Stormy Weather (15 page)

Her life had been going down the exact path she planned for it, now here was this man in front of her who could possibly be her soul mate. Nothing else could explain why she felt such a deep connection with him.

However, Cash seemed so sure of everything and was pursuing her with such determination, like he wasn’t about to let her slip through his fingers. This wasn’t something she was used to dealing with when it came to men.

“Here you go,” she said, giving Cash his credit card back along with the receipt to sign.

“Please talk to me. I know you want to talk. I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. I get it that you’re scared everything happened between us so fast, but it did.

“Hell, I love that I walked through those doors and saw a woman I felt this instant attraction towards, who genuinely liked me without knowing who I was. Can’t you see that this was meant to be between the two of us?” he questioned, signing the receipt and giving it back to her.

“Cash, you must understand that I have a lot going on in my head right now,” Rachelle said. “Last night blew my mind because I wasn’t expecting you to make me feel the things I did. My sisters are the ones who go headfirst into everything, not me. I’m the level-headed one and I like being the one they can count on.

“Yet, when you look at me I get this unexplainable feeling I can’t control by any means. Yes, your career is a sore spot for me, but I’m beginning to see it’s more than what’s going on here. It’s hard for me to put into words, and you keeping pushing me.

“It’s only making it more difficult. I’m only asking for some space,” Rachelle said. “I have been working non-stop and I need some time to myself from work and especially you.”

Leaning across the counter, Cash stared into her eyes. “I can completely understand about you being a workaholic. I used to be the same way until it hit me that I need more in my life than I’m getting. You are more like me than you want to admit.”

“I love my job. Why would I ever want to do something different?” Rachelle defended.

“Sweetheart, you need more in your life than these four walls. They aren’t going to keep you happy or fulfilled. Now, I’m going upstairs for a little while because I need to call my brother and tell him to cancel the Western Union.

“I will be back down here later and when you do see me again we are going to figure out a way to make whatever this is work.” Cash turned on his heel and strode back up the steps to his room. As he walked away from her, Rachelle wondered if she was making a rash decision by not living in the moment and finding out where things could go with Cash.

Chapter Fifteen

After Cash was gone, Rachelle’s thoughts filtered back to when she’d met him. The memory brought a smile to her face. She would never
forget how he sauntered through the door like he owned the place. She could still feel the warmth of his mouth against hers from when he kissed her in front of the fireplace. Recalling the smoldering passion that they had shared only made Rachelle more concerned Cash came into her life too suddenly.

Moving from behind the registration desk, Rachelle made her way over to the dining room and took a seat at one of the tables. She savored the feeling of satisfaction when she was going on emotion and not thinking everything through like she usually did. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours that it was hard to believe she was the one living it instead of another woman.

Why did this have to be so difficult for her?

She was torn between going with her heart and listening to her head like she had done so many times over the years. Shit! She wished now Cash had never caught that Greyhound bus and come to
Luxury
for his vacation. He came here to change his life, but had inadvertently changed hers.

Usually, she was motivated by the need to understand everything going on around her, but anytime Cash walked into the room she wanted to toss all common sense out the window and live like she had never lived before.

Solving problems had never been a difficult situation for her, but Cash was a struggle for her. He was everything she didn’t need in her life at the moment, but was secretly dying to.

How could this be possible?

Rachelle considered herself hardworking, thorough, and good at following through on anything that was placed in front of her. Never once had she thought about giving in to a whim and being adventurous about anything…
.ever
!

Action seeker
wouldn’t be the two words any of her friends or family would use to describe her if anyone brought up the name Rachelle Williams. She was more of a duty seeker kind of person, which wasn’t something bad in her opinion, but could she make Cash understand what she was feeling without insulting him in the process? He was an amazing guy and she wanted a relationship with him, but would it last?

“If I could only get a sign to show me what to do,” Rachelle said. “It would make my decision so much easier.”

“How about this as a sign?” Cash asked. Coming around her, he stood at the side of the table and looked down at her.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were upstairs talking to your brother?” she asked him.

“I was, but I finished everything I needed to up there, so I came down here to see you. We need to finish our conversation.” He sat down in the empty chair in front of her and slid a piece of yellow paper across the table towards her.

“What is this?’ she asked, glancing down at the folded sheet of paper then back up into his eyes.

“It’s my address and phone number in California,” he answered. “I could tell after our talk earlier you still didn’t believe I was telling you the truth about changing my career path.

“So, while I was upstairs, I called and gave my boss my resignation. I told him that I no longer wanted to host
The Gossip
or do any kind those kinds of those shows again for the network. I’m going back to being a freelance writer and reporter.”

She stared wordlessly across at him, her heart pounding. “Cash, I don’t think you need to do something this life altering because of me,” Rachelle said. “I don’t feel right about it.”

He looked back at her with complete surprise on his face. “I didn’t quit my job entirely because of you, but for me as well. I don’t feel the passion for it like I did. I already know my paycheck is going to have a lot less zeroes, but I won’t miss it.

“So, I’m going to leave,” he said, pointing to his packed bag. “I need to get things rolling back at home. Since I quit my job, I need to start lining up job interviews as soon as possible.”

Cash was leaving?

Rachelle glanced down at his black bag next to the table. Why hadn’t she spotted it there? She didn’t know what to tell him. Rachelle was at a loss for words. She didn’t want him to leave let.

In the last few hours that he had been around, she liked how he made her feel. Why couldn’t he just stay for the rest of his trip, so they could figure out their crazy attraction together? She hadn’t told him that she wanted to give up on them. All she asked him for was time to get things straight.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked. “I don’t mind if you stay here for a few more days. I mean, you were already in the room. If you decide to extend your visit, you can search for work online since you’re a freelancer. Can’t you work from pretty much anywhere?”

