by Ann Omasta
By the time my shift ended, Cassie had arranged for the four of us to go on a double date that evening. Normally, it would have taken an act of God to get us all released from the dinner shift on the same night. I had no idea how she managed it, nor did I intend to ask. I'd rather just marvel at her ingenuity without peeking behind the curtain.
I loved walking into my small apartment and finding her relaxing there like she owned the place––feet kicked up on the couch, reading a book. I couldn't think of anything better to come home to, and I told her as much.
We kissed, which quickly turned into heavy petting. After tearing our lips apart, I panted, "We don't have time to do this properly." Even though I didn't want to stop, the anticipation of loving Cassie slowly later was enough of a promise to allow me to curb my overwhelming desire...for the moment.
"Later, then." Cassie rubbed her palm over my length outside my jeans before giving me a catlike grin and backing away.
I groaned, hating myself for suggesting this delay. In an impeccable show of restraint, I leaned in to kiss her one last time before lifting my arm towards the door and asking, "Shall we?"
Even though we were a few minutes early, we found Jamie waiting nervously on the front porch. The sight of her pacing and wringing her hands made me breathe a sigh of relief that I hadn't complied with my urge to take Cassie frantically, standing up in my living room mere moments ago. There would be plenty of time for that later, and I would do a more thorough, pleasurable job of it than a hectic quickie. Right now, my friend needed reassurance.
Resting a hand on Jamie's shoulder, I told her, "Manny already knows what a wonderful person you are, and he has had a secret crush on you for ages. Tonight is just an extension of our work relationship to see if there is a spark of something more between the two of you."
Jamie released a long breath as if she had been holding it for a while. I didn't have time to share any more platitudes to help calm her because Manny was walking up our sidewalk, looking like he was on the verge of vomiting. I had never seen his normally dark complexion so pale.
"You okay, dude?" I whispered near his ear as we trailed behind the women on the way to Manny's car. I felt concerned that he might be attempting to power through an illness in order to not have to cancel his date with Jamie.
"Just nervous." Manny gave me a pained grin, and I suddenly knew that tonight was going to be a game-changer for them. They both cared enough to be anxious about how the evening would go, so I would make sure it went splendidly.
It turned out that I didn't have to run interference because Cassie orchestrated the entire dinner conversation like a pro. She flawlessly filled any gaps to keep the conversation flowing, questioned the two of them to get them to share funny stories and unique details about themselves, and pointed out every similarity or charming character trait she noted to make sure the other was aware.
I sat back and watched her in awe. She was truly amazing, and I couldn't believe she was mine.
The only tense moment came when Jamie mentioned the bruises on my face when I had arrived at the diner. Cassie's gaze darted to me. "He beat you up?" She sounded alarmed as she caressed my cheek.
"It wasn't that bad," I reassured her, thrilled that she cared so much.
Jamie cleared her throat, but didn't call me out on the lie about my mangled face.
"I thought it was just one punch." Cassie looked down, "I should have stayed and tried to intervene, instead of running away."
I kissed her hand. "You had a lot on your mind." Letting her off the hook felt good. We grinned at each other before pressing our lips together.
When we finally emerged from our bubble of happiness, we found that Jamie and Manny were leaning together, talking quietly to each other. Cassie and I shared a warm look––both of us basking in the joy of playing a part in this obvious love match.
I cleared my throat and lifted my glass of sweet tea. "It's good, but not nearly as delicious as Jamie's." I grinned at her.
Manny chimed in, agreeing with my assessment, so Cassie decided she couldn't wait to try Jamie's specialty beverage. Jamie agreed to brew her an entire gallon.
By the end of the evening, we had reverted to each couple being lost in conversation with each other, effectively ignoring the duo across the table.
I winked at Cassie and mouthed the words, "I love you."
She leaned in, giving me a nice view of her cleavage, and whispered in my ear––even though the other couple wasn't paying a bit of attention to us. "I'm aching to show you with my body how much I love you."
