by Mary Malcolm
“No. But I know it’s in good hands, or I never would have agreed.”
That seemed to satisfy. Graciella had gotten to know Stephen the same way Cassie had, through the store. He’d come in several times a week, sit with them all, laugh over their confection-of-the-week. When Cassie found out the truth she had to break it to her staff as well.
Telling them she was back with him hadn’t been easy. Even harder that they were going to make a go of it, and that Cassie wouldn’t be working the way she normally had.
Listening to the whirr of the blender Cassie fell into deep thought. He’d been such a big part of the bakery over the past year and yet didn’t even try to come in today. She knew his feelings for her staff were more than just friendly customer-type feelings, they’d become their own little family over that time.
What if Stephen had been really hurt by her leaving?
Was it possible?
Could he really have fallen in love with her? Could she have really broken his heart when she left?
It seemed unlikely. Yet, it would explain the way he acted toward her now. It would explain so many things about how he’d acted since she came back.
The whirr stopped and Cassie looked up to see Graciella studying her face. Then, almost as if reading Cassie’s mind, she said, “We all liked him, Cass. I don’t know why he lied the way he did, but we all liked him. If you really do have feelings for him, really love him, you need to talk to him. Find out the truth. Don’t just keep whatever’s inside your head to yourself. If I can’t be there, he has to be.”
That had been a running thing between them. Cassie fought so hard to keep her composure on the outside that often Graciella was the only person to know the truth of whatever was going on in her life.
“What if he doesn’t want to hear it?”
Graciella scraped the batter from the bowl and into the four small tins she’d laid out. “What if he does?”
The bitterness and anger she’d been feeling slipped away as she left the kitchen.
This might not be a marriage to last a lifetime, but Cassie could be happy in the time she had with Stephen. She’d spent all this time protecting her heart; she didn’t have to be that person all the time. What did that get her? Nothing but pain and too much frustration for one personal to deal with alone. It was a lot to think about. Could she really talk to him?
“Bye Milo, have a great day!” she called as she opened the front door. Cassie paused, taking a moment to look around. This had been her home away from home for so long. Yet, it had never felt so full of life and love before Stephen invaded it. It had become the place she wanted to be, not because she had work to do, but because he would be there, too.
“Have a good evening, Cassie. And congratulations on the marriage. Graciella told me. He seems like a really nice guy.”
Cassie smiled. “He is. Have a good night.”
She walked down the stone walkway toward Stephen’s waiting car and slowed as she approached. He was turned away from her, on the phone. She heard the name Tatiana through the open window and her heart skipped a beat. Tatiana. His ex-girlfriend.
I’ll see you soon, he said to her.
It had only been a month, but what if they’d reconnected? It wouldn’t be the first time she’d left a guy only to find him in the arms of an ex shortly after. In fact, it seemed a running pattern. The biggest difference was the she was married to this particular guy.
Her stomach tightened. While Stephen may have loved her at first, she realized, it did not seem likely he’d wait around for her, especially after the way she left. And, in fact, this was basically a business arrangement. Perhaps her leaving had given his a chance to realize that his ex was truly the right woman.
Tatiana.
Unexpected jealously rose as Cassie imagined him kissing another woman.
He turned and saw her approaching. He looked shocked at first, guilty, then masked it with a smile as he turned off his phone. “How’s the store?”
Cassie did her best to squash the jealousy and opened the car door. “It’s good, busy. It hasn’t burned down without me there, so that’s a good thing.”
“I was wrong to ask you not to be here. Once you get settled in, I’d like to see if we can find a way to work it out so you can still be here sometimes. Maybe not as much as before, but not cut off entirely either.”
Cassie nodded. She couldn’t get Tatiana out of her mind. “Are we ready?”
His eyebrows cinched together, but he didn’t argue. “Sure.” He threw the car into gear and they were on the road. “You said you don’t need long to get ready, so I was thinking...”
“Yeah?”
“We had that one spot we liked to go to off the Trinity, have you been since we got back?”
She hadn’t. But her mind couldn’t stop thinking about Tatiana. “No, not once.”
“Would you like to go now?”
