Chasing Destiny

by Nikki Rittenberry

  Cassie smiled and leaned into him. She cupped the back of his head with her hand and pressed her soft, voluptuous lips against his. His admission reverberated through her mind, comforting her in a way she’d never experienced before. He’d changed—she no longer believed she was the target of some manipulative ploy. He’d opened up and divulged his feelings and as much as she wanted to confess how she felt about him—she couldn’t—not yet. She was treading on new ground; she’d been unfaithful to Landon and she didn’t take that lightly. Before she could tell Jacob how she felt, before she could even begin to consider where their current situation might lead, she needed more time. Time to evaluate her feelings for both of the men in her life and with only two more evenings away from her life in Chicago remaining, she needed to do it quickly.

  “I should go. I need to get in the shower; we have to be at the cottage soon.”

  “You need help? I could wash your back”, he suggested in a deep, seductive tone. He softly kissed her neck, evoking a breathless moan.

  Don’t lose yourself, Cassie. You need some time alone to think. “I think I can m-manage just fine”, she whispered, inconvincibly.

  “Are you sure about that?”

  No, she wasn’t sure—about that and about a lot of things in her life at that moment, but she did acknowledge that if she didn’t leave soon, she wouldn’t have the will power to turn him away. “I’m sure.” Cassie pulled away and stood up. “Do you need any help hauling anything back to the inn?”

  “No, I’ve got it.” He stood up as well, reaching for her hands. He interlocked their fingers and pinned her with his hypnotic stare.

  “Thanks again for breakfast.”

  “My pleasure”, he answered.

  He kissed her tenderly, communicating his love with every unhurried swirl of his tongue. She responded to his patient pace, her tongue caressing his in perfect harmony. She ended their kiss far before he was ready and he chased her mouth for several inches before opening his eyes. He watched as she disappeared up the flagstone path, leaving him with a grin on his face and a familiar ache between his legs.

  * * *

  The sky was still gloomy as Jacob parked along the private drive of the cottage. The morning chill was gone, chasing the subtle haze that hovered above the harbor. Jacob closed the door to his rented Jeep and hurried to Cassie’s car now parked behind his. He’d hated that they had to drive separately, but after the rehearsal dinner were the bachelor and bachelorette parties, which meant they’d have to part ways for a while. Once she too was out of her vehicle, he leaned in to her, sandwiching her between his body and the car door.

  “I thought we’d never get here. I’ve been waiting to do this ever since we got on the interstate”, he said. He kissed her, slow and attentively. “Can’t we just skip this? Go back to my suite?”

  “Don’t you think it’d be a little obvious that the two of us were missing?”

  Jacob softly kissed her neck, grazing his lips against her jasmine-scented skin. “Who cares what everyone thinks”, he uttered in a low, seductive voice.

  Her eyes slid shut and a soft moan escaped her lips at the sensation of his mouth on her bare skin. She needed to stop him, but it felt so good. “Jake, we need to keep this a secret…” Jacob continued exploring her neck with his mouth, in complete disregard. “Jake… Jake, are you listening to me?” she managed, breathlessly.

  He stopped, meeting her gaze with his determined, green eyes. “Yeah, I’m listening…”

  “No one can find out what happened between us last night. We have to be… discreet about this today, okay?”

  “I’ll try.” Cassie scowled; she looked beautiful even when she frowned. “Okay, okay… I’ll keep my distance.”

  They left the driveway and followed the wrap-around porch that led to the back, making sure to keep a certain amount of distance between them as to not attract any unwanted attention. Once they reached the deck, they were greeted by Emily and Tanner. The large, white tent had been assembled on the lawn and bare round tables and chairs were already positioned into place underneath. Members of the family and the bridal party were hard at work, lining rows of white, wood-folding chairs on both sides of the aisle in front of the arbor.

  Cassie took a seat in the second row during the rehearsal, eyeing Jacob as he stood in front of the arbor. She tried not to, but somehow her inner compass kept facing north, which just so happened to be where ever he stood. The rehearsal didn’t take long, Tanner and Emily insisted on a short ceremony; apparently they figured they’d waited for this day long enough. Once the bridal party and the wedding planner were comfortable with the flow of the ceremony, everyone returned to the large deck for the rehearsal celebration.

  It was now later afternoon and the overcast canopy was beginning to clear, revealing the vibrant, blue sky. The wind was picking up, fluttering Cassie’s long, bohemian maxi dress effortlessly around her petite figure. Jacob kept a close eye on her as she mingled, smiling every time he thought about what lied beneath her dress. They’d barely spoken two words to one another since they’d arrived and he was determined to inhabit her table at dinner.

  Emily wanted the rehearsal dinner to be a bit casual, although there was still an understated elegance. Three large picnic tables were positioned on the large deck, each with a vivid, white tablecloth draped over the surface. Glass hurricane lamps were aligned down the center of each table; filled a quarter of the way with sand and a large, white pillar candle. Cassie took a seat next to Emily’s youngest sister, Kara, who also happened to be her maid of honor. They were immersed in conversation about the upcoming bachelorette party when Jacob met her gaze. He was sitting at their table, catty-cornered to her on the opposite end.