That was all the prompting I needed. I faked a huge yawn and said loudly, "We'd better get going. It's late, and I'm beat," I lied.
The other couple gave me an odd look because it couldn't have been much past 9:00 p.m. Comprehension dawned on both of their faces simultaneously.
"Oh, sure." Manny was the first to speak, but his frown let me know that he was not okay with the abrupt ending to the evening.
Cassie stepped in to save the day. "Just because we are old fuddy-duddies," she graced me with an ornery grin, "doesn't mean you two have to be. Why don't we get some desserts packed up to go and you can take it back to Jamie's?" she suggested.
They both looked relieved and quickly agreed to that suggestion. I marveled at Cassie's ability to smooth over any issue. When she placed her hand on my thigh and slowly moved it up, I lost all ability to think about anything but getting my hands on her naked body. I flagged down our waitress and forced the other couple to make their dessert selections quickly.
When the waitress returned with the bag containing their desserts and placed the leather bill presenter on our table, I quickly shoved way too much cash inside it and moved to get up. I could sense that the other three were a little taken aback by my abruptness, but I didn't care.
I shuffled them to the car and quickly bid the others good night as soon as Manny parked in front of our house. I could hear the other couple chuckling behind us as I grabbed Cassie's hand and raced inside our apartment.
Despite my urgency, I made love to Cassie slowly and passionately. It seemed like every time we came together, we discovered new heights at which to lift each other. Before Cassie, I had never imagined feeling like I truly became one with another person, but with her it felt like we shared one heart and one soul. We moved in tandem, each anticipating each other's needs and wants. Every time we had sex, I swore that it couldn't possibly get any better, yet each time it somehow did.
We snuggled together like pretzels, basking in the afterglow of our phenomenal sexcapades when we heard passionate noises coming from next door.
"I guess they really hit if off," Cassie giggled into my shoulder as we heard the pants, moans, and delighted sighs from Jamie's apartment.
The rhythmic squeaking of her bedsprings was impossible to ignore. "Wow, I had no idea how paper-thin these walls are," I commented, realizing how much of our animalistic sounds Jamie must have suffered through.
"Yeah, I think it's time we moved home." It was a relaxed remark, but I couldn't deny its validity.
"About that," I started, knowing that we couldn't hide down here forever. "Will we be living at my apartment?" I wasn't sure if she would be comfortable there or if she would want to get a new place together.
"At first it will work," she answered before thrilling me by adding, "Until we have more kids and need more space."
I couldn't have imagined words that would make me happier, until she said, "Besides, I used the spare key you gave me and already moved my stuff in."
The thought of our belongings already intermingling was thrilling, but I couldn't resist teasing her a little. "Kind of presumptuous, wasn't it?" I pressed my lips to her temple to let her know without a doubt that I was just kidding.
"I couldn't wait to get started on our happily-ever-after ending," she smiled up at me.
I kissed her lips before saying, "I think we are already there."
Epilogue
The ha
ppiest memory of my life keeps changing. I thought it was when I spent the night in the hotel room with Cassie. Then it changed to when she showed up at my apartment in North Carolina. Each time I make love to Cassie, it somehow tops the last. Now, though, I'm certain that this happy moment can't possibly be beat: Cassie's OB-GYN telling us that she could hear two heartbeats. That's right––we are having twins!
Over the last several months, we have had to get creative with our sexual positions as Cassie's belly has grown, but she has been determined to figure out ways make it work. I didn't think I could desire that woman any more, but the more her body blossoms, the more I can't keep my hands off her. She is just as insatiable for me, so it works out incredibly well.
I have taken over the helm of our company in the wake of Dirk's abrupt departure. It wasn't a huge surprise to find out that he had been embezzling money from the firm for several years. When I looked back on it, it was clear that I had been turning a blind eye to obvious signs that he was up to something fishy for quite a while. I had desperately wanted to see only the best in my best friend, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.
