Never with a Rich Man

by Tina Susedik

  Cassie sighed. Boy, she was getting entirely too carried away. She’d only met the man. Just because he’d turned her on faster than Billy closed his mouth against the carrots, didn’t mean thoughts of their children should be toddling through her mind. Then she remembered the way it felt to be lying on Hogan and the way his body had reacted to hers. Not to mention the other way around. This was probably better than the lottery. Cassie shook her head. Like the lottery, this was one man she’d never win.

  Chapter 4

  “Auntie Susie,” Emily called out a short time later as Jazmine and Hogan followed her into the kitchen. “Mr. Hogan put Billy in his playpen, and he’s asleep already.”

  Cassie swiped the mop across the floor one last time. “You put him to bed? I don’t know what to say.”

  Hogan shrugged. “No problem. He was tired, and it was easier to lay him down than get him all riled up again. Like I said, I’ve had experience taking care of kids.”

  Her heart quickened as they gazed into each other’s eyes. She hoped he couldn’t tell she was dying to know if that experience included his own children. Hogan was the first to break contact.

  “How about if I feed the girls while you get cleaned up? Seems like you could use a shower,” Hogan suggested.

  Cassie eyed her stained clothes and flinched. She leaned the mop against the counter and shoved her hands into her sweatpants’ pockets. “You don’t have to do that. I’m sure you have plans for the evening.” She looked at the clock. “It’s probably not too late for an evening out.”

  “Nope. I didn’t have anything special in mind.”

  He placed his hands on her shoulders and nudged her to the stairs. Her skin sizzled from the contact.

  “You get fixed up, and I’ll take care of the girls. We get along great. Right, girls?”

  “Right!” they both yelled, gazing at Hogan with adoration.

  A shower shouldn’t have felt so refreshing considering the hot man waiting downstairs, but it did. As soon as she finished, and took over feeding the girls, he’d probably take off. The thought left her feeling empty.

  Cassie put her still-damp hair in a ponytail and, except for mascara to cover her light eyelashes, didn’t bother with makeup. Even though she had been pleasantly aroused by the guy, and he seemed to have had a similar reaction to her, she didn’t want to encourage him. Not yet, anyway. Not until she grilled her sister and to find out if he was for real.

  She slipped on a pair of her favorite jeans and a light-blue V-necked sweater that brought out the color of her eyes. As she left her room, she stopped at the mirror over her dresser. She was pleased with her rather austere appearance but not with her flushed cheeks and the way her mind seemed to tell her “Take it easy,” but her heart responded with “Go for it, girl.”

  As she passed the spare bedroom, Emily and Jazmine’s voices beckoned her. Confused, Cassie entered the room. Billy was asleep in his playpen. Jazmine was under the blankets, curled up next to Emily.

  “Mr. Hogan put us to bed,” Emily explained. “He even read us a story.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Really?” How long had she been in the shower?

  Jazmine popped her thumb from her mouth and nodded. “Yup. I likes him. Do you likes him, Auntie Susie?”

  “Well, I don’t know him, Jazmine.”

  “Mommy and Daddy like him. You should marry him and have babies like Mommy and Daddy.” Emily sounded more like an adult than a young child.

  Cassie dropped onto the edge of the bed. “Girls, don’t get any ideas about my marrying him. Now go to sleep. We’ll have my special cinnamon rolls for breakfast.”

  Cassie stood to leave the room and let out a small squeak. Hogan leaned against the doorjamb, his legs crossed at the ankles, his arms folded at his chest. She wanted to cover her heated face as she slipped past him and headed down the stairs.

  “I don’t know about marriage and babies quite yet, Cassie.” He chuckled as he headed for the stairs. “How about if we start with some pizza and wine and see where it goes from there? I took the liberty of ordering the pizza, and I found a bottle of wine in the fridge. What do you say?”

