“I want to do my job here and not be bothered by you. I had planned on arriving here and having the place to myself to set up and prep; your being here messed that up. As my employer, it’s your prerogative to stay and oversee, I guess, but honestly, I wish you’d leave.” The slight tremor in her voice unsettled Cassie. She had wanted to come off as being strong and confident in her decision to not want Adam around. As she spoke, however, she felt nothing but turmoil.
How did she get this embroiled with this man in such a short time? They had never had conflicts like this before and honestly, Cassie never fought with anyone the way she did with Adam. It was a side of herself that she wasn’t enjoying very much. She just wanted to do her job and be left alone. Her heart would heal. Eventually.
It was the slight catch in her voice that did it. In that moment Adam realized just what exactly he had done. In all of his life, in all of his dealings with people, Adam had said what was on his mind and never gave a thought as to how it was received or how the other person felt.
Until now.
That little tremble, while Cassie was trying to sound brave hit him like a ton of bricks. Adam realized that he had, indeed, hurt her. Even though, in the moment, that was his intent, seeing the results of that hurt caused an ache in his chest that was new to him. Maybe Cassie was the only person to feel this level of hurt at his hands but Adam had a sinking sensation that it wasn’t the case. There were countless others that he had treated with heartless disregard over the years that he would never know how his words had effected them.
Cassie’s posture was rigid; her face one of cool disdain, but Adam would not let that stop him. If he was every going to gain her forgiveness, if he was ever going to cleanse his very soul for what he had done to her, he had to knock down the wall that Cassie had around her and not stop until she knew how deeply sorry he was for hurting her.
Stepping forward, he ignored Cassie’s step backwards until her back was against the countertop, and reached out and gently cupped her face. Staring intently down in to those beautiful blue eyes, Adam leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.
“I am sorry…so sorry, Cassandra, for hurting you.” He placed a light kiss on her nose. “At the time, I didn’t realize just how hateful I was behaving and I am well and truly sorry for making you feel like you are nothing more to me than an employee. You mean far more than that.”
Adam lifted his head and held Cassie’s gaze. “I don’t know how this happened, how we arrived at this place together after years of working together but all I know is that I want to spend time with you; I want to get to know you.” Skimming a hand down her cheek, Adam watched as Cassie’s eyes drifted closed. “I want to kiss you and hold you. I want to take you upstairs to my bed and make love to you as I’ve wanted to for what seems like forever.”
Cassie’s eyes slowly fluttered open and she trembled at the heat in Adam’s eyes. “I am asking for your forgiveness, Cassandra. I need your forgiveness.”
Adam’s breath was warm on Cassie’s face and she desperately wanted to lean into him and feel his mouth on hers and have his arms around her. She knew, though, that until she said that she forgave him, Adam would respect her boundaries and not touch her. Which did she want more? Her pride or Adam?
Straining towards him, Cassie realized that with his apology, her pride was intact. For weeks she had dreamed about being back in this house with him and finishing what they had started. If she didn’t act on it now, if she didn’t give in and take what she wanted, Cassie had no doubt that she would regret it for the rest of her life.
With a deep breath, she straightened slightly and whispered, “Yes, Adam; I forgive you.” The last word barely left her mouth before Adam claimed her. His hands that had been cupping her face ran down her back and pulled her close. He was already aroused and Cassie reveled in the hard length of him against her belly.
The madness claimed them as it had before and now that Cassie knew how things could progress, made her want all the more. “Upstairs…” she panted. “Please…”
As much as it pained Adam to break contact with her delectable mouth, he released her long enough to haul her into his arms and up the stairs. “Elevator…” she whispered, hoping to encourage him to take the faster route, but he was already half way up the first flight of stairs, taking them two at a time as if she weighed nothing.
“Trust me, this is faster.” True to his word, Adam had them in his suite faster than Cassie thought possible and he wasn’t even remotely out of breath. He didn’t release her until they were next to the bed and then he placed her on the mattress and followed her down, anxious for the full body contact, even fully clothed.
Adam feasted on Cassie’s mouth, her cheek, her throat. His hands roamed her body and his hands shook with need. He wanted this to last; he wanted to take his time and pleasure her in every way possible, not just to make up for his callous behavior but simply for the sake of wanting to give her pleasure.
Cassie whispered his name. In response, Adam moved his hand to the hem of the t-shirt that she wore and lifted it up and over her head, exposing the blue lacy bra that he swore matched her eyes. He had seen her naked before and yet he was still stunned at how perfect she was. Slowly lifting a hand, he skimmed the smooth skin of her rib cage and up to cup one rounded breast, lifting slightly to force her nipple from the bra.
Once he could see it and see how tight and puckered it was for him, Adam lowered his head and first kissed it, then laved at it with his tongue before finally suckling from it. Cassie’s back arched and she cradled his head to her. It was an eerie sense of de ja vu only this time Cassie knew that it wouldn’t end with just her climax; or pain.
