by A. m Madden
In a playful manner, I moved my hands to the waistband of my pants, only for her to blurt out, “No!” When she realized I was joking, she smirked and shook her head. “Jerk.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” She fought hard to hold back a smile and failed. “Why do you look disappointed?”
“What? No, I don’t,” she was quick to respond. “I just think that’s crazy. Who would be so stupid to get one…” Her eyes fell down to where the edge of the table met my abs. “Down there.”
“Many men, and women for that matter. I looked into it. Once I read up on the downsides, it didn’t seem worth it. I don’t need help stimulating a woman. I can do that fine on my own without complaints.”
Those two cornflower-blue eyes lifted toward the ceiling in an exasperated way. “I’ll take your word for it.”
I chuckled at her obvious discomfort. “Anyway, back to you. Want to know what else I can tell about you?”
“I don’t think so.”
Ignoring her, I said my thought anyway. “Your eyes say otherwise.” Starting at the top of her head, I scrolled my gaze over her inch by inch. First, I focused on her baby blues, her lips, the kissable curve of her neck. A pinkish hue tinged the span of pale flesh when my line of sight kept raking over her body. Taking my time, wanting to cause her to squirm, it felt like minutes before I finally met her eyes again. Purposely prolonging my response by drilling into her soul, the squirm I craved finally came. She shifted in her seat and looked away. Then, and only then, did I say, “There are two Cassies.”
Her gaze cut back to mine. “Two? Like I have a split personality… I’m nuts?” she asked with a silly grin. “I guess I deserve that label based on how I acted the night we met.”
“No… not a split personality as in being nuts, although that night I did think you were wacko. I meant two Cassies with split interests.” Seeing her teeth clamping down on her bottom lip meant I must have touched on something—a vulnerability… an insecurity?
She played my assessment off with a wave of her hand. “Pfft, I don’t have interests besides reading and teaching.” Slender fingers gripped the stem of the glass, and it trembled ever so slightly as it made its way to her mouth.
“I call bullshit.” My claim had her halting her drink midair. The anticipation for my explanation revealed itself in her wide-eyed stare and parted lips. But I didn’t give her any more than that. I didn’t share how I suspected Miss Brooks would be into trying all sorts of lewd interests. I didn’t hint that I suspected she wasn’t as innocent as she acted. So, instead of giving her more, or playing my hand, I simply said, “Ready to go?”
The more time I spent with Cassie, the more it became obvious she wasn’t a fan of being analyzed. That inner snark I had gotten a taste of tried to take over her otherwise calm, cool, and collected demeanor. And the more I teased her, the feistier she became. However, the joke was on me, because the feistier she got, the stiffer I did.
There I was fresh in a new city, hanging out with one of my brother’s best friends, and already envisioning all sorts of ways to not only give her pleasure… but to take all her pleasure as well. And I did want all of it, which fucking freaked me out.
By the time the cab pulled up to her building, my grand plan to get a rise out of her had backfired. Because in doing so, I had worked myself up in the process. If it were someone I had randomly picked up, things would have already become physical. Visions of crashing through her apartment door and tearing her clothes off like an animal weren’t helping my predicament. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so turned on, the last time I wanted to do filthy things to a woman. To be honest, I had no idea how to proceed, or whether to proceed at all.
“You didn’t have to ride all the way with me.” Ignoring her, I slid my card through the scanner, but my silence didn’t stop her rambling. “So, um… thank you… and good night, Dante.” She opened her door to get out, never expecting me to hop out of my side and trot around to hers. Once out on the sidewalk, a light breeze caught her hair and lifted it off her shoulders, except for one piece that stuck to her lip and caught my attention. “Dante, I’m fine. You don’t have to see me in.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Nothing is going to happen tonight,” she spit out, but then quickly blushed at the abrupt assumption.
