Ian shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Just looking for Cassie.”
Tessa’s grin went into that all-knowing mode as she quirked a brow. “She actually was up most of the night with Emily. Poor baby is teething and nobody is getting any sleep.”
“But Cassie has to be exhausted. You just got back late last night,” he argued, realizing he was stating nothing new to Tessa.
Shrugging, Tessa sighed. “I know. I offered to take Emily for the night, but Cassie wouldn’t hear of it.”
Probably because the last time Cassie had been without her child, she had been locked in the attic with him.
“She’s spreading herself too thin,” Ian muttered.
Nash walked around them and pulled a bale of hay from the stack against the wall, then moved back into the stall. Ian shifted closer to the doorway to get out of the quiet groom’s way.
“Follow me,” Tessa said with a nod.
Intrigued, Ian fell into step behind the famous jockey. She stopped just outside the stables, but away from where Nash could overhear.
“This isn’t where you tell me if I hurt your sister you’ll kill me, is it?” he asked with a smile.
Tessa laughed and shook her head, eyes sparkling with amusement. “You’re smart enough to know that goes without saying. I wanted to discuss something else, actually.”
“And what’s that?”
“Did Cassie ever tell you about the little getaway she and Grant came up with for me? Grant felt I was pushing myself too hard, never taking time for myself to regroup and recharge.”
Ian grinned. “Must run in the family.”
“Yeah, we Barringtons are all made of the same stubborn stuff.”
Ian had no doubt the almighty Damon Barrington had instilled all his work ethic into his girls and that hard work and determination were paying off in spades.
“I’d like to return the favor,” Tessa went on. “Are you up for taking a few days away from here?”
Was he? Did he want to leave Lily when they were still negotiating a contract? He didn’t mind leaving Max. The actor could handle anything and Ian was very confident with their working relationship.
It was Lily that worried him. But he couldn’t be in her face all the time. He’d spoken with her a few times since their dinner meeting. She’d promised a decision once she realized which agency would offer her the most and which one she’d feel most at home with.
He had to believe she’d see that his company was hands down the front-runner.
And a few days away with Cassie? He had deals and meetings to get back to, but after days without her, how could he not want to jump at that chance?
“Should I take that smile to mean you’re going to take me up on this offer?”
Ian nodded. “I think I will. What did you have in mind?”
Fourteen
How long could a baby be angry and how many teeth would be popping through?
Cassie had just collapsed onto the couch for the first time all day when someone knocked on her door. She threw a glance to Emily, who was playing on the floor and crawling from toy to toy...content for now.
Stepping over plush toys and blankets, Cassie opened the door and froze. Ian stood on her porch looking as handsome as ever, sporting aviator sunglasses and a navy T-shirt pulled taut across his wide shoulders and tucked into dark jeans.
She didn’t need to look down at her own outfit to know she was just a step above homeless chic with her mismatched lounge pants with margarita glasses on them and her oversize T-shirt with a giant smiley face in the middle.
And her hair? She’d pulled it up into a ponytail for bed and hadn’t touched it since. Half was falling around her face; the other half was in a nest on the side of her head.
Yeah, she exuded sex appeal.
“Um...are you going to invite me in?”
Cassie shoved a clump of hair behind her ear. “Are you sure you want to come in? Emily is teething. She’s cranky more often than not since last night, and I’m...well...”
Ian closed the gap between them, laying a gentle kiss on her lips. “Beautiful.”
Okay, there was no way she couldn’t melt at that sweet declaration even if he was just trying to score points. He’d succeeded.
When he stepped into the house, Cassie stepped back and closed the door behind him. Emily grabbed hold of the couch cushion and pulled herself to her feet, throwing an innocent smile over her shoulder to Ian.
Cassie laughed. “Seriously? She smiles for you and I’ve had screaming for over twelve hours?”
“What can I say? I’m irresistible.”
