by A. m Madden
My cab pulled up to Dispatch. Once I slid my card through the reader, I got out and took a deep breath of the city’s nighttime air. New York wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be. Yes, it was congested and noisy, but that was what made it interesting. Everywhere I looked, I saw a picture. Whether it be a group of guys wearing their favorite team’s logo on their chests or women dressed to the nines, each had a story to tell.
I yanked the door open and immediately felt a sense of community. In the middle of a metropolis, the bar owners had managed to create a comfortable atmosphere with booths, tables, and a long wooden bar. It didn’t smell of stale beer or roasted peanuts, the floor wasn’t sticky, and the music wasn’t blaring. Instead, it was welcoming. If I hadn’t just gazed up at the skyscrapers before walking in, I wouldn’t think I was in New York but rather a small town in the suburbs.
The crowd’s chatter filled the room as I wove my way through it looking for Luca. I found myself wondering if Cassie was there. When Luca sent me a text and told me he’d be at Dispatch with his friends, of course she popped into my head. Knowing she worried about what he would think of us weighed heavily on my mind. The thing was, when it came to Cassie, any and all reactions were reflexes. Maybe it was the way we met that set the tone; I wasn’t sure. But I knew she turned me on like no other woman ever had.
I finally found them toward the back of the bar. Cassie, Sabrina, Luca, and Brae were on one side of the table, and Vanessa, Kyle, and Jude sat opposite them. Of course, Jude was directly across from Brae, leaving an empty spot between him and Kyle. Vanessa spotted me and put her hand in the air. A playful glint sparkled in her eyes. The woman was definitely trouble, but in a good way. I liked her immediately.
Kyle looked in my direction, as did Cassie, but then she whipped her head back toward the table so fast I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hey, how’s it going?” I said as I approached them.
Luca stood and gave me a hug, “Glad you could make it. You remember everyone, right?”
“Yes, of course.” I let go of him and gave Sabrina a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome back. I hope you all had a great time.”
Sabrina’s face brightened. “We did, thank you. It’s good seeing you again.”
After I shook the guys’ hands and said hello to the women, I sat down. Cassie’s eyes met mine, and I immediately wanted to touch her. She squirmed a bit in her chair, making me grin, which caused her to slice her gaze away once again. Yes, it was good knowing she was just as affected as I was.
A waitress came up to our table. Everyone else had a drink in front of them, so her attention was directed at me. “Can I get you something?”
“I’ll have a Manhattan, please.” She sauntered away after checking on the rest of the group.
“So how are you liking New York?” Brae asked with a huge smile.
“Yes, Dante. Tell us,” Vanessa interjected. “Do anything exciting yet?”
Everyone waited for my reply… everyone but Cassie. “It’s been great. Besides the contracts that brought me here, I’ve lined up some clients and have more shoots scheduled.”
Kyle lifted his beer in appreciation. “Must be rough photographing beautiful people all day, and this city is filled with beauty.” Vanessa elbowed him in the ribs, but he placated her by smashing his lips against hers. When they were done with their public display of affection, he tossed his arm around her shoulders. “Do you have a line of them waiting for a piece of you yet?”
“Seriously, Kyle?” Luca chuckled. “He just got here. Give the guy a break.”
“Speaking of beautiful people… when we were in California, everyone looked like a model,” Sabrina said… and thank God changed the subject. “Luca took us to Rodeo Drive, and I immediately felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman—less the hooker part, of course.” The ladies laughed, but Sabrina shrugged. “It’s true, though. Every other person looked like they could step right into a fashion magazine.”
As Sabrina filled us in on their trip to California, it reminded me of the time I’d spent there. I couldn’t help the feelings that began to resurface. Being a photographer, I was afforded the opportunity to immerse myself in the culture and I also met several famous people. The West Coast served its purpose to extend my client base and grow my brand, but it also was the place where I’d lived when my heart was broken.
“You worked there for a while, didn’t you, Dante?” Kyle said with an easy tone that caused the muscles surrounding my spine to tense.
