“Now if I can just get Jake to forgive me.” I sighed, wondering if that wish lived in the same forest with leprechauns and unicorns.
Blowing out a puff of air, she grimaced. “That’s going to be an uphill battle. But give it some time. He may come around.”
“I hope so. I was really falling for him, Jo.”
“Falling?” She scoffed. “I saw the way you two looked at each other. The word you’re searching for is fell. You both fell for each other.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but I knew any words other than “I fell for him. Hard.” would be a lie. And lying wasn’t something I was ever going to do again.
“You’re right.” I smiled. “But it won’t matter if he can’t forgive me.”
“Just give him some time, Cassie. You never know.”
“Thanks, Jo.”
“Goodnight, Cassie. Don’t forget to lock the door behind me.”
“I won’t. Goodnight, Jo.”
With a wave, she headed out the door. I walked around the bar, stopping to pick up a bottle off the floor. Another one by the pool table caught my eye. Grumbling over how inconsiderate customers were, then laughing since I was an inconsiderate customer not long ago, I headed over to grab it. The sound of the door swinging shut startled me.
“Did you forget your keys?” I asked, expecting Jo. When I turned around, I saw Jake standing in the doorway.
“Jake,” I breathed, struggling to form words with my breath trapped in my lungs.
The neon lights above the bar illuminated his blue eyes boring into mine. We stood locked in a magnetic stare.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, still struggling to speak.
Without a word, he walked to the jukebox. I watched while he slid in his bill and pressed the buttons on the screen. He turned around and started toward me. Still clutching my beer bottles, I stood trapped like a prisoner in his intense gaze. Before he reached me, the familiar notes from a song I’d now heard twice floated out of the speakers.
Let Me Down Easy. The song he’d played for me before. My heart soared when he stopped in front of me, reaching out a hand.
“Dance with me,” he said, and I glanced at his outstretched hand.
Setting down the two bottles, I reached out and took it. Electricity crackled in our touch as he closed his hand around mine. With a gentle pull, I was in his arms again. Exhaling the breath I never thought I could release, I dissolved into his embrace. Strong arms wrapped around me as I clung to him, fighting the tears that begged to fall.
We rocked together in the glowing lights, every sway of our bodies pressing us closer together. His chin settled on my head, and I disappeared inside him. That safety I’d felt in his arms flooded back. My world spun once again, turning on its axis and sliding me back into his life. Into his arms. Back where I belonged.
A soft kiss brushed through my hair and I sighed. Slowly raising my eyes, I found his waiting for me, my own longing reflecting inside them.
“Jake,” I breathed.
He slid a hand underneath my chin. “I love you, Cassie.”
Those words moved over me. They crept into every wound, every crack, filling the emptiness inside me and erasing all the pain that consumed me. Rising on my toes, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I love you, too.”
Before I breathed out the last word, his lips sought mine, capturing my confession with his kiss. Our mouths melted together, his tongue demanding entrance I granted him without hesitation. The passion in his kiss sent my world spinning, and I clung to him for balance. Like a hurricane of emotions, I felt his ripping through me and fusing with mine.
His powerful kiss pushed me backward when he deepened it. I felt the pool table bump against my legs. Towering over me, he pressed me back with his kiss. Lingering lips ghosted mine while his fingers moved to my hips and slid beneath my shirt. Rough hands grazed my sides as he inched it up, the cool air licking my heated skin as he slowly exposed it. Our kiss broke when he pulled my shirt over my head. When I reemerged, I pulled off his shirt, tossing it on the pool table beside mine. Desperate to taste him again, my hands cupped his strong jaw and pulled him back into me.
“I love you, Cassie,” he murmured into my mouth.
My answer was another kiss. He leaned into me and I scraped my fingers down the muscles rippling the width of his back. His fingers fumbled with my jeans until I felt the sweet release that meant another type of release would soon follow. Inching my pants over my hips, I wiggled to get free. Releasing my grip on his back, I let my hands roam around his torso until they settled at the front of his jeans, now the only thing keeping us apart.
