Sighing, she shook her head. “I’m anything but confident.”
Now his hands came up, framed her face and sent an insane amount of electrical charges coursing through her. As much as she wanted his touch, she couldn’t allow herself to crave such things. Hadn’t she learned her lesson? Physical attraction and sexual chemistry did not make for a solid base for family, and, right now, all she could focus on was her family. Between Emily and the race with her sister, Cassie had no time for anything else.
But, oh, how she loved the feel of those strong, warm palms covering her face, fingertips slipping into her hair.
“You were amazing and strong in the attic,” he told her. He placed a finger over her lips when she tried to speak. “You may not be like that all the time, but you were then. And that tells me that the real you came out that night. You had no reason to put on a front with me and you were comfortable being yourself. Your passion and ability to control the situation was the biggest turn-on I’ve ever experienced.”
Cassie wanted to tell him he was wrong, that she wasn’t the powerful, confident woman he thought she was.
But she couldn’t say a word when he leaned in just a bit more, tickling his lips across hers so slowly that Cassie feared she’d have to clutch on to his thick biceps to stay upright.
She didn’t reach up, though. Didn’t encourage Ian in tormenting her any further.
But when his mouth opened over hers so gently, coaxing hers open, as well, Cassie didn’t stop him. Still not reaching for him, she allowed him to claim her. His hands still gripped her face, his body pressed perfectly against hers and she flashed back instantly to when they’d had nothing between them. He’d felt so strong, so powerful.
More than anything to do with his looks or his charming words, he made her feel more alive than she’d ever felt.
Ian’s lips nipped at hers once, twice, before he lifted his head and looked her straight in the eyes.
The muscle ticked in his jaw as he slowly lowered his hands from her face and stepped back. “No, Cassie. Nothing about you or this situation is easy.”
Without another word, he turned and walked through her house and out the back door. Cassie gripped the edge of the sofa and let out a sigh. She had no clue what had just happened, but something beyond desire lurked in Ian’s dark eyes. The way he’d looked at her, as if he was wrestling his own personal demon...
Cassie shook her head. This was not her problem. Sleeping with the man had brought up so many complications—the main reason she never did flings.
Was that why she kept feeling this pull? Because sex just wasn’t sex to her? For her to sleep with someone meant she had some sort of deeper bond than just lust. How could she not feel attached to the man who made her feel this alive?
Glancing down to sweet Emily, who was chewing on her stuffed horse, Cassie rested her hip against the couch. This baby was her world and no way would she be that mother who needed to cling to men or have a revolving door of them.
Better to get her head on straight and forget just how much Mr. Hollywood Agent affected her mind.
Trouble was, she was seriously afraid he’d already affected her heart.
Ten
“My girls ready for next week?”
Cassie slid the saddle off Don Pedro and threw a glance over her shoulder to her father. Damon Barrington stalked through the stables that he not only owned, but at one time had spent nearly every waking hour in.
Even though the Barringtons’ planned to retire from the scene after this racing season, Damon still wasn’t ready to sell the prizewinning horses. He’d had generous offers, including one from his biggest rival in the industry, Jake Mason, but so far no deal had been made. Cassie highly doubted her father would ever sell to Jake. The two had been competitors for years and had never gotten along on the track...or off it.
“We’re as ready as we’ll ever be,” Tessa said as she started brushing down the Thoroughbred. “My time is even better than before. I’m pretty confident about the Preakness.”
Damon smiled, slipping his hands into the pockets of his worn jeans. The man may be a millionaire and near royalty in the horse industry because of his Triple Crown win nearly two decades ago, but he still was down-to-earth and very much involved in his daughters’ careers.
“I know you’ll do the Barrington name proud, Tess.” He reached up and stroked the horse’s mane as Cassie slid in beside her father.
“What are you doing down here?” Cassie asked. “Thought you’d be keeping your eye on the film crew.”