No denying that. Cassie still wasn’t used to his powerful presence in her home, but she was growing to love it more and more each time he came for a visit.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said, squatting down beside Emily. “Did you have your mommy up last night?”
Emily let go of the couch to clap her hands and immediately fell down onto her diaper-covered butt. She giggled and looked up at Ian to see his reaction.
Cassie waited, too. She couldn’t help but want to know how Ian would be around Emily. He hadn’t spent too much time with her, considering he stopped by at night and he’d gone straight to Cassie’s bed.
Reaching forward, Ian slid his big hands beneath Emily’s delicate arms and lifted her as he came to his full height.
Cassie couldn’t deny the lurch of her heart at the sight of this powerful man holding her precious baby. Was there a sexier sight than this? Not in Cassie’s opinion.
“I know we talked on the phone, but congratulations.” A smile lit up his already handsome face. “I’m so happy for you and Tessa.”
Cassie still couldn’t believe it herself. Of course they’d trained to win, but what trainer and jockey didn’t? The fact they were that much closer to winning that coveted Triple Crown still seemed surreal.
“I’m still recovering from all the celebrating we did in Baltimore,” she told him. “I’ve never been so happy in all my life. Well, except for when Emily was born.”
“I have a surprise for you,” Ian told her as Emily reached up and grabbed his nose.
Cassie went to reach for Emily, but Ian stepped back. “She’s fine,” he told her. “I love having my nose held so my voice can sound a little more like a chipmunk when I ask a sexy woman to go away with me for a few days.”
Shocked at his invitation, Cassie shook her head, trying to make sense of it. “Go away with you?”
Ian nodded as Emily reached up on his head and tugged his glasses off. Immediately they went to her mouth.
“She’s still fine,” Ian told Cassie as he dodged her again. “They’re sunglasses. She can chew on them all she wants.”
“They’ll have drool on them.”
Ian’s eyes darted to the lenses, but he just sighed. “Oh, well. So, what do you say? You up for getting away for a few days?”
Oh, how Cassie would love to get away. To not worry or train or do anything but be with Ian because their time together was coming to an end and she was certainly not ready to let go.
“Ian, going away with you sounds amazing, but I can’t.”
Ian glanced at Emily. “She’s going to use you as an excuse, isn’t she?”
Cassie laughed. “Actually, yes. But she’s not an excuse. I mean, I can’t ask anyone to keep her for days, especially with her teething and upset.”
Bringing his gaze back to Cassie, Ian crossed the space between them until he stood so close she could see the flecks of amber in his dark eyes.
“I’m not asking you to hand her off to anybody. I want to take you both away.”
Cassie stared back at him, sure she’d heard him wrong. He wanted to take her and a baby? A cranky baby?
“But...but...are you sure?”
Ian dipped his head and gently kissed her before easing back and giving her that heart-melting grin. “I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t sure.”
A million things ran through her min
d. Could she actually take off and be with Ian for a few days? Did he honestly know what he was asking? Because she really didn’t think he knew how difficult playing house could be.
“Stop thinking so hard.” He shifted Emily to his other side and reached out to cup the side of Cassie’s face. “Do you want to go?”
Cassie nodded. “Of course I do. It’s just—”
“Yes, you want to go. That’s what I need to hear. Everything else is taken care of.”
Intrigued, Cassie raised her brows. “Oh, is it?”
A corner of Ian’s mouth quirked into a devilish half smile. “Absolutely. How about I come back and get you in an hour. Just pack simple clothing and whatever Emily can’t live without. I’ll be back to help you finish up and then we’ll go.”
“Where are we going?” she asked.
Handing Emily back to Cassie, Ian shrugged. “I guess you’ll find out when we get there.”
She tried to get the sunglasses away from Emily and noticed slobber bubbles along the lenses. Ian waved a hand and laughed.
“No, really, keep them,” he said as he headed toward the door. “She apparently gets more use out of them than I did.”