Feeling his button relinquish its fight, I pulled down his zipper and pushed his pants over his hips. Before he dropped them to the floor, he pulled a condom out of his pocket, and I panted with desire while he slid it on. With a passionate groan, he pressed me back until I sprawled across the pool table. Waiting. Wanting.
Needing.
When he entered me, our ragged breaths mingled into one. Desperate kisses met mine while he moved inside me. With every thrust of his hips and swirl of his tongue, I felt the connection between us deepen. The need to be with him, to make him mine for always, increased with the rhythm as we moved together. When my pleasure reached unbearable heights, I clung to his back and cried out his name as he moaned out mine.
Collapsing on top of me, he sighed into my hair. Hot breath brushed my neck as I closed my arms around him.
“I love you, too,” I whispered into his ear.
Turning his head, he locked his gaze with mine. That soft smile I loved so much lifted his lips before they pressed into mine.
The feeling of her naked body pressed against mine soothed away the last of my aches. Long legs wrapped around mine as I held her in a cocoon of safety, pressing soft kisses to her forehead as we lay together on the pool table.
“I can’t believe you came back,” she whispered, nuzzling in closer.
“I almost didn’t. You can thank Matt.”
“Matt?” Wide eyes lifted to meet mine.
“Yes. Matt.” I chuckled. “It’s a long story.”
“Well then, remind me to buy him a ‘thank you’ drink the next time I see him at the Cornerstone.”
“Actually. You may be seeing him here now.”
“You’re allowing him back at the Ox? Wow. You’ve had a hell of a night,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t wait to hear about it.”
“It’s been a big one. But most importantly, it brought me back here. To you.”
With a sigh, she slid a hand under my jaw and pulled me down for a kiss.
“Never lie to me again. Deal?” I whispered between kisses.
“I swear. Never. And I want to tell you the whole story. Everything.”
“I look forward to hearing the tales of Cassie Davenport.” I chuckled. “Wait. Do I need to call you Cassandra now?” Furrowing my brow, I searched her face.
“No. Call me Cassie. It’s what my parents used to call me. And it’s who I am now. Or at least who I’m striving to be. Who I know I can be.”
“I know you can do anything. Even eat carbs.”
Her laughter started as a trickle then her whole body shook while she pressed into my arms. Laughing, I kissed her again.
“If you can face your fear of carbs, I can face my fear of getting hurt.”
“I won’t hurt you, Jake. I promise.” Her laughter subsided, and those green eyes locked with mine. “Never. I want this. You. I swear to you that you will always come first.”
As terrified as I’d been coming here tonight, putting my heart back in the hands of this woman, I was more terrified of a life without her. Some risks were worth taking, and Cassie was one of them. We were one of them. With a deep breath I blew out the last of my anger. At her. At Matt. Hell, even my hatred toward Nikki drifted away. In fact, I was grateful now for her deception. If it hadn’t been for her betrayal, I wouldn’t be lying here in the arms of the one wom
an I ever truly loved.
“You going to help me clean up so we can go home and let the dogs reunite? Poppy has been pouting, wondering when she can see Hank again.”
“Hank was almost as big of a mess as I was.” I laughed and glanced down. “I’ll never look at this pool table the same way again.”
I stood, pulling up my pants before hoisting her to her feet. We worked together to close up the bar, pausing for a kiss beside her car.
“Your house or mine?” she asked, leaning into my kiss.
“Mine. I’m not sleeping at your house until we get rid of that creepy owl lamp by the bed.” With a shudder, I tried to hide my smile.
“Hey! I kind of like that weird owl lamp now!” She laughed and slapped my chest. “It’s grown on me.”
“I’ll see you at my house. Bring the dog. Leave the lamp.”
