Only Love (The Atonement Duet Book 2)

by Selene Chardou

  “What are you suggesting?” he asked, flicking ash and raising the cigarette to his lips.

  “There’s a woman Drake is still in love with. It didn’t work out and I know for a fact she is going through a divorce with some drunk Canadian she married. The divorce has cost her everything, including her business and her self-esteem. She would do anything to change the way her life has turned out. Give her the money to relocate. You can afford it.”

  “So you’re suggesting I just deliver this woman here and throw her at Drake? Isn’t that a bit underhanded?”

  Drew snickered. “Hey, man, everything is fair in love and war. Do you want Deirdre back or not? If he cheats with this woman you know for a fact she would leave him, and where would she go? She’d be right back there with you. Whether you two come back to Seattle…I don’t know if that is such a good idea. Too many bad memories. Maybe La Jolla is a better place.”

  “I suppose you are going to give me this woman’s name and address?”

  Drew informed his friend of the needed information and Colin stared at it for a long time after their conversation ended. He felt conflicted because although he’d participated in a man’s death, he could use the excuse that he was high on Bath Salts at the time. This was plain devious and underhanded behavior but did he want the woman he loved to end up with another man?

  The answer to that question was a resounding “no”, therefore the decision seemed simple enough.

  “Hey, can I bum a smoke?”

  Colin looked up to see the most attractive barista who worked for Ground Beans standing in front of him. He thought her name was Cassie or Kelsey. She was very beautiful with deep olive skin, warm brown eyes, and a mole on her cheek. Angular with gorgeous features, a slim, small-boned build. She had told him she was the product of an Italian and black mother while her father was Scottish, originally from Glasgow though he’d been in America for over twenty-five years and a citizen for twenty. She was only twenty—dangerous and definitely a threat—but what Deirdre didn’t know couldn’t hurt her.

  He did want his former fiancée back but he also needed to get laid, and this young lady fit the bill perfectly.

  Colin handed her a Camel Crush and she took it from him, her fingers brushing against his. She sat down across from him with an espresso shot.

  “Do you have a light?” she asked.

  He handed her his Zippo lighter and she lit the cigarette then handed it back to him.

  “It’s Cassie, right?”

  She scratched her nose with a perfectly manicured fingernail and nodded. “Short for Constanzia. Cassie is easier to pronounce and I would vomit if people called me Connie. It reminds me of the chick from The Godfather movies who let her husband beat her like it was goin’ out of style and she always had to call Sonny to save her dumb ass.”

  Colin laughed. “Are all of you okay with yet another person bossing you around?” her asked. “I realize this is sudden, but Deirdre needed a partner and I stepped in. I hope I’m not pissing anyone off.”

  “We don’t really notice as long as we get paid,” Cassie replied. “The former owner had an issue with that and I think everyone is just happy to have owners who remember employees don’t work for free. It’s just a gig until I finish up at UC San Diego. Not that I have a clue what I am going to do with a freakin’ journalism major now that everything has gone to shit.”

  “When you first decided what you were going to major in, what did you think would happen? There’s a reason why so many people pick something generic, like business for instance. There’s a lot you can do with the degree, especially if you plan to get your MBA.”

  “Rich people maybe. MBAs don’t exactly grow on trees, you know, and they are very expensive to pursue.” She slipped the cigarette between her lips and dragged on it before she put the butt out in a plastic ashtray. “I don’t know what happens after school for me. I guess I’ll just roll with it. Right now, this job is serving its purpose, and that is keeping me occupied and my mind off the boys of summer.”

  Colin laughed at that. “Yes, because men in college are so much more sophisticated than men in high school. I don’t know how young women do it. Then again, it’s been a while since I went through the whole university thing and really, if I was smart, I certainly wouldn’t be flirting with you.”

  Cassie pursed her lips. “Why’s that? I’m legal. I know you are older. You’ve got to be late twenties or maybe even thirty, but I’m not jailbait. You sleeping with me isn’t going to get me or you in any kind of trouble.”