“Yes, I did.” I looked at Sabrina. “You’re beautiful, so I’m sure you fit right in.”
Luca kissed her chastely. “She was the prettiest one there.” Sabrina blushed at his compliment.
Brae smiled at their exchange, then turned toward me. “Dante, tell us a little bit about you. We know you’re a photographer, but what do you photograph? I’ve always been envious of people who can take good pictures. I can’t even take a selfie without cutting half my head out of the picture.”
Jude laughed at his wife. “She’s not kidding.”
“High fashion, mostly.”
Kyle chimed in, “That’s right, you won an award for shooting… um…” He turned to Vanessa. “What was her name? We were going to use her for a campaign.”
When I glanced up, Luca had a pained look on his face, and Vanessa exchanged a look with Cassie. Right then I knew Cassie had told her about Charlene and the portrait that hung in my house.
“Babe? Do you remember?” Kyle asked again.
With a bit of reservation, Vanessa said, “Charlene Dupree.”
Kyle slapped the table. “That’s it. Damn, she’s stunning. Wait… is that the model you were dating? When we wanted you to come to the city once, you couldn’t because you were on vacation with the love of your life. I remember Luca saying she was a model.”
Jesus, Kyle, shut up.
All eyes were on me, including Cassie’s. The indifferent expression on her face caused an uneasy feeling to spread in my chest, one I wasn’t familiar with. Keeping my gaze tethered to hers, I replied to Kyle. “Yes, that’s her. I wouldn’t call her the love of my life. She’s just someone I dated.”
Brae sighed. “Do you still see her?”
“No.” The word came out sharper than I intended. The last thing I wanted to do was take a walk down memory lane when it was filled with nothing but potholes.
“Ooh, I love this song.” Vanessa popped out of her seat and tugged on Cassie’s hand. “Let’s go dance, ladies.” As if it was choreographed, she dragged Cassie off as the other two followed them to the dance floor with their hands swaying to the beat of the music. Thank God for Vanessa.
Jude spun around and gave Brae a quick glance before returning his attention to Luca, who looked like he was ready to explode.
“Sorry about that,” Luca said before taking a swig of his beer.
Jude and Kyle’s eyes ping-ponged between my brother and me. “What did we miss?” Jude asked.
“It’s fine. It was bound to come up.” I turned to Kyle and Jude, who looked confused. “When Charlene broke up with me, it wasn’t the best time in my life. So if we could change the subject, that would be great.”
Kyle nodded. “Sorry, man, I didn’t know. She shall not be mentioned again.”
“I don’t hate her, I just don’t want to talk about our relationship.”
“Noted,” Kyle said with a smile. “So you and Cassie didn’t look like you were going to rip each other’s heads off. That’s a good sign. Much better than the last time you two were in a room together.”
Not really, since the last time I was in a room with her, we talked about her walk of shame out of my apartment after spending the night having fantastic sex.
“I’m making an effort. I apologized, and we decided to call a truce.”
Luca nodded with a smile. I knew my brother wanted us to find peace with each other since Cassie was an important person in his life. The last thing he wanted was for his brother and be
st friend to not get along. That being said, I was also confident he didn’t want us together. Not for any other reason than if it didn’t work, it would be awkward. But if you looked at this group of friends, they were all connected romantically.
The way I understood their dynamic, Cassie, Vanessa, and Brae were all friends before they hooked up with the guys. I didn’t know the history, but that seemed to work out okay. My reputation wasn’t as outlandish as everyone thought. Yes, I loved having fun and pushing boundaries, but I wasn’t an asshole.
“She’s a good person,” my brother said poignantly.
“She is.” Not wanting to put my cards on the table, I added, “That is, when she’s not acting crazy.”
Luca laughed. “You bring out the best in everyone. So you like her? Because that would make my life much easier.”