We dissolved into laughter and I hugged her before helping her inside. With one last kiss, I closed the door. Her engine rumbled when she turned the key and I watched my Park Avenue Princess chug down the street in her bucket of rust. If it was possible, it made me love her more.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Cassie
“Good morning,” Jake whispered into my ear.
Just the sound of his voice reignited that fire inside me before I’d even opened my eyes. I snuggled in deeper, pressing my face into his chest while his arm tightened around me. “Good morning, Jake.”
Blinking my eyes open, the first thing I saw was Poppy’s smooshed face resting on his opposite pec. His muscular arm held her close to his chest, his deep breaths lifting her up and down while her soft snores punctured the quiet of the room.
“Don’t say it,” he warned.
“It’s still the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life.”
“We are going to need to work on our sleeping arrangements.” He laughed. I peeked down to see Hank draped over his lower body.
“I’m literally unable to move. The three of you have me trapped.”
“But we’re so comfortable.” I looked up and pushed my lips into a pout.
“Well then. If you three are comfortable, by all means, who cares about me?”
“Exactly,” I teased and leaned up, brushing my lips against his.
After slipping his arm out from under Poppy, he brushed his fingers across my cheek before cupping my chin and pulling me in for a deeper kiss.
“Well, if you keep kissing me like this every morning, I suppose it can make up for the lack of sleep I’m in for with the three of you using me like a chaise lounge.”
“Deal.” I kissed him again.
“You up for a Jake special omelet?”
“Hell, yeah!”
“Good. I’ve got fresh eggs. Breakfast in bed?”
“Porch. I want to enjoy the view.”
After giving me one last kiss, he rose and walked across the room. His naked body held my eyes the entire way. “This view works, too.”
With a coy smile, he took his time pulling on a pair of shorts.
“No shirt.”
“No shirt is part of the Jake special omelet.” He waggled his brows.
He strode out of the room and I pulled the covers up over my head. How was this happening? How had I gotten here? Blissful didn’t even begin to capture the feelings surrounding my new life with Jake. Hank disrupted my thoughts when he collapsed on top of me, all one hundred pounds of him crushing into my stomach.
“Hank,” I groaned, struggling against him. But one look in those big brown eyes and I gave up my battle. “Good morning, buddy.”
After pulling myself out of the pile of dogs and climbing into another one of Jake’s oversized tees, I walked downstairs, following the smell of fresh eggs and simmering coffee. Leaning up against the doorway, I watched Jake float around the kitchen. The joy he radiated mirrored my own.
“Your coffee, love,” he said when he saw me. A wide grin matched mine when I saw the “I’m a Hooker” cup heading my way. “It’s tradition now. It’s officially your cup.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Jake opened his mouth to speak, then snapped it shut.
“What?” I asked, narrowing my eyes and taking a sip of my coffee.
Rubbing a hand across the back of his neck, he glanced down at the ground before looking back up at me. Once again, he looked like he was about to say something, but instead he chewed on his lower lip.
My heart thumped. He looked so serious. Too serious. “What is it?”
With a deep sigh, he took my hand in his. “This may be fast, and I don’t want you to freak out, but what about making something more than that cup official? What do you think about leaving that terrifying cabin you call home and moving in here with me?”
I almost spat out the sip of coffee I’d just taken.
“If it’s too fast, I totally get it. I just figure if you’re staying up here in Door County, you’ll want somewhere less... horrifying to live.”
“Is that the only reason you want me to move in?” I set my coffee cup on the counter and slipped my arms around his neck.
With that sweet smile that sent my stomach plummeting to my feet, he wrapped his arms around me. “Not the only reason.”
“And what’s the other reason?” I rose on my toes and pressed my lips to his.
“Partly because I don’t want that owl lamp to come to life and kill you in your sleep.” He whispered against my lips, and I laughed. “But mostly because I love you and I don’t want to miss another morning waking up next to you. Even a few acres is too far away.”
