid headlines now—Rising Comedian Dukes It Out with Hollywood’s Hottest Actor over Sassy Texan.”
She ran a finger slowly down his chest. “I think Mr. Sexy will be feeling about ninety years old tomorrow morning if he doesn’t get himself into a hot shower right now.”
“You know there’s plenty of room for two, don’t you?”
Cassie beamed at him. “I plan on helping ease every piece of clothing from your body, Corrigan, after which I’ll lather you and rinse you and kiss every inch of your body for good measure. You know we lifelines take our responsibilities very seriously.”
Rhett’s issued a sound of triumph as he scooped her up in his arms. Cassie wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You, Madam Lifeline, will be held accountable for everything you mentioned. Disrobing, lathering, rinsing, and kissing. The whole nine yards.”
“That’s just the basic service,” she teased.
He gave her a sly grin as he marched up the stairs with her. “I gather you’re offering the deluxe package?”
She cocked her head and rewarded him with a saucy smile. “I believe you qualify for the super-duper, ultimate luxury, prime deluxe, special promotion. No assembly required, Corrigan. It must be your lucky day.”
He paused at the top of the stairs. “No, sweetheart. I think it’s going to be my lucky night.” He smiled. “And then some.”
Her pulse leaped at his words. “You’re pretty sure of yourself, Corrigan.”
Rhett’s gray eyes gleamed back. “Never more sure in my life, Sweet Cheeks.”
He set her on her feet and unzipped the back of her snug little black dress, sliding it off her shoulders, nibbling there as he pulled it to her waist and over her hips. It pooled at her feet, leaving her in nothing but her bra and stilettos.
Cassie stepped out of the dress. “Tit for tat, Mr. Sexy.” She pushed the jacket from his shoulders and tugged on the sleeves, dropping it to the ground.
Rhett asse
ssed her. “You know, if we were playing strip poker, you wouldn’t have long before you were stripped clean.”
She eyed him levelly. “Like I would lose at poker.”
“True.” He took a few steps back, his hands on her waist, pulling her along. “But if you did, this would go next.” He slipped his fingers under her demi-bra and pushed the straps off her shoulders, his mouth burning into her flesh where the straps had been.
Cassie began unbuttoning Rhett’s silk shirt, making sure her fingers grazed his chest. The contact sent ripples of excitement streaking through her like lightning, almost as if little shock waves pulsed from him through her.
Rhett growled low, yanking her close, causing her to gasp.
“Play with fire, honey, and you might get burned.”
“Is that a threat or a promise?”
He grinned. “Both.”
Rhett reached behind her and unhooked her bra, pulling it away and tossing it over his shoulder. Cassie finished the last button on his shirt, and before she could remove it, Rhett had whipped it off and thrown it aside.
“So if this were a poker game, Corrigan, I might think you were throwing it on purpose.”
“Might be,” he said as he pulled his belt from its loops and threw it over the banister. He backed up a few more steps, tugging Cassie along, as she worked on the button and zipper of his jeans. They made it to the doorway of his bedroom as he shucked the pants, his shoes, and socks in a blur.
His strong fingers glided down her body. Since he’d taken her panties hours ago, she only wore the tall black stilettos. Cassie’s breath caught in her throat as his eyes, dark with passion, traveled down the length of her body and back up again.
“Damn,” he whispered. “I thought you looked fantastic in the dress.” He smiled appreciatively. “You look even better out of it.”
Rhett’s mouth came down on hers possessively as he wrapped her in his arms. They fit perfectly, their bodies molded to one another. He kissed her senseless. Cassie couldn’t tell where one kissed ended and the next began. All she knew was his mouth on hers, his hands roaming her body, his tongue exploring, caressing, searing her.