“True. But —”
“Come on, baby … for me.” He was laying it on thick, he knew, eliciting his most seductive southern charm.
She gulped. “Okay, but only on one condition.” She looked at him solemnly. “No more scary surprises. No base jumping, cliff diving, parachuting, or anything else that my feet have to leave the ground.”
He crossed his heart. He didn’t think she would view his itinerary for tomorrow as scary.
Cassandra gripped his hand as they made their way across the parking area.
An older gentleman with a friendly smile approached. “You must be Chad.” He offered his hand. “I’m Robert.”
“Yes, sir.” Chad accepted his hand. “And this is my lovely wife, Cassie. She is a smidgen afraid of heights, sir, but I assured her this is completely safe.” He grinned, happy to introduce Cassie as his wife. Any man would be proud to have such a beautiful woman.
Robert flashed a yellowed, toothy grin. “Completely safe, Cassie.” He winked. “And we’ll start low. But I guarantee you’ll be fine; there’s no ground rush.”
The old-timer led the way, and before they knew it, they were staring up at a rush of fire. The sound was loud, but Chad knew once they were airborne, it would be silent except for the few bursts needed to gain altitude.
Chad wrapped his arms around Cassandra’s waist, holding her tightly. She latched onto his wrists as if he could protect her if they plummeted to the earth.
Robert pointed out the Vegas strip as they took flight. “We can’t get too close due to the air-traffic laws,” he explained. “But where we’re going, there is plenty to see.”
They passed over mostly desert for the first ten minutes of flight, but then the mountains in the distance started to come into focus, and the vegetation grew larger and greener as they headed toward Red Rock Canyon.
Cassandra’s grip finally relaxed, and he bent over her shoulder. “So what do you think, Cassie? Do you forgive me?”
“It’s incredible and so peaceful.” She sighed softly. “Thank you, Chad. Thank you for everything,” she whispered, squeezing him tightly again, but this time it wasn’t in fear.
Red Rock Canyon was majestic. He loved his home state. The mountains in North Carolina were green and full of life, but there was something incredible about viewing the exposed mountain as it jutted up from the desert floor. The western mountains were massive compared to the eastern peaks.
On the return drive from the balloon adventure, Cassandra fell asleep in the car. Her hand gripped his forearm while her head rested on his shoulder. He couldn’t have imagined the feelings that would soar through him every time she touched him now that they were married, but everything felt perfect.
She was his now, and he was hers, and nothing would come between them. He would do everything in his power to please her, to make sure she never wanted to leave him and hopefully never want to leave Nantahala. As much as he would hate it, he meant what he’d said. Even if she wanted to leave after six months, he would go, but he truly hoped she wouldn’t.
Chad smoothed Cassandra’s hair back as they pulled up in front of their hotel. “We’re here, baby.” She looked up, confused again. Unlike him, she couldn’t just jump up when she awoke. She always looked disoriented. He could wake up in the middle of the night if need be and be wide-awake under any circumstance. “Let’s get you back to the room so you can get some sleep.”
She sat up, looking embarrassed when the valet opened the door for her. Chad would have opened it, of course, but she was still on his arm. Unlike his truck, he couldn’t simply lift her out his side. She was sprawled over the center console, and there would be no way he could lift her over it without hitting her head on the roof.
He walked around the car, handing his keys to the valet who was offering Cassandra his hand to help her out. “Thank you, but I’ll help her,” he said a little too forcefully, stepping in between the valet and Cassandra. The idea of anyone touching his wife irritated him. The man was only offering to help; he needed to chill.
He would have thought that Michelle would have cured him of ever being jealous with all her flirting. Of course, he hadn’t been jealous with Michelle … he’d been angry. The first time he’d found out she’d gone out with another man while she was away, he’d nearly torn apart the house. Luckily, Jasmine had gotten a hold of him before he did any serious harm to himself or the house.
He’d taken Michelle back after that time but fretted over her the entire time she was away. When she came back and confessed to him the next time, he’d refused to take her back. So she started showing up with Tom when they went out, stating she wanted to still be friends, and before he knew it, they were right back where they started. Only that time she’d made it clear she would continue to date other men until she was out of the service.
The only reason he’d put up with her was she’d promised not to sleep with any of them, but she’d complained it was too boring not to go out with men when she mostly only worked with men. She’d assured him no one else would touch her, but after a few years of back and forth and her sensual attitude when she returned, he’d realized she wasn’t being honest. Jasmine had warned him, but he’d figured he could change her.
December had been the final straw. When she rejected his marriage proposal, he knew why. He knew she just couldn’t remain faithful. Again, Jasmine had been there for him. She’d sat with him every night for weeks, making certain he wouldn’t do anything stupid. He was a grown man and neither his father nor stepmother entirely trusted him not to go off the deep end.
Maybe they would have been correct if he hadn’t been going to church and faithfully reading the Bible. He’d changed … he wasn’t the weak child he’d been; he didn’t turn to alcohol and drugs when he was in pain. He was stronger and had made his decision, had decided that they were over. He would never take her back again.