  Colin grinned. “You know what? You’re right. However, our break ended ten minutes ago and we should both get back to work.”

  Cassie stood. “You wanna come with me to Prospect Bar & Grill tonight? They always have great food and even when they don’t have live music they have some kick ass DJs that make the rounds. It might be fun, and maybe it will get you out of this funk you have about your ex.”

  “I’m sorry—what funk? And which ex are you referring to exactly?”

  Cassie rolled her eyes. “You’re joking, right? Everyone knows you and Deirdre used to be an item. It’s obvious she’s moved on to bigger and better things. Maybe you should do the same.”

  Colin smiled wryly as soon as her back was turned to him. So she wanted to play and she liked a good time. He would definitely enjoy this one and have absolutely no regrets about what happened. Deirdre had moved on and he could do the same even if it was only to temporarily scratch an itch.

  ***

  Cassie was just what the doctor ordered, and Prospect Bar and Grill was a perfect suggestion. They started off the night with a few mixed drinks. Hers was a dirty martini while he preferred an Adios Motherfucker. They were caloric as hell, and after that Colin would stick to imported lagers so he would be all right to drive home later that night.

  He allowed his companion to order whatever she wanted and she took advantage and then some.

  They sat outside in the romantic patio area which was teeming with people. Lots of the beautiful people from San Diego and La Jolla were lined the inside and outside of the restaurant. He had to hand it to Cassie, because she had obtained an extremely well-made fake ID which declared her to be twenty-one, and she’d certainly dressed the part in a liquid silver, spaghetti-strapped dress which barely reached mid-thigh and a pair of black Yves Saint Laurent Tribute sandals which must have cost more than she made in a month.

  Her hair was up in a messy chignon with ringlets that made her look just the right amount of innocent and sex-bomb, while her makeup was perfect, understated except for the dark red lipstick.

  “I know—you’re looking at my shoes. They were a gift from a rich jock I dated at UC San Diego. It didn’t last long but he did buy me these shoes for my twentieth birthday so it wasn’t all bad,” she explained as she downed her third dirty martini.

  Colin was more than a bit worried about her although, it wasn’t altogether altruistic. The way she was knocking back drinks, would she even be sober enough that night to fuck, let alone be any good? She’d yet to eat anything from the appetizer plate he’d ordered.

  “Why don’t you try to get some food in you?” he suggested, sliding the plate closer to her.

  “Don’t worry, I’m in college, and I’m used to drinking a lot. Besides, I am hardly falling down drunk.” Cassie set her glass down and looked him in the eyes. “I can see your concern though so I’ll stick to whatever you’re drinking. Or are you going to put me on a San Pellegrino restriction for the rest of the night?”

  He smiled slyly. “I wouldn’t dare think of that. How about I order us a round of imported lagers and we can discuss more about college life?”

  As soon as their waiter came by, he ordered Heinekens for both of them.

  “Why are you so interested in me all of the sudden? I don’t know if you noticed but the former owner had this strange complex. She refused to hire people who she thought were ugly and she wouldn’t dare hire anyone overweight. There is
tons of talent in that place and you’re lusting after me? I just don’t get the interest unless something about me vaguely reminds you of Deirdre? It certainly can’t be my sparkling personality.” She placed her left elbow on the table and leaned her chin on the palm of her open hand.

  “I did notice everyone at Ground Beans was good looking but I have been dealing with a lot of personal crap lately and I assumed everything would be solved by now.” Colin stared out past the people and onto the romantically lit street. “I was never good at this. Dating, I mean. I always had a girlfriend and I guess you could call me a serial monogamist if you like. Sleeping around with a lot of women has never really appealed to me.”

  Where the hell did that lie come from?

