by Nicole Vidal
“I just need to plug in my phone. Does yours need to be charged?” Cash asks.
“Probably. It’s on the bench next to my luggage. Thanks.”
After kissing me softly, he steps aside. Closing the door, he leaves me alone in the bathroom. Pulling myself together, I strip off his shirt, my tank, and panties. I brush my teeth and hair after redressing. When I step back into his room, Cash is removing pillows from his bed.
“Which side do you want?” he asks.
“You choose. I don’t really have a preference.”
He chooses and slides into his bed. Replacing my items in my bag, I slide under the sheets with Cash. Even though this isn’t the first time, it feels different. Perhaps because this is his home, not mine, or perhaps because of his admission that no other woman has slept here before. Maybe just maybe this could work out between us. It’ll be hard considering our zip codes, but we want the same things out of life. Taking a risk with him could be everything I ever wanted. He wraps his arm around my waist, drawing me against him.
“Good night, tesoro,” he murmurs with his lips against my shoulder blade.
“Good night, Cash.” I burrow deeper into his arms and fall asleep.
Sleepiness falls away slowly for me, especially when I don’t have an alarm. I imagine it’s later here than I normally rise given the time difference. Rolling over, I glance at the clock. It’s near nine in the morning and Cash isn’t in bed anymore, but the pillow smells like him, peppery and fresh.
Grabbing his sweatshirt on the bench, I zip it up in search of coffee. I fumble through making a cup with his fancy coffee maker, but I still haven’t seen Cash. I follow the noise down the hall to his office.
“Did I wake you?” he asks as I approach.
“No, not at all. I’ll let you finish.” I turn back toward the kitchen.
“Sweetheart, stop.” I do as he asks. “You aren’t intruding. I was just passing time. I don’t have anything specific to do. I don’t work at home, especially on weekends, and even more so when I have a gorgeous woman to spend time with. Come here, please. I didn’t want to wake you. You looked peaceful and sexy asleep in my bed.”
I round the desk, stopping in front of him. Placing his hands on my hips, he guides me into his lap. “My sweatshirt looks better on you too,” he says before kissing me tenderly. “Are you ready to tell me about work? Maybe over breakfast?”
“Sounds good to me. I could use more coffee too.”
“Is that your vice? Coffee.”
“Caffeine, not necessarily coffee, but it’s readily available.”
After selecting what to eat, we move around the kitchen, making breakfast and talking about the issue with M and how his mother holds my job in her hands. Between bites of an amazing omelet that Cash made for me this time, not his I’m stealing from, I explain about career day.
“I can do it.” He sets down his cup.
“I can’t ask you to take time off to come talk to the students at my school.”
“You didn’t ask. I offered. Plus, it’s a long weekend. I assume you don’t have to work on Monday either.”
“No, I don’t. Wait, you’re going to be in California for four days?”
“Would you like some company?”
As if I would say no. I want as much time as he’s willing to give me. “Absolutely!” I lean across the table and kiss him hard. I’ll only have to sleep alone for three nights this week. Having him to kiss good night and more for four days in a row. Fish sticks!
“Care to share what just went through your mind? Was it hot?”
“How do you do that?” I ask, staring straight into his chocolate eyes.
“I pay attention, and staring at you is rising quickly on my list of favorite things to do, second only to kissing you.”
“I agree with your list. My thoughts may have been on the sexier side, but that’s all I’m sharing.”
“What if I were to tickle you? Would you share then?”
“Nope, not even then, but I don’t recommend tickling me. Someone always gets hurt, just ask Nicholas. It was usually him.”
He lifts his hands in mock surrender.
After finishing breakfast, we spend the afternoon traipsing through Central Park. I’ve never been here before. We walk hand in hand. It’s gorgeous. Green expanses with people milling about. Some are walking, others running, biking, playing frisbee, or reading in a shady area. Cash does most of the talking, pointing out the landmarks like Belvedere Castle, the Gapstow Bridge, and the Conservatory Garden. Cash shows me the statue of Balto and Hans Christian Anderson. We walk through the zoo like my students would, oohing and aahing at the animals.
