by Remy Landon
He couldn't wait to make love to her again. But after her reaction, he didn't know when—or even if—that would be.
He could not bear it if the first time he was with her would also be the last.
Sweat began to trickle down his back as he ran. There was an attractive, college-age blonde in a hot pink sports bra, black spandex shorts and bright pink sneakers jogging on the treadmill beside him. He became aware that she was casting glances in his direction, and when he saw her looking down at the console, he studied her face. She looked familiar. And then he remembered. Cassandra's friend, the one who had been at Bull Feeney's the other night.
Did she know who he was? And if so, how much did she know?
The hot pink this girl was wearing reminded him of Olivia Malstrom. He was pleased and relieved that he and Liv had parted as friends after she headed back to Connecticut Friday afternoon, and equally pleased and relieved that she seemed to understand there was no romantic future for them. They would hopefully continue a good relationship as business partners.
The girl was looking at him again, her short blonde ponytail bouncing up and down with her stride. He turned slightly toward her, and she flashed him a quick smile. So. He apparently wasn't an enemy in her eyes. That was good.
The timer on the treadmill was ticking down to its final seconds. Carlo slowed to a brisk walk for the cool-down, feeling both invigorated and serene as he took a long drink from his water bottle. The blonde was slowing down, too, pressing the buttons of her machine. He walked for a few more minutes, stopped the treadmill and got off, heading for the rack on the wall with the disinfectant spray bottles. Grabbing a bottle and a towel, he sprayed down the machine and wiped it dry. He could feel the blonde's eyes on him as he returned to the rack for a fresh towel to dry off his face.
Turning around, he wiped his face and neck and tossed the towel into the bin beside him. The girl was approaching him.
“Hi...it's Carlo, isn't it?”
“Yes. And you're...”
“Cassandra's friend, Teal.”
They shook hands.
“I was going to apologize for the sweaty handshake, but I guess we're in the same boat.” She laughed, tucking stray pieces of hair behind her ear and tightening her ponytail. “I saw you at Bull Feeney's Thursday night.”
“Yes, I remember. Have you talked with Cassandra lately?”
“I'm having her over for dinner tonight since it's her night off...well, it's technically take-out. I don't cook.” She shrugged, laughing.
Carlo smiled. Cassandra's friend was very endearing, and he felt at ease with her. “I can relate to that. I don't really cook so much as heat things.”
Teal's face brightened in delight, as if she was seeing a side of him she hadn't expected. “Exactly. Hang on a second, would you? I need to wipe down the treadmill, lest I violate any gym rules.”
She walked past him to get a spray bottle and towel. Waiting for her to return, he contemplated what he should say. He was immensely curious to find out what Teal knew, and if she had any words of wisdom for him.
She came back and looked up at him with an expression that was close to an invitation. All right, so she was expecting him to ask. And he would.
“Teal...I realize we don't know each other, and I wouldn't want you to betray any confidences, but...” He trailed off, lifting an eyebrow.
“But...you're wondering what Cassandra's told me, right?” Her blue eyes were dancing, and he could see a faint blush color her cheeks. “I've heard that you're quite...convincing. And looking at you, I totally get that. Totally. Obviously, I can't say much, but I will tell you that Cass and I have talked, and I know about that—that game thing you were into.”
That “game thing.” A horrendous choice on his part, reduced to a casual term for something that had proven catastrophic for him and Cassandra. He nodded grimly.
“Look, Carlo—I don't want to make you feel awkward. I've been known to engage in some kinky things myself.” She winked, a hint of pride in her expression. “You seem to get what a shitty thing that was, and I think what can save you is that you—” Her voice dropped to a murmur. “You know, you couldn't go through with it.”
“No. I couldn't. I was trying to make myself do it, though, so I could prove that Cassandra was just like the others. Clearly, she is not.” He smiled. “And as I told her, no one was ever supposed to see that video.” Sighing, he ran a hand through his damp hair. “Teal, I regret what I did more than I can say. I only hope Cassandra will be able to forgive me.”
