Chasing Destiny

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by Nikki Rittenberry


  Landon hovered above her and smiled before taking off his shirt. He brushed his lips across hers as he spoke. “Okay, we can continue this in the tub.”

  Cassie placed one of her fingers over his lips, preventing him from kissing her again.”Actually, I’d like to relax… alone. I won’t be too long.” Landon studied her for a moment before rolling off of her petite body. She stood and journeyed to the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her.

  She twisted the faucet, filling the deep, claw-foot tub with scalding water and a few drops of lavender oil she found on the vanity to entice relaxation. After stripping down to her bare skin, she dipped her legs, one at a time, into the blazing liquid; feeling the tension melt away as she submerged her body further.

  Behind the privacy of the bathroom door, protected in a therapeutic elixir, her guarded heart tore open, releasing an agonizing surge of pain. The intensity amplified, saturating every cell of her body and smothering her lungs. She gasped for air as the level of despair rose higher and higher. Her wounds were open and exposed, catapulting her into an inescapable black hole. She covered her mouth and clenched her eyes shut, struggling to suppress the overwhelming sensation, knowing she wasn’t strong enough to keep it hidden any longer.

  Tears fled from her eyes and her body trembled as it released her emotional cancer. Visions of Jacob pleading for her to spend the rest of her life with him invaded her mind. The look in his eyes before she walked away haunted her; he loved her… and she was in love with him, too. She didn’t want to walk away, but she had no choice.

  She wholeheartedly cared about Landon; she didn’t want to hurt him. She’d spent much of last night awake contemplating her decision. Landon would love her and give her the stability she needed, but she wanted more. She wanted a life partner, a father to her future children, a passionate connection that could stand the test of time. She wanted the fairytale. She wanted Jacob.

  After the ceremony she looked for him; she wanted to tell him yes. Yes, she would marry him and yes, she was still madly in love with him. Minutes after reaching the deck, everything changed. Landon was suddenly standing with his arms wrapped around her, his eyes genuinely happy to see her. He’d finally rearranged his priorities, his focus solely on her for the first time since they embarked on their relationship nearly two years ago. He was making an effort, but that wasn’t the reason she’d turned down Jacob’s proposal.

  Landon and Jacob had a business relationship. This relationship resulted in Jacob’s promotion; a dream he’d had since college. It would have only been a matter of time before Landon realized that the woman he loved left him for a colleague. Landon may not have been the jealous type when it came to personal relationships, but she couldn’t say the same when it came to business. Betrayal in the business world infuriated him and she had no doubt that he would retaliate. She couldn’t let that happen—she refused to be an accomplice to the murder of Jacob’s career. She had to walk away.

  Her sobs became louder at the realization of her actions. She allowed fear to coerce her into abandoning true love. Fear of Landon’s retribution and fear that Jacob would resent her for it.

  * * *

  Landon stripped down to his boxers and retrieved a bottle of water from the mini-fridge before returning to the bed. He stacked two pillows on top of one another for better comfort and waited for Cassie to return. She seemed different somehow tonight, he acknowledged. She was edgy, distant, and he had a pretty good idea why. It was no secret that she wanted to get married; to start a family. Witnessing the nuptials of two close friends only further validated the stagnant nature of their own relationship. It disheartened her; observing what she’ll never have and—

  An unmistakable noise was emanating from the bathroom and Landon abruptly sat up in bed. He placed his water bottle on the mirrored nightstand beside him and crept to the bathroom door. As he moved closer, his worst fears were confirmed; Cassie was sobbing and his heart plummeted in his gut at the discovery. He reached for the knob and gave it a twist, but it was locked. He softly knocked on the door before speaking. “Honey, is everything alright?”

  Cassie quickly opened her eyes and wiped the tears away. “Um… Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute”, she shouted to him from the other side.

  She released the drain and reached for her towel. She dried her body and put on a silky, black camisole slip and opened the bathroom door. Landon sat on the bed with his back leaned against the upholstered headboard and watched as she approached the bed from the opposite side. She climbed in and pulled the covers over her flawless body and closed her eyes. She heard a sigh escape from Landon and then felt his hand caressing her arms. It started at her wrist and slowly moved toward her shoulder. His body moved closer as his hand tugged on the front of her slip, revealing one of her firm breasts.

  His tongue grazed her nipple as a deep groan evaded his throat. “God, I missed you. I flew over two-thousand miles to taste you”, he mumbled softly. He tugged on the bottom of her slip until it was bunched around her waist.

  His lips caressed her taut stomach and she could feel his warm breath heavy against her skin.

  “I want to taste you”, he whispered, “Right here.” His hand settled between her legs as his mouth trailed lower on her stomach.

  “Landon—”

  “Shh. Relax”, he groaned softly. He wanted to pleasure her; to distract her mind from her sadness. He wanted to watch as her body quivered with delight—to relish her release.

