Crossed Off

by Lacey Silks

  “A bartender’s joke?” I asked.

  “Yes.” He chuckled. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”

  “Don’t be. It sounded quite flavorful coming out of your mouth.”

  “I was hoping you’d be the one coming in my mouth, but we can save that for later.” He winked.

  The mood was lifting every minute, and I felt myself get wet at his words.

  “Something fruity, then. Surprise me.”

  “All right. A passionate screw coming right up.”

  If he continued this game I’d definitely be screwed—by him.

  While Cash mixed the drink, I got up and nuked some popcorn. Still in my undergarments, I sat down on the comfortable couch beside Cash and cuddled into him. This was the first time since I’d met him that I felt complete. Not only safe and respected, but opening up to him and telling him the truth gave me hope that perhaps we could work through this. Maybe there was a chance for something more after all. If Emma could only find Mateo and ensure he was out of my life for good, perhaps I could start looking forward to a future instead of constantly looking back.

  The first movie we watched was some sort of a comedy. I couldn’t pay too much attention because I just needed to be beside Cash and to feel his comfort. Once Cash flicked on the second one, I felt tired but didn’t want to disturb him and so I closed my eyes just for a moment. At least I thought it was just for a moment. The next time I opened them, Cash was lifting me into his arms and carrying me up the stairs. His muscles twisted underneath me with each step he took. I wanted to ask him to set me down but found no strength to do so. Besides, he didn’t appear to be exerting himself at all. Once Cash let me go on his bed, I opened my eyes. He stared at me from above, dimmed the light to a soft glow, and crawled underneath the covers.

  “How tired are you?” he asked.

  “Very.”

  “Too tired?” His hand was already around my breast, gently cupping. I could feel his erection against my ass, slowly making its way to between my legs.

  “No. Definitely not too tired.”

  When he took me that night, it was the first time I’d felt free.

  CHAPTER 12

  I spent the next week in Cash’s apartment. Sonia even brought Milky over. My cat explored every nook and corner of the condo until he found his favorite seat—on the leather chair in the office. Each morning we went out for a run in Central Park before going to a cafe for breakfast. Eating out in Manhattan and not at Olivier’s restaurant felt like a whole new experience. During the two years that I lived here, with the exception of the Gala I attended almost three weeks ago, I had never dined anywhere else. Our new living arrangements also made life much easier for Sonia, who quickly became our biggest supporter. I stopped wearing my wigs, and my eyes finally had the rest they deserved. It’d been so long since I’d paid attention to the real me underneath the disguise that I didn’t notice how long my hair had grown.

  I strolled into Cash’s office. The clicking on his laptop stopped the moment I walked in. Cash leaned back in his leather chair, and I sat down on the corner of his desk. “Am I interrupting?” I asked petting Milky who was curled up on top of the desk.

  “Never. Just getting the itinerary for our trip ready. I think the dealer may have cold feet. He’s delaying our meeting another week.”

  “Do you think he’s suspicious?” I asked.

  “I don’t think so. My sources tell me that he’s just busy. He set up another transaction with my father.” Cash shook his head with disappointment. “If my father continues this, he’ll drag everyone down with him.”

  “Who’s everyone?”

  “Ace and Axel are still helping him.” He breathed out. “I wish they would realize they don’t need to continue this way.”

  “You’re doing everything you can, Cash.”

  “I hope so.” His hand grazed up my thigh as his expression turned more playful. “So, what can I do you for, Sky?”

  “You can do me for free.” I giggled. “But not now. I think I need a cut. Didn’t you say your sister owns a salon?” I pulled my fingers through my hair.

  “Yes, she does.” He lifted his gaze, pondering for a moment. “But they’re usually booked months in advance.”

  “Oh, too bad.”

  “But, she is my sister. Hold on.”

  I could tell that Cash was nervous about calling Grace. I knew they didn’t speak often, but I wasn’t aware of all the dynamics, or lack thereof, of their relationship. Still, he dialed the number from his phone and waited.