  Cassie reached the bottom of the stairs. “Hogan,” she called to his back, “this has to be one of the most embarrassing evenings in my life. My sister and her husband spring a surprise babysitting weekend on me and send a complete stranger to my house. Not only do I ruin your clothes, but you take care of my sister’s kids, and order pizza. I don’t understand why you’re still here.”

  “Let me pour you some wine,” Hogan suggested, going into the kitchen.

  She shook her head as she opened a drawer and handed him a corkscrew. Why would any man as gorgeous as he want to spend a Friday night with a woman who was strapped with three young children?

  Hogan efficiently twisted the corkscrew into the wine bottle. “I tried calling you several times to find out when I could come and get the shoes this weekend. Earlier in the week, I must have had the wrong number because the person at the other end kept hanging up on me. Then later, either you didn’t answer your phone, or the line was busy.” He let out a short grunt when he popped the cork from the bottle. “Don’t you have an answering machine?”

  “I hate them. I don’t even like cell phones. I’m on the phone all day at work. Once I get home at night, I just want peace and quiet. Today I took the phone off the hook and my cellphone battery died. I didn’t plug it in because I was stripping woodwork and didn’t want to get interrupted.” Damn, besides her sister, it must have been Hogan trying to reach her.

  Cassie opened a cupboard and took out two small glasses. “I’m sorry I don’t have any wineglasses. I usually don’t entertain.” She didn’t want to add that, other than antiques she’d inherited from her grandmother, she’d lost all the other special and important things in the divorce: their house, car, furniture, and wineglasses. She’d never replaced the wineglasses nor the husband. What she had was good enough for her solo wine drinking. She paused a moment and watched Hogan before going on. “Are you sure you don’t have somewhere else you need to be?”

  After pouring the wine, Hogan handed her a glass.

  “Why don’t we go sit down?”

  What must Hogan think of her? This was her home, she was the hostess and should be the one offering him a seat. Before getting a chance to apologize, Hogan took Cassie’s hand and led her into the living room. Too surprised to resist, she allowed him to ease her down on the couch beside him. He placed his glass on the antique coffee table, using one of the coasters stacked in a small wooden box.

  Cassie was pleased with his thoughtfulness. Most men, including her ex, would have just plunked a glass on the table without a care as to its worth or the stain it might leave.

  “Before you ask me again, yes, I could be somewhere else tonight.” Hogan sipped his wine. “And before you think I’m standing someone up, my Friday night plans included going to a bar, ordering a greasy hamburger, and watching a game on TV. The volume will be turned down because of the loud music playing in the background. As the night goes on my buddies will get progressively drunker, and the noise level will rise to unbearable levels. I’ll finally leave at midnight, disgusted with myself for wasting another Friday night.”

  Cassie was dubious. Wasn’t that what all single men did? “Gee, and to think you came here instead.”

  “All right, so maybe earlier the noise level was rather high here, too. But I do enjoy your sister’s kids. The tumble on the kitchen floor was just an added bonus.” His wine glass barely hid a grin.

  Cassie saw the corners of Hogan’s mouth turn up in a smile. She laughed. “You must be crazy, you know that?”

  Her heart fluttered as his gaze riveted on hers. Her body temperature rose. She refrained from fanning her face. Her nipples puckered. Thankfully she’d put on
a bra after her shower. Her blood bubbled clear down to her toes.

  She’d listened dubiously to some of her fellow co-workers talk about instant attractions to the opposite sex. Until now she thought they’d been making up stories or bragging. After her quick, searing reactions to Hogan, they may have been telling the truth.

  Nerves taut, she jumped when the doorbell rang. She stood to answer the door and tried to think about what was going on. Those heart-flipping feelings were something new. Cassie slipped Hogan’s twenty-dollar bill into the delivery boy’s hand. Without waiting for change, she shut the door in the young man’s face.

  This was crazy. She was more hot and bothered than she’d been in all the years she’d spent with her ex. Why hadn’t she ever felt this way with Tony? It was scary. What if she couldn’t control the erotic feelings creeping into her body and mind? What if she did something stupid? Tony had always accused her of doing things without thinking.