“I saved the best for last,” Cash said, stepping into the penguin exhibit.
“How did you know?” I kiss him.
“I told you, tesoro. I pay attention.”
I try to recall telling him penguins are my favorite but fail. Maybe he saw something when we looked at the zoo map. I watch the penguins swim in their habitat in Cash’s arms until they kick us out.
“Thank you. I had a wonderful time with you today.”
“You’re welcome. I did too. Dinner in or dinner out?”
“Would you mind going out?”
“Not at all.
15
Cassius
Suppressing the thought that she goes home tomorrow, I focus on our date tonight. I call to secure a reservation. Hopefully, they can meet my request of privacy. If not, fine, but I prefer to have our first date in New York City as private as possible. Seeing other people and introducing her to whomever we may come across doesn’t concern me from the standpoint that I’m not single anymore. She and I should probably talk about that. Not that I think she’s seeing anyone else, and neither am I. Do we need to talk about it? I’m not sure. Avoiding press coverage as long as possible is my main goal.
My family is well-known among the New York elite. By association, so are my siblings and me. I’m in an awkward spot; I want to shout to anyone who’ll listen that I found an amazing woman. On the other hand, I want to keep us in a private bubble as long as possible.
I left my bedroom about fifteen minutes ago. As I was leaving, I heard the shower turn off. I’m intrigued how long it takes her to get ready. At least this time, she only has one outfit to choose from, unlike our first date. I’ve seen her sick and pale, fresh out of bed in the morning, and even impatient and angry. She’s beautiful always.
“Cash, could you come here?”
As I approach my bedroom, she’s pulling on a pair of low heels. Her dress is a simple sheath dress in a deep eggplant color. Her hair is up, exposing her elegant neck. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you. You look pretty dashing yourself. Could you zip this and put this necklace on for me?” She turns, offering me her back and a view of the exposed creamy skin from the curve of her low back up to the nape of her neck covered only by a red lace bra. My thoughts plummet into dangerous territory. I’ve seen her panties. Imagining what matches this bra is intoxicating. “Cash.”
“Yes, tesoro.” I step closer to her. I should simply grip the zipper and pull it up, but that isn’t my style. Not with this flawless expanse of skin at my fingertips. I crouch and lean forward, pressing my mouth to the small of her back. I rise inch by inch, dragging the zipper upward. A soft moan escapes her lips, and her head falls forward. “I love finding the spots that make you inhale sharply,” I murmur near the shell of her ear. She simply nods before lifting her hand with a necklace in it. Crossing my hands in front of her, I clasp the necklace, wrap my arms around her, and press my lips to the curve of her neck. “Ready to go?”
“Yes.” A simple word, that in this case says so much more than she intended.
As we step off the elevator, Arthur greets us.
“Good evening, Mr. Morgan. Miss Barnett.”
“Hi, Arthur. Are you a grandfather again?” Noelle asks.
Arthur smiles. It’s endearing that she recalled our conversation, especi
ally considering her feelings were a mess just before that. “Yes, thank you. Valentina was born late yesterday. She and Ella are doing great! Have a great evening.”
After the short car ride and a brief walk hand in hand, we arrive at the Tavern on the Green.
“Good evening, Mr. Morgan. Miss Barnett. Your table is right this way.” The host leads us to a corner booth in the horseshoe area of the bar room. “Your server will be over shortly.”
“Why do I have the feeling you asked to be tucked away?”
“I did. Does it bother you?” Covering her hand with mine, I move my chair closer.
“No,” she sighs. “Given who my brother is, I understand why you value your privacy. I do too. Generally, the press doesn’t bother me anymore. There were a few inquiries after his engagement, but the regulars know I would never violate Nicholas’s privacy for any amount of money. You’re concerned that I’m putting myself back out in the spotlight again.”
