Grinning, Cassidy said, “Knock-knock.”
Dressed in a lightweight summer dress and matching sandals, her mother looked chic and flustered. Her father just laughed and came to Cassidy for a hug. “Cass. What are you doing here?”
He always smelled of the same familiar aftershave, even on the weekends. Unlike most men in movies, books, and the ones she knew in real life, her dad was predictable in everything he did. Every single day, without fail, he got up at six. He exercised, drank coffee, and read the paper. He was dressed, shaved, and had eaten his breakfast by eight. He didn’t fret over losing his hair, but he did fret over his family.
Today he wore a natty, short-sleeved oxford shirt tucked into dark trousers. She had never seen her dad in shorts. Even when he golfed.
With typical fatherly affection, he hugged Cassidy right off her feet.
Avoiding his question for just a moment more, Cassidy went to her mom and embraced her as well. “Hey,” she said to her blushing mom, “if a man and wife can’t make out in their kitchen, then I don’t want to ever be married.”
Her mother laughed. “Oh, stop.”
“We just finished dinner, honey. Want me to warm something back up?”
“No, thanks, Dad, but I’ll take some tea.” While her father poured three glasses of sweet tea, her mother sat with her at the table. Cassidy waited for the comments on her hair, for them to notice and ask her why she’d done it. She had her reply all planned out, and Pete wasn’t a part of it. But neither one even mentioned her hair. A little disappointed by their lack of reaction, Cassidy said, “Holly came to see me last night.”
Her father set the tea in front of her and took his own chair. “That’s nice. You girls don’t get to visit enough anymore with you working so much and Holly in school.”
“She, ah, had Duke with her.”
Her mother let out a breath. “She really is hung up on that boy.”
Cassidy nodded. “They’re in love, Mom.”
With a sound of annoyance, her father said, “She’s twenty-two, Cass. She doesn’t know what love is yet.”
“Actually, I think she does.” Because that wasn’t what her parents wanted to hear, Cassidy chose her words carefully. “You’d have to see the way she looks at him to know what I mean. She’s never looked at any of her other boyfriends like that. And Duke is wonderful to her. I know he’s not who you would have wanted for her... .”
“He hopes to be a professional athlete. That’s the equivalent of a young man who dreams of becoming a cowboy. Most outgrow that fantasy.”
Cassidy shrugged. “From what Duke told me, he has a good shot at it. I bet if you see them together you’ll realize that Duke is a really nice guy”—Al-beit a bore—“and that he loves Holly, too. Isn’t that the most important thing?”
The doubting expressions on her parents’ faces didn’t look promising.
In for a penny, in for a pound. “Why don’t we all get together?” Cassidy made the suggestion with a bright smile, trying to sound chipper about the idea. “You can get better acquainted with him.”
“I want her to finish school.”
Cassidy knew that stern tone only too well. “I know, Dad. And I think she will. But if you keep disparaging Duke, she might, just might do something stupid like marry him now.”
Being a logical, levelheaded guy, her father reluctantly conceded. He turned to his wife. “Gina, what do you think?”
Her mother frowned in consideration. “We do have that benefit at the country club tomorrow.”
“Perfect,” her father exclaimed with a smile.
“No,” Cassidy said at the same time. “I mean, that’s a formal thing. I thought we could just get together at my place to grill out or something.”
“But this would be the perfect opportunity to see Duke in a different setting. I’ve met the young man twice, not at length, but enough to know he might not have any great social skills off the field. Let’s see if he’ll do this for Holly,” said her father.
Cassidy groaned. “But then that’ll mean I have to dress up, too.”
Her mother took her hand with a smile. “A painful prospect, for sure. I don’t know why you shy away from dresses.”
Because she looked and felt like a dolt in them.
Her mother wasn’t above maternal bribery. “We need you there, Cassidy. Isn’t that right, Frank?”
“Absolutely.”
“You’ve always had such a good, sensible influence on Holly,” her mother added.
