by Nicole Vidal
“How are you doing?” His ability to know when I need support is uncanny.
“It hurts. It’s only been a few days. I have to figure out where to look and consider your suggestion more in depth.”
He nods against my shoulder. “I’m here to help you when you want to talk more or ask questions.”
“Thank you.”
Cash guides me to the bench. We listen to the water hit the rocks before making our way back to the car.
The menu at Dunne’s is extensive. Choosing our ice cream flavor for lunch may prove difficult. According to Kelly, the mocha chip and Maine blueberry are to die for. Billie recommends the chocolate extreme.
“What can I get for you?” the perky blonde asks as I step to the window. I notice her gaze shift off to my left where Cash is standing. Sometimes I catch a glimpse of him and wonder how on earth I landed a guy that hot.
“I’ll take a scoop of Maine blueberry and one maple walnut.”
“And for you, sir?” she stumbles over her question as Cash moves closer to the window.
Stare all you want honey, he’s mine. Every tall, dark, and absurdly sculpted inch of him.
“I’ll have a cookies and cream and chocolate extreme.” After Cash pays for our lunch, we move to the end of the counter to wait for our order. With our dishes in hand, we grab a table. Cash sits next to me, straddling the bench facing me.
“Wow, Kelly was right. This is amazing!” I savor the ice cream on my spoon. So much so that I lick the spoon clean. I immediately take a second spoonful and lick the spoon clean again. Cash sets his hand on my hip, forcing me to look at him.
“You can’t eat like that in public. It makes me want to do things to you that aren’t appropriate,” he whispers.
I lean even closer to him. “Like what?” I drag my tongue along the shell of his ear.
“Tesoro.” Hearing him call me that is one thing, but hearing it laced with sexual desire is so much more. “I’ll show you tonight. Please behave.”
“I’ll do my best, but I make no promises that I won’t turn you on in public.”
“You will fail miserably if that is your benchmark. I’m turned on whenever I’m close enough to hold your hand.”
Sweet mercy! I would give anything to talk to my mom right now. To ask her how she knew my dad was the one for her. I only have one person who comes close—Mabel. I’ll call her soon.
29
Cassius
Showing Noelle the area like I live here is fun. I’m thankful Mina took me around when I visited her last year. After our trip to the lighthouse and for ice cream, we wander around the quaint village before eating dinner at the inn.
“Have you been here before?” Noelle asks over her menu.
“Yes. Mina brought me here when I visited her.” An older woman, thin and well dressed, and an older man dressed in a suit approach our table. Clearly, they are on a date.
“Noelle, what are you doing here?” the woman asks.
“Mabel?” Noelle jumps out of her chair, throwing her arms around the woman. “I came to visit Nicholas, but he’s travelling with Kelly. What are you doing here?”
“Since Nicholas spends much of his time here now, so do I. Although, now that he’s married, he doesn’t really need me to make sure he eats well. Plus, Samuel and I have been seeing each other for a while.”
“Happy looks gorgeous on you,” Mabel says, releasing Noelle.
“Noelle Barnett. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Noelle extends her hand to him.
“Samuel Cavallaro,” the man introduces himself.
Cavallaro. That sounds familiar.
“Cavallaro? Are you related to Kelly, Norah, and Joseph?” Noelle asks.
“They are my children,” Samuel replies.
“Nice to meet you. Mabel and Samuel, please meet my boyfriend, Cash Morgan.”
It feels fantastic to be introduced like that. Standing from my chair, I shake Samuel’s hand just before Mabel pulls me into a huge hug.
When Mabel releases me, Samuel inquires, “Any relation to Billie?”
“She’s my younger sister.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard wonderful things about you and your brothers.” I don’t miss his failure to mention my parents. I nod to acknowledge his statement and lack of statement at the same time.
“Would you like to join us?” Noelle asks.
“No, thank you, dear. We just finished our meal. It was lovely to meet you, Cash.” Mabel hugs me again.
“Take care of her,” she whispers while hugging me. I nod as she releases me. I will as long as she will have me.
After they leave, our server approaches with our drinks and takes our dinner order.
“What did she say to you?”
“She asked me to take care of you.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Why is that interesting?” I imitate her voice.
“Are you sure you want to mock me? Do you recall the last time that happened?”
“Yes, I do. The last time I mocked you, we shared our first mind-blowing kiss.”
Her face changes before my eyes. I’m right there with you, tesoro. I just hope one of us doesn’t have to compromise too much to make it happen. I understand compromise will be necessary, but can each of us chase our bliss and end up together?
“Cash.”
I lean forward, brushing my lips across hers. “Why is it interesting, sweetheart?” I bring us back to the topic at hand.
“Your sister asked me the same thing.”
“It’s nice to know others can see us too.”
“Yes, it is.”
Our server arrives with our dinners, and we enjoy our meal while discussing our ideal place to live in more detail. Honestly, all of it could be moot depending on what Stacy finds for me. The hard question is whether I could pass up on an ideal situation because it won’t work for the woman who urged me to seek out the same opportunity. The woman who speaks to my heart on a level far beyond words.