“I don’t expect anything to happen, Cassie.” A defiant expression crossed over her face, and instead of arguing, she sighed impatiently before turning toward her building. Nothing was said between us as I followed like a dog in heat right to her door. Who was I kidding? If she suddenly had a change of heart, I’d oblige in a split second.
“See, I’m home now safe and sound,” she said with sass while sporting a teasing smile. “I had a really nice time, Dante. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome. I hope our do-over was a success and you no longer think I’m an ass.”
“I never thought you were an ass,” she quickly replied. Her cornflower eyes appeared backlit in the dim light of her hallway.
“Sure about that?”
When I leaned closer, she swallowed audibly and whispered, “Just a jerk.”
“Actually, I think you called me a pig.” I put my hand on the door beside her head and smiled at her discomfort. “But I’m sorry I was an all-around jerk.” It sounded like she dragged in a breath and held it as I moved closer to place a soft kiss on her cheek. Keeping my lips on her silky-soft skin, I let the kiss linger. Her warm breath hit my face. I could hear each additional breath she took. I could smell the spicy perfume she dabbed beneath her ear. And through it all, my cock stiffened in my jeans.
I could easily twist my face and take her mouth. Better yet, bust through her door, as I had imagined, to take her body. But this was Cassie. And as much as I wanted to, or as much as she’d want me to, I couldn’t do that to her. I couldn’t go there. Not only would my brother kick my ass, the rest of her friends would as well. That wasn’t to say I wouldn’t another day. I wanted her too badly, my curiosity was too strong. Regardless, I needed to navigate this carefully.
A few seconds later, I finally straightened. Really, it was out of necessity. Based on the dazed expression on her face, the raw hunger in her eyes, I no longer trusted her to force me away. While staring, crushing my lips to hers became one of the hardest things I had to walk away from.
Somewhere during the kiss on her cheek, she pressed her hands into the wood door behind her. Combined with the raw lust in her eyes, this confirmed my theory that if pushed, she would have succumbed to wanting more than an innocent kiss.
“Good night, Cassie.” Without looking back, I headed down the hall toward the stairwell.
When I hit the street, I felt like I had finished a marathon… an unproductive one. Every part of my body wanted back into her building to pick up where I left off. Never have I had to consciously talk myself out of being with a woman. What the hell was that?
Minutes later, I was back in a cab heading to my place. My body felt like it’d been plugged in, the desire I felt taking on a life of its own. Part of me wanted to storm right back in there and pound on her door. Shit. I hadn’t gotten laid in way too long. That could only account for my lapse of judgment.
Chapter 6
Cassie
Thank God it was Sunday. Brunch with my girls was exactly what I needed to clear my head. For years, Brae, Vanessa, and I would meet once a week to catch up on things. Recently, our weekly ritual had been reduced to three times a month. Ever since Jude and Kyle came into the picture, their gripes caused Brae and Vanessa to appease them by giving up one of the weeks. I guess it could have been worse with the kind of man Jude was.
Our brunch dates were special, and it was a shame our other friend, Desiree, was working in London. We missed having her around, but one of us would usually fill her in the next time we spoke.
Sabrina had started to join us when she could, but this week Luca had planned a vacation with her and Mikey to Southern California.
Not having her there meant I didn’t need to hold anything back… once I swore Brae to secrecy. It wasn’t because I didn’t trust Sabrina, but she was attached to the brother of the man who wrecked my head.
I sat at our usual table, staring into the worn wood as if answers would appear. Laughter caught my attention, and I let out a sigh of relief when my friends walked in. Brae, of course, had her yoga clothes on. But Vanessa, who despised yoga, was dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt.
“Good morning!” Brae’s bright demeanor rivaled that of the late August sunlight filtering into the restaurant. “Have you been waiting long?” She kissed my cheek before sitting down next to me. Vanessa gave me a hug and sat opposite myself and Brae.
“No, not really. I haven’t been sleeping very well, so…” I let my voice trail off because what would I say? A sexy, annoying man with a pierced nipple keeps infiltrating my thoughts? Instantly, I remembered what I did to said nipple last night in my dreams.
