But how could he not try when she was asking? Because everything she was saying wasn’t wrong.
She tightened her hold on him, resting her head against his chest. Just go with it and maybe you’ll be proved wrong, he told himself. For right now, put it out of your mind and just enjoy Cassidy in your arms. He could stand like this for hours.
“When I’m a hundred and two and look back on my life, this moment will be one of the tops, Brandon.”
He tilted up her chin with his hand. “Guess it’s okay for me to kiss you now.”
“Yup,” she whispered. “And more.”
“That does sweeten the pot,” he said.
She unbuttoned her cardigan slowly, her gaze on his, and tossed it to the chair. She wore a tight, silky black cami with lace at the V-neck. He lifted that off her in seconds. As he kissed her neck and made quick work of her sexy black bra, she wriggled out of her jeans and then unsnapped and unzipped his.
“You might have waited to ask me to try now,” he said. “I would have promised you anything for this.”
“First of all, we wouldn’t have gotten this far right now without your yes. And I’ll always know I got it out of you without getting you all hot and bothered,” she whispered, a hand slipping into his boxer briefs.
He back-walked her to the bed, kissing her sexy pink-red mouth and neck en route, and all thought was replaced by pure sensation. Then he was under the covers with a naked Cassidy, the ends of her silky hair tickling his chest as her hands and mouth moved down his body.
As she slid back up his body to kiss him, he was half-aware that this felt different, was different from the first time just weeks ago. Back then, he’d whispered that she was “everything,” and he’d meant in that moment.
But now, Cassidy Ware was everything in every moment. Now. An hour from now. Tomorrow. Eight months in the future when they’d have a baby. Forever. He did care about her more than he was willing to dig into. She was going to be the mother of his child. She had his full attention, and not just because her tongue was roaming across his lower belly.
He wanted to stop thinking so he kissed her, hot and passionately as his hands explored every inch of her soft body. He nudged her over so he was on top, and when he looked at her, his beautiful Cassidy naked before him, he was hit by a rush of feeling so startling that he blinked against it. He clasped both her hands and brought them up past her head, trying not to think as he kissed her neck, then lingered on her breasts, then licked his way down her torso.
“Oh, Brandon,” she murmured, writhing. Moaning. Arching her back.
It took every bit of control not to enter her. If he did, it would be over way too soon.
But if he waited, he’d be aware of how his heart was beating too fast, of the fullness in his chest—a good fullness. Because Cassidy was in there.
He could talk about statistics all he wanted, but the way he felt was a fact, too.
Scary as hell.
She wrapped her arms around him as she pulled him up her body, her nails slightly digging into his back, her lips on his neck, her tongue dangerously close to his ear.
And then he couldn’t wait a moment longer. He had to be one with her.
“Brandon!” she whisper-screamed as he moved against her, slow at first, driving them both wild if their muffled moans were any indication. Then faster, faster, faster, building, building, building.
When he was one hundred and two and looked back on his life, he knew this moment would be tops for him, too. Not the sex, though he could barely control himself. But the okay, the yes, that he was going to try.
Chapter Eleven
Cassidy woke the next morning alone in the king-size bed. She sat up, listening for sounds of the shower running. But the room was silent. And dark. Brandon wasn’t in the club chair, reading. He wasn’t there.
Her heart plummeted and she lay down slowly, closing her eyes. Fool, fool, fool, she thought. Of course he’s gone before dawn. He might have meant his okay yesterday—and she knew he meant it while they were having incredible sex—but he probably woke at 4:00 a.m., hyperventilating, and headed for the hills.
Fine, she thought, straightening, determined not to let him make her miserable and ruin her day. She would get herself up, showered and dressed, and go have breakfast downstairs. Inn breakfasts were the best. Then she’d go to part two of the class and somehow get herself back to Bronco. Surely, Brandon wouldn’t have stranded her here, though. No, he’d never do that, no matter how freaked out he was about saying yes to a real relationship.
What was she doing? Why was she reading the worst into him being gone? If they were going to have a real chance, she needed to have more trust in him. She turned on the bedside lamp and there it was. The note it hadn’t even occurred to her to look for.
Friday, 6:15ish
Went down to get coffee for us. We can have breakfast here or go to the diner we passed yesterday. If Sleeping Beauty wakes up in time before class.
—B
That sludgy feeling in her stomach dissolved. You know him better than you think you do. Trust what you’re doing to work and it will.
She dashed into the shower, recalling every moment of last night. At first he’d been a little too gentle until she showed him he didn’t have to be. They were a match in bed and out of bed. They could talk about anything. They found the same things funny and not funny. They were going to have a baby.
They were meant to be. She believed that. And now that they were a couple, he would come to see that in no time. She knew she would hit a roadblock or two when he’d feel overwhelmed, and she’d deal with it, get him through it. Hey, if he was so overcome with emotion for her that it tripped him up, wasn’t it her job to help?
Cassidy smiled as she stepped onto the bath mat and toweled off, then put on that fluffy spa robe. Heavenly. When she came out of the bathroom combing her hair, Brandon was back, sitting at the desk with two foam cups of coffee in front of him.