A more pressing reality is Noelle is coming to stay with me tomorrow. I’ve been wracking my brain, wondering how or if I should approach the idea of having security for her when she goes out. Predicting the behavior of photographers and paparazzi is one thing I’ve never been able to do. I hope it isn’t necessary, but at the very least, Ellis has already approached the idea of security with Noelle. If I urge her to follow through, she may not push back so harshly.
“Cash.” Hearing Noelle call me pulls me out of my thoughts. “Do you want dessert?”
“Not from here.”
The instant she processed my words, her face turns from flawless to pink in a flash. I hand our server my card. Her return seems to be taking much longer than necessary. I’m sure Noelle’s fingertips running up the inside of my thigh under the table might have increased my urgency to leave. I scribble my name on the receipt and rise from my chair, threading my fingers with hers.
“I had no idea I was that irresistible,” I murmur in her ear as we step onto the sidewalk for the short walk to my sister’s.
“Are you sure about that?” she asks, raising her eyebrow. She is untucking my shirt the moment the door snicks closed. As we dance toward the bedroom, articles of clothing line the floor. As much as I would like to savor her, an entire day of her touching me and being near me has frayed my resolve. The heat from her fingers gliding up my thigh at dinner snapped the grip I had on my desire for her. I need to feel her writhe in my arms. Now.
“Cash, I want you now.”
“As you wish, tesoro.” I thrust deep into her hot, wet center to the root, only to pull out and bury myself deep until we both fall over the edge of pleasure in unison.
The sheer amount of need that I have for her rocks me to the core. Never have I felt this way about a woman before, and I refuse to let her go. Not only does she have a body made for sin, one I fully intend to study in excruciating detail for the rest of my life, but her mind is equally as impressive. Af
ter a second round, we collapse into bed until our breakfast with my sister and Peter.
After following Mina’s directions, we arrive at Rick’s. The restaurant is located on the ground floor not too far from the condo. Mina leaps into my arms as we approach the table.
“I’m so happy to see you here.” She releases me and hugs Noelle. Peter and I exchange a handshake before taking our seats.
“Thank you so much for letting us use your condo. The location is wonderful,” Noelle says.
“Anytime,” Billie replies with a smile.
After a long perusal of the menu, we place our orders. I chat with Peter about his work and their new home. When he proposed to Mina, he not only did it with a ring but with the ocean view home of her dreams. Noelle and Mina are chatting on their side of the table, giggling like high school besties. Whatever they’re talking about made Noelle blush. I’m glad they get along well. Both deserve another solid friend in their lives.
After breakfast, Noelle and I hurry back to the condo and pack to fly to New York. Fortunately, there was space on my flight, so Noelle didn’t have to travel alone. However, she’s mostly on her own for the actual flight because no one can enter the cockpit. After the other passengers deplane, I escort Noelle to the tarmac and complete a final check of the plane before turning it over to the crew.
Near six, I pull into my parking spot. This time, Noelle isn’t nervous. She’s happy. I pull our luggage out of the truck before opening her door.
When we enter the lobby, Arthur addresses her first. “Good evening, Miss Barnett. Mr. Morgan.”
“Hi, Arthur. How are you and Eloise? Ella and Valentina?”
“We’re well. Thank you for asking.”
“You’re welcome. Good night.”
“Good night.”
We empty our luggage and change out of our travel clothes. Noelle tucks herself into my side on the couch on my terrace. This is what I want. She is what I need. Every. Single. Day.
“What is your plan for tomorrow?”
“I need to update my resume again, and I’ll need to shop for some clothes. I only packed for a few days.”
“The keys are in the far left-hand drawer of the island. Make sure you bring your card with you too.”
“Do you have food, or do I need to grocery shop too?” I love that she wants to do that, but she doesn’t have to.
“My groceries get delivered every Monday. You don’t need to wait for them.”
She nods and snuggles deeper into my side. A few hours later, after the sun falls beneath the horizon leaving behind a dark sky with twinkling stars, we cuddle in my bed until morning.
30
Noelle
My reality creeps back in slowly. I’m unemployed with no prospects on the horizon given I don’t even know where I should look, but I’m snuggled deep into Cash’s luxurious bed. Moving my arm, I realize he’s no longer in bed. It’s a workday after all. He needs to go to work. When I open my eyes, I find him staring as he leans against the door.
“Morning, gorgeous.” He moves to sit on the edge of his bed.
“Morning.”
He’s already showered. Either his bodywash or cologne smells fresh first thing the morning. I want to open each button of his perfectly pressed shirt and drag him back down to his bed with me.
“I love having you in my bed looking like sin first thing in the morning. Your hair cascading over my pillow, the small of your back exposed, and one of your cute feet peeking out from the bottom.”
“Too bad you need to leave; you look pretty hot yourself right now.”
“The suit does it for you?”
“I don’t need the suit, but it does tick your hot level up a bit. I may need to skip panties for the gala to handle seeing you in a tux.”
“Holy hell! You can’t tempt me like that, or I’ll never get to the office on time.”
We won’t make it to the gala either. I consider behaving, but that isn’t me. I reach up, sliding my hand around his neck and pulling him down to my mouth. I kiss him deeply before reluctantly releasing him. I want this every morning. I need him.
