Cass leaned back her head and sighed with pleasure as her fingers roamed his broad shoulders. She moaned and writhed in his lap, aware of the hardness straining against his shorts. Ever since her arrival, or perhaps before she left home, a gigantic ache for him had been building within her and she had to assuage it or surely go mad. She grasped the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. As she fumbled with the drawstring at his waist, wanting to feel her flesh in contact with his, he halted his actions to assist her.
Cass slid from his lap to remove her skirt, half-slip, and panties and toss them into an increasing pile of clothes. She worked fast; she didn’t want either of them to cool down a single degree and she could hardly wait to be embraced by his arms again.
Jason stripped off his shorts and briefs in an eager rush, glad he had taken off his dock shoes and socks earlier. He lay atop her, but didn’t enter her, wanting to prolong their foreplay and regain some control.
Moonlight danced over their naked and writhing bodies as the ocean’s waves crashed on the nearby beach at hightide. Gusts of wind blew across their enflamed flesh, but failed to cool them or even be noticed.
He fondled and kissed her in an almost mindless frenzy, his control strained. At one point, he leaned back, looked down at her, and said, “You can’t possibly know how beautiful and tempting you are or how much pleasure you give me.”
“Oh, Jason; you make me feel so good, and you drive me wild. We probably shouldn’t be doing this, but I can’t help myself.”
“Neither can I, Cass. I would beg for mercy, woman, but I don’t want to receive any.”
“Me, neither.” She parted her thighs to coax him to unite their bodies, and he did.
Jason sank deep into the core of her need and Cass gasped with pleasure. Sweet ecstasy coiled steadily within her as she eagerly moved with him as he drove her ever closer to the brink of ecstasy.
“Tell me when you’re ready, my love,” he murmured against her ear.
“Now, Jason, now.”
“Love me, Cass, take all you want.”
They came together in a blissful and stunning climax that left them clinging tightly to each other.
Cass felt like purring in satisfaction. Never had sex been so powerful and soul-thrilling. She wondered if each time with Jason would be better than the time before. It hardly seemed possible!
Jason stayed ensheathed within her as he relished their closeness. The love, satisfaction, and serenity that encompassed him was wonderful and overwhelming. While controlling his weight atop her, he gazed into her limpid brown eyes and ravishing face, leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.
The kiss was so filled with strong emotion that Cass almost cried in happiness. For the first time in her life, she felt as if she had experienced genuine lovemaking and had given of herself completely. At last, she had found the perfect man to share her life and claim her love. She hugged him tightly.
Jason eased himself out of her body, hating to break the intimate contact, and lay beside her. Relaxed in the golden aftermath of the exhilarating experience, he cuddled her in his embrace and took a deep breath. “This isn’t pillow talk, Cass: that was the most wonderful lovemaking I’ve ever had. I don’t know what it is about you, but you do things to me no other woman ever has. I want you around me all of the time. Just your smile or laugh or voice warm me. I love you with all my heart, all of it, Cass. I want to marry you.”
Cass had been about to reveal she felt the same way, until his last sentence reminded her of the obstacle between them. She rolled to her side, propped herself up by an elbow, looked down at him, and said, “There’s something important I have to tell you.”
When she looked over his head and hesitated, Jason feared the worst. “What is it?” he asked.
Cass felt his body tense, heard the strain in his voice, and saw his look of concern. “It’s about Tom’s will and my inheritance. I don’t…” As she paused to select her wording, Jason interrupted her.
“I swear to you I’m not interested in you for your money, Cass. I have plenty of it and a profitable practice. If you want a prenuptial agreement, that’s fine with me. I don’t care whether you come to me with a nickel to your name, just as long as you do come to me.”
Cass hugged him and gave him a brief kiss in gratitude before she related the truth of her situation, numbers and all. “Tom was very cunning with his will; if I marry again within five years, I forfeit everything left in my estate, which would be the major portion of it. And until those five years pass, I get only living expenses, a monthly allowance, and a Christmas bonus. It almost sounds as if I’m an employee instead of his widow. It makes me angry, disappointed, and embarrassed to be treated that way. He dangled a huge golden carrot over my head, but he attached a lengthy and strong and unbreakable chain to it. It’s not that I’m greedy, Jason, and I didn’t marry him for his money and even signed a prenuptial agreement to prove it; but I deserve and want my inheritance, at least part of it. I’d have to wait ten years to get the other half, and I’m not willing to make that sacrifice. But if I walk away now, all I can take with me are my personal possessions and a few thousand dollars in my checking account; I can’t even keep my home and its furnishings.”
After Jason sat up and tossed his shirt over his groin, Cass donned her long-tailed blouse to conceal her nudity for the serious conversation.
Jason chose his response with care. “You told me last week what your percentages were and I knew Grantham was a rich man, but I didn’t realize how much wealth was involved. Are his stipulations legal?”
“According to what Simon Johnson told me, legal and binding; that bloodline provision stays in force for life. He said there’s no way I can break or change the terms. I started to see another lawyer as you suggested, but I decided Mr. Johnson wouldn’t lie to me about something I could easily disprove, then cause trouble for him. Since he’s such a prestigious and skilled attorney, I’m sure he knows his business and there’s no loophole.”