Studying him closely, she folded her arms across her chest. “You're in love with her, aren't you?”
He nodded. “Hopelessly. Or maybe I should be more optimistic and say, hopefully. It's taken me a long time to admit it to myself, but I couldn't keep ignoring what she means to me.”
“Don't give up on her, Carlo,” Teal said softly. “She's still hurting and confused, but she's crazy about you. I know her, and I can tell. But she's the only one who can allow herself to let go and let you in. I'm a pretty good judge of character, and I can see that you're sincere. Plus, you've been trying like hell to make it up to her these past few months, and that definitely counts for something. I'll put in a good word for you tonight when she comes over for dinner.”
“For take-out,” Carlo corrected, grinning. “Thank you. I appreciate that more than I can tell you. And Teal,” he added, “she's lucky to have a friend like you.”
“Damn right she is. I make sure she knows it. I'll hopefully see you later, Carlo. It was good to talk to you.”
He watched her head over to the weights, grateful for this chance encounter. He headed to the locker room for a shower, recalling again what Cassandra had said.
I'm afraid of you, Carlo, and the feelings you create in me.
He had been afraid of the exact same thing. But he had let it go. And he hoped that one day very soon, Cassandra could do the same.
chapter thirty-two ~ Cassandra
“I have two announcements to make, and then I want you to tell me about Friday night. As in, everything.” Teal said, standing next to the island in her apartment. Her kitchen was warm and cozy with dark walnut cabinets and cherry red countertops, filled with the scents of lit French vanilla candles and hot Chinese food.
Cassandra opened up the container of spring rolls. “Okay. I mean, okay to your announcements. I'm not sure I'm going to tell you everything about Friday night.”
Teal huffed indignantly. “We'll see. Anyway...my first announcement is that I'm on a swearing ban.”
“A swearing ban?” Cassandra raised her eyebrows. “Somehow, I'm having trouble picturing how that would go.”
“Garrett and I were talking on the phone just before you came over, and I may or may not have dropped the f-bomb about a dozen times. He bet me that I couldn't go for a week without using profanity. So of course, now I need to prove him wrong.”
“A week? Jesus, good luck with that.”
“Thanks for your support. I'm going to try gosh-darned hard to keep it clean.”
“And your second announcement?”
Teal went to the silverware drawer and took out serving spoons, looking at Cassandra soberly. “I talked to Carlo.”
“What? When? Where? And why?”
“I like your alliteration there, by the way. Very impressive. It was totally unexpected and unplanned to see him...I was working out at Gold's, and he was there—using the treadmill right next to me. I would have spotted him across the gym, though, given the fact that he stands out like a Greek god amidst a sea of flabby moms trying to lose the baby weight, and muscle-y college boys strutting around trying to hold up their egos.”
“Nice. What did you talk about?”
“You, of course, nugget. His face got all serious and earnest, like he was really pining for you...it made me wet, honestly.”
“For Christ's sake.”
“I'm serious. He is so fuh—” Teal quickly corrected herself. “Fuh-lippinggo
rgeous, but there's more than that, as I'm sure you know. I didn't expect him to be so...what's the word...soulful.”
Cassandra busied herself with spooning vegetable lo mein onto her plate.
“He is really sorry, Cass. And he's hurting. He misses you.” She sat down on a bar stool, reached out and squeezed Cassandra's arm. “Listen. I know we've talked about this before, but now I'm even more convinced you should give him a chance.”
“I kind of did. When he came over Friday night, we—we had sex.”
Teal's fingernails sunk into Cassandra's arm, and her eyes were comically large. “Holy shiitake mushrooms—and I just made an amazing save there—you did? Oh my God. Was it incredible? I mean, how could it not be?”
“It was. The best I'd ever had.”
“Was it like just really fabulous sex, or was it more than that?”