Mistress. That’s the word that came to mind. She was his wife, and yet she felt like his mistress. Like he maybe had a great relationship going with this Tatiana woman and now wanted to keep Cassie on the side until it would be feasible to divorce her. The thought made Cassie sick. “No, I don’t think so, Stephen. I’d like to just head to the house.”
She didn’t look at him, didn’t need to. She could tell from the way the car sped up that he wasn’t happy with her response. But how could he do this? Tatiana. Tatiana. The woman’s name screamed money. Tatiana Sands. Much better than Cassie. God, she felt like such a fool.
Her mind flashed through covers of the magazines she’d seen him in. Always with a tall blonde woman with legs that didn’t end and big blue eyes.
A child, really. So young, yet so like Stephen. All flash, and no substance. It had been before Cassie met him, but the woman was striking. And unforgettable.
“Are you sure you want to go tonight?” she asked finally. She felt a headache coming on and didn’t really want to go anywhere.
The car slowed as it pulled off the freeway. “I’ve had this dinner set up for some time. We didn’t face the reporters earlier, so this is our best opportunity to make an impression as a couple. You promised.”
She finally looked over to him. His jaw ticked and he had a set, hard expression in his eyes.
Cassie wondered if Tatiana felt angry that he wasn’t taking her. “I don’t want to go, but I will. I need some time to get ready, so when we get to the house I’m going straight up to my room.”
“Fine,” he said.
“Fine.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence. Cassie knew her feelings were irrational. She had no real claim to him. She’d tried to blackmail him into helping her, for pity-sake. And of course someone like Stephen wouldn’t wait around. Why would a man like him hold out for a day for someone like Cassie when he had a bombshell like Tatiana waiting just around the corner?
How could she have been so naive?
He pulled up to the guard shack and they entered the neighborhood.
Cassie crossed arms over her chest as she watched the houses move past. So much money. All these people had all the resources in the world, and yet she wondered if they were truly happy.
That’s all Graciella had wanted to know. Are you happy?
An hour ago she’d felt on the verge of feeling just that. Now, she felt like the scum on the wealthy bottom of Stephen Sand’s shoe. She felt as if he’d dangled a string and she’d grabbed it.
“What exactly did the post-nup say?” she asked, surprising herself with the question.
His voice sounded dark as he said, “I thought you didn’t care about that.”
“I didn’t, but now I do.” It could say anything. It could say he had the right to cavort with Tatiana or anyone else he wanted and that Cassie wasn’t allowed to say a word. It could say how long they’d keep up this farce. God, why hadn’t she looked?
“You should have looked when you had the chance,” he said, pulling into the driveway.
God! Cassie wanted out of th
is car. She couldn’t have been happier when the car finally pulled to a stop in front of the house. Before he had a chance to say anything, she got out and slammed the door.
She was through the front door and halfway up the stairs before she heard him behind her. “What is your deal?” He seized her arm to slow her.
“Let go of me!”
“No, Cassie. What is your problem? We’d been getting along all afternoon and now you’re acting like a spoiled little child.” She wrenched her arm out of his grasp and tried to move further up the stairs. He grabbed her hand and stopped her. “Cassie!”
She bit back the tears in her voice as she said, “I don’t want to be your mistress, Stephen. I’m not that kind of woman. So whatever you have going on with Tatiana, that’s fine. I’m not going to be a part of it, though. I won’t sneak around with you behind her back.” His eyes widened and she knew she’d hit the nail on the head. “It’s true, then?” She pulled her hand free. “God, Stephen. I thought for a second that you might actually have feelings for me. I can see now how wrong I was.” The last part caught in her throat as she choked back her tears.
She didn’t stop at the sound of his voice as she raced the rest of the way up to her room. Nor did she bother to wipe the tears as they now freely fell. Stephen Sands was the only man she’d ever really felt deep feelings for. Their marriage came suddenly and unexpectedly, but she’d wondered every day since she left what their life would be like had she stayed.
Slamming the bedroom door, she leaned against it. Her whole body felt heavy with emotion. Everything from the past couple days rushed through her as she stood against the door.
She waited for Stephen to come after her, but he didn’t. Instead, she imagined, he called Tatiana. Cassie went to take a shower. She’d made a commitment and she’d follow through. No matter what she thought of Stephen or what his intentions were toward her, she’d made a commitment.