Damon patted the horse and reached over to wrap an arm around Cassie’s shoulders. A wide grin spread across his tanned, aged face. His bright blue eyes landed on hers.
“The lighting guys are reworking the living room right now,” he explained. “The scene they shot the other day wasn’t quite what they wanted. They’re shooting a small portion again this afternoon.”
This whole new world of filming was so foreign to her, but the process was rather fascinating. “I plan on heading into town and picking up some feed later,” she told him. “I guess I’ll miss watching that.”
And more than likely miss seeing Ian again—which was probably for the best. She needed space after that simple dinner and arousing kiss last night. He hadn’t been by the stables and she hadn’t seen him around the grounds, so he was probably working...which was what she needed to concentrate on.
“I thought I’d take Emily with me and maybe run her by that new toy store in town,” Cassie went on. “She’s learning to walk now and maybe I can find her something she can hold on to and push around to strengthen her little legs.”
Damon laughed. “Once she starts walking, she’ll be all over this place.”
Cassie smiled. “I can’t wait to see how she looks in a saddle.”
Tessa came around Don Pedro and started brushing his other side. “Why don’t you take her for a ride now? I’m sure she’d love it and it’s such a nice day out. We’re done for a while anyway.”
The idea was tempting. “I still need to get feed, though.”
“I’ll send Nash to get it,” Damon spoke up. “He won’t mind.”
Cassie leaned her head against her father’s strong shoulder. “Thanks, Dad.”
Patting her arm, Damon placed a kiss on top of her head. “Anytime. Now go get my granddaughter and start training her right.”
Excited for Emily’s first ride, Cassie nearly sprinted to the main house and through the back door to the kitchen, where Linda was washing dishes.
“Hey, Linda.” Cassie glanced over the island to see Emily in her Pack ’n Play clapping her hands and gibbering to her animals. “I’m going to take Emily off your hands for a bit.”
“Oh, she’s no trouble at all.” Linda rinsed a pan and set it in the drainer before drying her hands and turning. “I actually just sat her in there. We’ve been watching the action in the living room. She likes all the lights.”
Cassie scooped up her girl and kissed her cheek. “I’m sure she does. She’d probably like to crawl all over and knock them down.”
Laughing, Linda crossed to the double ovens in the wall and peeked inside the top one. “I’m sure she would, but I held on tight. The cranberry muffins are almost done if you’d like one.”
Yeah, she’d love about six warm, gooey muffins dripping with butter, but she’d resist for the sake of her backside.
“Maybe later. I’m taking Emily for her first ride.”
A wide smile blossomed across Linda’s face. “Oh, how fun. She’s going to love it.”
“I hope so,” Cassie said. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
When Cassie stepped back into the barn, Tessa had already saddled up Oliver, the oldest, most gentle horse in the stables. Cassie absolutely couldn’t wait to see Emily’s excitement as she took her first horseback ride.
“He’s all ready for you,” Tessa exclaimed, reaching for Emily.
Cassie mounted the horse and lifted Emily from Tessa�
��s arms. Settling her daughter in front of her and wrapping an arm around her waist, Cassie reached for the rein and smiled down to Tessa.
“Get a few pics of us when we’re in the field, would you?”
Tessa slid her hand into her pocket and held up her phone. “I’m set. You guys look so cute up there,” she said, still grinning. “My niece already looks like a pro.”
Cassie tugged on the line and steered Oliver out of the barn and into the field. The warm late-spring sunshine beat down on them and Cassie couldn’t help but smile when Emily clapped her hands and squealed as the horse started a light trot.
“This is fun, isn’t it, sweetie?” Cassie asked. “When you get big, Mommy will buy you your own horse and he will be your best friend.”
Cassie didn’t know how long they were riding, and she didn’t really care. Memories were being made, and even though Emily wouldn’t recall this day at all, Cassie would cherish it forever. She thought of her own mother and held Emily a little tighter. Her mom lived in her heart and there was an attic full of pictures and mementos to remember her by.