Just the thought of having Adam make love to her, having him inside of her had her clawing at Adam’s shirt. She needed to feel skin; she wanted him naked. She wanted him just as frenzied as she was. Adam released her breast long enough to pull his polo shirt over his head. Before returning his mouth to her, he reached down and un-hooked the front clasp of her bra and pulled it from Cassie’s body.
Leaning forward, their sighs mingled at the skin on skin contact. Adam’s mouth returned to first one breast and then the other and Cassie’s head thrashed from side to side at the sensation. It was too much and yet not enough. She wanted to ask, beg, for his touch on other parts of her body but was, at the same time, reluctant to let Adam stop what he was doing.
Finally, when the tugging became too much, when she wanted nothing more than to rip her jeans from her body, Cassie cried out his name and Adam sensed what she wanted, and readily obliged.
Cassie’s jeans skimmed down her legs followed by her panties. Adam leaned back, resting on his knees and simply looked at her. Had he ever felt this way? Had there ever been such rampant need crashing through him to the point that he felt he couldn’t breathe without having a woman?
He felt it now.
With arms flung behind her head and her legs parting, Adam ran one rough hand up her leg from ankle to thigh before looking Cassie in the eye as he surged forward and touched her intimately. At the first touch of his fingers, Cassie cried out. By the time he circled and teased and inserted a second finger, her climax was upon her.
It was too soon, too much, too fast but Cassie didn’t care. She wanted this, needed this and would do nothing to stop it. Crying out Adam’s name over and over she rode the wave of pleasure until she thought she could take no more.
In the distance, she felt Adam move, heard a tearing sound and just as her orgasm was about to subside, he entered her and had her soaring over the edge again. Hips pumping, Cassie reached up and wrapped her arms around Adam to pull him close, she wanted to kiss him, she needed more than anything to feel his mouth on hers while she rode the crest.
Adam’s tongue dueled with Cassie’s as he stroked her deeply, mimicking the action of their loving. She was so incredibly tight, wrapped around him, taking all of him until he could swear they would never be able to separate where o
ne stopped and the other began. The sensations were intense as he rocked into her body, loving the feel of Cassie writhing beneath him.
Adam knew they’d be great together, but the reality of it was way better than the fantasy. Cassie moved her mouth from his and kissed his jaw, his throat before settling on his chest and raining kisses across it. She flicked her tongue across one nipple and Adam knew that his orgasm was imminent. He pumped, once, twice, harder and suddenly it was upon him. Cassie cried out his name at that moment and Adam knew that this experience was like nothing he’d ever felt before. His body stiffened as he emptied himself in to her. Pulling him close, Cassie held tight as his body convulsed, loving the feel of him, relishing the hardness of muscle.
Adam rolled over and pulled Cassie with him, kissing the top of her head. “That was better than I thought possible,” he whispered. “That was what I had hoped for the last time we were here.” At the memory of their last time in this bed, he stiffened.
“Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” His voice was laced with concern. It would have been horrible if he hurt her again, especially after what they had just shared.
Cassie smiled and placed tiny kissed on his chest. “I’m fine, Adam. I knew this time would be different. The doctor told me that it would take a few weeks for me to recover. This time it was perfect.” She pushed herself up so that she could look at his face. “Don’t worry; I don’t think it would be possible to feel any better than I do right now.”
She was rewarded with a killer smile that she wished he’d use more often. Adam reached a hand out and smoothed the hair away from Cassie’s face, loving the feel of it, the softness. “You are so beautiful, Cassandra; so damn beautiful.” His hand roamed around and cupped her nape as he pulled her face towards his to kiss her. With his mouth lingering on hers, Adam wondered if it was too soon to have her again.
Cassie purred and rubbed and snuggled closer to him. “So…” she began, “you run your own business, you cook a decent steak, and you’re not half bad to look at…” she teased him with light kisses and Adam found himself wanting to play along.
“Not half bad, huh? Well, what if I told you that I also had a fabulous dessert planned for us?”
“You mean this wasn’t it?”
“Oh, no…I’m smarter than that. And besides, that would have been way too obvious. No, I thought I was going to have to woo you a bit more so I found the best dessert possible.”
“Is there chocolate?”
He chuckled. “Baby, it’s chocolate, wrapped in chocolate and filled with chocolate.”
“Okay, that upped your appearance factor…”
“Lucky me.”
Cassie smiled wickedly. “Any chance of us eating dessert in that swimming pool of a tub you’ve got?”
Adam’s eyes darkened with desire and the thoughts of the possibilities. “I think that could most definitely be arranged.” He leaned in and kissed her, deeply, thoroughly. “Later…”
Chapter Eleven
Cassie was busy supervising the arrival of rental chairs and the set up of lights while Adam sat in the living room talking with Grace on the phone. He was only half listening to his assistant; he was too enthralled with watching Cassie waltz around the deck as she assisted in all of the commotion. He was having a hard time seeing how it was all going to come together but Adam was confident that Cassie had it all under control.
Hell, the woman was an expert at being in control.
Adam thought of all of the ways that Cassie had been in control during the night and had to shift in his seat to accommodate the erection those images had brought on. While he hadn’t put his original fantasy in to play of making love to her in every room of the house –yet – they had certainly made love in enough places that it would take Adam a long time before he could come into this house and not see her.