  Colin was the player to end all players and he’d had plenty of one night stands. However, he could also read women and since this one would have to last him a while, it was best to tell her what she wanted to hear. Women often claimed they wanted and desired a “bad boy” but deep down inside, they just wanted someone sexy who could fuck, and if they were dependable, a man could earn major bonus points.

  He already had the look of a bad boy down, so him being a gentleman and kind to her could be a plus.

  Cassie shook her head. “You’re not at all like I thought you would be. I assumed someone as good looking and sexy as you has had plenty of girlfriends.”

  Colin cocked his head to the side. “I could say the same about a woman as spell-bindingly beautiful as you. You’re perfect, you know that?”

  “When I first got to college, I did go a little wild until night stands became boring and I was sick of having my heart broken. I think I had two or three before I swore off them altogether. From then on out, it has been nothing but relationships. Neil and I broke up around three months ago, but we dated all throughout my sophomore year. I really did think we would last at least until mid junior year, but it wasn’t in the cards.”

  “Why not?”

  “He’s from the San Diego area and his family has money. His mother didn’t approve of him dating someone ‘working class’. It doesn’t help that my roommate Natasha is one of the biggest whores at UC San Diego. I caught her giving Neil a blow job at one of our parties just before school ended for the semester. To say that I was disappointed would have been an understatement.

  “Then again, I don’t know why Neil was interested in me because when we broke up, he didn’t fight for me. He didn’t call or text. Perhaps he thought it was no big deal. A blow job isn’t sex. Who cares? I don’t, not really. There are plenty of fish in the sea and Neil was a horrible lay anyway. He was awful in bed…to be honest, I never understood why I was with him because I could never marry a man who couldn’t perform, you know?”

  The beauty of youth had just given way to the ugly truth of youth. After all the intellectual and enlightening conversations Colin had shared with Deirdre, he only wished for Cassie to just shut up. She had nothing to contribute to any conversation unless it revolved around her, and that was getting old very fast.

  He clasped his hands around his Heineken bottle as soon as the waiter set it down. “You said you were pretty lost about what you should do after school ends. Have you ever thought of maybe getting an internship at one of the major newspapers or cable studios? It might not pay much but you would learn on the job experience and it would be a great way to start building your résumé.”

  “Actually, it never occurred to me but that would be a great idea.” Cassie swigged from her lager, then leaned in to show major cleavage for his benefit. “Do you know of any opportunities that might be on the horizon? I could definitely use the help with getting an ‘in’.”

  “I’ll ask around and get back to you,” Colin responded with just the right amount of enthusiasm.

  ***

  Colin and Cassie arrived back to his beach front condo shortly after one in the morning. They kissed with hungry passion that could not be denied. Colin didn’t know how long it had been for her, but for him, it had been an interminable month since Deirdre left him and he’d felt every second of every day.

  While the thought of burying his grief within Cassie’s warm body was satisfying, he didn’t want to end up impregnating someone or worse yet, acquiring a sexually transmitted disease.

  Cassie stopped kissing him and looked into his eyes. Her own were large and brown with dilated pupils. “I really, really want you, Colin, but we both have to be safe. I am on the pill but is it all right if you use a condom too?”

  “Of course. I have both lambskin and regular Durex. The lambskin ones are better…however, they don’t prevent STDs so if you have something, I need to know now.”

  She shook her head. “God no. I haven’t had sex since Neil. He wasn’t shy about whom he allowed to suck his dick, yet he was fastidious about his health. He had to be. I still got tested for everything under the sun after we broke up and my tests came back clean.”

  “I was in a committed relationship and neither my partner nor I used anything. We were…safe. However, after she left, I still went through the battery of tests with my doctor and I was declared to have a clean bill of health. I don’t have anything, not even the clap.”

  Cassie’s eyebrows shot up in dismay. “What’s that?”

  Colin laughed. His head was buzzing but in a good way. He hadn’t drank too much and could very well be up for the job of performing. Sex with strangers was not as satisfying, but was much less complicated than with a woman he loved and cared about.