  After everyone was seated, an oversized, silver platter was placed on each of the three tables. A heaping mound of shelled lobster meat was surrounded by roasted, fingerling potatoes and various grilled vegetables. Not exactly a casual menu, however it was served family-style; everyone helping themselves.

  No matter how diligently he tried, Jacob couldn’t keep his eyes off of Cassie, in fact—he barely touched his food. He loved how the breeze caught in her hair, forcing her to secure it in place with her free hand. It was strangely erotic and the thought of tangling his fingers in her golden locks aroused his curiosity—among other things.

  She could almost feel his eyes settle along the surface of her skin and it sent shivers down her spine. As sensational as it was to be the object of his concentration, she was worried the attention he was giving her would cause others at the table to become suspicious. In an attempt to prevent the exploitation of their… whatever it was that they were, she needed to send him a message. She glared deep into his eyes and gave him a convincing look as if to say, “Stop making it so obvious!”

  He got the message, loud and clear, and if he couldn’t get lost in observing her from afar, then he would have to do it in private. He reached into his pocket and obtained his cell phone. He quickly typed a text message and sent it to Cassie before excusing himself from the table.

  Cassie watched as he gave her a wink and leisurely disappeared behind the French doors of the cottage. Her heart ached as she watched him walk away, a complete about-face from how she’d felt days before. Before she could dwell on her feelings, she heard a familiar chime. She reached into her burgundy clutch and retrieved her blackberry; it was a text… from Jacob.

  Meet me in the bathroom by the den in two minutes. Hurry—I miss you!

  Cassie sat motionless for a few moments, staring at his message. What was she doing? She didn’t have a reckless bone in her body, and yet she was actually considering meeting him. Maybe she should stay seated—stand her ground. Yeah, that’s what she should do. She’d had a moment of weakness last night and she kept telling herself that it wouldn’t happen again—it couldn’t happen again—but somehow her logic was overpowered. Overpowered by the way he made her feel—like her body, her mind, her soul were the missing links to his ult
imate happiness.

  She quietly stood up from the table and strolled to the massive French doors. Once inside she passed the expansive, farmhouse kitchen and made her way across the family room toward the den. Jacob stood in a small alcove next to the den, his shoulder leaning up against the wall and his hands in his pockets.

  “There she is. I was wondering if you were going to stand me up”, he said, smiling.

  “The thought did cross my mind, briefly.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Very briefly”, she reiterated.

  Jacob took her by the hand and quickly led her into the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind them. Once they were safely hidden inside, he grabbed her face and kissed her with a sensual hunger that left her short-winded.

  “I’m sorry, I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to steal you away”, he explained, breathlessly.

  “Jake—we shouldn’t be doing this. What if someone sees us and—”

  Jacob grabbed the sides of her face again and gazed into her eyes. “No one saw us. We were careful. In fact, we’re almost being too careful—we’ve barely spoken two words to each other since we got here!”

  “I know—I’m sorry. It’s just… I’ve never done anything like this before.”

  “I know you haven’t.” He cupped her firm backside and lifted her onto the vanity. He kissed her with a calmness that settled her nerves. He could feel her tense muscles relax, giving in to his touch. He ran his hands up her long, bohemian dress, caressing her smooth thighs; his mind spiraling deeper into a sexual abyss. He leaned his forehead against hers as he ran his thumb along the center of her red, silk underwear. “I want to taste you again. I want to do all the things to you that I’ve been thinking about all day.”

  “Jake… we need t-to get back to our table—people are going to start speculating about where w-we are—”

  “I told you—I don’t care what everyone says or what everyone thinks.”

  Cassie gripped her hands around his wrist and shoved his hand away. “You may not, but I do and we can’t do this… not here…”

  Jacob placed his hands beside her hips on the vanity and stared at his feet for a moment before returning his focus back to her beautiful face. “Okay… You’re right. Listen, the guys are staying here tonight to play poker. What are your plans?”

  “We’re going to some vineyard, not far from the inn.”

  “Okay… tell Emily you’re not feeling well and that you want to leave early to lie down. Come to my suite—let’s say… nine-thirty. I’ll be waiting for you and we can continue where we left off, okay?”

  She knew she shouldn’t, but somehow she couldn’t resist his touch. “Okay”, she responded softly.

  “I’ll head out first. Wait a couple of minutes after I leave before you make an appearance.” Jacob gave her the most incredible goodbye kiss, leaving her speechless and aroused.

  * * *

  “Alright Jacob, what’s it going to be? Are you in or are you out?” Tanner asked.

  Jacob stared at his cards. He had a full house: three five’s and two two’s. Certainly not a terrible hand, but he was already down one-hundred fifty-five dollars. He’d always done well at poker, which was why Tanner rarely wanted to play with him; typically, Jacob won. He placed his cards down. “Sorry fellas; I fold.” He took a long pull from his beer and stood up from the table. “I’ll be right back—I need some fresh air.”