  “Yes, this is Cash Wagner. May I speak with Grace, please— Yes...I’ll hold.”

  He covered the receiver, saying, “They put me on hold.”

  Was he getting excited about this? I doubted Cash had to wait for too many people in his life; still, he didn’t seem to mind.

  “Hi, Grace. Listen, I was wondering, my girlfriend needs a cut... and your salon is.... What? You will? Yes, I will drive her over myself.”

  And he hung up, looking at the cell phone as if it had just fallen out of the sky. The sight of a truly surprised Cash was definitely rare, but the happiness and hope in his eyes was so powerful, I felt my own heart drum in my chest. I had a feeling that he may have needed this more than he realized as well.

  “She’ll do your cut herself anytime we’re ready.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, really.”

  I jumped off his desk and ran out of his office.

  “Where are you going?” he called after me. “I thought I was going to do you!”

  I peeked back from behind the doorframe. “To get dressed. There’s no way that I can wait to meet Grace now.”

  He laughed and I ran back into the hall. Halfway up the stairs, I heard him yell out, “If I knew you were going to be this excited over a haircut, I would have called earlier. Right after I came inside you, that is!”

  Didn’t he realize that by this point it was not just about the cut? If he had, he didn’t let on. And the way he spoke about me to his sister was uplifting as well. I tiptoed back downstairs and once again glanced from behind his office door.

  “Cash?” I asked.

  “Yes?”

  “So, girlfriend?”

  “I think that was the best description of what you are. Are you okay with that?”

  “Yeah, more than okay.”

  His smile of approval flipped my stomach inside out, and if it weren’t for the fact that I was going to meet his sister, I would have gone back to him so that we could consummate this new relationship once again.

  Minutes later, we were in the car driving to Grace’s salon. I wasn’t sure whether I was more excited about the cut or meeting Cash’s sister. The closer we got, the harder Cash squeezed the steering wheel.

  I touched his hand. “Stop that or you’ll break it off. It will be fine.”

  “You don’t understand. Over the past two years, I’ve seen Grace maybe a dozen times. And it was only because our mom insisted we all had a family dinner or visited for Christmas. I’ve been trying so hard. When I spoke to her this time, there was a change in her voice I haven’t heard before. It was as if she was waiting for my call.”

  “Maybe she was. It’s possible she wanted to see you too but didn’t know how to take that first step.”

  “I hope you’re right.” He lowered his hand to my leg and drummed his fingers over my thigh. I covered it with mine, somewhat calming his nerves.

  Cash pulled in to a garage behind the salon. We walked to the front through the side alley. Although this was the neighborhood I lived in, having mostly stayed home, I barely recognized it.

  “I still can’t believe this Grace is your sister. Sonia bought most of my wigs here.”

  “Sometimes, neither can I. And I mean that in a complimentary way.”

  The front entrance was more private than I would have imagined. There, frosted glass windows and a separating wall concealed the inside. A girl at the welcome desk greeted us. Gorgeous flow
ers lined the side counter. While the decor of the salon was sleek, the little touches of potted plants made it feel homey. We sat down on the white couch, waiting for Grace. Cash appeared as if he wanted to leave. I hadn’t seen him this nervous yet, and I didn’t think it was even possible to be that agitated.

  Grace came out a couple minutes later. Given that I’d dined at Olivier’s so frequently I was sure I had seen her at the restaurant before. Her petite frame and smile reminded me so much of Beth, their mother. The genes were definitely rich in this family.

  Cash, of course, stood up as soon as she walked into the room. “Hello, Grace. Thank you for seeing us.”

  “Hi, Cash. Of course. You don’t call me for so long, and when you do you have a girlfriend? At first I thought you were just trying to trick me.” She reached her hand out toward me for a handshake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Skyler Waters,” I said.

  “Waters. Wait a minute....”

  “Yes, she’s Emma’s sister-in-law,” Cash explained.

  “Eric’s my half-brother.”