Sensible. Right. What would they think if they knew she’d started a torrid affair with Pete? It might be worth telling them just to lose that hideous “sensible” label.
Cassidy pushed to her feet. “All right. I’ll talk with Holly and set something up, then let you know.” She kissed her mother’s cheek, hugged her father again, and started out the door. But at the last second, she paused. “Mom, you know Holly is pretty smart. Just because she’s beautiful doesn’t mean she’s lacking in brains.”
Her dad laughed. “Honey, we know one asset doesn’t rule out the other. Look at you.” He winked. “Beautiful and smart.”
Cassidy blinked at him.
“Holly’s just young,” her mother said. “We can’t help but worry. About both of you.”
Cassidy would have replied, but hearing herself referred to as “beautiful” put her in a stupor. She’d never thought of herself that way, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever heard her father say it, either. Usually they harped on her brains, her common sense, and her determination.
She was still dazed when she stopped by the dorm to see Holly. Amazingly enough, her sister was in. Unusual for a Saturday night, but then Holly said they would be hooking up later.
Cassidy thought Holly would surely notice her hair, and again, she rehearsed how she’d explain the sudden attention to her appearance. But Holly just inquired as to why she was there, then started dancing in excitement at the idea of dressing up for a formal charity event. Holly, at least, loved the idea. But then Holly was a typical woman who adored spiffing up in her best duds.
Holly raced to the phone to call Duke, who agreed with no apparent hesitation at all, making Cassidy wonder if she was the only person on earth who detested formality.
Then she smiled. No, Pete hated it, too. And he suited her so much better than a businessman ever would.
Five
Cassidy assumed Pete was still out with his brothers when she got home. His car was in the drive, but his condo was dark and quiet. She hesitated, unwilling to look too desperate, then went next door and knocked.
No answer.
She was amazingly bummed by that, so much so that she gave herself a stern talking-to and marched her sorry butt into her own place. She had plenty to do before the evening anyway.
Oh God, what if he didn’t come over that evening either? She’d only had sex with him once but was already suffering withdrawal. Her hands were shaking, for crying out loud. No, she wouldn’t angst over it.
She threw her new undies into the wash on a delicate cycle. She always washed new clothes before wearing them, but especially underwear. These had to be line-dried instead of going into the dryer. What a pain. Pete was already affecting her life, making her too conscious of her sloppy appearance when it had never mattered to her before.
After the wash finished and she had the new items hung up to dry, she jumped in the shower. Lingering under the spray, Cassidy forced herself not to rush, not to listen for the phone or door. But the second she got out, she checked her answering machine, which showed a great big, fat “0” calls. She stuck her head out the front door, trying to see if Pete was home yet. He wasn’t, and she wanted to smack herself.
Wearing only an enormous navy nightshirt, Cassidy paced around her condo. Later, when the panties were dry, she’d put on a pair just in case Pete did show up. In the meantime, she was making herself nuts.
Two hours later, she was propped in front of the television with a snack, oblivio
us to the movie she’d turned on. A tap sounded on her kitchen door.
She jumped—actually jumped—from her seat. Forcing herself to slow, Cassidy smoothed her hair, wiped the bread crumbs from her cheese sandwich off her shirt, and walked into the kitchen.
Pete stood there at her patio door, his hair damp from a recent shower and with a little too much sun on his face. He had one long, muscled arm above his head on the doorframe, the other stretched out to the side of the frame. He grinned when he saw her and just like that, Cassidy went weak in the knees and hot in secret places. Boy, she had it bad.
Unlocking the door, she slid it open and said, “Why do you always come to this door—umpff.”
Pete had his mouth all over her, as if he’d missed her just as much. One of his hands held the back of her head, his long fingers wrapped around her skull, while his tongue stroked into her mouth, tasting her deeply. His other hand was at the small of her back, going lower and lower until he cupped her bottom and squeezed her in close.