“It was more.” So much more. Which was the whole point.
“So making love, then.”
“Yes. You probably aren't going to believe me, but I was just planning to hear him out and get some sort of closure for both of us.”
“And did you? Or were doors opened?”
Cassandra shifted on her stool. She wasn't sure that she wanted to share that Carlo had used the L word. “It's complicated. Mainly because Carlo is complicated. I guess I shouldn't have expected for all the loose ends to be neatly tied up after this one time. He told me a little bit about how he'd hurt someone in his past, and it was his fault, and somehow that led him to want to view women as objects in a game, to be played with and let go. But he said he couldn't do that with me.”
“Because he fell in love with you.” Teal's voice was gentle.
She felt a jolt in her chest. “How do you know that?”
“He told me.”
Cassandra sighed. She might as well admit it. “He told me, too.”
“What?”
“Right after we made love—he, um...said he loved me.” Just the words meeting the air caused tingles to rocket through her body.
“Oh my fuh—reaking lord, Cassandra! How am I just hearing about this now?”
“I guess I've just been trying to process it myself.”
“And what's the verdict?”
“I still don't know how I feel.”
“Did you say it back?”
“No. I was just way too overwhelmed. He ended up leaving soon after that.”
“Reluctantly, I'm sure.” Teal propped her elbows on the island, her chin resting on her fists. “Nug, you know how you want to follow your passion with the equine management thing? Maybe you ought to use that same philosophy with your love life—with Carlo.”
“I don't know if I can. The feelings he stirred up in me—my God, Teal, it seriously scared the shit out of me. I don't know if I can do that to myself. I don't want turmoil. I want calm, and safe.” Tears flooded her eyes.
Teal was at her side in an instant, hugging her tightly. “Aww, my little Hostess snack cake! I didn't mean to make you cry. I just want to make you think. And I want you to be happy.”
Cassandra nodded, sniffling. “I know.” She sighed. “I have other stuff going on. There's also the issue with my father. He sent me another card.”
“Besides the Christmas one?”
“Yes. It was a 'thinking of you' card. He wants to get together for dinner.”
“Are you going to?”
“No. I don't know. I have so much on my mind. Everything just feels all fucked up.”
“Then unfuck it. Hey, I just made up a cool word. But God damn, I just swore, didn't I? Shit, there I go again! Oh, fuck it...I can't do this. I'm built to swear. Good thing Garrett loves me, anyway.” She planted a kiss on Cassandra's forehead. “So I guess you have some thinking to do and decisions to make. You don't need to rush into anything. But maybe one day you'll be ready to take that risk—to let go and see what's buried beneath all the fucked-upness.”
Cassandra shook her head in exasperation, balling up her napkin and throwing it at her friend. Leave it to Teal to get her laughing through her tears. After stuffing herself on Chinese, drinking a couple glasses of Yellowtail Moscato and sharing some details about Saturday night (much to Teal's delight), she was in better spirits as she hugged Teal goodbye, promising her she would think about everything and keep her posted.
The January wind lashed at her cheeks as she left Teal's house. She pulled her hood over her head and approached her Chevy, hitting the unlock button of her remote at the same time she heard the low roar of a car engine as it came to life. The car was across the street, its high-beam headlights obscenely bright and obtrusive as they bore down on her.
Okay, you can switch those off anytime now. Some people were just so inconsiderate. The person was just parked there, right across the street, as if he or she had nothing better to do than to watch—
Shit. This was very familiar. Could this be the same person who had followed her before? Cassandra climbed into her Malibu, hoping her body language would not convey the uneasiness she was feeling, and hoping that her apprehension was unwarranted. She started up her car and put it in reverse, shielding her eyes from the intense light.
Backing out of Teal's driveway, she drove down the street. The car was close behind her, high beams still on in a persistent, silent blare. Teal lived in a quiet neighborhood of lots of older houses. If Cassandra kept turning off onto the different intersecting streets, she would know for sure if this person's intent was to follow her.