Turning Oliver to head back toward the front fields, Cassie swallowed as new memories overtook her. That attic wasn’t just a room to store boxes and old furniture. Now the attic was a place where she’d given herself to a man...a dangerous man. He made her feel too much, want too much.
And what was with him wanting to eat dinner with her and Emily? Not that she minded, but having him in her house just once was enough to have her envisioning so much more than just a friendly encounter.
She had to admit, at least to herself, that Ian intrigued her. And if she was going that far, she also had to admit that every part of her wished he weren’t just passing through. She missed the company of a man...and not just sex. She missed the conversation, the spark of excitement in harmless flirting... Okay, fine, she missed the sex, too.
But it really was so much more than that. There was a special connection, a certain bond that strengthened after being intimate. At least there was for her. Perhaps that was why she couldn’t dismiss what had happened between her and Ian so easily.
As she neared the stables, she caught sight of Ian walking toward the main house with the beautiful Lily Beaumont at his side. The gorgeous actress was laughing and Cassie had to ignore the sliver of jealousy that shot through her. Ian wasn’t hers by any means, no matter what she may wish for.
And Lily was a very sweet woman, from what Cassie had experienced on the set. As Cassie watched the two head toward the front door, she couldn’t help but get a swift kick back into reality. Ian and Lily were from the same world. They were near the same age, for crying out loud.
In comparison, Cassie was just a worn-out single mom. Squeezing Emily tight and placing a kiss on her little mop of curls, Cassie knew she wouldn’t wish to be anything else. Being the solid foundation for Emily was the most important job of her life, and for now, all her daughter’s needs had to come first. One day, Cassie vowed, she’d take time for herself and perhaps find love.
* * *
“I’m actually considering your offer and one other,” Lily stated.
Ian rested his hand on the knob of the front door. “You don’t have to tell me the other agency. I already know.”
And damn if he’d lose this starlet to his rival. They’d ruin her and not give a damn about reputation, only the bottom line, which was money to them.
“It’s not a decision I’m going to make overnight.” Lily lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the afternoon sun. “I am glad you’re on set, though, because that will give us more of a chance to discuss terms and what I’m looking for in an agency.”
Good. That sounded as though she was interested in him. “I’m ready to talk anytime you are.”
A bright smile spread across her face. “Well, right now I’m needed for a scene, but perhaps we could have lunch or dinner one day while we’re both here?”
Returning her smile, Ian nodded and opened the door for her, gesturing her in. “Let me know when you’re not filming and we’ll make that happen.”
Nodding her thanks, Lily headed into the house. Ian wasn’t sticking around for the short scene retake. He had other pressing matters to attend to. Like the beauty he’d seen out in the field moments ago. With red hair blazing past her shoulders and a heart-clenching smile on her face, Cassie had captured his attention instantly. So what else was new? The woman managed to turn him inside out without even being near. More times than not she consumed his thoughts, but when he’d seen her taking her daughter on a horseback ride, Ian had to admit that the sight had damn near stopped him in his tracks.
Emily’s sweet squeals of delight, the loving expression on Cassie’s face... The combination had shifted something in Ian’s heart, something he wasn’t quite ready to identify.
But he did know one thing. He’d been wrong. He was wrong about Cassie in thinking she was just like his mother. His mother never would’ve taken the time to have precious moments with him like the ones he’d seen with Cassie and Emily. His mother had been too busy on her quest for love and Mr. Right.
Ian ran a hand over his hair and sighed. He’d turned out just fine, no thanks to Mom and Dad, but getting involved with a woman and an innocent child was a hazardous mistake that would leave all parties vulnerable and in a risky position. What did he know about children or how to care for them?
And why was he even thinking this way? He was leaving in a few weeks. No matter his attraction and growing interest in Cassie Barrington, he couldn’t afford to get personally involved.