  He didn’t make it a habit to perform oral sex on casual sexual partners. He might tease them with his fingers and hands but his mouth never strayed that far down south. If they were blow job enthusiasts, they could knock themselves right out but he wouldn’t return the favor.

  He also kept it straight sexual intercourse with zero experimentation except for maybe a quick stroke of their perineum. It just wasn’t worth the hassle. It was how he kept his life compartmentalized, orderly, and distinguished with what a relationship would be for him in his life.

  Sex with Cassie was for fun and pleasure—nothing else. He didn’t need to feel anything for anyone else other than his former fiancée. Having the feelings he possessed for Deirdre and the day-in, day-out torment they caused him was more than enough to deal with and he had no intention of making the situation more complicated than it was already.

  Colin kissed Cassie again and as her tongue sought his out, he responded with abandon, his hands encircling her firm breasts through the thin material.

  “One other thing,” he said as he parted from her and stepped back physically. “I could get into a lot of trouble because, technically, I’m your boss. We are talking about a sexual harassment suit. You could later say I made promises to you based on the stipulation you slept with me. Have I coerced you or given you any reason to believe you would benefit from us having sex other than an orgasm or three?”

  Cassie shook her head. “No you haven’t, and I want to do this with you. I understand we have created a conflict of interest because you are co-owner of the coffee shop and I’m your employee but I am sexually attracted to you and that is why we’re going to do this and no other reason.”

  Colin removed his Galaxy Note from his pocket and turned off the recorder. He held it up to her before he turned off his phone. “That was just a little insurance for both you and me. We can’t afford for this to get back to anyone at work or to the co-owner. Deirdre would frown on me sleeping with an employee and it has nothing to do with her being my ex-fiancée. She finds it tasteless.”

  Cassie slid her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. “I take it you two were never in each other’s employment?”

  “No. We met through a mutual friend,” he said quickly, then pressed his lips against hers to silence any other questions that might be forthcoming.

  He had no reason at all to share his and Deirdre’s relationship with anyone and he certainly wouldn’t talk about it ad nauseum with someone as inconsequential
Cassie.

  Her tongue tasted like Heineken and wintergreen mints. She was not a smooth lover and he could tell all her previous experiences had been with college or high school boys by the way she massaged his hardness through his jeans. Long gone were the days when a quick rub could cause him to lose control and blow his wad. It took a lot more finesse than that to get him off.

  Colin led her to the bedroom, discarding her slinky dress only to leave her in a pair of high heeled sandals and a white thong. He bent down and unbuckled her sandals before they reached his room and she stepped out of them with sheer relief.

  Her breasts were real, ripe, firm, with quarter-sized areolas and small, hard nipples that were straining to be caressed. He placed his mouth on her right breast, teasing her nipple with his tongue, squeezing her left nipple with his fingers. She threw her head back.

  Cassie began to breathe hard and he knew it wouldn’t take much to get her off. She had soaked her thong and the slick wetness from her snatch slid down her inner thighs. He looked down, then stared at her and she looked away in embarrassment.

  “Sorry…I get really wet when I am turned on and it’s a bit embarrassing. That isn’t pee…it’s…well, you know.”

  Against his better judgment, he stripped his comforter from the bed, laid her down, and slipped her thong off. He knew he shouldn’t have but Colin could be a sucker for a wet pussy and this one was just begging to be loved all night long.

  He spread her legs and admired her slippery sex, the inner and outer lips, the clit poised at attention. Every part of her dripped wet with need and want. He spread her outer lips and slid his tongue between the inner lips, meeting the hardness of her clit and she gasped out loud.

  Colin knew it wasn’t Deirdre, but just picturing her creamy olive legs open before him transformed Cassie into the woman he loved with all his heart and it made the job that much easier to get her off. He suckled on her clit, then spread her inner lips and tongued the opening between her legs which led to so much pleasure.