  “Landon, please stop”, she softly pleaded. He raised his head to meet her gaze. “It’s been a long day and I have an early flight to catch.” She turned her body away from him and could almost feel his eyes still staring at her in disbelief. She’d never shied away from his advancements, but she was in love with someone else. Her body was unable to respond to Landon’s touch—he wasn’t Jacob. She didn’t want to hurt Landon—she just needed more time. Time to mend her broken heart and time to love Landon the way he deserved.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Statuesque piles of patient charts littered Cassie’s desk as she entered her office. She placed her food tray on her chair and nudged the piles toward the edges to make room for it. After placing the food tray on the cleared desktop, she reached for a chart on top of one of the stacks and opened it. She’d planned to take a quick lunch break, although ironically there was no break involved. She was still playing catch-up from her trip to Maine last month and it had become routine to work during lunch.

  She took a bite of the mystery meat on her tray and chewed slowly. She’d never been a fan of hospital cafeteria food, but walking to one of the nearby sandwich shops or café’s encroached on time; something she didn’t seem to have enough of these days. She thumbed through the patient’s chart, assessing their progress and noting changes to make to their therapy regimen, when her secretary knocked on the door and entered her office. She handed her a folded piece of paper with her name written on the outside before retreating back to her desk. Cassie placed the chart on her lap and opened the folded paper.

  Cassandra,

  Sorry I missed you. I just got back into town. Please have dinner with me tonight. My place—6:00pm.

  Love,

  Landon

  Cassie folded the paper and placed it in her lap on top of the chart. She ran her hands through her golden hair and let out a frustrated sigh. They’d been back from Maine for almost a month and Landon had been away on business for much of that time. She’d only seen him a handful of times since they’d returned and truthfully, she’d been avoiding spending time alone with him ever since. She picked up her phone and dialed his number.

  “Hey, honey”, he answered.

  “Hey. You’re back early—I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, I know. I really missed you—I couldn’t wait for tomorrow.”

  Cassie smiled. “What time did you get back?”

  “A little over an hour ago—I drove straight to the hospital t
o surprise you, but your secretary said you were getting lunch. I would’ve stuck around, but I had some business things to take care of. So, about dinner… can you come?”

  “I don’t think so”, she answered softly. “I’ve got a ton of work to catch-up on.”

  Landon sighed in obvious frustration. “Cassandra, what’s going on? I’ve barely seen you since we returned from the wedding.”

  “Need I remind you that you’ve been out of town practically five days out of every week the last month?” she explained defensively.

  “I’m not talking about when I’m out of town; I’m talking about when I’m here. Look, I’m not going to take no for an answer. I really need to be with you tonight.”

  “Landon—I’m really behind. I’ve got my partner breathing down my neck to get these charts completed and I just can’t—”

  “Okay, how about a compromise? We’ll move dinner to seven-thirty. That’ll give you an extra hour and a half to work on those charts and still leave us plenty of time to eat and… do whatever. I really want to see you—I need you…”

  Cassie closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She couldn’t avoid him forever. She knew she’d been unfairly punishing him for her heartbreak and as much as she wanted to turn him into the villain, she couldn’t. He deserved better. She’d told Jacob to move-on with his life and she needed to try to do the same. “Okay”, she said softly, “I’ll see you at seven-thirty.”

  * * *

  Cassie left the hospital at seven o’clock and merged onto the interstate. She headed north toward the town of Glencoe, a small, wealthy community situated along the banks of Lake Michigan.

  We’ll move dinner to seven-thirty. That’ll give you an extra hour and a half to work on those charts and still leave us plenty of time to eat and… do whatever, he’d said.

  The handful of days he’d been home the last month they hadn’t spent alone. She’d managed to come up with varying excuses as to why they were meeting in a public place. Most of the time he’d met her for lunch or a quick cup of coffee at one of the nearby café’s adjacent to the hospital. They hadn’t been intimate in over five weeks—a record for the two of them and he had to know that something was clearly bothering her.

  She’d purposely refrained from intimacy; she just couldn’t make love to Landon when her heart belonged to another man. She was fully aware that she’d run out of time; she couldn’t stall him any longer. She had hoped that her heartache would have eased a bit by now, allowing her the opportunity to move on, but it hadn’t. With time, she believed she would learn to love Landon, although she acknowledged that she was incapable of loving any man as much as she loved Jacob.

  The unmistakable black wrought-iron fence surrounding Landon’s two-acre estate came into view. Cassie steered her SUV down the asphalt entrance toward the massive, two-story Tudor home, her vehicle coming to a halt in the arched drive. She unlocked the front door with the key he’d given her last year and gently nudged it open. Candlelight flickered in the foyer and her attention was immediately focused on the floor. Pink rose petals had been sprinkled on the glossy, travertine tile in a trail that extended into the oversized hallway. She closed the door behind her and followed the rose petal path that led into the formal dining room.

  The elegant room was a perfect combination of sophistication and masculinity. The crystal chandelier hung from a tray ceiling embellished with large, exposed wood beams. The walls were covered in ivory-painted wainscoting and much of the dark, mahogany-colored floor was covered by a massive, gray area rug. The rustic, parsons-styled dining table was constructed of reclaimed barn wood. The surface was littered with imperfections, but softened by silver placemats, white china, and a pewter candelabra centerpiece. Upholstered chairs with nail-head trim encased the perimeter of the primitive-looking table, further easing the table’s harsh edges.

