"Hey, I have a great idea!" Nora said moving next to Hunter on the other side of the breakfast bar. "Why don't Hunter and I join you guys tonight? That way, we can all show him around town a little. That's if Hunter wants to go. And of course, you don't mind, Cassie."
"I... uh... I'd..." Words couldn't seem to find any semblance of form before coming from my mouth.
"I'd enjoy that," Hunter said, his now familiar smug smile directed at me. "If it's not too much of an intrusion on you and Caleb, that is. I'd hate to spoil your night with him."
I didn't believe him for a second. The vibes I was getting told me that he would enjoy every minute of spoiling an evening between Caleb and me.
I was on the spot. I looked at Nora and she had the biggest smile on her face. I didn't want to let her down, but I really didn't feel comfortable spending an evening with Hunter.
"Well, I'd have to check with Caleb," I said to Nora.
"Oh, you're gold. He's got it bad for you, so I'm sure he'll go along with anything you say," she laughed, nudging me playfully.
I snuck a look at Hunter to see he was no longer amused. His full lips flattened, anger replacing his look of self-satisfaction. Was it the comment Nora made about how Caleb felt about me? Had that really broken his conceit? Well good! I didn't mind seeing him brought down a notch.
"I just don't know if he planned something special for the two of us tonight or not. I don't want to ruin anything he may have set up already," I tried arguing.
"Oh, I get it, Cassie," Nora said with a grin. "You want to be alone with him! Well in that case—"
"In that case," Hunter chimed in, giving me a pointed glance, and then looking back at Nora, "how about I treat you to dinner. Your..."
"It'll be fine, Hunter," I said quickly. "I'm sure Caleb will understand. Why don't you meet us at Luke's at five-thirty?" They both eyed me, him with a satisfied look, and she with an expression of curiosity from my sudden change of heart. I knew Nora would go out with Hunter alone and I didn't trust him. After all, he'd already lied to her by keeping the true nature of our encounter in the park from her. If he were going to be around Nora, I wanted to be there. Maybe this would give me a chance to figure out what he was really up to anyway.
"How about I pick you two lovely ladies up at five o'clock instead? That way we can all ride together."
I started to argue, but Nora won out, thinking it was a great idea.
"Well thank you both very much for making me feel so welcome," Hunter said. "I've got some things to get done before tonight, so I will see you both later."
He walked over to Nora and was about to take her hand, but she put her arms around his neck and gave him a quick hug. "No need to be so formal with me, Hunter," she told him. He looked a bit surprised, but hugged her back. She wasn't exactly coming on to Hunter, she hugged everyone. It was just her personality.
"Fine with me," he smiled.
When he came over to me, I held my hand out to him, but he decided to use Nora's act of friendliness and embraced me instead, his face next to mine as he squeezed me tightly.
Hunter left, and Nora let out a girlish squeak once the door had closed. "This is going to be so much fun! Do you realize this will be the first time since we've known each other that we're going out on a double date? Hell, neither of us has even been out on a date in forever!" Her enthusiasm suddenly changed when she looked at me. "Oh, hey, Cassie! I'm so sorry. Are you sure you're okay with this? Really, if we're raining on your parade, we can go somewhere else. I just thought it might be fun for all of us to go out together. I guess I didn't give you much—"
"Nora."
"...of a chance to—"
"Nora. It's fine, really. I think it'll be great."
"Are you sure? You looked upset there for a minute."
"Yeah, no. It's good. I was just thinking about what the hell I'm going to wear tonight," I lied. It wasn't my wardrobe that consumed my thoughts. It was Hunter's whispered words in my ear as he hugged me goodbye, "Lesson number one, Cassandra. I always get what I want."
CHAPTER TEN
I stood in the living room, thinking of what Hunter's words meant to me. It made me uneasy to know that somehow he planned to weasel his way into going to dinner with Caleb and me tonight; and that he succeeded. If he always got his way, as he claimed, what was his ultimate plan? Would I be as helpless to stop it as I was tonight and in the park? Would I even want to?
