by Nicole Vidal
“Are you sure you want to know?”
“Yes, just don’t share any private details.”
I’ll have to figure out where that boundary line is at some point. How much information is too much for Billie? “The box had a complete set of lingerie from La Perla. It was gorgeous.”
“Their products are amazing. It was the only luxury splurge I allowed myself when I first left New York.”
“Your brother is… I don’t even know what to say to this.”
“As I told you, my brother has a huge heart, and he gave it to you. Protect it and him. I’ve never seen him this happy, and that’s because of you. Thank you.”
I smile because words fail me.
We move back into the living room where Cash is putting the finishing touches on dinner. I offer to help, but he sets wine in front of both of us and orders us to sit. The three of us eat his delicious meal and chat until near ten when Billie leaves for Sam’s. She has a wedding tomorrow evening and a styling appointment on Sunday before returning to York Beach.
33
Cassius
When I return from a punishing hour with Evan at the gym, I find Noelle practicing yoga on the terrace. Her hair is in a high ponytail, and she’s wearing fitted yoga pants and a sports bra. Either she doesn’t realize I’m back or she’s ignoring my presence.
“I feel you staring at me,” she says without breaking her position.
“You’re mesmerizing.”
“To you.”
I leave her and grab waters from the kitchen and check my messages to confirm dinner tonight. Instead of stepping into the shower, I decide to watch Noelle. It drives her crazy, but deep down, I know she loves it.
“Thanks,” she says after I hand her a fresh water.
“How is Evan?”
“I think today was evenly matched. No stinging uppercuts today.”
“Good. I was thinking about something you said about finding the right opportunity and perfection. I’ll be right back.” She scurries away and comes back with a stack of papers and her laptop.
“I want to open a center with the ability to focus on a child with Mason’s developmental issues. I drafted a business plan.” She hands me one of the thickest plans I’ve ever seen.
“How long have you been working on this?”
“Since I’ve been talking to the director at Mason’s new school and Mrs. Waller.”
“What caused you to decide to go for it?”
“Putting the plan I created for Mason into action and finding a receptive director to help me keep him progressing.”
“Can I read it?”
“Of course. I want your opinion on the plan as well as if I should wait to have someone start looking or start now. Your statement about waiting for the right opportunity stuck with me. It wouldn’t hurt for me to have someone looking for options.”
“Fair enough.” I open the plan and start skimming the pages. “How much research did you do?”
“Tons. Not only on how to write the plan, but on resources for the students and how readily available they are specifically for low-income students.”
I skim through the sections of her plan. It’s engaging, thorough, and more in-depth than it needs to be.
She rises from her seat and moves inside.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m hungry. Keep reading, I’ll make some breakfast.” I nod and dig back into her plan. She has even looked at recent sales of daycare centers across the country. I’m so engrossed in her words that I barely notice she’s finished cooking and set a heaping plate of French toast, fresh fruit, and sausage before me.
“This is amazing, sweetheart.” I dig into my food and savor the first bite. Apparently, I was hungry too.
“Thanks. It’s just food.”
“I meant your plan. This is over the top thorough.”
She smiles.
“Do you want to teach or have the ability to connect other center owners with the resources they need like an education plan or properly educated teachers?”
“Both I think. As I researched I realized there’s no way there would be enough kids in any given area who need this type of support. Given the age of the students, a boarding school like scenario won’t work.”
Every day I learn something about her that makes me love her more. She’s ambitious and willing to help her students reach their full potential.
“How do I get around the location issue?”
“You have two distinct business options here. Yes, they overlap, but you have a consulting part and the brick and mortar part. Can I write on this?”
“Sure.”
“If you split this section and this section”—I highlight the two parts—“you could start forming the consulting aspect right now while searching for a center to purchase when you’re ready.”
A shocked look graces her face.
“You seem surprised.”
“I don’t know how to do any of that, Cash.”
“You said you didn’t know anything about business plans too, yet here is one of the most detailed ones I’ve ever seen. You did this on your own. You can do anything.” I lean forward, kissing her softly. “I may not want to work in venture capitalism for much longer, but I do know my way around a deal as well as a bunch of people who can help you with the parts I’m not great at.”
“What do I need to do?”
“Really?” I ask only because I don’t want to push her, but her plan is outstanding, even if she doesn’t yet believe it herself.
“Yes, really. I should follow my own advice, right? I pushed you to take a leap of faith; I should too.”
Rising from my seat, I round the table and pull her into my arms. “I’m so proud of you. First, we’re going to get ready for our date night. Tomorrow we can polish this up and figure out a time for you to come to my office and meet with an advisor next week.”
“Works for me. Where are we going tonight?”
“Don’t you worry. Everything is all set. We need to get moving though so we aren’t late for the first part.”
We move around the bedroom, dressing for our dinner date. It’s still early, but we need to drive a bit to our first stop. I catch myself more than once watching her as she gets ready. Her beauty is effortless. She doesn’t fuss with tons of makeup or whatever else women do to get ready for an evening out. Her “take me as I am” attitude is captivating. As she is, she’s everything I’ve ever wanted.