“Damn, I’ve thought about your mouth all day. That was the most boring boat trip I’ve ever taken.”
Cassidy licked her tingling lips and struggled to get her eyes open. “Yeah?”
“My brothers had endless comments to make. The lake was choppy. And chicks in bikinis kept flirting with us.”
Cassidy shoved back with a frown. “Oh, and I just know you hated that.”
Pete’s grin widened. “You sound so snide.” He caught her and pulled her close again. “With Gil and Sam both hitched, it was up to me to send the girls off with smiles.”
“But you sent them all off?”
He chuckled outright. “Snide and suspicious. Of course I did. Now if you were in a bikini ...”
“Right. I wouldn’t be caught dead ...”
“Did you do something to your hair?” He frowned, lifted a lock and ran his fingers down to the end. “It looks different. Shorter.”
Ohhhh. He noticed. Cassidy felt her heart turn over in her chest at the same time she started blushing. No one had noticed—but Pete had. “I just got it trimmed,” she mumbled.
“You lopped a lot off.”
“Just a couple of inches.”
Pete didn’t comment, just kept examining it. Then the hand on her bottom shifted and he growled, “Are you wearing panties?”
Oops. She’d forgotten. Before Cassidy could stop herself, she glanced into the laundry room off her kitchen where the new underwear hung across a line. “I—”
Pete followed her gaze and his eyes darkened. “Well, what have we here?”
“Pete.” She grabbed the waistband of his shorts when he started that way, and ended up dragged across the linoleum floor. “You leave my laundry alone.”
Of course, he ignored that order. Cassidy went from embarrassed to mortified when Pete fingered the panties, examining the lace and silk. Then his gaze swung around to her lower body.
“You naked under that shirt, Cass?”
She backed up. The big-bad-wolf look on his face had her giggling nervously. “Maybe.”
“I think you are.” He released her underwear to stalk her. “Much as I’d like to see your sweet ass in those little bits of nothing, I think I’d just as soon see it bare.”
She clutched the material of her nightshirt tight around her thighs. “Is that right?”
“Come here, Cass.”
“No.” She shook her head and giggled some more.
“You want me to chase you?” His gaze brightened. “I’m up to a few games if you are.”
“No! I didn’t mean—”
“Better run,” he suggested. “Now.”
His expression was so hot and intent, Cassidy didn’t question him further. She just whipped around and fled. She felt Pete behind her, heard his big feet pounding on her floor, and her heart shot into her throat. She ran as fast as she could, and all the while she kept giggling hysterically like a ninny of a schoolgirl.
She darted behind the couch, squealed when Pete went over it, and dashed down the hall. He was toying with her, she realized, when his fingers brushed her bottom again and again but he didn’t bother snagging her. Her open bedroom door offered the only escape, so she flew inside and tried to slam it shut, but Pete didn’t give her a chance. She screamed in surprise when he surged in right behind her.
Backing up, breathing hard, Cassidy watched him.
Pete’s wicked grin was full of promise. “Nowhere else to go, Cass. Now be a good girl and lift the shirt and let me see if you’ve got on under- wear.”
It was impossible to wipe the smile off her face. But at the same time, her heart beat so fast she thought she might faint. “You know I don’t.”
“Let me see.”
The back of her knees hit the mattress, bringing her to a jarring halt. Slowly, feeling like a tease, she caught the hem of her shirt—then flashed it up and back down again.
Pete laughed. “That was too fast.”
“It’s all you get.”
“Not even close.” He advanced and Cassidy caught her breath. Slowly, he took the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up, up, until it rested above her naked breasts. Somehow she felt more bared than she would have without the shirt. “Hold it there.”
Feeling light-headed again, Cassidy did as she was told.
Until Pete went down on one knee.
She whimpered. Whimpered. She wasn’t even the whimpering type, but she’d heard the ridiculous sound come out of her throat.... His fingers parted her, stifling all coherent thought.
