Escape With Me (Love With Me 1)

Cassie shifted in her sleep beside him. She was so beautiful in the morning light. Her dark hair splashed against the crisp white linen, and she looked utterly kissable. He knew she was still completely naked under the sheet, and despite the fact they'd gone twice last night, he already felt like he could go for a third.

She was just that attractive to him. She made him feel twenty years younger.

But, he didn't want to wake her either. She looked so peaceful. He stared at her in the morning light, memorizing the curves of her face and the soft sound of her breathing. In this moment, she was perfect. She was his. Time held still while he watched her.

Wyatt knew he should leave her room. As a hotel employee, he wasn't supposed to be here. If he were found, it would mean his job. Since he wasn't working for the money, this wasn't a huge problem, but it would mean he would have to find another hotel to work at. It would be incredibly annoying.

It had taken a fair amount of effort to hide who he really was. Getting hired somewhere new took effort. Plus, he liked bar-tending here. He had friends on the staff, and he'd found all his favorite places to go in the area. He had a life here. A life he liked.

He knew he should go, but he wasn't about to leave Cassie. Not willingly, anyway. The “Do Not Disturb” sign was out on the door, so he didn't have to worry about one of the maids finding them. He was probably safer hiding out in her room until it was time for his next shift anyway. There wasn't a good reason for him to be on hotel grounds right now.

Wyatt carefully eased out of bed and tugged on the curtains. As much as he loved the way the sunlight warmed Cassie's face, he didn't want it to wake her as well. She needed the sleep. This was her vacation after all.

The room darkened, but he could still make out the curves of her hips under the thin sheet. He crawled back into bed, and she rolled into him, snuggling into his shoulder.

“Don't leave,” she whispered, her eyes still shut. “I don't want this to be a dream.”

He smoothed a strand of hair away from her face and caressed her cheek with his fingertips. “I'll stay,” he promised.

She sighed with contentment and fell back asleep. He watched her, wondering how she could have this kind of effect on him. She mesmerized him. She made him laugh and smile. He found himself feeling alive when she was around. She filled him with energy and excitement, yet at the same time made him feel calm and safe.

He found himself wishing that she never had to leave. He never wanted her vacation to end.

It was the first time he'd ever wished that for a guest.

For a moment, he let himself imagine what life would be like if Cassie stayed. They would have to rent a place together, but that wouldn't be a problem. Wyatt could provide her with any kind of house she wanted.

She worked in the hotel business, so it wouldn't be hard to get her a job here if she wanted.

Or maybe they could just get on a sailboat and drift on the ocean from island to island. They didn't have to work. Wyatt worked the bar because he liked talking with people. He loved working and having something to do, plus it gave him a great way to meet women.

If Cassie were here, he didn't need to meet women. They could find other things to occupy their time. The idea of all the things they could do “filling time” made Wyatt's body start to respond. It didn't help that Cassie's breast pressed against his chest, teasing him with her every breath.

“You are thinking so loud I can hear it,” Cassie murmured. Her eyes were still closed, and her hand rested on his chest. She peeked one eye open and looked at him. “You aren't having second thoughts, are you?”

“Second thoughts?” Wyatt asked.

“About being here.” Her voice was steady, but he could hear a tremble of emotion run through it.

“If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be,” he assured her. He smiled softly. “And the only second thoughts I'm having are the plans I'm coming up with to get you back into bed again tonight.”

Her smile stretched across her face as if he'd given her the best compliment of her life.

“I think I can arrange that,” she told him. “You don't even have to do anything fancy.”

“Well, there go all my plans then.” He shrugged and did a fake sigh. Cassie chuckled, pressing her cheek into his chest.

“What were you thinking about, though?” she asked. “You were all tense.”

“Was I?”

“Yeah. Like you were worried about something,” she explained. She looked up at him and pressed her fingertip gently at the center of his forehead. “Plus, your brows were all thoughtful.”

He took a deep breath, then asked the question on the tip of his mind. “Would you ever leave your job?” he asked her.

She shifted her body so that she could see him better but still have her head on his shoulder.

“Possibly. I like my job, but I don't like how corporate it all is. I would like more freedom,” she answered. “Are you thinking of leaving your job? Is that what you were thinking about?”