He’d been grateful Michelle hadn’t called … he hadn’t wanted to ever hear her excuses again. He no longer cared. After losing Jasmine and his father, he’d come to grips with living alone and decided he would wait to find the perfect woman to share his life with. Besides, he had a business to run. The business had become his life and had remained that way until Cassandra showed up only six days ago.
Amazing how swiftly everything could change in a matter of moments. And he knew it was true. His life had changed from the first moment he met her. Now he needed to be strong and not frighten her away. He was already displaying signs that he could never live without her, and that terrified him. If she thought he was weak, she might not be able to trust him to take care of her, and she’d said she needed him. He would have to be strong.
Cassandra continued to lean against him as he opened the door as if she’d stayed up past her bedtime and needed to be carried to bed.
Chad helped her to the bed and watched as she crawled in, pulling herself into a ball. Would it be wrong of him to help her undress? She couldn’t be comfortable wearing jeans. Oh well, might as well see where his boundaries lie; she didn’t seem to mind when he hopped in the shower.
He rolled her over and managed to unbutton her jeans before her eyes flashed open. She looked at him for a second, but then closed her eyes, so he continued. He wouldn’t try anything. He would prove to her that he could hold her without attacking her. He hadn’t married her because he wanted to sleep with her. Though … that part had been incredible.
He left her T-shirt on, removed his jeans and shirt, then crawled in behind her, draping his arm over her arm, pulling her tightly to his chest. This was all he’d ever wanted, to love and feel loved. His entire life he’d longed for the warmth of arms wrapped around him and someone to tell him they loved him, and more importantly, for him to believe them.
He sighed deeply at the overwhelming happiness he felt. For the first time in his life, he felt safe. Safe from the troubled man that dwelt inside of him. Cassandra would help him heal … and finally believe that he could be loved.
> Chapter Twenty-One
Deep breaths filled the air. Cassandra awoke completely alert of where she was and who was holding her — it was nice for a change.
The last week had been chaotic. Every morning she’d woken up, not sure where she was or what the day held in store, but now she felt as if her life had taken a one-eighty, and she was finally heading in the right direction.
Chad’s breaths continued, deep and steady … providing her comfort. But there was no way she could fall back asleep, and yet, there was no way she could move. His arm completely engulfed her body, and his leg rested on her bottom leg since she always slept with one leg nearly pulled to her chest. His embrace felt right, but suddenly she felt claustrophobic. Thankfully, she hadn’t told him about that fear; he may have tried to conquer that one as well.
If she couldn’t get up, maybe she could at least turn over. She attempted to turn, and his arm instinctively tightened around her.
“Can’t breathe,” she whispered, hoping he would hear and loosen his grip. Man, but his arm was heavy. She knew he was muscular, but she never imagined one arm could weigh so much and be so immobile. Okay … another tactic, then, she thought. She started caressing and kissing his arm.
“Mmm, you ready to wake up, Cassie?” he murmured, sounding as if he were half-asleep and still not moving his arm.
She giggled. “I need to get up, Chad, and you are as heavy as all get out.”
He tightened his grip and pulled her closer. “You were saying?”
A challenge. She tried to use her other arm to lift his arm off her, surely with both hands, she could get out, as he was only using one arm. She struggled and wriggled to no avail; he had her locked down. She sighed in defeat. “You win. I really need to get up.”
He continued to hold her. “You’ll come right back?”
“Yes,” she promised, huffing out a breath. “Man, you are freakishly strong, Chad.” She was still struggling to break his grip when he just lifted his arm and pulled his leg back.
He rolled over on his back and watched as she strode around the bed toward the bathroom. She locked eyes with him, realizing she was only in a T-shirt and panties. That’s right, she remembered him removing her jeans. She’d been shocked at first, forgetting where she was and whom she was with. Until she saw his eyes. He’d been looking at her with such compassion that she had absolutely no concern about him undressing her, and then the last thing she remembered was Chad pulling her into his arms.
She brushed her teeth, feeling pasty after falling back asleep. When she opened the door, Chad was standing behind it.
He brushed up against her as she walked past him. “I’ll be out in two minutes, Cassie, and I expect you back in bed,” he ordered with a smile.
Returning his smile, she removed her clothes and crawled under the sheet.
As promised, Chad was out in only a couple of minutes.
He pulled the sheet back slowly, exposing her, but then moved over her before she could become uncomfortable by his ogling. “That’s more like it, a naked woman in my bed. Could there be anything finer?” He nuzzled her neck and then moved his mouth over hers. His breath was cool from the mouthwash. She breathed him in, loving the way he tasted.
He wasted no time, and she was thankful. She’d expected him to take her first thing in the morning and then when they returned, but he hadn’t done either. Now she was nearly ravenous for him. The entire time they were up in the balloon, with his arms wrapped around her, she was hard-pressed to think of anything else.
Now he was taking her to another realm that she wouldn’t care if she ever returned. He’d said that he had more activities planned, and she was certain they would be as great as everything else he’d already treated her to. But more than anything, she just wanted him to hold her. Sooner than she wanted, they would return home, back to everyday life. Not that they wouldn’t be together, but they both had a lot of work to do to run a company, and she was certain they would be exhausted when they came home at night.