He stares at me for a moment before speaking. “I’ll call you later, near lunch. Have a great day.”
“You too.” I reel in my desire to keep him here with me. Realizing more sleep isn’t in the cards, I pull on my robe and pad to the kitchen for coffee.
I find him already in the kitchen. Apparently, he had the same idea as me.
“You didn’t have to get up this early. Want a cup?”
“Yes, please. I can’t go back to sleep now. I’ll work out and then shop.” After setting a cup beside me, Cash fills his and pulls me against him.
“I’m going to have to get up earlier,” he murmurs against my mouth before kissing me again.
I pull his lower lip between my teeth.
He groans before pulling away. “So much earlier,” he mutters softly as he grabs his coffee and walks with purpose to the door. I restrain myself long enough for him to step outside. It would be in poor form for him to be late the first day we wake up together.
After a long yoga practice, I dress for shopping. I search for the closest shopping mall and realize that I have to use his car. Staring at the keys in the drawer, I remind myself it’s just a car. Yes, he has as much money as Nicholas, but it’s just a car. It likely costs insanely more than mine, but it’s still just a car. I grab the keys to the BMW and my purse. I verify that my card is inside before stepping into the elevator. I wave to Arthur as I round the corner to the garage elevator.
Pushing my nerves aside, I familiarize myself with the car and input the address for the mall. Giving myself a pep talk, I put the car in reverse and head out. I hit a few department stores and grab an iced coffee. I consider downing it instead of taking the risk of spilling it in his car but decide to savor it. My phone rings while I’m driving back to Cash’s. I let it go to voice mail.
“Good afternoon, Miss Barnett. Do you need some assistance with those?” Arthur greets me upon my return.
“Hi, Arthur. No, thanks. I’m fine. Have a good day.”
“You too,” he replies with a smile.
After setting the bags on the island, I put the keys away and check my phone. There are some texts and a voice mail. I respond to the texts first.
Nicholas: How are you? Billie told Kelly you came to Maine. I’m sorry we weren’t there.
Me: I should’ve called first. I was upset about my job and needed to leave.
I’m hanging in there. I’m in New York with Cash for now.
Nicholas: Let me know if you need anything. Love you lots.
Me: Love you lots too.
I shove my phone in my pocket and grab the bags. After putting away my purchases, I pull out my computer before answering Kate.
Me: As far as Cash, things are amazing. Work, finding a job – not so much.
Kate: Do you have a plan yet? When are you coming home?
Me: I’m in New York for a little while. I want to see Nicholas.
Kate: Didn’t you just go to Maine?
Me: He’s in Paris with Kelly.
Kate: Oh. You won’t be back by Thursday.
Me: Probably not. How is Keyton?
Kate: I should have given in so long ago. The things he does with his tongue. He’s gifted.
Me: TMI, Kate. TMI.
Kate: LOL. Nothing to share about Cash?
Me: Nope.
Even though Kate is my bestie, I’m not sharing anything about how amazing Cash is, especially in bed.
Kate: Gotta get into the lab. TTYS.
With a water in hand, I set up my laptop on the outdoor dining table. As it boots up, I listen to the voice mail.
“Good morning. This is Georgia Waller, Mason Sanfilippo’s grandmother. I contacted Sheila at the center, and she indicated she let you go. I would like to speak with you about a job opportunity. Please call me back at your earliest convenience.”
I jot down her number and st
are at my phone as if an explanation is somehow hidden within its depths. A myriad of options and questions float through my head. How on earth did she get her daughter to change her mind about me? Why is she calling me from New York? The list continues into a deep hole of what-ifs. As my mind spirals, my phone rings in my hand.
“Hi, tesoro. How was your morning?”
“Successful on the shopping front. You?”
“Just a normal Monday. I’m meeting with Stacy in a little bit to see his progress. We can talk about it over dinner. Could you take out some chicken or pork?”
“Sure. Mrs. Waller just left me a voice mail. Did you have anything to do with it?”
“No, I didn’t.”
There is a slight edge to his response. He wouldn’t lie, so it’s something else. Perhaps apprehension that I don’t want to stay. I thought I was clear on my feelings about that. Maybe not. It wouldn’t bother me if he did reach out to Mrs. Waller on my behalf. I don’t want to go home. I want to be here with him. Who cares how I get a new job?
“Did I ask something wrong?” I inquire, knowing that talking is the only way to move forward.
“No, why?”
“I hear something off in your voice. I don’t care if you did call Mrs. Waller. I was just asking.”
“I didn’t. I was concerned because I asked about owning a center of your own. I don’t want to push you, but I also don’t want you to leave either.”
“I don’t want to leave, Cash. Other than you, everything else in my life feels off balance. I haven’t decided against my own center yet. There are so many issues with that. We can talk more in depth when you get home.”
“Okay, sweetheart. It’s time to meet with Stacy. I’ll see you later.”
I end the call and reach out to Mrs. Waller, leaving her a voice mail. When I hang up, I hear ringing like a phone, but don’t know where it’s coming from. I realize too late; it’s the intercom for Arthur. I push the button to recontact.
“Good afternoon, Miss Barnett.”