“You think it’s going to be that easy?” Taryn pushed out of her chair and stalked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, unable to cope with the itchiness Andi’s scrutiny was causing.
“It should be,” Andi said, “since you’re not in love with her.”
Taryn clenched her fists and pressed them against the cool glass. The vista of the Strip stretched out as far as she could see. Just beyond the Stratosphere hotel that she couldn’t quite make out, Cassie would probably be tearing around her ER, saving lives and not really living her own. She punched the glass half-heartedly.
“Youarein love with her, aren’t you?”
Taryn leaned against the glass and rested her forehead against it. “It doesn’t matter. Love isn’t enough this time. Cassie cares for me, but she won’t let herself fall any deeper because of her brother’s accident and because of what I do. I could die in any one of our stunts.”
“You could die if a chunk of ice fell out of a hotel window and whacked you on the head,” Andi said. “Or if a tired bus driver mounted the sidewalk and ran over you. Bernice is a little scared that something might happen to me too, but that doesn’t stop her from loving me. It doesn’t stop her from taking advantage of whatever time we have together.”
“You don’t understand.” Taryn wished she didn’t really understand either. If she could lever even a modicum of apathy toward Cassie’s past, maybe she could begin to get over her. “She says it would break her if anything happened to me.”
“Running away on the basis of an ‘if’ is nonsense. And if you truly love someone, you’re supposed to break if you lose them. That’s the way we were designed.”
“I can’t argue if you’re going to make so much sense,” Taryn said and bumped her head repeatedly against the glass. Perhaps a gentle concussion could erase Cassie from her memory. Nah, she wouldn’t want that. Though their time together had been all too brief, Taryn wouldn’t change a second of it.
Andi came up beside her and grabbed the scruff of Taryn’s neck roughly. The familiar gesture almost made Taryn crumple into Andi’s arms, but she held fast.
“I hate to ask, because it would fuck up everything that we’re in the process of planning, but would you give up the stunting for her, for the possibility of your love?”
Taryn pressed the heel of her palm to her forehead. She hadn’t expected the conversation to go in this direction, but now that it had… “What would you think of that if I did?”
“I’d be devastated. Obviously.” Andi’s expression was blank for a moment before she grinned. “But if that’s what you have to do to be happy, Taryn, then I’d support you.” She clasped Taryn’s shoulder. “You should know that.”
“Look who I found in the lobby.”
Taryn and Andi turned quickly at Bernice’s voice, and Taryn’s legs weakened beneath her. “Cassie,” she whispered.
“Andi, let’s go,” Bernice said. “You need to come to my office…for something very important.”
Andi visibly melted at her commanding tone. “Duty calls.” She clapped Taryn on the shoulder. “Whatever happens, I’m here for you, Tar, and I always will be,” she whispered so only Taryn could hear.
The burden of expectation lifted as Andi’s words landed and sounded likedo what you’ve got to do regardless of the consequencestotheir business partnership. But she had no idea why Cassie was here. Friendship. Sex. Love. Taryn’s desperation clawed at her heart and told her to take anything she could get.
Bernice bundled Andi out of the room and closed the door behind them quickly. Cassie hovered awkwardly between the door and Taryn. Was the distance between them that great already? “Hi. This is a nice surprise,” Taryn said. “I thought you didn’t want to see me again.”
“I thought that too.” Cassie took a couple of steps into the room. “I’ve tried really hard to convince myself. But it turns out that I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“I’m not surprised. I am unforgettable,” Taryn said, deciding that a return to their original banter was the best way not to make a fool of herself by dropping to her knees and begging Cassie to change her mind. But Cassie was here of her own accord, so she must’ve already changed her mind about something. She took a steadying breath, not wanting to get ahead of herself.
“You are.” Cassie laughed, and her smile brightened the room better than the noon Vegas sun ever could.
Taryn pushed away from the window and walked around the huge oval desk. “What do you want to do about that?”
Cassie stepped into the space between them. “Honestly, I have no idea. I hate the thought of something happening to you and not being able to do anything about it. But I also know that maybe nothing bad will ever happen to you; you could live to be a hundred, and I missed out on a lifetime with you—or even a few years. And all my fears could remain scary monsters locked in a dark cupboard. My nightmares might never see the light of day.”
She took a final step toward Taryn and tentatively reached out. Taryn matched her courage and interlinked their fingers. Emotion strangled her vocal cords, stifling her ability to speak. But silence was likely her friend right now; this had to be Cassie dealing herself into the game, because Taryn was already all in.
“I don’t know how this might work, especially with you traveling all the time, but I get some time off, and I could visit between shift blocks when you’re only a short flight away.” Cassie grasped Taryn’s other hand. “But I’m willing—no—I have to try…ifyouwant to. If you haven’t changed your mind about me coming to find you now that I’ve changed mine. I love you, Taryn. And I’m not living in fear and missing out on what we might be together.” She bit her lip and looked into Taryn’s eyes. “What do you think?”
“I think that I’ve been dying little deaths every day without you.” Taryn smiled and pressed her lips to Cassie’s hands. “Whatever your terms are, I’ll take them. I’m in love with you too. Do you remember that I told you I believe each of us only has a finite number of heartbeats?” She waited until Cassie nodded. “However many I’ve got left… they beat for you.”
“Such pretty words. Any chance we can get out of here, and I’ll show you how fully I appreciate them?” Cassie arched her eyebrow. “I’vereallymissed you, and I would love to finally take the time to enjoy you slowly and properly.”
“So youhavefallen in love with me and want exclusive access to my body?”
“Apparently,” Cassie whispered and pulled Taryn into a long overdue and deeply passionate kiss.