Like? I thought about the time we spent together. How we danced at Alessandro’s, the way she took interest in my work, which in itself was a complete turn-on. Memories of how her lips felt against mine sent a surge of adrenaline straight to my groin. Along with how sexy she looked with her eyes covered in the makeshift blindfold. But fuck me, images of the way she wrapped her legs around my waist as I buried myself in her wet heat were burned into my memory.
“Yeah, I like her.”
The band switched gears and started playing a slower song. Brae, Vanessa, and Sabrina came back to the table to collect their partners. Once the others walked off, I asked Vanessa, the one I knew was on our side, where Cassie was. When she said the ladies’ room, I waited until she and Kyle joined the rest of their friends on the dance floor before heading in Cassie’s direction.
Cassie
My reflection didn’t lie; I was a nervous wreck. Anyone who knew me would be able to tell I was about to come out of my skin. Even doing my best to not look at Dante didn’t work. His voice was enough to make my panties wet.
A couple of women stood at the sinks next to me. I couldn’t help but notice how carefree they were. I used to be that way—pre-Dante. Now I couldn’t look at the man without remembering how he kissed me, the way his body moved as he pushed in and out of me, and how glorious my orgasms were.
I washed my hands, swiped on some lip gloss, and ran my hand over my hair before pulling the door open to rejoin my friends. As soon as I stepped out of the ladies’ room, deep-brown eyes stared at me. Dante leaned on the wall, his right foot flat against it, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Damn, he was sexy.
“What are you doing back here?”
“Waiting for you.” His hand gripped mine and he tugged me through a door in the back. A dim desk light illuminated the small room.
“Dante, we shouldn’t be in here. Everyone will be looking for us.”
“They’re all dancing. We have time.”
Not wanting to waste any of that time arguing, I acquiesced. “What do you want?”
“You.” His eyes twinkled, but that didn’t hide the devilishness of his thoughts. “Just a taste.” He leaned forward and brought his lips to mine in an urgent, possessive kiss. “Cassandra, it was killing me sitting across from you and not being able to touch you. Rest assured last night wasn’t just a fluke.” He kissed me again but all too soon broke our connection and said, “Luca’s happy we like each other.”
“Like each other? What did you say to him?”
“Nothing.” A sly, crooked grin appeared on his gorgeous face. “Since we weren’t at each other’s throats, he asked me if I liked you.” His look was one of faint amusement. He reached out and tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear, and then let his touch linger on the curve of my neck, sending tingles from the roots of my hair down to my toes. “Want to know what I told him?”
My gut instinct was to say “No.” But the memory of Vanessa’s voice sounded in my head… inner vixen. “Yes.”
His penetrating eyes made it difficult not to sway on my unsteady feet. “Yes. I do like you.”
Thrill and anxiousness filled my head and the one-word question—“Really?”—spilled out of my mouth.
His expression went from amused to lustful and hungry. “Yes, really. I find you fucking sexy. When I think of you, I no longer picture that annoying woman who hit my ride.” He winked and the corners of my lips curved up. “Instead, I picture the gorgeous woman sprawled out on my bed. I can’t help but get hard at the memory.” My eyes fluttered to the bulge in his jeans before meeting his again. “Feel free to check for yourself.”
I didn’t for fear it would lead to fucking him in a closet… although the thought of doing so was extremely tempting. So instead I took his word for it. That grin appeared again and he continued. “Last night was a surprise, and I’m all for surprises…” He slowly dragged his finger from my cheek to my jaw, then my neck, until he grazed the skin above my cleavage. “I think you’re smart, gorgeous, and feisty as hell. I’ve never wanted to shoot anyone more.”
“You want to shoot me?”
That damn smile was back. “You bet your sweet ass I do.”
His soft lips found that tender spot on my neck, the one that sent a chill down my spine and liquid fire to gather between my legs. “Dante,” I breathed out in a rasp.
Soft kisses trailed to my jaw before his mouth was a whisper away from mine. “Yes, beautiful… do you want me to stop?”
I gently shook my head while my hands fisted the soft cotton of his T-shirt. It needed to come off. I wanted to feel his body… his bare skin and every ripple of muscle. What was going on with me? “No, but… we can’t do this… here.”