  But, man, with those steamy looks Hogan was sending her way, she could skip the pizza right now and enjoy Hogan as dessert. She resisted the temptation to check her socks for scorch marks before going back to the living room. The pizza couldn’t be any hotter than the way he was making her feel.

  Taking a deep breath, she crossed the living room with what she hoped was a calm, un-horny look on her face.

  Hogan watched Cassie cross the living room, balancing the pizza box in her arms. The gentle sway of her hips and the way her breasts moved in rhythm with them made his libido jump. He wiped sweaty palms on his pants and grabbed a sofa pillow to cover his crotch before Cassie noticed. After taking off his glasses, he ran a hand over his face. Where had this quick, pulse-racing reaction to her come from?

  Right now he couldn’t afford to get involved with anyone, especially her. But damn it, he was lonely. He needed to think things through before he blew it with his boss.

  Hogan tossed a few magazines on the coffee table, giving Cassie a place to set the hot cardboard box.

  She raised her eyebrows.

  “What?”

  “I don’t know too many men who would know or care to protect furniture.”

  Her sweater gaped as she leaned over to put the box down. The top of her breasts peeked above a black lace bra as she plucked a piece of pizza from the box. He shrugged. “My parents are into antiques. It was something my mother drummed into me. And this appears to be an antique.”

  “It was my grandmother’s,” she mumbled around a mouth of cheese.

  He tore his eyes away from her chest and shivered.

  “Are you cold? I can turn up the heat.”

  Hogan frowned. Cold? Hell no, I’m not cold. How could anyone be cold with you around? “No, I’m fine. Why?”

  Cassie pointed at the pillow. “You shivered and you’re holding the pillow like you’re trying to stay warm.”

  “Uh . . . I’m really hungry. The pillow was an attempt to cover up the sounds of my growling stomach.” Good cover, you dolt. You’re hungry all right, but not for pizza.

  “In that case, you can have the biggest piece, Hogan.”

  Hogan smothered a snicker as he took a bite. He nearly choked as the hot cheese scorched the roof of his mouth. Served him right. He had to get his mind out of the gutter and concentrate on conversing sensibly with Cassie. But how could he ignore her when she licked her lips? It was like the kitchen incident again. Get your mind off sex, you maniac. Think of something to say.

  “So, how do you know my sister and brother-in-law?” she asked, thankfully interrupting his erotic thoughts.

  Hogan swallowed before answering. “Rob and I were roommates in the dorm our freshman and sophomore years in college. Our junior and senior years we rented an apartment with another guy, Brad.”

  “Must have been fun.”

  “Oh yeah.” He laughed and wiped his mouth on a napkin. “There was football, and baseball, and girls.” Hogan grinned at Cassie when she raised an eyebrow at him. “Parties, and dances, and girls.”

  Cassie giggled.

  “And also studying, and exams, and, well . . . you know.”

  “Girls,” she finished.

  This time he raised an eyebrow and wiggled it suggestively over his glass. “Yup.”

  “What happened then?”

  He tipped his head to the side and grinned. “You want to know what happened with the girls?”

  Cassie threw a balled-up napkin at him. “No, you goof. What happened after you graduated?”

  “We all got jobs in different cities. Rob stayed in Milwaukee and married some girl named Bess, who is much too good for him, by the way.” Hogan paused. “Though she’s not as cute as her sister.” He took a bite of pizza and enjoyed Cassie’s face turning pink.

  “What happened to Brad?”

  “He moved to Cleveland, got married, divorced, and moved back to Milwaukee. He’s actually working for the same company as Rob. He’s dating a girl by the name of . . .” Hogan shook his head trying to remember.

  Cassie moved to the edge of the couch. “He wouldn’t be dating Jill Sommers, would he?”

  Hogan snapped his fingers and pointed at Cassie. “That’s it, Jill Sommers. But how did you know?”