“You need to put that dress on, or we’ll be very late,” I plead as she steps out of the closet wearing the lingerie I bought for her. She’s breathtaking.
“Fine, but watching you squirm is entertaining.” She steps into her dress, wiggling it up over her hips. Moving toward her, I grip her waist and turn her around to zip the dress. Despite my desire to push it back down over her hips and caress her smooth skin, I gently pull the zipper upward.
I finish my Windsor knot and move to get my watch. Noelle is rummaging through a small pouch on the bureau.
“What are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for a necklace to wear.”
“I was going to wait until later, but I might be able to fix that for you.” I open the top drawer and pull out a gift I bought for her.
“Cash, you don’t have to buy me gifts. I don’t need things. Things aren’t important to me.”
I know what she means. She learned early that life isn’t about stuff. It’s about love and living each moment to the fullest.
“I know. It’s about what the thing says.”
Reluctantly, she takes the box from my hand. Everything I have purchased for her says how I feel.
“What did the roses mean?” she inquires.
“The yellow roses with red tips mean I’m falling for you. The red means love.”
She takes a step closer to me. “And the spa day?”
“I wanted you to relax and be taken care of. I love that you’re independent, but I want to take care of yo
u too.”
She moves closer so her chest is barely grazing mine. “And the lingerie?”
“That was twofold. You deserve to have the best of everything. I can give it to you, and I want to. You look hot on any given day, but that set makes you look ravishing, and it feels luxurious under my fingers.”
“And this?” She tilts the box in her delicate hand.
“Tesoro, I want you in my life. I care about you. Let me show you.”
She opens the box. Inside is a floating diamond necklace from a local jeweler in New York.
“Cash, it’s beautiful. Thank you.” Noelle hands me the necklace to secure it around her neck. Brushing my lips along her shoulder causes a sharp inhale. “How important is the first stop in your evening?”
“It only serves to give Auggie time to prepare our dinner without us here.”
“Your brother is cooking for us?” A big smile spreads on her face. “I’m excited to meet him and try his cooking. Did I just ruin the surprise part of tonight?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry. Where were we going that we’re late for now?”
“A winery.”
“Are we too late?”
I glance at my watch and quickly calculate the driving time. “Yes. Finish getting ready, and I’ll make a few calls.”
I walk away to salvage some of the date I planned for her. After a few minutes of thinking, I create a new plan. I place two calls and gather the items I need from home. “Ready, tesoro?”
Nodding, she threads her fingers in mine.
34
Noelle
Normally, I can read Cash well. After ruining his surprises for tonight, I’m not so sure. He’s tight-lipped as we make one stop on our way to whatever he has planned as a stand-in for our winery visit. A young man comes out from a specialty shop with a large basket and two canvas bags.
“I’m sorry I made us late and ruined your surprise.”
Cash takes my hand, kissing the top of it. “Don’t be. We can always go another time.”
After a short drive, short in distance, moderate on time, Cash parks in a docent spot near a large house. We’re greeted at the door.
“Mr. Morgan. Miss Barnett. It’s a pleasure to have you join us this afternoon at the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum. If you will follow me.” The young woman guides us around the mansion to a tented area near a fountain.
“Thank you,” Cash replies after she escorts us to the tent. There is a small table with two chairs. The panel is pinned up so we can see the gorgeous grounds.
“You weren’t kidding. You can make things happen.”
“No, I wasn’t. This didn’t take very much effort though. I’m a member of the conservancy, and I got lucky that no events were happening today.”
After our escort walks away, Cash opens the basket of goodies we picked up on the way. There are two bottles of wine, glasses, an expertly prepared antipasto tray and the necessary additions. We talk about my plan and what changes we need to make tomorrow over a glass of wine and the appetizers. As Cash regales me with the history of the mansion and the family that owned it, we stroll through the grounds. Retaking our seats, we talk more before returning home.
We chat with Arthur in the lobby before heading upstairs. A host of amazing fragrances tease my nose when the door opens. Not only is Cash’s younger brother here, but there is also a woman. Auggie looks just like Cash, only thinner. The woman is beautiful. She’s average height with curly, jet-black hair and curves reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe.
Auggie washes his hands and hugs Cash.
“Hi, I’m Auggie. You must be Noelle. It’s a pleasure to meet you. This is my best friend, Caroline.” He extends his hand to me.
“Nice to meet you both.”
“Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. If you want to start on the salads, I can bring them out for you?” Auggie asks Cash.
“Sure, that works.”
Cash reaches for my hand and leads me to the terrace. The terrace is special all the time, but Auggie added string lights and a few lanterns for dinner. Both add a bit more ambiance than without them.
“What’s the deal with Auggie and Caroline? She’s beautiful. Does she know he loves her?”
“Yes, she is. How do you see that? No, she doesn’t, and Auggie isn’t prepared to fight for her like she deserves, so he’s waiting.”
“Fair enough. How long have they been friends?”
“Since boarding school, I think. He’s four years younger than me, so our social circles didn’t really cross that often.”