  Jacob ambled outside and leaned his forearms against the deck railing. He studied the dark Atlantic and listened to the calm waves gently collide against the jagged shore. He’d been looking forward to this night for several months. In fact, when Tanner called to tell him the news about his engagement to Emily, the first thing out of Jacob’s mouth had been “congratulations”; the second was “when’s the bachelor party.” This was supposed to be a night of good poker and lots of beer drinkin’, but surprisingly none of that mattered anymore. Being intimate with Cassie after years of separation had changed everything. He couldn’t concentrate… at dinner, at poker, at anything other than her. He was a slave to his mind and his mind replayed all of the naughty details from the night before.

  Jacob took another long pull from his beer and felt a slap on his upper back.

  “I just want to thank you, bro”, Tanner said with a wide grin.

  “Thank me? For what?”

  “For whatever’s distracting you from winning! You’ve made me a good chunk of change to take with me to the honeymoon!”

  “Glad I could help”, Jacob said in a frustrated tone.

  “So, I’ve been meaning to ask you all day, how’d it go with Cassie last night? I’m assuming it must have gone well, seeing that the two of you were mysteriously missing during dinner tonight…”

  Jacob quickly turned to look at him. “How’d you know that?”

  “I’m very perceptive.”

  Jacob glanced over his shoulder, making sure that they were alone. “Can you keep a secret?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t like the sound of this”, Tanner explained.

  “We got back together last night.”

  “Wait a minute—what do you mean you ‘got back together?’”

  Jacob sighed. “We slept together.”

  “What?”

  “After we got back from the restaurant she came back to my room.”

  “Okay, so… she understood why you deliberately pushed her away before and how you feel about her now?”

  “Well… not exactly—”

  “Okay—now I’m confused. What happened after we left?”

  “We stayed and ordered another bottle of wine—I was hoping it would loosen me up a little. We had great conversation and because I didn’t know how she was going to react, I thought it would be best if I told her when we were alone. I decided to talk to her about it during our walk back to the inn, but… I don’t know, I guess I just lost my nerve! We were climbing the porch steps and I told her I had something really important to talk to her about, and then…”

  “And then what? What happened?”

  “Emily called.”

  “Shit! I’m sorry—I told her there was no need to do that. It was only three blocks away; she didn’t need to call to see if you guys had made it back.”

  “It’s okay. When she got off the phone—I panicked! I walked her to her room and we said goodnight. I thought that was the end of it, you know? I thought I blew it, but not long after we said goodnight, she knocked on the door. I’d loaned her my coat during our walk and she wanted to return it to me. I offered her a drink and she came in. We talked for a while and before she left… she kissed me.”

  “You mean, she made the first move?”

  Jacob shook his head. “It just kind of… evolved from there.”

  Tanner slowly slid one of his palms down his face. “Damn, Jake! You’ve really screwed up this time! You have to tell her everything… everything. The last thing you want to do is make her question your motives. She obviously feels something for you—there’s no way in hell she would have done something like this if she didn’t.”

  Jacob exhaled loudly through his mouth. “This isn’t going to be easy. She’s going to think I tricked her into sleeping with me—tricked her into feeling something for me again… ah, man… she’s going to be pissed!”

  “I don’t doubt that for a minute, but at least she’ll know the truth! You broke her heart, man! She was devastated and she needs to know why you did it; she needs to know you’re still in love with her.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Are we almost there yet? The suspense is killing me!” Emily exclaimed.

  “I think so”, Cassie replied. “According to your sister’s directions, it should be right up the road ahead.” Cassie steered her rental car down a long, winding path lined with rows upon rows of red Maple trees. Their canopies enveloped the brick drive creating a channel to what seemed like another dimension; a French country paradise.

  Cassie parked along the ci
rcular drive and stood in utter astonishment next to Emily.

  “Wow, this is unbelievable…” Emily remarked softly. The three-story chateau was majestic; light gray with a steep, charcoal roof and French-blue shutters. Vines were sporadically climbing the exterior, racing to reach the top before the first winter’s freeze. “I feel… I feel like royalty!”

  “That’s because you are, Em. You deserve the best and since we couldn’t travel to France, we all figured this was the next best thing”, Cassie explained.

  Emily had dreamed of visiting France ever since she was a teenager and was overwhelmed at how her family and friends had personalized her special evening. They’d all kept the location and activities a secret and the surprise was well worth the wait. They began with a guided tour of the vineyards. They climbed aboard several horse-drawn carriages, meandering through the hillside. They toured the barn which housed a diverse collection of various fruit wines, stored in hefty, oak barrels and finished their guided tour back where they’d started at the chateau.

  They settled along the back terrace, overlooking the arced terrain and the receding sun while sampling hors d’oeuvres and blueberry wine. Reruns of her passionate reunion with Jacob the night before invaded her mind and Cassie smiled as she closed her eyes, remembering how his hands felt as they grazed her bare skin.

  “Taking in the view?” Emily asked as she approached from behind.

  Startled, Cassie quickly opened her eyes, jolting her mind back to reality. “It is a beautiful view.”

  “Uh-huh”, Emily responded skeptically. “You seem… really happy. I know you were hurt by Landon’s last minute cancellation.”