Without using her blinker, she took the next left. The car behind her did the same. At the Garrison-style home on the next corner, she made a right. Then just past the next house, she made another right. The car continued to follow.
Cassandra was just about to reach for her phone to call Teal and have her drive over when up ahead, at a small blue ranch, she saw a good number of cars in the driveway and lining the curb. There were lights on in the house and people standing in the windows—it appeared to be some sort of party. She made a quick decision to stop here, seeing as it would be unlikely for this creeper to do anything with all these potential witnesses.
Pulling sharply in front of an SUV, she slammed her car in park and jumped out. Anger gave her courage; she was done being intimidated by this asshole.
Her stalker stopped his car on the road about twenty feet behind her, the engine purring. Squinting in the headlights, she started waving her arms, not caring that she looked like an idiot—not caring about anything except getting this person the hell away from her and making it known she'd had it.
“Hey! Here I am! Come get me, if you want. Why don't you get out of your fucking car and show your face, coward!”
And then, in a bolder move which surprised even herself, she added, “But I think I know whose face I'd see...Brock.”
She was trying to figure out her next move when the vehicle started creeping forward, picking up speed as it approached and went roaring past her, just as she jumped up onto the snowy curb. She was able to get a glimpse of the car as it sped away—it appeared to be a dark BMW SUV—but she was unable to see the full license plate number.
Trembling, she went back to her car and climbed in, quickly locking the doors. There was actually no need to see the license plate. She knew who it was. But his intentions—this was another matter.
Driving out of the neighborhood, she continued to shake—no longer thinking about headlights, but cold, green eyes.
chapter thirty-three ~ Carlo
“I still can't believe you actually took me up on my suggestion to come here,” Gianna said, sipping her Long Island iced tea under her broad-brimmed, floppy hat. She smiled at him behind her Ray-Bans. “Very spontaneo, Carlo—and very unlike you.”
He nodded, leaning back in his beach chair and digging his toes into the warm sand. He was bare-chested, soaking up the Florida sun in his red Dolce and Gabanna swim trunks. When Gianna had called and invited him to join her and Jordan for a long weekend at the family's Clearwater Beach condo, he had ev
en surprised himself by accepting. But he had needed a change of scenery. It had been a particularly cold, snowy winter in Pennsylvania, and he had the mood to match it. He had continued to give Cassandra the space she'd requested, and he was starting to lose hope. There had been little contact from her over the past couple of weeks, except for a short text asking if she could have the vet come to check out an infected cut on Brownie's leg, and a second text a few days later to tell him the antibiotic had worked and the horse was fine. He had responded that any veterinary bills could be sent directly to him via Ingrid, and that she could feel free to use her own judgment—then had been furious with himself for saying it, because this would be eliminating a form of contact with her.
Making love to her was like nothing he had ever experienced. He knew it would be amazing in the physical sense, but the emotional connection...that had been overwhelming. He knew Cassandra had felt it, too. It had caused him not only to realize his feelings, but to share them with her as well. But it had caused her to retreat in fear.
I'm afraid of you, Carlo, and the feelings you create in me.
He had never wanted to scare her. Dominate her, yes, but not scare her. The root of her fear was unclear. Was it not being able to trust him? Fearing what he could be capable of? Or was she scared because the feelings he stirred in her were so powerful, she didn't know how to handle them? He hoped it was the latter.
“Fratello...you're looking troubled.” His younger sister took off her sunglasses, a slight frown on her lips. She waggled a finger at him in disapproval. “You're only here for a few days...and I want this trip to be like detox for you. Tell me what's been going on before Jordan comes back—I suggested that he go fishing so you and I could have a little time alone together.”
“You didn't have to do that, Gi.”
“Yes, I did. It's partly for selfish reasons, to satisfy my own curiosity. Where do things stand with Cassandra?”