There was also the fact that he obviously intended to continue with his "lessons", and I was afraid to think of what they could progress to. I hated myself for being both horrified and curious about them at the same time. I couldn't ignore the fact that he set my body on fire with his touch, leaving me feeling like a drug addict, knowing the high was so wrong, but needing another fix.
"Did you call him?" Nora asked, breaking me out of my internal banter. I looked around for my purse. Nora pointed at the breakfast bar, where I'd left it sitting when I came in.
"Guess that's a no. You want me to call him?" she asked.
I found my phone and held it up. "Nope, taking care of it now."
She went into the bedroom, and I called Caleb.
"Do not tell me you are canceling on me or I'm coming over there right now to kidnap you," he said, answering the phone.
I giggled. "No, Caleb, I'm really looking forward to it. But look, Nora kind of begged me to let her tag along with a date." Nora peeked her head out of her bedroom and made a face at me. "I told her it wouldn't be a problem, but I wanted to check with you."
I held my breath waiting for the ball to drop, expecting him to tell me the whole deal was off and that would be the end of things. I heard nothing for a minute or two, and I could almost feel the hesitation in his silence.
"You know what, that's fine, Cassie. As long as I get to be with you tonight, that's all that matters. I'll just call Celestino's—"
"Celestino's! Wow, nice, Caleb!" Celestino's was one of the finer Italian restaurants in the area. A couple of years ago, some famous food critic came in and gave it rave reviews. Apparently, this critic didn't hand them out lightly. Ever since then, reservations were hard to get, especially on the weekends. Sometimes you had to book almost two weeks in advance to get a table. "What time is the reservation for?"
"Hey, I told you I wanted to take you somewhere nice this time. Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing you in a dress."
I was happy he couldn't see how much I was blushing through the phone.
"Reservations are for six o'clock. I'll call and change the reservation to four people. How about we meet there, though? I think I may be a little late. It's pretty crowded here this afternoon, and I don't want to leave my uncle to tend to this himself. They're in my name, if I don't make it right away."
My heart swelled a little at his desire to be with me even though I'd changed our plans at the last minute. I checked off understanding and easy going on my "reasons to date Caleb" list. But at the same time, it made me feel that much worse knowing I was keeping the fact that Hunter was coming from him. I felt like scum, but I hoped he would get over it and enjoy the evening with me anyway.
"Okay. Thanks for understanding, Caleb. We'll see you at six then. Can't wait."
"Me either, Cassie. I'll see you soon."
"Oh, wait, Caleb! You never told me your last name. I assume I'll need that for the reservation if you're not there."
"It's Walker."
"Caleb Walker. Got it. See you then."
I hung up the phone and went into Nora's room. She was knee-deep in clothes just inside her closet door.
"Nora, just pick something! You look good in anything you wear anyway, so what does it matter?" I laughed at her, as she continued to fan through the remaining dresses hanging on the rod.
"Oh, I already know what I'm wearing. I'm looking for you!" Holding one dress in her hand, she grabbed at another and turned around. "Okay. Red...," she began as she held up a skimpy, spaghetti-strapped contraption that I wouldn't be c
aught dead in, "or black?" The black dress was much less scanty, so I pointed to it. It was made of a flirty chiffon material that seemed to sway in a breeze of its own. It was sleeveless, with halter-style straps that met in light folds of material at the cleavage. A beautifully detailed, satin and jeweled belt banded around the middle, cinching the waist to reveal hourglass curves on the right frame, before ending in wavy fabric just above the knees.
"Chicken," she taunted me for my conservative choice. I laughed. "Well, if that's the case," she continued, "then you have to wear those shoes I bought you last year with it." My smile faded as I pictured myself attempting to decipher the strappy puzzle that made up those shoes.
"Only for Celestino's will I endure that kind of suffering," I said with a smile.
"Caleb made reservations for Celestino's? Ohhh, I like this guy, Cassie. If you don't take to him, can I have a shot?" I threw a shoe at her that found its way across the room, where she was working on some kind of de-cluttering system.