Cash shook his head. “No, we should spend this time apart. We both need to figure out some things first before we can go move forward.”

“You are serious about leaving, aren’t you?” she asked, surprised again by this unpredictable man.

The tenderness in his expression made a part of her melt. “Yes, I’m serious about building something with you, too. I was one of those people who thought love at first sight was just a stupid saying men agreed with to get laid by a gorgeous woman, but when I met you I slowly started to believe.”

He glanced down at his watch. “I better get outside because I called a cab to come and pick me up.”

“Are you taking the bus again?” Rachelle asked, reaching for the paper Cash gave her. She slid it into the front pocket of her slacks.

“Hell no,” he shouted then lowered his voice. “I’m having the cab drop me off at the airport, so I can catch a flight soon. I learned my lesson about taking a bus. I don’t want to run into the same problem.”

“I’m going to…” her voice broke off in midsentence as reality set in that Cash was leaving and she might not ever see him again.

Standing up, Cash came around the table and pulled her out of the chair into his arms. “Rachelle, I’m going to miss you, too,” he whispered, staring down into her eyes. “I want to stay so badly, but I can’t. We need this time apart. It will be good for both of us.”

A cold knot formed in her stomach. She felt impaled by his steady gaze as her heart pounded against her ribs. Rachelle took a deep breath and tried to relax. She swallowed with difficulty and found her voice.

“I promise to call you as soon as I figure things out. I swear I will.”

“I don’t doubt you will, sweetheart,” he whispered then leaned down to kiss her. As their lips were about to touch, the sound of a car horn broke them apart, making Cash raise his head. “I better go.”

Standing up to his full height, Cash turned around then picked up his bag. He looked over his shoulder and winked at her before walking towards the front door. He opened it and went out without another glance in her direction.

Rachelle stood, still watching as Cash loaded his bag into the cab and then got inside. Seconds later, it drove away with him in the backseat. Tears slowly found their way down her cheeks. Brushing her tears away with the back of her hands, she spun around, heading for the front desk.

She couldn’t be breaking down when her sisters showed up. They had already been on her case about Cash, so Sasha, Akisha and Genise should all be happy there was nothing for them to still be worried about. Cash was gone and she wasn’t even sure last night with him really happened. It already seemed like it had been a dream.

****

A half-hour after Cash left for the airport, Rachelle glanced over the dinner menu the cook had left for her approval for next week when her sisters came rushing through the door. They made a beeline for her at the front desk.

“Rachelle, we need to talk and we aren’t leaving until you hear us out,” Sasha said, coming up to her. “Akisha might have met Cash and gotten fooled by him, but Genise and I aren’t going to be so easily won over by his charm. Now, where is he? Get him to come down here, so we can get all of our concerns out in the open.”

Placing the ink pen down on the notepad, she raised her eyes to look directly at her younger siblings. They came all the way here to protect her from the unknown and she should be touched, but a part of her was pissed off.

Why did they think she was too stupid to make her own decisions, as old as she was? Wasn’t she the one who helped take care of them when she was only eight years old?

Now, they were all grown up and thought she wasn’t capable of seeing what was right in front of her face? She might have lost the perfect man for her because of their meddling in her personal life.

“There isn’t any need for me to call Cash down here,” she answered. “We can have this conversation without him.”

“Why not?” Sasha demanded. “Is he afraid to face all of us? We aren’t going anywhere until he comes downstairs.”

“Well, you will be waiting a
very
long time because it isn’t going to happen.”

“All right, if it isn’t going to happen tell us why,” Genise chimed in. “Did he see us coming and run the other way out of fear facing all of the William sisters together?”

She heard the heavy dose of sarcasm in her sister’s voice and bit down on her bottom lip to keep from snapping back at her. Her annoyance increased when she realized none of her sisters would want her in their business like this. They would tell her they were grown and she should allow them to make any kind of mistakes they wanted, so leave them alone.

Taking a deep, relaxing breath, she blew it out and got her emotions back under control. She didn’t want to be mad at her sisters because in their own minds they were doing something good for her, but their constant questions about Cash hadn’t helped her situation with him and ended up sending him away from her.

Of course, he had given her his personal information, but she wasn’t sure if she could do that or not. She wasn’t used to making the first move with it came to men.

“None of you can see Cash because he isn’t here,” she replied, wanting to get this conversation over with as quick as possible. “He left thirty minutes ago and went back to California.”

“What? He’s gone?” Sasha asked, surprised. “I thought he was here on vacation. I don’t understand what is going on.”

Rachelle didn’t want to go into detail about the reasons Cash left so suddenly, but if she didn’t her sisters wouldn’t leave her alone, and she was ready to go home. “Cash needed to take a trip to clear his head. He had a lot of things going on with his job and he was trying to decide if he should stay or quit. Once he made his decision he packed his bag and went back to California.”

“No, I don’t believe you. What are you hiding from us?” Akisha asked. “I saw how Cash was looking at you last night. He had genuine feelings for you, no matter how fast they might have happened. They were there, I felt them when I was in the room with the two of you. What are you leaving out?”

“Look, I can’t go into this now. I need to finish up a few more things before guests start arriving for the conferences. We still have a few rooms to get ready and I don’t want anything to be done at the very last minute,” she said, walking around the desk.

“You are hiding something,” Genise said. “We know you too well, Rachelle. Cash left for another reason and I’m beginning to think it had nothing to do with Akisha’s visit last night, Sasha or myself. Tell us what it is.”

“Genise, I don’t know what you are talking about.” Confidently, she rejected the idea as absurd and kept walking towards the tables set up across the room.