“You should have waited,” he said. “Now you’re just going to get all dirty again.”
For a second she had no idea what he meant, until he walked over to her and untied her robe, his hands roaming as he kept his dark eyes on hers. She had to close hers, she was so lost in desire for him. Before she could even process it, his clothes were off and they were back in bed.
An hour later, she had her second shower of the morning, but this time not alone.
“So far, I’m okay with having a real relationship with you,” he said as he put on his own fluffy robe.
She fake socked him in the arm. “I admit I’m having a grand old time myself.”
He hugged her to him. “Now I’m ravenous for food.”
She grinned. “Me, too.”
At just past eight they were downstairs in the dining room. Four tables were occupied by other guests, so Cassidy chose the small round one by the side window. Amy was running between the tables, serving plates, refilling orange juice glasses. Her daughter, Sarah, appeared with her backpack and a muttered, “Bye,” as she headed for the door.
“Sarah Peterman, you come here this instant,” Amy called out.
Sarah groaned. “Oh my God, Mom, what did I do now?” That was definitely her favorite refrain.
“Let me give you a kiss goodbye,” Amy said, hugging the girl to her. “I’ve barely seen you all morning. Have a great day, honey.”
Sarah brightened and grabbed a scone from the basket on the buffet table. “Bye, Mom.”
Cassidy grinned at Brandon. “I think those two are a lot closer than they let on.”
“Were you close with your mom?” he asked.
She waited to answer until Amy had poured their coffee and taken their orders for the special—French toast with cinnamon sugar.
“We were, but my mom was busy, like Amy,” she whispered. “I was on my own a lot. I th
ink it made me more independent. My mother was very supportive of my goal to have my own business. For some reason, opening a shop in Bronco Heights seemed like the height of making it when I was in high school. To her, too.”
“Because you lived in Bronco Valley then?” he asked.
She nodded. “I was surprised that you deigned to date a Valley girl. The two sides of town didn’t really mix much back then.”
“I liked you, and that’s all I needed to know,” he said.
She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. She loved so much about him. She loved him.
“I was only at your house a couple of times since your mom didn’t exactly approve of me, but I do remember wondering how you two fit in that tiny place. There was only one bedroom.”
“My mom insisted I take it. I was so blind back then, I didn’t realize how much she was sacrificing. She should have had the private room and instead she slept on a pullout in the living room.” She shook her head. “I always dreamed that one day I’d be able to buy her a pretty house in Bronco Heights. She thought moving to the Heights meant she’d made it.” She felt tears prick her eyes and she blinked them away.
“You still own that house in Bronco Valley?” he asked as Amy set down their French toast.
Cassidy shook her head. “When my mom was very sick, she told me to get rid of it once she was gone and use the sale money to start my business. The house sold for peanuts and I had to take out a small loan to get Bronco Java and Juice started, but I knew I was making her proud in heaven. To the very end, my mother was my biggest champion and support system. God, I miss her.”
“Your mom sounds like an incredible person.”
“She was. And though I do know she’d be proud of me, I also feel like I let her down. It’s been five years since I opened the shop, and I really thought I’d have expanded—a sidebar in a fancy hotel in one of the cities or a second location.”
“What’s keeping you from expanding?” he asked, swiping a bite of cinnamon-sugar-dotted French toast in syrup.
“Well, I’d been hoping to expand into an adjacent shop, but neither has been available and won’t be for years. I think I’ll be able to open a second location in a couple of years, especially now that I have the specialty-cake side business going strong. I just have to be patient.”
“I have no doubt you’ll achieve your goals and dreams, Cassidy. You’ve been focused and driven since I met you fifteen years ago. You’ll make it happen.”
Warmth spread through her. As a bigwig for the most successful company in town, let alone the county, Brandon’s praise meant a lot to her.
His phone pinged and he took it from his pocket and glanced at it. “I didn’t think today could get any better, but it actually has. The one and only Geoff Burris, rodeo champion, just texted that he’s a yes to promote Taylor Beef. My dad’s going to be ecstatic.”
“Great news!” she said. “Congratulations.” She raised her glass of orange juice to him, and he clinked it with his own. She thought of her friend Susanna trying to get through to Geoff Burris’s team. It would a disappointment for Abernathy Meats, for sure.
He took her hand and held it, then took a bite of his French toast with the other. She recalled that he’d do this when they were in high school. They’d go to a pizza place and he’d hold her hand and eat a slice of pizza with the other. She used to think it was the most romantic thing. Kind of still was.
Three and a half hours later, when they’d returned from the second day of their parenting class and were checking out of the inn, Cassidy could hardly believe what a magical experience this had been.
And she had Winona Cobbs to thank. While Brandon was settling up at the desk, Cassidy stepped outside and looked up the telephone number for Wisdom by Winona. She pressed in the numbers and waited, hoping Winona would answer.
“Hello, Miss Ware.”
“Goodness, you are psychic! Though I have proof of that already.”
“Well, I also have caller ID,” Winona deadpanned.
Cassidy felt her cheeks burn. “Ah, right. Well, I’m calling because Brandon Taylor and I are just leaving Lewistown now—we attended the parenting class on your advice and stayed at the lovely Blossom B and B, and the trip was just wonderful on every level.”
