by Treva Harte
"Maybe you're right. After all, just a few weeks ago I didn't know I had any gift. I thought I was nuts."
*It's all a matter of perspective, Cassidy.*
"Well, if we're going to spend a lot of time wandering around listening to speeches, you're going to have to help me," Cassie told him. "I have houses to clean and a schedule to juggle. How good are you at cleaning toilets?"
"I have no idea."
"Well, Mr. Helper, you're going to find out. We have a lot of houses to make up for. After they're taken care of I'm going to have to sit down and figure out how I keep running my business and save Arthur Hornsby as well. My customers aren't crazy about having a cleaning person who doesn't clean houses."
Wynn thought over scrubbing dirty toilets with a certain amount of horror. But Cassie had a point. One he could improve on.
"All right. Hire a substitute until you can clean. No-I'll hire one."
"Substitutes can be hired to replace you if they're too good," Cassie said. "And I know a few who are almost that good. But—you're right. This is an emergency. I'll give Lucy and Vi a call and see if they can give me a hand."
"Good. Then maybe we can concentrate on saving a life instead of killing dust bunnies."
Cassie let the sarcasm go. Wynn was right. But so was she. What was she supposed to do when all this was over? She had a life. Maybe her life was mundane compared to political campaigns and possible death but it was her life. She wasn't going to allow this interruption to her usual routine to completely change everything. Even if they saved Art, what would happen if she lost her work?
She looked at Wynn, who had gotten up and gone to the window to stare out. Unless Wynn wanted something else. Wynn could change everything if he wanted to. She cared enough about him that he could—oh, make her move to a new city or change her line of work if that would suit him. She'd never thought of doing that for any man before.
When she'd thought about something like being with a guy at all, she'd always thought she never would be willing to change her life for a man. Now she'd be willing to try.
But she didn't know what he wanted.
Right now he was looking outside like a housecat who wanted to get outdoors and run. Wonderful. That image of a half-wild animal who was desperate to escape didn't make her feel too secure about changing her life to be with Wynn.
Cassie decided to give that line of thought up. She had enough things to concern her already. Things like trying to stay awake during political rallies.
"Cassie. I have something to say."
"Yeah?"
Cassie braced herself. When men said that it meant things were over. He wanted out. He was going to tell her he was saying good-bye once all this trouble had been resolved.
"Will you marry me?"
"What?"
"You heard me."
"You're serious?"
How could a man who wouldn't even look at her when he proposed be serious?
"Would I ask you if I wasn't?"
All right. Now she had something new to worry about.
"Why?"
Wynn swung away from the window to glare at her. He looked absolutely furious.
"Here I thought I was being stupid because it took me so long to figure out the obvious. Don't you be an idiot. Why wouldn't I? I love you. You love me. We fit together. You know what I mean. We're right together. I could see me married to you. I do see me married to you. Don't you?"
And Cassie could see it. Almost. She and Wynn married. She'd never really thought about marriage—real marriage. Like her dad's? Or her mom's? She'd never wanted either. She'd seen one marrying into a conventional life with all convention's demands and the other marrying to defy convention and then fighting to gain respect and some sort of place in the world. Either way was too draining and unsatisfying.
Maybe that was why she'd avoided getting close to the marriage trap most of her adult life. Ned had been safe. She didn't have to worry about marriage with Ned. But Wynn—that was different. Marriage could almost be tempting with him.
"You're making my head hurt again," Cassie mumbled.
"Is that a no?" His voice sounded as angry as he looked.
"No. I mean, it's an I don't know. Wynn, I do love you, of course, but—"
"You think you couldn't marry me? Someone like me?"
Now she heard the faintest trace of—uncertainty? hurt? Oh damn.
He was going to start to think about being a freak again and how no one would want him. Even if that idea was incredibly wrong and stupid, she didn't want Wynn to ever start believing she thought that of him.
"No! Of course not! Wynn, saying I'm not sure has nothing to do with you. If I did get married, I'd love to marry you. But I just don't think marriage is worth doing. I've seen my both parents' marriages up close and personal and, trust me, from what I've seen, I just don't want one. You don't either."
His angry pose changed and Wynn moved closer to her, held her.
She relaxed. He was going to get the message. If anyone could, it was Wynn.
"Hmmm. I don't know. I've never seen a marriage, working or not. My mother died when I was too young and Da never had an interest in marrying again. But I thought we might think about the idea. Just think about it."
His arms were around her. For just a moment Cassie felt trapped and then she remembered who she was with. Wynn would let her go whenever she wanted. This was the guy who was on her side. Besides, she didn't want him to let her go.
Not just yet.
"W-why should we think about that?" Cassie tilted her neck back so he could kiss her throat.
"Everything sort of just hit me right now. I want to marry you because I'm afraid for you. Because I love you. If this works out and we actually get away with everything and live...I want to be sure we're together. I want to be with you, Cassie. I figured that much out. As far as I know, that means something serious. Something like marriage."
"I can agree with that much. Marriage is serious. It's scary, Wynn. And I can't think about it right now. You're right. We could die. We came pretty close before. Let's get out of this mess and then I can have some time to think about other things. All right?"