  She continued into the dining room, dimly lit with an assortment of candles and found Landon sitting in an extra chair in the corner, holding a dozen pink roses intermixed with flawless, white tulips.

  “I thought you’d never get here”, he said as he rose from his chair.

  “I’m sorry—am I late?”

  Landon sat the flowers on the table beside him and took her by the hand. He pulled her body close to his and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. “No, you’re right on time”, he answered in a deep, seductive tone. He pressed his lips against hers and groaned when her lips parted and his tongue gently caressed hers. “I have a great idea”, he managed, breathlessly. “Why don’t we skip dinner and head upstairs for dessert?”

  He kissed along her jaw and then down her neck before she spoke. “Tempting”, she lied, “but, I’m really starving.”

  Landon pulled away and cupped her face in his hands, gazing into her beautiful, hazel eyes. “Okay, we can continue this after dinner.” He pulled her seat out from under the table, gesturing for her to sit down. “I’ll be right back.”

  He ventured into the kitchen, leaving her alone. She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath to sooth her nerves. There was no question that he’d gone out of his way to make this evening special. He’d never put this much effort into romancing her before; he was excellent at dinner reservations, but had always lacked the desire to create a sensual atmosphere. He was clearly expecting a passionate evening in his bed and she silently prayed that she’d have the mindset to go through with it.

  Moments after he’d disappeared, he returned with a large, silver platter containing a crown pork roast filled with an apple and sage stuffing and surrounded by baby new potatoes. He placed the large platter on the table and took the seat next to her.

  “Bon appétit”, he said, as he poured their wine.

  “Wow—this is an impressive dinner. You didn’t prepare this yourself, did you?”

  Landon chuckled as he sat the wine bottle back on the table. “I wish I could take credit for it, but no. This is one of Caesar’s masterpieces.”

  “Ah.” Caesar was Landon’s personal chef. He’d hired him years ago before his second divorce was final and his business was beginning to gain traction. His employment was on an as-needed basis: holidays, dinner parties, and twice a month when Landon’s kids came to visit. He was without a doubt one of the most talented chefs she’d ever known and though she may have been less than truthful about how hungry she’d claimed to be upon her arrival, she was eager to taste his latest creation.

  Conversation during dinner had gone fairly well. She explained the challenges she was facing at the therapy clinic and he shared some details about several projects he was overseeing in Seattle. For the first time since the wedding, their aura was buoyant.

  Light-hearted.

  Normal.

  She was relaxing with every passing minute and she wasn’t sure if it was attributed to the genuine effort he’d put into making this evening perfect or the two glasses of wine she’d consumed since her arrival.

  When their plates were emptied, Landon stood up from the table and leisurely walked toward the buffet table behind them. He opened a drawer and retrieved a piece of paper before closing it and returning to his seat. He placed the paper in front of her on the table and waited for a response.

  “What’s this?” she asked.

  “Tell me what you think?”

  “Well, it’s a picture of a house”, she replied.

  Landon nodded and took a sip of his wine. “Yeah, do you like it?”

  The two-story home was light gray with large, rectangular windows and a balcony embellished with glass and stainless steel railings. “It’s beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you think so… because I just bought it.”

  Cassie quickly turned her head in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

  “I’ve been spending a lot of time in Seattle lately and since the majority of my business seems to be on the west coast these days, I figured it was the perfect time to put down roots there… together.”

  Cassie looked at the picture again
before returning her attention back to him. “What are you saying?” she asked confusedly.

  Landon caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I love you and I miss you like crazy when I’m away—which seems to be more often than not these days. Move to Seattle; move-in with me.”

  Cassie turned her head away and let out a sigh. “Wow. I’m sorry. I um… I wasn’t expecting that.” She reached for her wine glass and ingested the remaining liquid. “What does all of this mean exactly?”

  He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, it’s pretty straight-forward. It means you move to Seattle and we live together”, he explained.

  “What about marriage, kids?” She turned her attention back to him, searching for clues as to what he was thinking.

  Landon exhaled forcefully through his mouth in frustration before meeting her gaze. “Look, I’m trying to meet you halfway here”, he admitted.

  “Meet me halfway? You want me to completely uproot my life—leave behind my therapy practice, abandon my condo, move across country with you without any solid commitment? That doesn’t sound like a compromise to me.”

  “There are several hospitals nearby—you could work at one of them until you build a clientele and eventually open another therapy clinic. I’ll have my realtor handle the sale of your condo and as for the long term commitment and children issue… we’ve been through that! I’m almost forty-five years old, I’m twice divorced and I already have four kids. It’s just not what I want. I want to be with you and I don’t need a marriage certificate to prove how much I love you”, he stated firmly.

  “What about what I want? Don’t I get a vote? You’ve got everything all figured out, don’t you? You’ve picked the city, the house, and you’ve decided marriage and children are completely non-negotiable… you get to make all of the important decisions and I’m supposed to just submit to them?”

 

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