“At least here in the city, yes. The moment the public learns about you, the press and my parents, especially my mother, will seek you out. She doesn’t have access to my home, but I don’t want you to feel trapped there either. I don’t want to share you with anyone just yet.”
“Oh.”
“I want it to be just us as long as possible. You know as well as I do, the press is awful. Maybe we’ll get lucky and some aristobrat will get into trouble the same day our first photo makes a splash on Page Six. If you don’t want me to limit our exposure, I won’t do it again.”
“I understand, and it makes complete sense. It’s sweet actually.”
I lift her hand to my lips and kiss it. There is no limit to what I would do for her. It scares the hell out of me and makes me happy at the same time. Our server joins us, listing the specials and takes our drink order.
After placing our order, we chat over drinks. Our server brings our appetizer. We opt to share the chopped salad. As we dig in, the host approaches our table, indicating that someone would like to stop by our table. I nod. Before I’m able to warn Noelle, he’s standing by our table.
“Nice to see you again so soon. Evan, this is Noelle.” I greet him with a bro hug.
“You’re the one with the stinging uppercut,” Noelle says. Evan extends his hand to her and she takes it.
“Guilty.”
Noelle retakes her seat, replacing her napkin in her lap.
“I just wanted to say hello since you skipped out on your workout this morning. Enjoy your meal. It was a pleasure meeting you, Noelle.”
“You as well, Evan,” Noelle replies as he walks away. “College roommate and trainer, right?” I nod. “You didn’t have to skip your workout for me.”
“I know. I wanted to. I want as much time with you as I can have. Skipping one workout isn’t a big deal. Are you afraid my carved abs will go away?”
Her laugh warms my soul. “No, not at all, but they are spectacular. You even have the coveted V.” She winks.
I love how honest she is. To most men, it would be unsettling. To me, it’s enchanting. Our entrees arrive, and we feast on sirloin and lobster risotto. We spend our meal talking about everything and nothing. It’s easy and pleasant. I could listen to her talk for hours and never tire of hearing the sweet tones of her voice. Even the way she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear makes me twitch with desire. She’s stunning, and it’s effortless.
We opt to bring a crème brûlèe back to eat on my terrace. After sharing the decadent dessert, we curl up under the stars and promptly fall asleep. Near two, I carry her to my bed until morning. As much as I would like to avoid the sunrise, it will come regardless of my desire to keep her with me indefinitely. At least this time, it’s only three sleeps before I can kiss her again.
After a difficult goodbye at the airport, I check to see if Evan has an opening today. After a quick stop home, and I’m in the ring with him burning off some calories and some angst from letting her leave. Letting her leave isn’t true; she needed to go home, but damn if I didn’t want to let her go. After a grueling boxing session, I chat with Evan during my cooldown.
“You left out that Noelle is drop-dead gorgeous.” He takes a deep swig of his water.
“I didn’t think it was a detail you needed to know. Would you have shared with me if the situation were reversed?”
“Hell no! I wouldn’t have let me stop by your table last night either.”
I laugh. “She’s amazing, Ev. The only problem is her address, and it’s way too soon to deal with that elephant-sized problem.”
“You care about her,” he says before pointedly draining his water bottle.
“I do.”
“I’m happy for you, man. Just don’t screw it up.”
“I don’t plan to.”
I scurry to the locker room, grab my bag, and hustle home to be available when my woman calls. I love the sound of that. My woman. After a short call, I collapse into my huge bed, wishing I weren’t alone.
16
Noelle
After a wonderful weekend in New York with Cash, I’m exhausted but looking forward to seeing him again in a few days. Frankly, I don’t like waking up alone. That is a monstrous problem given where we lay our heads at night.
I need to pin down all the details for Friday. I hustle into my office and send confirmation emails to the participants for career day. Thankfully, with Cash’s offer to speak, I’m back up to six presenters with the barista I added just before I left for the weekend.