  Now that I had a good look at Grace, I was sure that I’d seen her at Emma’s wedding as well. But given that I stayed there for a few minutes only, I didn’t think she would remember me.

  “You’re dating Emma’s sister-in-law? Wait, that means the Wagners and Crosses could one day be related?”

  “Don’t get yourself too far ahead there, Grace. We only met a few weeks ago.”

  Had it already been that long? I did the math in my head and realized it’d already been three weeks since our stunt in Vegas.

  “Oh my God! This is better than a soap opera. No offense, Skyler. Emma’s my best friend, but we’re more like sisters, which of course means you immediately become my family.” She leaned in closer to my ear. “No matter what happens with Cash.”

  “Hey, I heard that.” Cash frowned.

  Did these two even see the sibling connection they shared? I knew that Cash had told me they weren’t close, but I could see their bond was way stronger than what he had described.

  “You were supposed to.” She chuckled and I joined her. Grace then turned back toward Cash, asking, “Are you still clean of father’s business?”

  “Technically yes.”

  Grace lowered her hands to her hips, waiting for a further explanation.

  “I’m working on dismantling his last operation. Skyler is actually going to help me with it. If we’re successful, Grace, that’ll be the last one. The Wagners will have nothing left to do except practice law.”

  “I don’t know. It sounds too good to be true,” she said.

  “I promised you two years ago, and I’m going to keep that promise. I’ve been clean of it all, and my only illegal dealings have been to clean up Father’s mess. He’s not going to be happy with this one.”

  “Do you need help?” she asked. “I mean, Hunter could probably....”

  “No, it’s okay. Cross Enterprises is already on the case.”

  “Emma hasn’t said anything.”

  “That’s because she’s a professional.”

  “Yes, she definitely is.”

  Grace’s attention shifted back to me. She had a good look at me from my feet up, saying, “Okay, let’s get this done.”

  Unexpectedly, Grace took me under her arm, and at that moment I knew I liked her a lot. She didn’t feel like someone I’d just met, but more like someone I’d known for years. She led us to the back room. The salon was even more exquisite on the inside than out front. And I was pretty sure that I saw a couple of familiar faces too. I didn’t want to stare—Cash had warned me that we could run into celebrities, so I did my best to focus on where Grace was leading us.

  “So, Cash, are you going to babysit here all day?” Grace asked.

  “How long does a haircut take?”

  Grace looked at him as if he’d just slapped her in her face.

  “You cannot rush beauty—ever,” she replied. “Why don’t you leave us here and come back this afternoon. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Sky.”

  “Really?” he asked, somewhat afraid to hear the answer.

  “Yes, really. Shush.” She waved her hand at him. “If you want your woman beautiful, you need to give her the time she needs.”

  “I’ll be fine, Cash.” I stepped up on my toes and gave him a quick smooch.

  “All right, I’ll see you later. You call me if you need anything.” Cash pulled me hard against him, giving me a needier kiss than I expected. It made me want to call him back for more. My entire body heated as I watched him walk away.

  “Is it really going to take that long for a cut? I mean, I don’t want to impose.”

  “No, the cut won’t be long, but I was hoping we could get to know each other better, and we may as well get you pampered while you’re here.”

  Only after Cash disappeared behind the wall was I able to give Grace my full attention. Maybe it was a good idea that he’d left.

  “Holy crap, you’ve got it bad for him, don’t you?”

  “What? No. It’s a new relationship. And he’s just being protective.”

  “Then you don’t know anything about my brother and relationships. We may not have been in each other’s lives for a long time, but if there’s one thing I know, it’s that he doesn’t do relationships.”

  “What about Carly?” I asked as she led us to a room where I saw a huge bath filled with what looked like a seaweed puree and a chocolate puree, but neither mix smelled the way I imagined.

  Grace handed me a brand-new bathing suit before she asked, “He told you about Carly?”

  “Yes.”