Her body tingled as it reacted to everything he did. The man was incredible. Not that she had any experience with this kind of thing, but she simply couldn’t imagine it getting any better. Though, he assured her it would. Chad had told her last night that he would endeavor to learn what made her feel good, and he was doing a marvelous job. Her body simply craved more and more of him.
She held onto his wide shoulders, never wanting to release him. He felt so good right where he was. Her breaths quickened, and she experienced the wonderful gift God allowed a man and woman to feel. This didn’t have to feel so wonderful. He could have made sex a duty like animals, but He hadn’t. This was the most incredible feeling she’d ever experienced.
Cassandra whispered Chad’s name in his ear. He liked that. She would learn what he liked too, so she could please him as much as he pleased her.
After he’d heard what he wanted to hear from her, he was able to take his own pleasure, she noticed. He’d waited every time, though. She’d heard all the comments over the years how men only wanted to please themselves and were quick to finish as long as they were satisfied, but Chad seemed more concerned about her feelings than what he felt.
Affording her one more kiss under her jaw, he fell down beside her, gathering her up in his arms as he did the previous evening, another thing that’d surprised her. Karen had always complained how men hopped out of bed afterward or turned over and fell asleep after they’d finished. But here, her husband wanted nothing but to hold her.
Chad pulled himself up on his elbow and kissed her on the forehead. “I’m famished,” he announced suddenly. “I’m losing weight as I lay here.”
She scrunched up her nose. She constantly watched what she ate to keep her figure. “Is that a bad thing?”
“With me, yes. I have to eat constantly to keep my weight. Do you think we could leave the room long enough to eat, or should we order room service?”
She nodded. “I think we can manage. Some fresh air would be nice. Besides, you paid for this lovely hotel. I guess we should see something other than a dark room.” She rolled out of bed and pulled the robe off the chair where she’d left it this morning. She still wasn’t comfortable with him seeing her with nothing on.
Chad raised his eyebrows as if something just occurred to him. “Will you wear one of those cute little sundresses? So I can anticipate getting you home?”
She smiled. “‘Seeing your black dress hit the floor’ type of dress you mean?”
“Exactly,” he purred, flashing that cute crooked grin. “’Cept, I don’t care what color it is. I just like dresses.”
“So you indicated.” She shook her head as she thought about his Ex again. “Although, I noticed Michelle always wears jeans and looks nothing like me. We are the total antithesis of each other … it doesn’t really make sense.”
He sat up in the bed and watched as she selected an outfit. “I think that is what I like the most about you, Cassie. But let’s not talk about Michelle. If I never hear that woman’s name again, it’ll be too soon.”
She cocked her head. “It’s not good to be so passionate about anything, Chad, even not liking someone. It’s dangerous.”
“It’s not like that. I couldn’t have cared less when she showed up the other nights. It didn’t affect me one way or another. That was one of the reasons I knew I was completely over her. But when she went out of her way to hurt you, when she waited to speak to you after I left the house...” He took a deep breath to calm himself, it seemed. “Well, honestly, I could have killed her. When I saw how hurt you were and then thought you might leave me.”
Her stomach tightened at his words. “Chad, you mustn’t ever say things like that. It’s wrong, and you know it. Besides, there’s nothing she can do now … we are a union. Certainly she’ll retreat when she finds out we are married.”
Chad stood up and walked across the room, wrapping his arms around her. “You’re right. I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I just do
n’t want anyone to hurt you again. You’re mine, and I won’t allow anyone to ever touch you physically or mentally.”
She smiled up at him apprehensively. “And you said I was passionate.”
He sighed as he pulled her down on the sofa into his lap, cradling her like a child.
“I love you, Cassandra. I just want everything to be perfect. I want you to be happy, so you will never want to leave me. Promise me if you ever want or need anything, you will always be honest. Don’t hold back anything from me.”
She nuzzled her head into his chest. “I promise, Chad. And for the record, I’m not leaving you. I didn’t hold onto my virginity and love for a man to end up divorced. I didn’t marry you because I had to as my parents did. I married you because I love you and want you always, so please relax. You need to get over this fear that I am going to leave you, because I’m not … do you hear me? You’re stuck with me.”
He released a soft breath. “That’s all I ask, my bride.” He tightened his grip around her, pulling her up so he could kiss her. “And for you to put on a dress so we can go eat,” he teased, sitting her upright.
“If you insist,” she taunted.
They ate lunch at one of the cafés in the hotel. The restaurant, beautifully adorned to look like an outside café with trees wrapped in twinkling lights and an ambiance Cassandra could only assume was as authentic as a Parisian bistro, was delightful.
Cassandra discovered they both enjoyed people watching, one of her and her father’s favorite amusements. On rainy weekends in Florida, she and her dad would find themselves at the mall. More times than not, they would spend the majority of their time trying to figure out people’s nationality, what they did for a living, and if they were eating at a restaurant, they’d try to guess which vehicle a customer owned as they left. They both liked to think that they could read people.
Chad was hilarious as he people-watched. He guessed everything from their occupation to their marital status, coming up with eccentric details about their life that she had no way to verify, so she had to agree with his assessments.
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