Hours later, after he’d drafted a contract he hoped would entice Lily Beaumont into signing with his agency, Ian found himself leaving his trailer and heading toward Cassie’s cottage.
Night had settled over the grounds and all was quiet. No bustling crew or noisy conversation. Max’s wife and baby had shown up earlier in the evening, so they were probably holed up in his trailer for family time. And the producer’s and director’s families had arrived the day before. Bronson Dane and Anthony Price were at the top 1 percent of the film industry and still made time for their growing families.
Everyone had a family, a connection and the promise of love.
Ignoring the pang of envy he didn’t want to feel, Ian stepped up onto Cassie’s porch, which was illuminated with a lantern-style light on either side of the door. As soon as he knocked, he glanced down to his watch. Damn, maybe it was too late to be making a social call.
The door swung open and Ian took in the sight of Cassie wearing a long T-shirt and her hair down, curling around her shoulders. Long legs left uncovered tempted him to linger, but he brought his eyes back up to her surprised face.
“I’m sorry,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I just realized how late it was.”
“Oh, um...it’s fine.” She rested her hand on the edge of the oak door and tilted her head. “Is everything okay?”
Nodding, Ian suddenly felt like an idiot. “Yeah, I was working and lost track of time. Then I started walking and ended up here.”
A sweet smile lit up her features. “Come on in,” she told him, opening the door and stepping aside. “I just put Emily to bed, so this is fine.”
He stepped inside and inhaled a scent of something sweet. “Is that cookies I smell?”
Cassie shut the door and turned to face him. “I thought I’d make some goodies for the wives who arrived. This way they can stock their trailers with snacks. I already made a batch of caramel corn.”
His heart flipped in his chest. He hated the fact he kept going back to his mother, but he honestly couldn’t recall a time when his mother had baked anything or even reached out to others by doing a kind act.
A shrink would have a field day in his head with all his Mommy and Daddy issues. Jeez. And here he’d thought once he’d left for L.A. he’d left all of those years behind.
“They will really appreciate that,” he told her.
Shrugging, Cassie maneuvered
around him and grabbed a small blanket from the couch and started folding it. “I’m no Linda, but I do enjoy baking when I have the time.”
She laid the folded blanket across the back of the couch and looked back at him. He couldn’t stop his eyes from traveling over her again. How could he help the fact he found her sexier than any woman he’d ever met? She probably wouldn’t believe him if he told her that her curves were enticing, her low maintenance a refreshing change.
Cassie tugged on the hem of her shirt. “I should probably go change.”
“No.” He held up his hand to stop her. “This is your house—you should be comfortable. Besides, I’ve seen it all.”
Her eyes flared with remembrance and passion as Ian closed the space between them and looked down at her mouth. “I’ve tasted it all, too, if you recall.”
With a shaky nod, she said, “I remember.”
The pulse at the base of her throat increased and Ian ran a hand over his face as he took a step back. “I swear, I didn’t come here for this.”
Cassie’s bright blue eyes darted away. “I understand.”
“No, you don’t.” Great, now she thought he was rejecting her. “It’s not that I don’t want you, Cassie. That’s the furthest from the truth.”
Shoving her hair back from her shoulders, Cassie shook her head. “Ian, it’s okay. You don’t have to make excuses. I’m a big girl. I can handle the truth. Besides, we’re past this awkward stage, right?”
“Yeah,” he agreed because right now he was feeling anything but awkward. Excited and aroused, but not awkward. “I don’t know what possessed me to show up at your door this late, but...”
Cassie produced that punch-to-the-gut smile. “You can stop by anytime.”
How did she do that? Instantly make him feel welcome, wanted...needed. There was so much more to Cassie Barrington than he’d first perceived. There were sides to the confident vixen, the single mother and the overworked trainer he had yet to discover.
Cassie was giving, loving and patient. He’d known instantly that she was special, but maybe he just hadn’t realized how special. This woman embodied everything he hadn’t known he’d been looking for.
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