“What happens to the money if you decide to remarry?”
Cass revealed the one omitted point, “It reverts to his son or heirs.”
“Peter gets it?” He saw her nod. “All of it? Everything?”
“That’s right, and it’s the reason he tried to dupe me about your motive for wanting me. I had to question why he would destroy a budding relationship with you when it would profit him to toss me into your lap.”
“I can’t imagine, unless he’s romantically interested in you. Is he?”
“Not that I know of; in fact, I’m sure he still dislikes and distrusts me. If he wants me, the only reason is to get his hands on the money. Don’t worry, I have no interest in him in that area. I think he drugged me because I had to be mentally and physically incapacitated for him to get to the will and companies’ books before I saw them. I suspect Hines helped him either for money or to protect some secret Peter knows about him.”
An estate that size was nothing to sneeze off lightly, Jason reasoned, that choice had to be hers. If he coerced her into making one in his favor, it could cause resentment later. But was collecting it worth costing them five or ten years of marital bliss? Was he willing to settle for a lengthy love affair if that was her decision? He had to discover her stand on the matter. “I realize that over fifteen million dollars plus added future income is a lot of money, and I know the value of real estate here, so are you telling me you can’t marry me for at least five years?”
“I honestly don’t know. Our relationship happened so fast that my head hasn’t cleared yet, and we’re still getting to know each other. I don’t want to leap into another marriage until I’m certain it’s the right thing for me to do. The same caution should apply to you. We have to make sure there’s more than a physical attraction between us. It’s a lot of money, Jason, and I deserve it for what he did to me.”
“What do you mean by deserving it for what he did to you?”
Cass drew a deep breath before revealing to Ja
son the truth—though partial—of Tom’s sexual dalliances.
“After Tom was killed in that accident, I discovered he had been cheating on me with countless lovers. He used me and betrayed me and he endangered my life by taking risks that could have given me AIDS. If those detectives or the media had gotten wind of his secrets, I would have been humiliated by a scandal. He manipulated and dominated me for years, and he’s still trying to do that from his grave. Damn him!” Cass was positive Jason assumed she was referring to female lovers and she couldn’t force herself to tell him otherwise.
He put his arm around her, drew her closer, and urged, “Relax, love, everything will be all right.”
“I shouldn’t have married him, Jason; it was a huge and stupid mistake. I realized too late I didn’t love him enough to be his wife, but I tried my best to make it work. I just wanted to have a real home and a family, to be happy and fulfilled. Tom wasn’t the man to give me those things, and no amount of money makes up for them being denied.”
“I understand. I did the same thing: I married Brenda for all the wrong reasons, the same ones you mentioned, and paid dearly for doing so. We’re only human, my love. But now, we’ve found each other. We can be happy, Cass; we can have a family together. You don’t need Tom’s money, but I understand why you want to collect it. I’ll even admit I’m tempted to encourage you to do so just to keep Peter from having it and to repay Tom for misusing you badly, but I have to let the past go to be happy and free.”
Cass leaned away to gaze deep into Jason’s eyes as she said, “I love you and want you, Jason, but I can’t give you an answer until I resolve this matter for myself. I won’t come to you with ghosts haunting me; that isn’t fair. And as I said earlier, we have to get to know each other better before either of us should make a serious commitment.”
Jason beamed at her confession. “You don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say you love me. The last thing you need is more pressure and stress, especially from me. I’ll give you time to work out that problem. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be seeing each other, right?”
“Right, but we still have to be discreet. We do have to protect our reputations since we’re residents and you practice here. There is one more thing to tell you,” she ventured with a grin.
“Your expression tells me it’s going to be good.”
“I might have a way of tricking Peter into making a settlement with me very soon,” Cass revealed. “If so, all we’ll have to wait is a proper mourning period.”
After Cass told him what she had in mind, Jason said, “But his offer might be canceled if he learns I’m the man wooing you.”
“I don’t think so, because he stands to gain a lot by settling with me ASAP. I’m sure Peter would be thrilled to get me and you out of his picture within the next month.”
“Would you be satisfied with his offer?”
“Yes, I’d get you and justice, so I’d be perfectly content.”
Jason grasped the hands that cupped his face, covered them with kisses, and said, “So would I, Cass, so would I.” As they sank to the thick coverlet with their mouths fused and their passions rising anew, before his wits were scattered by her, he thought of a way he could ensure Peter’s cooperation with Cass if a particular person—perhaps two—could be won over to his side or he wasn’t immune to using blackmail.
Saturday morning, instead of being on the golf course as planned, Jason stood on Inez’s front porch. When the sternfaced woman responded to his knock, she scowled at him and asked what he wanted. “I need to speak with you in private, Miss Doughtery. It’s important.” He watched her squinty gaze walk over him in near contempt.
“What do we have to talk about? You’re Mrs. Grantham’s friend.”