Cassie was still laughing after he’d closed the door behind him. A getaway with Ian and Emily? How could she not want to jump at this chance?
And how could she not read more into it? Was Ian silently telling her he wanted more? Or was he getting in all the time he could before he said his final goodbye?
* * *
Ian didn’t know if he was making a mistake or if he was finally taking a leap of faith by bringing Cassie and Emily to his beachfront home. They’d flown from the East Coast to the West and he’d questioned himself the entire way.
Tessa had suggested he take Cassie to Grant’s mountain home for a getaway, but Ian wanted Cassie on his turf. Deep down inside he wanted her to see how he lived, see part of his world.
And he wanted to find out how well she fit into his home. Would she feel out of place or would she enjoy the breathtaking views from his bedroom, which overlooked the Pacific Ocean?
Surprisingly, Emily was wonderful on the plane ride, thanks to the pain reliever aiding in her teething process. As Ian maneuvered his car—it had been waiting for him at the airport—into his drive, he risked a glance over to Cassie. He wanted to see her initial reaction.
And he wasn’t disappointed. Her eyes widened at the two-story white beach house with the porch stretching across the first floor and the balcony wrapping around the house on the second. He’d had that same reaction when his Realtor had shown him the property a few years ago. Love at first sight.
“Ian, this is gorgeous,” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe you managed to get a beach house on such short notice.”
He hadn’t told her he was bringing her to his home. He’d wanted to surprise her, and he was afraid if he told her, then she’d back out.
As he pulled into the garage and killed the engine, Ian turned to face her. “Actually, this is my house.”
Cassie gasped, jerking her head toward him. “Your house? Why didn’t you tell me we were coming to your house?”
He honestly didn’t have an excuse unless he wanted to delve way down and dig up the commitment issues he still faced. His fear of having her reject his plan, his fear of how fast they’d progressed and his fear of where the hell all of this would lead had kept him silent.
“I can’t believe you live on the beach,” she said, still smiling. “You must love it here.”
Yeah, he did, but for the first time in his life, he suddenly found himself loving another location, as well. Who knew he’d fall in love with a horse farm on the other side of the country?
While Cassie got Emily out of the car, Ian took all the luggage into the house. He put his and Cassie’s in the master bedroom and took Emily’s bag into the room across the hall.
Thankfully, he’d called ahead and had his housekeeper pick up a few items and set them up in the makeshift nursery. Since she was a new grandmother, she knew exactly what a baby would need. And judging from the looks of the room, she’d gone all out.
Ian chuckled. The woman was a saint and deserved a raise...as always.
“Ian, this house is—”
He turned around to see Cassie in the doorway, Emily on her hip, eyes wide, mouth open.
“I had a little help getting the place ready,” he informed her, moving aside so she could enter. “I hope you don’t mind that I had my housekeeper get Emily some things to make her comfortable while you guys are here.”
Cassie’s gaze roamed around the room, pausing on the crib in the corner. “I don’t know what to say,” she whispered as her eyes sought his. “This is... Thank you.”
Warmth spread through him. Cassie was absolutely speechless over a package of diapers, a bed and some toys. Cost hadn’t even factored into his plan; Emily’s comfort and easing Cassie’s mind even a little had been his top priorities.
Before he could respond, Emily started fussing. Cassie kissed her forehead and patted her back. “It’s okay, baby. You’re all right.”
The low cries turned into a full-fledged wail and a sense of helplessness overtook him. Yes, he could buy anything for her, but what did he know about consoling a child or what to do when they were hurting or sick?
With a soft smile, Cassie looked back to him. “Sorry. I’m sure this isn’t the getaway you’d hoped for.”
Ian returned her smile and reached out to slide his hand over Emily’s back. “The only expectation I had was spending time with both of you. She can’t help that she’s teething.”
Her eyes studied him for a moment before she said, “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Ian.”