The waitress came and Vanessa ordered our customary mimosas.
“I’m so sorry I had to cancel on you last week,” Vanessa said with a slight frown. “There was no way I was going to make it after that wonderful party.”
Brae laughed. “I don’t think any of us could have made it. I spent the morning in bed. Your man sure knows how to do it right.”
Vanessa grinned salaciously, “Mmm… he sure does.” Vanessa and I stared at our unassuming friend waiting for it to click.
The way Vanessa’s mind processed things had become predictable, especially when Kyle was involved. Those two were the definition of sex. Then again, Brae wasn’t the type to kiss and tell.
“I didn’t mean… ugh, you know what I meant.” Brae welcomed the mimosa the waitress had set down by taking a large taste of it.
Mimicking Brae, I picked up my glass and drained the tangy cocktail. “I went out with Dante.” The sentence flew from my mouth before I could stop it. Vanessa, who had just raised her glass, paused midair, as Brae shooed away the waitress who came to take our orders.
“When?” Brae asked with more shock than confusion.
“Friday.”
“Friday?” Vanessa screeched. “That was two days ago, and you’re only telling us now?”
There was no way this topic of conversation could leave the table. Reaching over, I placed a hand on Brae’s forearm. “You can’t tell Jude any of this, okay? I’d rather be the one to talk to Luca.” Brae shifted in her seat. “If this makes you uncomfortable, I won’t discuss it now.”
She bit her bottom lip for a half second before nodding. “My lips are sealed, I promise. But, if it ever gets to be too much, don’t take offense if I walk away. I don’t like keeping things from him.”
“Deal. I completely understand.” I let out a breath before continuing. “So, the other day, Dante called to apologize for being an ass after we got into the accident… and for most of Vanessa’s party. If it wasn’t for him being Luca’s brother, I probably would have told him to go to hell. He wanted a do-over, and he took me out to dinner. He also remembered something from the accident that could help my case.”
The waitress came back yet again, and this time Vanessa did the shooing. When the waitress huffed at us, I said, “We can order.” Once we each recited our choices, she scurried away, giving us privacy.
“Now go on,” Vanessa said, leaning forward on her elbows, her chin perched in her hands.
“Anyway, dinner was good. He wasn’t as assholey as I thought he’d be. To make a long story short, when he brought me home, he kissed me on the cheek.”
“That’s it? A kiss on the cheek?” Vanessa relaxed back into her chair. “How scandalous.”
Brae laughed. “V, she isn’t you. I’m surprised you went out with him at all.”
Thoughts of how Dante held me when we danced, the way his hips moved with mine, and the way his eyes looked at me with wanton lust had me squirming in my seat. Although it was a simple kiss on the cheek, his full lips against my skin, his hard body pressing into mine, and even the scent of his masculine cologne sent a shockwave through my system. Never before had a simple gesture wreaked so much havoc.
There was so much I wanted to say, but knowing Brae thought I did the right thing, I held back. Vanessa, on the other hand, arched a brow, knowing there was more to the story. She also knew I wasn’t going to talk about it right then.
“Well, I’m glad you two are getting along,” Brae said before taking a sip of her mimosa. “I’m sure Luca was worried about it.”
I nodded, knowing that was probably the case. Even though Luca was away, there were times I wanted to pick up the phone to get his take on the situation. And if my confusion was about anyone other than his brother, I would have.
After we finally ate our meals, we stood and made plans for the holiday weekend. Jude and Brae were having us all at their place in the Hamptons for Labor Day, except for Dante, who had to work. Without the distraction of Dante, I looked forward to doing nothing but reading a good book.
Vanessa hung back once Brae said goodbye. I knew she wasn’t satisfied with the little information I divulged.
“Come on, let’s go to your place and really talk about your date.”
“What makes you think there’s more?” I asked, acting dumb yet relieved I could let out all the salacious thoughts plaguing me. If anyone was the perfect candidate to listen without judgment, it was V.