“Well,” I said between kisses, “if that’s the case, then I accept.”
“Yeah?” He leaned back and grinned.
I nodded my head, and the look in his eyes made my heart swell to near bursting. “I love you, Jake, and I would love to move in with you.”
With a grin so wide it could have torn his face in two, he leaned forward and swept me into his arms. “You make me so happy, Cassie. I love you so much.”
I waggled my eyebrows. “Can I bring the owl lamp and all my pink décor?”
His laugh echoed through the kitchen. “Leave the owl lamp. We’ll discuss the décor. Maybe we could compromise. A few pink camo accents. Oh, and Muskybait. Definitely Muskybait. Hank would go on strike if you left her behind.”
I scrunched up my nose. “Like I’d leave my Princess behind. So, no pink camo. How about since you get your camo man cave, I get a pink lady cave. A new Alton family tradition.”
“I like it.” He smiled. “The spare bedroom is all yours to cover in every shade of pink imaginable.”
“Deal,” I said, and he dipped me backward, folding my body against his as he pulled me closer. When our lips connected, I sighed into his mouth, exhaling the last of the hurt that had plagued me these last few years. In Jake’s arms I was happy. Healed. And I never intended to leave the safety of his strength.
After we’d gotten our fill of each other’s lips, he pulled me back to standing. “Now, part of our new traditions is breakfast on my porch. Our porch.” He smiled. “Go on out and relax, and I’ll bring your eggs soon.”
After one last kiss, I picked up my cup and made my way to the porch, forcing myself to contain my happiness and not skip my way there and spill my coffee all over my rack. T-shirt, you mean your rack t-shirt. Excited to greet the day from the porch with the views I would get to enjoy every morning, I walked outside and settled into my chair. My phone chirped, and I looked down to see my grandpa calling.
“Good morning, Grandpa!” I answered.
“Well, you’re in a good mood.”
With a happy sigh I nodded, then remembered he couldn’t see me. “The best.”
“So, life in Door County is treating you well?”
“I love it here, Grandpa. It’s heaven.”
“Hmmm,” he responded. The tone of his reaction caused my brow to furrow.
“What’s wrong?”
Jake walked out a
nd smiled as he set my plate of eggs in front of me.
“It’s my grandpa,” I mouthed to him and he nodded.
“I’ll give you some privacy,” he whispered back. Before I could argue he took away the best part of my view and headed back inside.
“Grandpa?” I asked again. “Are you okay?”
“It’s not often I have said this in my life. But... I was wrong.”
“Wrong? About what?” I took a bite of my eggs and muffled my happy moan.
“Garvey. It seems he was planning on breaking apart my company like a dead car and selling off the parts. It would have left every employee without a job.”
“What!” I choked on my eggs. After successfully swallowing them down, I sat forward. “Are you serious, Grandpa?”
“After you told me again how much you distrusted him, I hired investigators to look into him before I signed the final papers. They posed as investors and he made them the offer to sell. You were right, Cassie. Your instincts were right.”
“That’s awful! I’m so glad you stopped him, grandpa. What are you going to do?”
“What I should have done in the first place. Give you the company.”
My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water while I struggled for words. “What? You want me to take over Davenport Industries?”
“Yes. You have the skills, the desire, it seems the instincts, and now I know without a doubt you have the work ethic. I would be honored to have you take it over.”
Jake peeked out the door and furrowed his brow at my shocked expression. “You okay?” he mouthed.
Nodding, I turned my attention back to the call.
“When can you come back to New York?” Grandpa asked.
New York? Suddenly the thing I’d wanted most was the farthest thing from my mind. I didn’t want to go to New York. My life was here now. With Jake.
“Grandpa. I’m honored you are choosing me, and I want you to understand that I do want this. But if I’m going to do this, I need to find a way to run this company from Door County. I can’t move back to New York.”
The Other Half (Door Peninsula Passions Book 1) Page 23