“You deserve everything you’ve ever wanted.”
He wanted to say more, he wanted to do more and give more to her, but they were both in uncharted territory, and taking things slow was the best approach. God knew they hadn’t started out slow. Working backward might not have been the most conventional approach, but it was all they had to work with.
“Can you get in the side of her diaper bag and get out the Tylenol?” she asked.
While Cassie got Emily settled with pain medication and started to sing to her, Ian watched from the doorway. Had his father ever felt this way about him? Had the man wanted to be hands-on? Because Ian desperately found himself wanting to be more in not just Cassie’s life, but Emily’s, as well. He didn’t have the first clue about caring for children, but he wanted to learn.
How could he ever be what they needed?
But how could he ever let either of them go?
Fifteen
Thankfully, after a round of medicine and a short nap, Emily was back to her happy self. Cassie put on her bathing suit, wrapping a sheer sarong around her waist, then put Emily into her suit, as well.
Why waste time indoors when there was a beach and rolling waves just steps away?
“You ready to play in the ocean?” Cassie asked Emily as she carried her toward the back door. “You’re going to love it, baby girl.”
The open-concept living room and kitchen spread across the entire back of the house, and two sets of French doors led out onto the patio. Cassie stepped out into the warm sunshine and stopped.
At the edge of the water, Ian stood with his back to her wearing black trunks and flaunting his excellent muscle tone. The fabric clinging to the back of his well-toned thighs, his slicked-back hair and the water droplets glistening on his tanned shoulders and back indicated he’d already tested the waters.
The man was sinful. He tempted her in ways she never thought possible, made her want things that could never be. They couldn’t be more opposite, yet they’d somehow found each other. And they’d grown so close since their encounter in the attic.
The night of the lock-in had been filled with nothing but lust and desire. Now, though, Cassie was wrestling with so many more emotions. At the top of her list was one she’d futilely guarded her heart again
st...love.
She completely loved this man who had brought her to his home, shown her his piece of the world. But the clincher was when he’d assumed Emily would accompany them. He knew Cassie and Emily were a package deal, and he’d embraced the fact and still welcomed them.
How could she not fall hard for this intriguing man? He was nothing like her ex, nothing like any man she’d ever known, really. And that was what made him so special.
Emily started clapping and pointing toward Ian. Cassie laughed. “Yeah, we’re going, baby.”
Sand shifted beneath her toes as she made her way toward the man who’d taught her heart to trust again. Just the sight of him had her anticipating their night alone after Emily went to bed.
It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen or touched him all over, but still, his sexiness never got old.
Emily squealed and Ian turned to face her. His gaze traveled over her modest suit and Cassie tamped down that inner demon that tried to tell her that her extra baby weight was hideous. Ian never, ever made her feel less than beautiful, so that inner voice could just shut the hell up.
“You look good in a suit, Cass.”
His low voice, combined with that heavy-lidded gaze, had her insides doing an amazing little dance number.
“I was thinking the same thing about you,” she told him with a grin.
“Mom, Mom, Mom,” Emily squealed again, clapping her little hands and staring out at the water.
“Can I?” Ian asked, reaching for Emily.
Handing Emily over, Cassie watched as Ian stepped into the water. Slowly, he waded in deeper, all the while taking his hand and cupping water to splash up onto her little pudgy legs. Emily’s laughter, her arms around Ian’s neck and seeing Ian bounce around in the water like a complete goofball had Cassie laughing herself.
This getaway was exactly what she needed. Coming off the win at the Preakness and rolling right into a special weekend had Cassie realizing that her life was pretty near perfect right now. For this moment, she would relish the fact that Ian had to care for her on some deep level...possibly even love her. If he only had feelings of lust, he wouldn’t have brought her to his home, wouldn’t have invited a teething, sometimes cranky kid, and he certainly wouldn’t be playing in the water with Emily like a proud daddy.
Single Man Meets Single Mom Page 11