When I arrived this morning and Mason was already here, I felt relief. Unfortunately, the trend will continue until Mrs. Sanfilippo makes her decision about my plan and keeping Mason at the center. It’s a unique type of torture that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
My head and my heart are still in the clouds. I care about Cash, and I hate that he’s so far away. It’s too soon to feel as deeply as I do and to bring up the huge geographical problem we have between us. Should I look for a job in New York? Talking to him about that might make the most sense, but it’s so soon. Isn’t it? All those quotes about love happening on its own timeline are absurdly on point right now. Am I in love with Cash? Not yet, but I’m well on my way. I can imagine myself waking up with him years into the future and little boys who look like him running around in a fenced backyard and at least one little girl who has her daddy wrapped around her tiny finger. Pulling myself out of my head, I focus on the responses I’ve already received from my confirmation emails. Thankfully, each one is positive. I might just be able to pull this off after all.
The rest of my workday passes without incident. I message Nicholas to catch up as I walk to my car.
Me: How are you? How is married life?
Surprisingly, he answers promptly.
Nicholas: I’m well. Married life is fantastic! How are you?
Me: Work is so-so. I’ve been looking for a new position for the last six months or so. I had an interview that went well. Hopefully, something will pan out.
Nicholas: Sorry about your job. Sheila again?
Me: Yup.
Nicholas: How is Kate?
Me: She’s well. I met someone. I’m not ready to share too many details because it’s new but…
Nicholas: I’m happy for you. If you need Blaine to check him out, let me know. Love you lots.
That is precisely why I don’t want to share. We should probably consider telling Nicholas.
Me: I will. Love you lots more.
After starting some wash when I arrive home, I pull out my yoga mat and stretch on my patio. Midway through my workout, a pair of Keds appear near my face as I hold a downward dog pose. They could only belong to one person.
“Hi, Kate. Give me a minute.” Finishing the position, I shift into the warrior one and inhale deeply a few times. “How was work?”
“Hi to you too! Work was fine. Why didn’t you call me when you got home last night? I was worried.” Kate has worry and anger written on her face, but I don’t think it’s for my well-being
.
“If you were worried, why didn’t you text me instead of stewing all day long? If Cash worries you, why would you let him stay here with me alone for our second date?” She attempts to answer but fails to find a suitable response. “What’s really going on?”
“Have you checked him out? Have you googled him?” I know she means well, but she should worry about her own relationships or lack thereof as the case may be.
“No. I have no reason to google him. I trust him, and he won’t lie to me. Also, he works for Nicholas, at least tangentially. I’m sure Nicholas required a background check.”
“I googled him and found pictures of him with a different woman on his arm in every photo.”
Cash was genuine when he told me about his past dates. I have no reason to question his responses.
“Did you happen to check the dates of those photos?” I know if she checks, it will bear out the truth.
“Why would I bother to do that?”
“If you bothered to do that, you would see the photos are old.” I wait as Kate pulls out her phone and digs deeper into the images, shaking her head. “He was honest about that. Here’s a new one of you walking in Central Park.”
I take her phone and glance at the image. Cash and I are strolling over the Gapstow Bridge hand in hand. We look happy and normal. It felt that way too. Regardless of his tax bracket, Cash is a wonderful, smoking-hot guy with a stellar kissing ability.
Kate points out, “It’s only a matter of time before they figure out Ellis Barnett’s sister is dating one of New York’s most eligible uber-rich bachelors.”
“I’m acutely aware of what it means to date Cassius Morgan.” Despite the distance between us, I want more. So much more. “We talked about it at dinner on Saturday. My brother is a well-known celebrity. For the most part, the press leaves me alone because they have tried and failed to get information about Nicholas from me. The same will hold true for my relationship with Cash.”
“You slept with him, didn’t you?” she accuses.