“You’re right. We’ll be here all night. Let’s go dance.” Placing his hand on my back, he led me out of the small room and toward the dance floor. No one noticed where we came from. Our friends were still in each other’s arms, swaying to the music.
Taking a position on the edge opposite the others, he stepped closer until there was no space between us. There was nowhere to hide, not from his gaze, not from feeling his excitement pressing into me. There was also no way to pretend he didn’t affect me. Not when my entire body ignited to the point of discomfort. And I wasn’t sure if it was my lack of transparency, or how my body responded on its own accord, that made me feel sexy and frustrated all at the same time.
“I do really like you, Cassandra.”
“I really like you too.”
“When can I see you again?”
I stared into his eyes with a snarky expression. “You’re seeing me now.”
“Not good enough. You know what I mean.”
I lusted for this man more than I understood. It was difficult separating being friends and detaching the emotions that came with being intimate. I had never engaged in casual sex. Aside from Dante, there wasn’t another man I’d been intimate with who I didn’t feel love for. Love and sex were one and the same for me; one led to the other. And it was clear it wasn’t for him.
Every sign down the path we’d taken pointed at this being only about sex. That wasn’t what I was looking for, nor was it something I was familiar with. Everything that we shared the other night threw me off balance.
“What’s going on in that pretty little head?” he asked, staring with purpose.
“Look, the other night was a fluke. I know you said it wasn’t, but how could it have been anything more? We went from fighting to sex in a matter of days.” Remembering where we were, I glanced at my friends. Brae was lost in Jude, but Luca and Vanessa noticed us. Bringing my attention back to Dante, I said, “This isn’t the place for this conversation. I’m not even sure if we need to have it.”
“We do need to have it. And I’ll prove to you we aren’t a fluke.”
Maybe fluke wasn’t the right word choice, but nothing about this made sense. It didn’t matter what Vanessa said to me. Overthinking was my norm, sensibility was my middle name, and throwing caution to the wind was not in my DNA.
Which meant three strikes against a man like Dante.
Chapter 12
Dante
&nb
sp; Labor Day weekend meant the city was quiet. While my brother and his friends frolicked in the Hamptons, I scoured the thousand or so pictures I took during my last shoot. Jude and Brae had a house out there and being part of their group meant I received an invite as well. Unfortunately, deadlines in my profession didn’t adhere to holiday schedules. When one of the biggest fashion magazines demanded the photos be edited by Labor Day, it meant no fun for Dante.
Having been at it for hours, I stretched before reading my emails. Most of them were regarding upcoming shoots, but then I saw one that brought a smile to my face. It was from my mentor and good friend, Matteo Romano. When I was just starting out, I did an apprenticeship at his studio in Milan. Thanks to him, I became the photographer I am today.
Matteo was an older man, closer to my father’s age than mine. He had won several awards, had been published in various magazines and books, and was featured in several prominent galleries. The numerous accolades he acquired made him a world-renowned photographer. Clients would put shoots on hold to have him behind the lens. The man told a story with his camera like no one else could. In other words, he was everything I strived to be.
My eyes scanned his message. Matteo was inching toward retirement and slowly cutting back. The best thing about photography or any creative art was that even after the creator was gone, the work still lived on… a legacy of sorts. Matteo didn’t have a wife or children. He had devoted his life to creating beautiful images, and one day I hoped he’d pass the torch to me.
Being featured in a gallery was a dream of mine. My work hanging on display in an art museum would surpass anything I could have imagined. I loved my job, but I couldn’t see myself doing it forever. At some point, all the gorgeous faces started to look the same. After years and years in the business, the thought of doing what I did for the sake of art and not a paycheck would be the ultimate reward.
Thinking of Matteo always had me remembering home. It’d been too long since my last visit. I opened up my calendar, even though I knew I didn’t have time for a few weeks in Italy. Maybe over the holidays I’d surprise my parents and just show up.