Finishing his call with Grace with instructions for her to contact him as soon as their European clients arrived at the office on Thursday, Adam went back to watching Cassie. She was shouting orders to the electrician and moving and repositioning chairs that the crew from the rental company had just set up. She was militant in her details and Adam knew that it was only one of the reasons that he had used Cassie’s company for the last two years. Every event she had ever done for him was executed exactly as he had wanted; something that was hard to find in any service industry, but Cassie seemed to know exactly how he wanted things and she listened to his needs.
That brought another smile and image to mind and Adam knew that he had to do something to get these work crews out of here soon so that he and Cassie could be alone. Rising from the sofa, Adam walked out to the deck and stood next to where Cassie was.
“How’s it all going?” he asked, though all he wanted to hear was that the workmen were leaving.
“Great…” she said distractedly before turning her attention to the electrician. “Jerry, I don’t want the lights so clustered together. I’m looking for a starry night, something twinkly not stadium lighting.” Cassie sighed with frustration and then turned back to Adam. “Honestly, I would like, just for once, that someone understood the difference between romantic lighting and highway lighting.”
Adam chuckled. “Does it really make a difference?”
Cassie looked at him wide eyed. “Of course it makes a difference! If it didn’t matter, I’d go to the store and grab some Christmas lights and just throw them around! Geez, Adam.” She took a couple of steps away, leaning over a railing to watch the progress of the lights being strung on the lower level. Nodding with approval, she returned her attention to Adam.
“I just think that it’s important to create the right atmosphere. We’re going for the whole enticing-them-with-the-beach thing and eating outside to listen to the sounds of the waves crashing on the beach and if you have a spotlight in your face, it sort of takes away from the appeal. Don’t you think?”
She was being so serious about twinkly lights and all Adam wanted to do was yell at everyone to leave his home immediately. Walking up to her, he leaned his face against hers and whispered, “I think that tonight, when it’s good and dark outside, we’ll turn off all of the lights in the house and come out here and test out your lighting.”
“Oh, really,” she purred. “To what purpose?”
“To see if it all meets with my approval, of course,” When she swatted playfully at Adam’s arm he added, “and to see how glorious you look naked under the twinkly lights.”
Cassie sucked in a breath at his words. Twenty four hours ago she couldn’t have imagined the turn in their relationship. She had come here fully intending to stick to her guns and be all business. She was so glad that she had let that go! Too bad the night was such a long way off. “I’ll be looking forward to that.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek and then turned to yell at Jerry for not spreading the lights out properly.
Adam wanted to be annoyed that she was working when he wanted to play but he respected her work ethic; another reason they seemed to click. Resignation dawned and Adam knew he would have to find something to do so that Cassie could complete her own work without him distracting her.
Later on he knew that she needed to drive in to town to confirm all of her orders and to do some shopping. He would accompany her, of course, and then perhaps, when she was done shopping they could have an early dinner so that they could simply play when they got home.
The idea had merit and Adam smiled at his plan. Tonight he would like to take her skinny dipping in the heated pool. After dessert in the tub last night – an image that will never have him looking at a bath the same way again – he couldn’t wait to get Cassie naked and in the water again. True, their shared shower this morning had been adventurous but his mind was made up about the pool.
Cassie was an incredible lover; responsive to his touch and not afraid to ask for what she wanted. She gave tirelessly and she was exciting to be with. It wasn’t often that he found a woman who met his needs in bed so completely or was as insati
able as he. Adam looked up at the sound of Cassie’s laughter and thought of how well she truly did fit in here, in his world.
It was only a matter of time before Bev and Stephen married and then they would all be family. Adam knew that he was not the marrying kind but he also felt a strange ache at the thought of there coming a time when that was all Cassie would be, a distant relative that he saw on holidays and the occasional family get together.
Eventually this relationship would end and he would move on and so would Cassie. Adam imagined she would eventually get married and have children and…that thought did not sit well with him. How could he possibly sit around the Thanksgiving table and watch Cassie and her husband sharing a laugh or a kiss knowing exactly what it was like to do those things with her?
He supposed it didn’t matter because no matter what, this relationship would end and he would have to deal with it. Cassie came sprinting into the house and then up the stairs; her jean clad legs taking the stairs two at a time. “Everything okay?” he yelled out.
Stopping on the stairs she yelled back down to him, “No, it’s all fine. I have some sketches for the layout that I need to get. It seems Jerry is more of a visual guy and I can’t seem to explain to him exactly what I’m going for. I’ll be right down.”
That was the difference between the two of them, he supposed. If he were out there dealing with Jerry the electrician, the man would have been fired by now. How hard could it be to string a set of damn lights? Cassie was being more than fair with the man but if he didn’t get his act together soon and finish up, Adam was going to step in and politely suggest that the man send someone who knows what they are doing if he wanted to get paid. Of course Cassie would have a fit at that so, watching as she sprinted back out to the deck with a poster board in her hand, Adam decided to go down to the lower level and play a game of pool to distract himself for a little while.
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