Jason ignored her hateful tone and expression. He smiled and said, “Something that could be valuable to you: fifty thousand dollars.” He saw the dark-haired woman’s matching gaze widen, then narrow. “You’ll be taking a big loss at easy money if you don’t hear me out. May I come in to explain?”
“Only for a minute. I wasn’t expecting company and I’m busy.”
Jason followed her into a small living room with furnishings that were sparse and cheap. It was obvious the ex-housekeeper didn’t spend her good earnings on improving her surroundings. However, the place was clean and neat. He sat on a lumpy and well-worn sofa and said, “I need information about how and why Peter and probably David Hines were drugging Cassandra Grantham and I’m willing to pay you for your assistance.” He witnessed Inez’s brief look of panic before she scowled again. You’re on the right track, but convincing her to betray them isn’t going to be quick or simple.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Is that what that crazy woman told you? You know she’s sick in the head.”
Jason controlled his anger and feigned a pleasant and polite air. Try to throw a scare into her but don’t antagonize her. “No, Miss Doughtery, she isn’t. Her symptoms and behavior were brought on by being slipped drugs, illegal drugs; and I believe it was done with your help, perhaps without your awareness of what you were doing.”
“You’re as loony as that snooty woman!”
“I’m a physician, Miss Doughtery, so I know the signs and I know Mrs. Grantham’s history and personality. I promise you I won’t tell the police about your involvement, whether it was accidental or intentional, but if you refuse to cooperate with me, you could be charged as being an accomplice. All I want to do is protect Cass from Peter’s threat to her, one you know exists. Before I can do that, I have to know what he was doing to her.”
“He was helping her. He got her a doctor when she went nuts.”
“He provoked her near breakdown with illegal drugs, then David Hines kept her drugged and overdosed for weeks. Since you were the one administering those drugs to her, you are a part of that crime.” Jason saw her pale for a moment at the use of that last word. She’s guilty, so terrify her if you must. “If you’ll help me protect her from future harm, I’ll pay you fifty thousand dollars in cash and forget you were involved.”
Inez stared at him. She reasoned it would be his word against hers, Peter’s, and Doctor Hines’s, and he couldn’t prove anything. If he was willing to pay so much to uncover that information, she deliberated, what would Peter be willing to pay to keep it hidden? “You may as well leave, Doctor Burkman, because I don’t know nothing about your silly ideas.”
Jason had almost seen the mental wheels turning in the woman’s head. “I suppose you need to think this over, so take a week or two to decide and call me with your answer. I should warn you, Miss Doughtery, Peter Grantham isn’t a man to challenge; he’s cold-hearted and ruthless. If you tell him or Hines about our talk this morning, you’ll lose from both sides. At least by taking mine, you’ll earn a lot of money and stay out of trouble. If you take his, I can’t imagine what will happen to you. Good-bye.”
That afternoon, Peter Wesley Grantham stood inside Inez’s door and gaped at her as he snarled, “How dare you summon me like a lacky and try to blackmail me, you old bitch! You can tell Cass or the police anything you want. Who would believe you without proof? I’m willing to bet Cass will testify you detested her and are being vindictive because she fired you. If anybody even suspects drugs, they’ll think you were the one giving them to her out of hatred and spite and jealousy. You’d better think hard and long about who you’ll be going up against; Hines and I will eat you alive in or out of court. You’ll have to be punished for this challenge: I’m not paying you another cent, so get off your ass and get yourself a job! And don’t call me again, Inez, or you’ll be sorry, very sorry.” Inez glowered at Peter as he stalked from her house, slammed her door, and sped off in his expensive sports car. You’re the one who’ll be sorry, you bastard! She hissed. A hundred thousand is a drop in the bucket to you, and you owe me plenty for the risks I took. I’m not going to jail for you and you can’t treat me like this. You forget how much I know about your little doings and you
don’t know what I have in my dresser. I can fix you good and be gone from here. Yet, she warned herself not to be hasty or impulsive, and praised herself for not telling Peter about Jason’s suspicions and visit.
At six o’clock, Cass glanced out the den window and saw Peter swimming back and forth in the large pool. She noticed an empty glass on a nearby table and assumed he had been drinking since his return home. She couldn’t imagine what had him so agitated, but she was positive it had nothing to do with a bad golf game.
In the kitchen, she prepared herself a glass of wine in an insulated mug and went to speak with him, to put her clever ruse into motion. She took a seat in a chaise and crossed her legs at the ankles. As she watched him, she sipped the tasty beverage and plotted her strategy again.
When Peter glanced up in mid-stroke and saw her, he paused and waved and swam toward her. He heaved himself from the water, grabbed his towel, and claimed the chair to her right. As he dried his face and fingercombed his ebony hair, he said, “I missed you last night. Where did you go? I was worried about you.”
“I went to supper and the movies with Linda. We had a great time.”
“You two went out alone on a Friday night?”
“Linda’s between boyfriends and I’m in mourning, so yes, we did. What did you do last night? Did you have a hot and heavy date?”
“Nope, I stayed home and watched TV alone. I was hoping we could eat together and talk, but I couldn’t find you.”
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