A gasp, another whimper, then a soft groan. “Pete.”
“I kept wondering,” he said huskily, “if you really tasted as good as I remembered.” With his fingertips still holding her open, he looked up at her. “You do.”
And he must have meant it, given how much tasting he did for the next ten minutes. Cassidy’s knees were shaking, her legs like noodles, when she finally called a halt. “I have to sit down.”
“How about lying down instead?” Pete stood, tugged her shirt the rest of the way off, and began stripping his own clothes away. “I should see to you first,” he said, while staring at her breasts, “because the way I’m feeling, this won’t last long.”
“I don’t care.” Cassidy couldn’t wait a second more and went to work on his fly. She had his shorts off in a heartbeat. He was fully erect. Breath held, she cupped him in her hands and stroked the length of him, reveling in the velvet texture over tensile steel. She glanced at Pete’s face, saw his eyes were closed, his jaw locked, and felt more powerful than she ever had in her life. “I want to taste you, too.”
He ground his teeth a moment, then swallowed. Locking his dark gaze with hers, he murmured, “Be my guest.”
It was Cassidy’s turn to kneel, and she took her time, feeling him, playing with him. His thighs were rock hard, his big feet braced apart, his hands fisted at his sides.
She’d never done this, but she’d certainly read about it. Curling her fingers tight around the base of his erection, she brought him to her mouth and licked—slow, soft, wet.
Pete dropped his head back and groaned.
He was a little salty, very warm, and she liked it. A lot. Opening her mouth, Cassidy drew him in, moving her tongue, teasing, then sucking just a bit.
In a rough, hoarse voice, Pete said, “You’re something of a tease, aren’t you?”
“Mmmm.” If it meant doing more of this, she thought she could be.
“Oh, hell,” Pete complained around a broken laugh. “That’s it. That’s enough.” He caught her shoulders and pulled her up. “It’s been too long and my control is obliterated.”
Cassidy felt herself hauled upright and said with some surprise, “But it was only this morning—”
“In the bed you go.”
He was moving at Mach speed, not giving her time to think. “What about you?”
“I need to fetch the raincoat first. Trust me, I’ll be right with you.” Pete snatched up his shorts and dug through t
he pocket for his wallet. Waving one condom at her, he said, “After this, I’ll head next door for reinforcements.” He tore the package open and rolled the rubber on with ease, proving just how much experience he had at this sort of thing.
Cassidy didn’t care. He was wonderful, a fabulous lover, and he’d noticed her haircut. She opened her arms to him.
There were few preliminaries this time. Pete settled between her legs and kissed her hungrily while cupping her breasts, teasing her nipples. Unlike the first time, he didn’t drag out the foreplay. Within minutes he used his fingertips to open her. Cassidy felt the broad head of his penis pressing inside.
“Hold on to me, Cass,” he told her. “This is going to be a rough ride.”
Just hearing him say it thrilled her, and she wrapped her arms tight around him seconds before he lifted her hips and drove forward. They both gasped.
Around a groan, Pete said, “You feel so fucking good. Too good.”
The power of his thrusts rocked the bed and had the springs squeaking rhythmically. Cassidy put her legs around him, gripped his shoulders, and gave herself over to the incredible sensations of physical pleasure and emotional fulfillment. God, she knew she loved Pete. Nothing else could explain why she wanted to both weep and laugh with joy. She did neither. As her climax approached, she tightened, moaned, cried out—and felt Pete join her with a resounding, husky groan.
Yep, she loved him.
Now what?
Pete didn’t exactly mean to fall asleep with her. Staying over with a woman wasn’t something he ever took for granted. It wasn’t something he normally did, because it signified advancement in the relationship and there’d been only a few times he’d felt comfortable with that level of commitment. But after running back to his place to grab a box of rubbers, he’d returned to Cassidy and cajoled her into modeling her new underwear.
Bad Boys In Black Tie Page 6
