Escape With Me (Love With Me 1)

“Stay with me,” he whispered, his voice barely above the ocean. “Stay with me.”

“What?” She pulled back slightly and looked into his green eyes. They were dark and full of desire as he looked at her.

“Stay with me,” he repeated. “Stay here, on the island. Don't leave tomorrow.”

Cassie didn't know what to say. Her mind blanked, and she stumbled for words. “Stay? I can't...”

“We have something,” Wyatt continued, his word speed picking up. His hands gripped her shoulders. “It's special. I feel it. You feel it. I want to see where this can go. I don't want you to leave.”

Cassie couldn't remember how to breathe correctly. Her lungs wanted to take deep breaths to steady herself, yet all she managed were short shallow gasps. Her mind whirled with the possibility.

What if she did stay? She wanted to. She wanted to stay here forever with Wyatt. Her body ached for him, and her mind wanted to be with him always.

Yet, that would mean leaving her life. Leaving everything she'd ever known and everything she'd worked so hard to achieve. As stressful as her job was, she was proud of it. She'd put in years of her life to be where she was. It was all that had saved her when her marriage fell apart.

Staying would be throwing it all away.

“What if you came back with me?” she asked. “My apartment's big enough. There are tons of bars nearby.”

He pulled back. “I can't.”

“What do you mean you can't?” Cassie's brow furrowed.

Wyatt's face hardened. “I can't. I won't.”

Cassie stepped back, shrugging his hands from her shoulders. “So, you expect me to drop everything. To leave the job I've worked at for years, the job that pays me well and that I'm proud of to come here? Where I have nothing. I don't have a job. I don't have a place to live. I don't even have clothes here.”

“We can get them,” Wyatt replied like it was nothing. Like leaving behind all her things was simple.

“Why don't you come with me? I have a better job, and we can pack your things and bring them with us. It's actually easier if you come with me,” Cassie said, trying to sound logical.

“I can't go back there,” Wyatt said, his face darkening. “You don't understand.”

The magical moment was breaking. Cassie could feel the magic shattering and draining away. The moonlight was still there, but the warm, happy feelings were quickly fading.

“No, I don't,” Cassie told him. “I don't understand. I can't stay here, and you won't come with me, but you won't give me a good reason why.”

“I'm telling you, I can't. That has to be enough,” Wyatt snapped. He paused and took a steadying breath. “I can take care of you. I swear it.”

Cassie stared at him, dumbfounded. “Why can't you go back? Are you a criminal? Or... what?”

“Please,” Wyatt said softly, his eyes big. “I don't want to go back to that world. If I go back...” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up. “Please just stay here.”

Despite the craziness of it, Cassie was tempted. She was tempted to throw her career away for this man she'd only known a few days. She was tempted to lose her apartment, her things, her job. Everything. For him.

The fact that she was tempted scared her. The fact that she would give up everything she'd worked so hard for because of a couple of amazing days on the beach terrified her. What if it was all just an illusion? What if those things Lorna had said about him were true? What if he found the next cute vacationer at his bar and left her?

She'd have nothing.

“No.” The word came out unbidden. She watched it fly through the air and hit him like she'd thrown a punch. He took a step back.

“Cassie...”

“No, Wyatt.” She shook her head, feeling her heart start to crack. “I can't stay.”

"Cassie..." His voice held so much desire and emotion that she nearly gave in. She almost promised to stay.

“No.” She shook her head. Overwhelming feelings of panic, despair, heartache, and fear all lurched up from the pit of her stomach.