  “Which means he’s got it as bad for you as you do for him. Carly was the one. I mean, I’m pretty sure Cash was going to pop the question. He was just waiting for her to get better. But she really freaked out with the pregnancy and all. I think her hormones flew through the roof and that was part of the reason she did what she did. Cash was devastated.”

  Carly was pregnant?

  Grace paused for a moment. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “I just didn’t know she was pregnant.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I just assumed... shit, I didn’t mean to.”

  “No, it’s not like that. Really, it’s okay. It just hits home for me. I lost a baby too.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you. I knew we had a lot in common; I just never realized how much.”

  “Cash has changed a lot in the past few years. I’ve given him a hard time, but I had my reasons to keep my distance.”

  “That’s okay. We all do.” I thought about all the reasons why I’d been so distanced from my family and understood exactly where Grace was coming from.

  “Okay, so cucumber or mud? We changed the batch a half hour ago.”

  “You change it for each client?”

  “Yes, of course. You wouldn’t want to take a bubble bath after someone else, would you?”

  “Oh, that makes sense. Okay, which one do you suggest?”

  “Both.” She chuckled. “Your skin will feel like a baby’s butt. Do the mud first. It will suck up the toxins from your skin, half an hour at least. Then shower and half an hour in the cucumber to moisturize. This room is all yours, Sky. We’ll do the massage, manicure, pedicure, and anything else you’d like afterwards.”

  “Thank you. I really don’t know what to say.”

  “Don’t thank me. We all need time to ourselves, but the problem is that we never get any. I’ll join you after my next two appointments, and we’ll chat some more.”

  “Awesome.”

  Once Grace left, I dipped my body into the dark, warm goo, and it felt amazing. If it weren’t for the timer Grace had set for me, I’d have felt comfortable enough here to fall asleep. Through my treatments, I thought about Cash and wondered why he didn’t mention Carly’s pregnancy. Maybe it was too difficult for him? I myself had bad days and worse days when I remembered the feeling of my baby kicki
ng in my stomach and then suddenly being gone. The emptiness inside me was excruciating. It was as if my heart was ripped out at that moment I lost our little boy. Maybe Cash wasn’t ready to deal with that part of his loss.

  After the baths and showers, I was told that the masseuse was still with a client, so I opted for acupuncture instead of the massage. Grace’s assistant waxed my bikini line and legs. Cash’s sister joined me afterwards, and we chatted in the huge leather chairs as our feet were scrubbed and nails painted. I’ve never been this pampered in my life and could definitely get used to this. I made a mental note to visit Grace more often.

  Three hours later, I was sitting in a chair. Grace pulled her fingers through my hair, lifting some strands into the air, examining their length, and then combed it. “What would you like to have done?”

  “I thought I just needed a trim, but you’re more than welcome to play around if you have an idea.”

  “Really?” she asked. “You’d trust me to do that?”

  “Yes, you’re Cash’s sister.”

  “Oh my. Sky, I think you just gave me the best gift ever. I promise, Cash will drool the moment he sees you.”

  And boy was she ever right. After Grace was done with my hair, I barely recognized myself. The cut went to just below my chin and curved in. The layered style was funky and fresh. I absolutely loved it. With a little bit of natural makeup on my face, which Grace herself applied, I felt like a completely new person. Being in my own skin, without a wig, prosthetic nose or fake teeth, the feeling of freedom was unbelievable.

  “Holy shit.” I heard Cash before I saw him. He wore dark pants and a gray shirt. The attire fit him so perfectly, I was sure if it weren’t for Grace clearing her throat we’d be playing who blinks first for a while longer. Cash held two bouquets of roses in his hands. He handed the red one to Grace, definitely shocking her, and the pink one to me.

  “I heard you can work magic, but this, Grace.... Skyler, you look stunning.”

  “Thank you. Your sister is very talented.”

  “I see.” He handed Grace his credit card.

  “Are you kidding? No way. You’re family.”

  Her words must have melted Cash’s heart. I knew from the look in his eyes that today was a big stepping stone for him, and I couldn’t help but feel that I had something to do with it.