When Dirk was forcibly removed from his office in handcuffs, I felt a mixture of righteous indignation, sadness, and pity.
Cassie seemed to be perfectly fine with the steep downturn in Dirk's life. "Karma can be a bitch," was her simple statement upon finding out that her ex-husband would be going to jail for at least a year. She clearly wasn't ready to forgive and forget.
We haven't discussed it since. Despite how he treated us, I hope that he is in a light security facility. He deserves to be punished, but I don't want his entire life to be ruined. Hopefully, he will reflect on the errors of his ways while sitting in his jail cell and emerge from it a changed man.
Cassie complained that her pregnancy was taking too long, but I felt like it flew by. Maybe it was because I was impossibly happy. Before I knew it, I was racing to be by Cassie's side as she gave birth to our strong, healthy sons. Cassie was a champ throughout the entire pregnancy, labor, and delivery. I couldn't have been more proud of her, and I told her so when I accepted her invitation to climb onto her hospital bed to snuggle with her and our sons.
"What are you thinking for their names?" I asked her. We had tossed around numerous combinations, but hadn't landed on definite selections.
She gazed down at our boys, love pouring from her expression. "They need strong names," she replied.
At my nodded agreement, she went on. "So, I was thinking Jacob for that one," she pointed to the baby I was cradling in my arms. I couldn't wipe the grin from my face at her choice of my middle name for one of our sons. "We can call him Jake."
"I love it," I told her honestly.
"And this one," she nuzzled her nose to the swaddled baby she was holding, "should be Maxwell, and we'll call him Max."
I wondered if she chose that name from her favorite coffee brand, but opted not to call her out on it. Instead I said, “Both strong names, and I like them.”
The nurse had shuffled in and was unobtrusively checking Cassie's vitals. "I've always loved the name Jake," she admitted, smiling to herself.
"I'm more of an Edward girl," Cassie grinned at her.
The previously quiet nurse snorted out a laugh before regaining her composure. "You're a Twi-Mom," she grinned down at Cassie.
Comprehension immediately dawned on me. Cassie had dragged me to all of the Twilight movies with her because Dirk had referred to them as “meaningless drivel.” I knew how much she loved the book series, so had happily agreed to join her, thrilled for the opportunity to spend time with her. Honestly, the movies weren't nearly as bad as I had expected.
"Hey!" Cassie's eyes lit up. "We could name them Jacob and Edward. If we called them Jake and Eddie most people would never figure it out."
The nurse bugged her eyes out at us, clearly wondering if Cassie was serious.
Just as I was beginning to worry that the post-partum pregnancy hormones were affecting her decision making, Cassie winked at me to let me know her neurons were firing at full blast.
Winking back, I joined in the fun. "GREAT idea!"
The nurse's mouth gaped open in shock over my enthusiastic reaction to the proposed names. She scurried out of the room as quickly as if she had been walking on hot coals––probably anxious to share the news of our babies' names with her co-workers.
Cassie and I laughed until she had tears streaming down her cheeks. "We are probably the big gossip topic for the entire labor and delivery staff," Cassie guessed.
I gazed down at our sons as each of us cradled one of them in our arms. The overwhelming love I felt for our little family gushed through my veins.
"I love you so much," Cassie stole the words right out of my head as she tilted her head up for a kiss.
I pressed my lips lightly against hers before responding, "I love you more."
Resting her head on my shoulder, Cassie sighed with contentment. I was afraid she might doze off before I could find out the answer to my burning question. Leaning in to whisper in her ear, I asked, "We're sticking with Max, not Edward, right??"
Cassie tossed her head back and released one of her uninhibited, joyous belly laughs. I was certain that people in the hallway were smiling at the sound of it.
When her laughter subsided, I realized that she hadn't answered me. "So, Max?" I prompted.
She responded with a kiss that made me forget everything but her.
Easter Eggs!
Avid readers of my books probably found the Easter eggs tucked away within this novella.