  “Jill works with me and is one of my best friends.”

  “Well, what do you know,” he said, sitting back into the couch. “It’s a small world.”

  “I wonder why we’ve never met before, and why didn’t we meet at Bess and Rob’s wedding?”

  “If I recall, I was standing up as best man at my older brother’s wedding that weekend. Rob was pretty ticked when I told him I couldn’t be his best man.”

  Cassie laughed, “While you were being best man at your brother’s wedding, I was maid of honor at my sister’s. What a coincidence.” She reached over and lifted another piece of pizza from the box then snuggled back into the corner of the couch. “I’m still surprised our paths haven’t crossed before this.”

  “After graduation, I joined the military. Whenever I was on leave, my time was taken up with family and work, so friend time was limited. I only recently moved back to Milwaukee.”

  “Aah, that explains it.” Cassie paused as she chewed her pizza. “How come the kids know you so well?”

  “I’ve been to their house a few times.”

  Cassie raised an eyebrow. “A few?”

  “Well, more than a few. I travel a lot, but since moving back to Milwaukee, Rob, Brad, and I have been getting together every other Saturday to play football or basketball, usually at Rob and Bess’s place. We all bring something to eat so Bess doesn’t have to cook. Actually I live not far from here.”

  “Hmm,” Cassie murmured, wiping her hands on a napkin.

  “What?”

  “Well, I still can’t believe we’ve never met before.”

  Hogan shrugged. “It is surprising.” Cassie’s eyes twinkled. His libido kicked in again. “I’m just glad it eventually happened.”

  The question was, did he want to pursue her for himself, the case, or both?

  In a brief lull, Cassie watched Hogan lick pizza sauce from his fingers. Her lower regions quivered and tightened. A desire to help him lick them off overwhelmed her. She had to get the conversation going again before she did something they’d both regret, something she would enjoy tremendously and he would probably regret.

  “Are you from Milwaukee?” Hogan asked, interrupting her wandering thoughts.

  “No. I was born in Madison, but we moved here when I was a twelve. How about you? I know you’re new in Milwaukee. Were you born here?”

  “Actually, my family moved to Milwaukee when I was thirteen.” He paused and gave her a sideways glance. “We lived in Illinois before then.”

  Cassie nearly choked on her wine. “Illinois? Oh, no. Does that m
ean you’re a Bears’ fan?”

  “Born and bred.” Pride filled his voice. “Is there any other kind?”

  Cassie’s excitement grew. To her, there was nothing better than arguing with a Chicago Bears’ fan. Since Milwaukee was so close to Illinois, there were plenty of them where she worked. It made for some lively discussions at noon hour. To extol the virtues of her favorite team to a newcomer, or re-newcomer, to Wisconsin would be fun, and maybe take her mind off other things.

  As the evening wore on, Hogan continued to enjoy listening to Cassie rant about the Packers. She waved a piece of pizza in his face, and he tried not to laugh at her exuberance. Hogan knew Packer fans were over the top when it came their team, but he’d never had a more enjoyable time debating football with someone.

  Watching football games could take on a new meaning and there would be plenty of time to argue about their teams. Moving back to Milwaukee could be a good thing in more ways than one.

  “So, you work with Jill at . . .” He wiped his hands on a paper napkin. “ . . . I believe Brad mentioned a property management company?”

  “Uh-huh. We’ve been friends for a long time.”

  “What do you do there?”

  “Right now I’m assistant manager, but I’m up for a promotion as manager of a new branch the company is opening.”

  “Impressive.”

  “What do you do for a living, Hogan?”

  Damn. He knew asking about her job would bring up his work, but what else could he do? It’s how people got to know each other. He picked up the empty pizza box and walked into the kitchen. Maybe she wouldn’t see his negative reaction to her simple question. “Sales,” he muttered, hating to lie to some he enjoyed being with, but he needed to keep his cover.