"As long as you will consider it."
"I will."
And Wynn's finger traced its way from her neck down to one nipple. She shivered. That felt really good. She didn't want to think—but, yes, if she ever did want a husband, Wynn wouldn't be so bad to marry. If she ever did.
Cassie decided to give him a little taste of how good it felt to be touched there. She reached up under his shirt. His male nipple responded nicely as she traced and then pinched it.
But they didn't have to be married to be a team. To be together. Wynn felt they had to do something to show they were united. Personally Cassie thought they had already shown each other how committed they were to each other. For some reason Wynn thought they should make some conventional gesture but marriage was totally unnecess-
"Oh, no you don't." Wynn's voice was a little breathless. "I'm seducing you here into telling me yes."
"Ye-wait a minute. About what?" It was hard to think about what he meant.
Then his mouth followed his fingers and she knew she didn't want to do any thinking at all. Oh Lord. When his mouth sucked hard on her nipple she felt like she could come right on the spot.
She slid her hands down to those nice tight buttocks of his and squeezed. Someone murmured approval. Cassie wasn't sure which one of them. She could feel how happy his cock was as it pressed up hard against her.
He began to rock his erection against her, right where she wanted the pressure. Oh Lord, she was going to come before he even got inside her. She knew it, he knew it, the tension inside began to climb into a joyful crescendo of need—
She moaned into his ear.
The phone rang.
They both jumped. Cassie picked it up without thinking about anything much except getting rid of the intruder.
"Cassie?"
Cassi
e almost groaned for an entirely different reason. She should have let Joe's answering machine pick up.
"Tash? How did you find me?" Stupid question. She'd called Tash and she knew Tash had Caller I.D.
"Never mind. Where have you been?"
Tash's voice had none of its usual impervious, imperious tone.
"I had to take a sudden trip, Tash."
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Why? You tell me some ridiculous story about voices, then talk to me about coming into money and meeting some man and then you disappear for days. Days! Then you expect me not to wonder how you are? Your father and I kept expecting to hear from the police or the hospital."
"I didn't know you cared, Tash." Cassie almost snickered.
Then she stopped. No, she hadn't known Tash cared. Not like this. Tash sounded...concerned. Almost as concerned as Emily had been.
"Cassie. Stop this foolishness."
That was all Tash said.
Cassie stopped. She'd never really thought before about whether people ever worried about her. And she never would have guessed Tash would be one of those people.
"I'm all right, Tash. Really. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about the phone number. Anyone at all. Not even Dad."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Cassie looked at Wynn and could tell he was baffled and annoyed. Of course he was. He wanted sex. And he wanted an answer. Men were like that. He certainly didn't want to have her to sit around and consider his proposal or chat with her stepmother. "Well, something. Now please don't make a big deal about this."
Tash's silence was compelling.
"I'd like you to meet someone. He's important to me. I'm not saying it's a lifetime, forever important. But..." Cassie tried to figure out where she was going with this. "But I'd like you to meet him."
She dropped the receiver before Tash could comment.
Wynn's eyes were lighting up.
Oh damn. She'd given Tash and Wynn the wrong idea. Why, why, why didn't she ever think things through? They were only listening to her mention the "he's important" part. They'd ignore the maybe not forever part.
But nothing was forever, right?
Cassie thought about explaining that to Wynn, but he moved closer to her, and began to unzip her pants and she lost track of the conversation.
"Cass-"
He was going to want to know just how important he was to her. She didn't want to talk about that.
"You called someone else, didn't you, Cass?" He sounded almost resigned.
"Yes?" Cassie tried to sound innocent.
"We're going to have to move someplace else, aren't we, Cass?" He began to unbutton her shirt.
"Do we?"
"But not just this absolute minute. Let's give it another...oh, thirty or so."
Oh yeah. That was a guy with romance and marriage on his mind. She could tell he was thinking a lot about her remarks to Tash.
She wasn't sure if she was amused, annoyed or something else. He unhooked her bra.
The something else feeling won.
"How about thirty five?" she suggested.
Wynn's eyes narrowed. He pulled off her bra.
"I could do that."
Then she was naked. He was dressed and she was naked. Should that embarrass her? She felt hot instead. Sexy and eager and hot.
Wynn looked at her like she was the incarnation of sex as she slicked her hands down her nude body, his eyes watching the path her hands took. He liked her skin. He liked her breasts, her stomach, her waist, her thighs.
Naaaw.
He lusted after them. They both knew how much he lusted. Cassie wasn't surprised when he got on his knees in front of her, still dressed, but with a big bulge in his pants.
*So beautiful, Cassie.*
She sighed as he began to move his tongue, lazily, up and across her aching clitoris. His hands reached up to hold her legs in place as he nuzzled his face in closer and deeper.
"That's so wonderful, Wynn." Her voice sounded drugged, hoarse.
What had started as a challenge and had been meant to be a quickie was turning into a slow, seductive delight.