If my fictional characters really existed, they would most likely be mysteriously drawn to one another.
Real life is often filled with unexplainable coincidences and fateful meetings, so my fictional world reflects that phenomenon.
If you are new to my books, the artist, whom Reed met in front of the gallery, was Ethan from my steamy serial, The Neighbor. Part one of Ethan's story is free. You can download it from your favorite ebook store HERE.
PS. Dirk's last name, Davis, was chosen intentionally. Watch for him to appear in a future Davis Twins Series novel! Turn the page to read a sneak peek of Book 1, Taking Chances.
Taking Chances Sneak Peek
“The kiss started softly then slowly built in intensity. His lips were smooth, and his tongue gently grazed mine. I untucked his shirt and eased my hands up his back to his strong, smooth shoulders.”
I paused to refill our margarita glasses from the pitcher and chuckled at my best friend, Courtney. Her big, blue eyes were wide open and she was leaning so far forward that I feared she might topple over. She was normally the one with the sexy stories, so I was enjoying having one of my own, for once.
We were seated at our usual table for our Sunday night ritual––tacos and margaritas at Joe’s Bar & Grill. Joe’s was an island-themed restaurant that reminded me of the thatch-roofed eatery where my parents used to take me when we went on our annual trek to the Florida Keys. Even though Joe’s was located in Harbor Shores, Michigan––about as far from the tropics as could be––it was usually teeming with patrons, both locals and tourists.
Joe let us have the best seats in the house with a fantastic view of the lake, even though we were given “family pricing.” Courtney had been a waitress at the restaurant for over two years, but Joe knew never to schedule her to work on a Sunday night. Our girls’ nights were sacred.
Courtney grabbed the pitcher from my hand and quickly sloshed more of the frozen concoction into our glasses. “Go on,” she demanded.
“My fingers were shaking as I unbuttoned his shirt.” Only Courtney knew of my insecurities in the bedroom and the reasoning behind them. She nodded, encouraging me to continue with my play-by-play.
“I refused to give in to my fears. So, I ran my hands along his flat abs and over his chest as I removed his shirt and tossed it to the floor. As I kissed his neck and nibbled on his ear, he undid the buttons at my shoulder and lowered
the top of my dress. That’s when he discovered that I hadn’t been able to wear a bra because of the open back style of my dress. I think he liked that.” I smiled and chuckled, remembering the look of awe in his eyes as he gazed at my ample breasts.
“I bet he did!” Courtney hooted with laughter. She looked terrific, as usual, with her blonde pixie haircut and huge, sky blue eyes. She oozed sexual confidence, but she had admitted to me on more than one occasion that she was totally jealous of my chestiness. My boobs were, in fact, one of my only body parts that I felt were above average.
“He used just the right amount of pressure as he rubbed his thumbs over my taut nipples. Then he began kissing and licking and nibbling his way down me. My whole body quaked when he suckled on my breast. I ran my fingers through his hair and arched my back toward him as he gently tugged on my nipple with his teeth.”
“Everything okay tonight, ladies?” Joe asked. Neither of us had seen him approach the table, and we were startled by the interruption.
“We’re fine.” Courtney snapped the words, causing Joe to hold up his hands in mock surrender as he made a quick retreat.
Courtney let out a deep breath as if she’d been holding it. “Geez, Abby, this story is making me horny. I’m going to have to find a hot guy to hook up with and work off some of this sexual tension.”
I wondered for the hundredth time if Courtney ever wanted a more serious intimate relationship than the booty calls and one night stands that she currently enjoyed. She seemed to be content with her life, so I had never pushed the issue with her.
“So?” Courtney prompted impatiently.
“Where was I?” I asked, perplexed.
“Nipples, teeth, tugging,” she reminded me.
“Oh, right. His hands glided down my hips and under my silk panties. In one smooth move, he slid my dress and underwear off. I stepped out of them and stood before him wearing only those ridiculous Louboutin heels that you talked me into buying. He seemed to like that view, too.”