Auggie sets our salads on the table while Caroline fills our water and wine glasses.
“How did you rope him into cooking for us?”
“I didn’t exactly. He needed guinea pigs to practice on before his final exams in a few weeks. I would have said yes to him cooking before he started culinary school. He was always experimenting in the kitchen with Salma.”
“Who is Salma?”
“She’s my parents’ maid and cook. She and her husband, Henry, have been working for my parents since I was a child.”
Auggie brings out the main course of shrimp risotto with mascarpone. He explains the dish and waits for us to try it.
“This is melt-in-your-mouth wonderful, Auggie. It’s creamy, not sticky or heavy like most risotto recipes I’ve had before.”
“Thank you, Noelle. Cash?”
“Bro, this is amazing! You will ace your exams in the next few weeks.”
“Thanks. Enjoy. I need to finish dessert.” Auggie hurries away while I attempt to slow down my rate of consumption. I’ll easily polish off every bite and work on Cash’s since he’s is only halfway through.
I glance toward the kitchen and see Auggie prepping something on the island. He may not want to pursue a relationship with Caroline right now, but the looks she’s casting his way indicate she will be receptive when he changes his mind. I feel the heat of Cash’s gaze on me.
“What are you thinking, tesoro?”
“Nothing you don’t already know.” I may not have said it out loud, but I almost did earlier. He leans forward, dragging his lips across mine.
Caroline comes out to check on our drinks. “Are you ready for dessert?”
“Whenever Auggie is ready is fine for us. We don’t want to keep you longer than necessary,” Cash replies.
A few minutes later, Auggie sets a light dessert in front of us. “This is a cherry clafoutis. It’s a light and airy sweet dessert perfect for summer.”
Cash slides his fork into the piece on his plate, taking almost half. “It tastes like fancy pancakes.”
I reach over and smack his arm. “Seriously, Cash!”
Auggie drops his head, shaking it from side to side.
“Auggie, don’t mind him. It’s sweet and delicate. The cherries are the perfect balance of sweet and tart.”
“Thank you. Cash, she’s perfect. Put you right in your place. Don’t mess it up!”
I smile and lift another forkful to my lips. Two siblings down, one to go. The four of us chat for a while during cleanup. After promising to get together for dinner and exchanging numbers, Cash and I snuggle in bed to watch a movie.
When I wake, Cash’s spot is cold. Contorting to find a clock, I see it’s near ten. I haven’t slept this late in years, even on vacation. Slipping into my robe, I pad to the kitchen and find a note from Cash saying he went for a run. Armed with coffee, I settle on the couch to enjoy the morning sunshine.
I happen to glance up when the front door opens. Holy hell! I’ve seen and touched every inch of him, but post-run Cash is hot! Sweat drips over the ridges and planes of his chest and abs. It takes restraint not to follow one or two of the beads with my eyes. The way his throat moves as he chugs the water is oddly arousing.
“You can’t stare at me like that.”
“Like what?” I ask innocently, as if he didn’t catch me red-handed ogling him.
“Like you want to devour me.”
>
“What if I do? If I’m yours, that makes you mine, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll look at you however I like.” Rising from the couch, I stalk over to him as he drops his shirt to the floor. Holding his hand, I tug the sash of my robe.
“Tesoro, I didn't realize you have a naughty streak.”
I have nothing on under my robe. “Only with you.”
“I love the sound of that.” He drags his fingertips from the hollow of my collarbone, down between my breasts, and outward to the point of my hip, sending tingly sensations coursing across my skin. I push his shorts to the floor. I’m still taken by the sight of him from his threaded arms to his powerful thighs. Releasing the sash, he grips my hip and turns my back to him. After brushing my hair over my left shoulder, he grasps it, tugging to expose my neck. I can’t contain a deep moan.
“You like that?” he asks, sounding surprised.
“Didn’t know until right now.”
Frankly, I have never been comfortable enough with myself or my partner to just feel in a moment like this.
“I’m fascinated that I'm the only man you can be completely honest with,” he whispers near the shell of my ear. Cash pushes the robe down my arms to the floor, and the luxurious silk pools around my ankles. He skims his hands up my hips before palming my breasts. Lifting my arms, I thread my fingers into his damp hair as he plucks one nipple between his fingers and rolls the other, sending spikes of need through me. Heat pools between my thighs as I clench them together, attempting to quell the continuous need I feel for him.
“Let me take care of that ache for you, tesoro,” he murmurs in my ear, making my core throb even more. Slipping one hand down over my belly, Cash teases my nub with his fingers. I open for him, setting my foot on the ottoman. Cash plunges three fingers into my folds, curving them into the perfect spot.
“Cash,” I rasp out while piercing his legs with my nails.
He twists, turns, withdraws, and advances his fingers until I shudder with pleasure against him. His shaft is rock-hard between my cheeks. Moving slightly adding some space between us, Cash shifts, bringing his shaft between my thighs. He teases my core, moving forward and back against my folds while his fingers tease and rub my clit.