"So he's cool with me and Hunter coming?"
"Um, he's okay with you and a date. I didn't tell him Hunter was coming. They didn't seem to hit it off very well at the bar the other night. There was a bit of tension between them for some reason."
"They know each other?" she asked as she threw a dress on the bed.
"They both say no." I shrugged. "I don't know, must be a man thing."
"Well they'll have to check their attitudes at the door if I'm going to Celestino's tonight. Nothing can spoil my mood there," she said with her hands on her hips. "You ready?"
"Is it going to hurt?"
Nora rolled her eyes and shook her head.
She turned out to be a pro at transforming me into what she termed, "her masterpiece." In a matter of minutes, she managed to put my hair up in a stylish twist of waves, a few pieces left to dangle around my face. Later, I was unsure how I would find all of the pins it took to keep it that way. While she went to get ready herself, I put on my makeup. It wasn't much since I didn't like to feel like my face was painted on.
Finishing up in my room, I jumped when Nora rushed in. Taking her breathlessness for excitement, I admired her ruche, form fitting, purple dress, which fell to just above her knees. The criss-cross style of the bodice accentuated her full breasts before the thick, jeweled straps pulled up and tied at the back. Her stylish honey blond hair hung just short of skimming her shoulders. Her green eyes seemed brighter than usual, probably from the purple hue of the dress. I was about to tell her how stunning she looked when I realized that the look on her face was not excitement. She looked scared.
"Hey, what's up? What's wrong?" I stood and started towards her.
She held up her hand. "I'm sorry, Cassie, but I have to go. Something's come up and I have to leave right now. I don't have time to explain. If I can, I'll meet you guys at the restaurant." She quickly left the room and I followed her.
"Wait... What?... What the hell is going on, Nora? You're scaring me."
"I'm fine, I just... I have to go... I'll call you and let you know what's going on. I promise." She was out the door before I could say anything more.
I stood in the middle of the living room, one shoe in my hand, wondering what just happened. My heart was beating fast and hard in my chest. What could make her leave so unexpectedly? She's left in a rush before, but not like that. And she always told me where she was going.
Sitting on the couch in my dress, still holding onto my shoe, I tried to piece together a hint of reason for what just took place. Scenarios, both good and bad, played out in my head. I lost track of all time and place, until the door buzzer jarred me out of my stupor.
I glanced up at the wall clock. It was almost five. As I headed for the door, I wondered if Caleb had gotten out early and decided to come pick me up. I didn't feel much in the mood for going anymore, being too worried about Nora. But she did say she'd try to meet up at the restaurant, so I put thoughts of getting a rain check for the date out of my head.
I pushed the speaker button on the wall.
"Hello?" I greeted.
"It's Hunter. You guys ready?"
Oh crap! I thought. Obviously Nora hadn't called him to tell him about the change of plans.
"Actually, Hunter, Nora had to run out unexpectedly. She might not even make it. Sorry for the change of plans so late. I thought she would have called to tell you."
"I see." I felt his calm resolve through the speaker box. Nothing fazed this guy.
I was about to say goodnight when his low voice came through again, "Are you and Caleb still going?"
"Uh... yes." I didn't want to tell him that Nora may meet us up there. It was none of his business anyway. If Nora showed up, she could call him then. With no guarantee she was going to make it, I had an out.
"You said she might not make it. Does that mean she said she would try?"
Damn! "Well, yes, but she may not come at all. I'm sure you don't want to be a third wheel." Maybe if I were blunt about it, he'd get the hint.
"But if she does make it, then she will be the third... Cassandra, just let me up. I'm not going to talk to the door anymore."
I couldn't tell if it were owing to the fact that I was afraid of him that made me want to keep my distance, or the way I'd reacted to him in our previous encounters. I felt much safer with doors, walls, and stairwells between us, but I gave a sigh and buzzed him in anyway.