“No surprise there,” Winona said.
Cassidy grinned. “It was for me. I’d like to make an appointment with you for a reading.”
“Delightful. You can pay me in a fancy coffee drink and two kinds of Danish, one for the road. I’ll be at Bronco Java and Juice on Monday morning at six thirty. We’ll chat there.”
“Oh! Well, that sounds fine. I’ll see you then.”
“Yes, you will,” Winona said before disconnecting.
“Checking in at the shop?” Brandon asked as he stepped out into the breezy sunshine with their bags.
“Actually, I just made an appointment with Winona Cobbs. She gave you this trip and it turned out to be everything we needed. Who knows what she’ll tell me?”
He smiled. “She sure doesn’t say much, but then much happens. And you know, I just realized she didn’t charge me a cent. I usually get the Taylor name upcharge for everything.”
“She’s charging me a fancy coffee drink and two Danishes, one for the road.”
“She could charge folks big bucks. Turns out my reading was priceless.”
Cassidy leaned up and kissed him on the lips. “Agreed.”
* * *
Barely an hour later, Brandon reluctantly pulled into a spot in front of Java and Juice, not ready to say goodbye to Cassidy, even for a few hours this afternoon. He zipped around to the passenger side and opened her door for her.
“I may never get used to that,” she said.
“Sorry, you’ll have to. It’s the Taylor way. The pregnancy makes me doubly chivalrous.” He got her suitcase from the cargo area and they headed upstairs.
Cassidy unlocked the door and they stepped inside. She slipped her arms around his neck. “Thank you for an incredible couple of days. Who knew taking a parenting class could be so life-changing? Plus, I can now properly swaddle an infant. Well, a doll.”
He grinned and kissed her on the lips. “Winona Cobbs knew.”
“I’m so excited for my reading on Monday morning. I’ll let you know what she says.”
He kissed her again. “Oh, you think you won’t see me before Monday? I can’t wait that long.”
“Good. Want to come over tonight? We can cook or order in, watch a movie or bad reality TV.”
“I’ll see you at seven thirty,” he said.
One more kiss—a long, hot one—and he was out the door. So far, being in a real relationship wasn’t the straitjacket he’d thought it would be. He had no idea why, but he was grateful. He could give Cassidy what she needed and not feel the walls closing in on him. Win-win. He wasn’t going to think about it; he’d just go with it.
He might have stayed a bit longer at Cassidy’s, but he was itching to tell his dad the good news about Geoff Burris.
He found his father in his office, scanning and signing invoices.
“Dad, I told you I was confident that Geoff Burris would agree to star in our ad campaign, particularly ahead of the Mistletoe Rodeo in November,” Brandon said, stopping in the doorway. “Mission accomplished.”
He’d never seen his father get out of a chair so fast.
“Yes! Excellent.” Cornelius pumped his fist in the air—three times. “Jessica,” he called at the top of his lungs. “Jessica!”
Brandon’s stepmother came rushing in. “What on earth is all this yelling?”
“Brandon got Geoff Burris!” Cornelius exclaimed. “Taylor Beef will continue its reign over Abernathy Meats!” He actually did a little dance where he turned in a circle then grabbed Jessica into a dip.
“Great work, Brandon,�
�� his stepmother said with a grin. “Cornelius should be in a grand mood for a least three days.” She chuckled, kissed her husband and then left the room.
“We’ll have a small party to celebrate,” Cornelius said. “Next Saturday night. Then we’ll have our ad people get the word out to build excitement and we’ll throw a big shindig at The Association.”
“Sounds good, Dad.” Brandon had no doubt his father would be in a good mood for weeks, not days.
“And the party will be just family,” Cornelius added. “Your uncles, your siblings. Text them, will you?”
“Daphne is one of my siblings,” Brandon said, staring at his father. Hard.
“Well, I did say siblings, didn’t I? So yes, of course Daphne is invited.”
Would wonders never cease. This good mood of Cornelius’s might last a month. Maybe even forever.
“Daphne is family even if I don’t like how she’s living her life,” Cornelius said. He moved over to the bar against the wall and took down two glasses. “She can invite her fiancé, too.”
Brandon extended his hand. “I’m proud of you, Dad. But it’s about damned time.”
His father scowled and waved his hand dismissively, but he was too happy for the frown to last. He reached for the Scotch, top label. “I didn’t say I’d actually talk to Daphne, just that she was welcome to attend. Vegetarian lifestyle. Animal sanctuary. Who in their right mind ever heard of such a thing from an heir of a cattle ranching empire? I figure a family party celebrating a Taylor Beef score will make her see that family comes first, not personal nonsense.”
Now that was more like Cornelius Taylor. Brandon shook his head, wishing he could actually get through to his father, but years of dealing with him had told him he wouldn’t. The man was completely self-absorbed.
Brandon was about to rescind the I’m proud of you, but his father grabbed him into a bear hug.
“I’m so damned proud of you,” Cornelius said. “Did the personal days you took have anything to do with winning over Burris?”
The Most Eligible Cowboy Page 14