She hooked her arm around mine and leaned in as we began walking to my place. “Let’s see, the way you licked your lips at the moment you said he kissed your cheek. Then there was the constant blush that made you look like the air-conditioning in the diner had stopped working. I saw at least three squirms and a dreamy faraway look in your eyes.”
“Jesus, V, you should be in the CIA.”
An easy laugh busted out of her ruby-tinted lips. “I’d be a kick-ass CIA agent.”
Only once we were comfortably lounging on my couch did I start revealing details. With her poker face on, Vanessa listened to everything I said leading up to the dance club.
“Okay, sounds like a nice dinner, but my girly parts aren’t tingling yet, so what are you holding back?” she asked, with a touch of attitude. Vanessa was a no-bullshit kind of girl, so beating around the bush wouldn’t fly with her.
“Well, after dinner he suggested taking me to a club.”
“You went to a sex club?” She couldn’t contain the excitement in her voice.
“No!”
Before I could say anything else, she pointed a pink manicured finger at me. Lines of curiosity appeared on her forehead. “You’re hiding something.”
“Oh my God. Can we stick to one embarrassing detail at a time?” I literally felt like I popped off the top of a can of worms, and one by one they slithered out. I hadn’t told a soul of my curiosity with kink… how I loved reading about it in books… how I wished for it in my own sex life.
“Why is this embarrassing? He’s a hot-as-fuck man who obviously knows how to use what God gave him.”
“Okay, let me get through my date with Dante, and then I’ll fill you in on some other stuff you don’t know.”
“I knew you’ve been hiding something,” she quipped.
“No, you didn’t. Anyway… he took me to an underground dance club.”
With a firm nod, Vanessa said, “Alessandro’s.”
“You know it?”
“Sure. Kyle and I have been a few times. We use it as foreplay.”
“Oh, Lord. Okay, well, I can’t dance like that. But Dante took control, and the way he moved his body against mine unleashed some sort of… of…”
“Inner slut?”
“Yes! I was so damn horny. It didn’t help that his hard-on joined our little party and stayed for the duration of the night.”
“Poor guy probably had a bad case of blue balls. Was it huge?”
As if it were still pressed against me, I could feel every delectable inch of him. I didn’t know if it was huge by Vanes
sa’s standards, but for my own, it felt like something that would be a delightful challenge. It didn’t surprise me in the least, considering it matched the size of his ego.
With an annoyed sigh, I said, “Can we focus?” A firm nod allowed me to proceed. “Well, I can’t stop thinking of the way he rolled his hips and the look on his face as he did. It left nothing to the imagination of what having sex with him would be like… of course, minus the actual… you know.”
“Fucking?” She rolled her eyes and leaned forward. “Get rid of this little innocent act you have going. From here on in, just say what you’re thinking. So then what?”
“He took me home and kissed my cheek.” She opened her mouth to speak, and I raised a hand. “Let me finish. By the time we got to my door, I was on fire. I thanked him, he leaned in close, and even though it was an innocent kiss, every part of him was pushing up against every part of me.”
“His cock was still hard,” she interjected with a nod.
“Yeah. V, I was seconds away from inviting him in. And if I had, I would have most definitely slept with him.”
“I don’t see the issue here.” Her head continued to shake back and forth even as her words ended. “You’re both adults. What is it with adults denying themselves because they think it’s wrong?”
“It is wrong. He’s Luca’s brother.”
“So? And Kyle was Jude’s best friend. When we started our thing, that wasn’t a reason I would have used to not fuck him.”
I blushed at her statement. God, she could be so blunt. But she was right… sort of. “That’s not the only reason.” I then voiced the other issue that held me back. “He’s out of my league. Damn, I don’t even own decent lingerie for a man like Dante. He’s surrounded by models… not ordinary ones either… supermodels. The man is sex personified. He could probably suck the life right out of me.”