Wynn murmured something, the vibrations tickling the sensitive parts of her flesh and making her shiver with the sensation. Cassie's eyes shut but it didn't matter. She could see what Wynn saw, tasted, felt.
*Hurry, Wynn. I want you inside me when I come.*
He stood and she slid herself up that long, lean body of his and wrapped her legs tightly around the small of his back. She felt a trickle of sweat run down his spine. And then she could feel his big, excited cock slipping into her as if they were meant to be this way, locked together, their breath shallow and desperate.
They stood there for a moment, unmoving. Together.
"You lied, Cassie."
"What?" He began moving, just slightly, the friction making her squirm. She was going to come, any second, any half-second.
"I'm damn important." His movements grew harder and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. Any millisecond. "You know it."
Now! Cassie felt herself cracking open as the wave of lust and heat and sensation rolled over her.
Too important. Too important to say the words aloud.
"Hmmm. I believe we still have another ten minutes or so until the deadline, Ms. Majors. Seeing as how I can make you scream for mercy within minutes, you want to try for a second helping?" Wynn's voice, no longer as urgent or worshipful, brought her back to earth.
Lust and annoyance and amusement all at once. How did the man manage that mix? Cassie licked her lips.
"I believe you were the one screaming for mercy by the end, Mr. Harmon." Cassie made her voice sound as snotty as his. "But I'm willing to go another round to prove it."
*We do love each other, my dear flake. A love that means 'til death do us part. I'll prove that to you, too, before we're done.*
Chapter Seventeen
Cassie stood, shifting her feet. Damn, her feet were tired. She wondered how politicians did it. They sat down, sure, but they had to stand, smiling and speechifying for hours, day after day. She didn't know how they managed it. She wasn't sure how much longer she could manage to do it. She'd had no idea how long a few weeks could be when she'd suggested this plan.
"...and that's why I want to be president!" Art hit his conclusion hard, just the way she'd heard him do in about three other times the exact same way.
The crowd began to clap. That was when Cassie's boredom began to change. Wynn had told her he could tell when danger was close. Now she could feel it in her gut.
"Wynn—" she touched his elbow.
He looked down at her. He knew, too.
*Watch, Cassie.*
Watch what?
But he didn't answer. Wynn didn't know what to look for any more than she did.
Then he began to edge away from her and toward the stage. Cassie watched him go, the fear tightening. The crowd was happy, pushing forward. Cassie watched Wynn, his head over most of the horde, moving steadily closer toward Art. Then her throat tightened up some more. She felt as if her brain had begun working properly again after being on half-speed for a while. Now her mind was clear and seeing the whole picture.
They'd missed something before. Something important. Something obvious.
She had never been able to see Lida controlling Emmanuel—to see anyone controlling Emmanuel. Emmanuel's thoughts about women had been much too angry for Cassie to believe he would take Lida's orders. What if Emmanuel was in charge? Emmanuel had been taking everything much too personally.
Deciding who was the real boss didn't matter for her other, more important, insight. She and Wynn had been looking at things the wrong way. If Art had finally become Emmanuel's mind slave, then Emmanuel didn't need Art dead. In fact, he would most definitely want Art alive.
But if Art wouldn't be the one shot, then who would Emmanuel want dead?
Cassie lunged forward.
B
ut Cassie was short. She couldn't push her way through the masses of bodies. She couldn't even see where she was going as the crowd closed in.
Wynn. Oh God. Wynn.
*Emmanuel wants to kill you. Here. Now.*
She tried to send him a message but she didn't know if he reacted or heard. She couldn't see anything but someone else's back jammed right in front of her.
"And now I know you've been waiting for this announcement...thought long and hard..."
He was going to announce his running mate. Now. Unless, of course, he was stopped. Oh God. Cassie wasn't sure what to think now. If Art wasn't under Emmanuel's control, then Art was going to die.
Art or Wynn?
Or both.
If they were both together, wouldn't that be the quick way, the easy way to get rid of two problems? Cassie pushed fiercely at the man in front of her and slithered between him and another body before she could think about any more.
She didn't even know what she'd do when she did get closer. She just knew she had to.
Ironically, somehow, a few feet from the stage, there was a small opening and Cassie looked up to see Wynn speaking to someone on the security detail and then being allowed to get on stage.
*No!*
But Wynn didn't glance her way. Couldn't he hear her in the crowd? Had she lost her ability somehow as she began to panic?
*Stupid bastard. I knew he'd be here.*
Cassie sucked in a breath. Well, that answered her question about whether she could only hear Wynn's thoughts. And whether Emmanuel was around. She knew that wasn't Wynn talking.
She turned, somehow knowing where Emmanuel was and saw him in the balcony of the auditorium, smiling his brilliant smile. She didn't see a gun but she didn't need to see it. She knew that it was there. There was someone next to him. Carter? Cassie tried to figure out how she'd get the attention of someone, anyone dealing with security.
And then she heard a shout from the stage and jerked her head back that way.
And she saw Wynn rush forward to pull Art down. His arm knocked the older man down. But just as he did, she also saw Wynn begin to crumple.
"Omygodomygodomy—" And Cassie realized that was her voice.