A minute later, he was at the door knocking. I opened it, but blocked his entrance. I didn't want to be alone with him in the apartment. After a long appraisal of my attire, and quite possibly what was underneath it from the way his eyes seared into me, he stepped towards me. "Hello, Cassandra," he said slowly. I had to step back to avoid being too close to him. He smiled and stepped around me.
"Hello, Hunter," I said, irritated, after closing the door and turning towards him. "So, like I said before, Nora had to leave. She probably won't even make it to the restaurant later, so maybe we can do this some other time." I started to fidget under his intense gaze. Why did he have to look at me as if he were trying to see to my very soul?
He shook his head, tsking me. "I'll go just in case she shows up. I'd hate for her to feel like a third wheel if she's able to make it. What happened, anyway?"
I moved to the couch, resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to give this up. Sitting down, I grabbed one of the "devil's own" sandals, which I was determined to conquer. "Not sure. She left so quickly that she didn't have time to tell me. She said she'd fill me in later."
"Has she ever done that before?" he asked, standing next to the couch, looking down at me.
"What? Left when we had plans? Yeah, plenty of times, but I do it a lot too, so I don't get too upset when it happens. We're kind of the same way like that." I paused for a minute as I thought about what I just said. Could she be... No, that wasn't possible, was it?
I felt the couch stir beneath me, and I realized that Hunter had come around and sat down at the other end, his distance a little too close for comfort. His eyes were on my chest, which I hadn't realized had become slightly exposed as I leaned over, struggling with the straps of my shoe. I sat up quickly and my shoe fell from my foot.
I put my hand to my chest, making sure that my dress was back where it should be. I could feel the quick rhythm of my heart beneath it, while my breath kept the same pace. I needed to gain my composure, but his presence was overwhelming me again.
"Yeah... so... the reservations are for six now at Celestino's. It's one of the best rest... aur... ants..." My voice faded as I watched him reach forward and grab the shoe from the floor in front of me.
"Well, I guess we better get going then," he said, almost in a whisper, as he held the shoe in his hand and reached for my leg with the other. I drew in a hard breath as his hand slowly slid down my calf, gently raising it up and resting my foot in his lap. My calf burned from his touch and the heat made its way up my thigh settling between my legs. He moved the shoe into his other hand, cupped the back
of my ankle, and began to gently guide it onto my foot.
"What are you?—"
"At the rate you're going with these, we'll never make it to dinner. However, I'm not opposed to staying here all night and helping you with your accessories." He chuckled as he held my foot tighter when I tried to tug it free. A minute later, he had the straps expertly in place. I quickly withdrew my leg from his lap and put it down on the floor, shocked at how quickly he had mastered the complicated straps.
"Uh... thanks." I said, reaching for the other shoe.
He started to reach forward again and I held my hand up to ward him off. "I can manage this one, Hunter!" He seemed to find that rather humorous too, which only fueled my anger more. At this point, all I wanted to do was get the hell out of my apartment. The walls were starting to feel like they were closing in on us, and it seemed I could no longer trust my body to take orders from my mind.
I fumbled with the shoe, but my fear of him taking over again made me determined, and I managed to work it out after a few minutes. I stood and started to walk past him, but he jumped up in front of me and grabbed my wrist, swinging me around to face him. Looking into his eyes, I braced myself for his pull, but it didn't come. I could sense that he was fighting with himself, his breath coming a little harder, and his grip on my wrist tightened. I looked down when I felt a sting of pain, and he eased up, but didn't let go.
"Why do you fight your feelings, Cassandra?"
My chest heaved with the adrenaline pumping through it. It pissed me off that he had the nerve to assume I had any feelings for him at all. I snatched my wrist from his grasp.
"The only thing I'm fighting is the urge to slap you. What makes you think I like having your hands on me? What gives you the right to even think you can put your hands on me?"
He didn't even twitch from the anger pouring out of me.
"I apologize, Cassandra. I assumed you didn't mind. In fact, I thought you enjoyed it, just as you did in the park."
"I didn't—"
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