Undressing, she stepped into the shower. As the water hit her body, she let herself cry. Ragged, painful sobs that she’d laugh at if she’d take a moment to think it through. She’d cried like this once before. It had been in the middle of a grocery store. One of those days where it felt as if nothing was going her way and she’d wanted one thing, just one thing and they didn’t have it. It was irrational and crazy, but she’d wanted to sit in the middle of the aisle and sob.
Instead, responsibly, she put back everything she’d gotten from the shelves and left the store. It was like there was some impulse that impelled her to do the right thing. And she hated it sometimes.
Scrubbing hands across her face, she straightened her back and found her composure.
There was a small knock on the bathroom door. “Cassie?”
Chapter Eleven
“Go away.”
He leaned in closer. “Cassie, we need to talk.” This had gotten out of control. He didn’t know what Cassie had overheard in his conversation with Tatiana, but he had to clear this thing up, and fast. Tatiana might want to blackmail him over their relationship, but he wouldn’t let her ruin the little bit of headway he and Cassie had made over the last forty-eight hours.
She didn’t answer him, though. The water in the shower kept running.
Fine. If she wanted to be obstinate and childlike, he’d be just as obstinate. Reaching forward, he grasped the doorknob and turned. “Cassie, I’m coming in.”
If she’d heard him, she chose not to respond.
Just like her.
So stubborn.
And sexy as hell. He saw her silhouette through the glass shower door and grew instantly erect. Her large, full breasts, the wideness of her hips. The curve of her bottom as she bent against the wall.
He felt a bit like a pervert for watching, but quickly dismissed the thought. He was her husband, after all.
She was a passionate woman, beautiful woman. More so than any woman he’d ever known. And when she’d vowed to not give her affection to him, he knew that holding out on her would be the worst type of torture possible.
But now. Now, perhaps he could forgive.
His mind flew back to the elevator. Her leg thrown over his hip. The idea of sharing the shower with her now made him loosen his tie in anticipation.
“Cassie? Can you hear me better now?”
“Stephen! You came in? God, I can’t even get away from you in here?” She opened the shower door slightly, poking her head through as he pulled off his tie.
Stephen laid it over a towel rack and walked the length of the floor to kiss her where she stood. She didn’t attempt to fight; she didn’t do anything. The water sluiced from her face over his lips and she stood stock still as he kissed her.
“I’m not your whore,” she said, finally as he pulled away.
“Is that what you think?” He looked at the intensity, the pain in her green eyes. This close he could count the freckles on the bridge of her nose. He reached forward to trace a finger over the three larger freckles on her right cheek. He’d always loved them. He leaned his forehead against hers and shook his head. “Cassie, I’m sorry that’s what you thought.”
She pulled away and Stephen did his best not to glance down at her breasts, now in full view just inside the door.
“I know Tatiana’s your ex-girlfriend Stephen, but why were you talking to her? No,” she held up her hand. “Why is she suddenly coming up? I hadn’t heard about her at all while we were together. Just be honest with me. Do you still love her?”
Her eyes searched his for the truth. The earnest look on her face was one he’d not seen on any woman outside of Cassie. And he’d thought at first it was because she didn’t know who he was. Now he was starting to realize she didn’t care.
Of all the women he’d ever dated, ever even spent time with, they’d all only ever seen his money. Tatiana wanted him for his money, certainly, but she’d been one in a long string. And even before.
Before he’d been with Cassie, he’d dated enough girls to realize that his family fortune would bring out the worst of the worst in women. Never in Cassie, though. She seemed not to care about money at all, or that she thought he had none.
“Tatiana and I broke up just before I met you.”
Her eyes crinkled around the edges and her nose gave a slight quiver.
He finished by saying, “I didn’t love her.”
Looking skeptical, Cassie withdrew back into the shower, pulling the door shut behind her. “Why are you talking to her, then? What’s going on?”
“Cassie, I don’t want to talk to you through the door.”
She didn’t say anything.
He knew they’d be ruined, but at that moment, Stephen cared more about talking to Cassie, getting her to understand the truth than about the clothes on his back. Opening the door, he joined her in the shower.
She looked at him and laughed. Then, tried to cover herself.
“No.” He stepped closer. He took her hand and leaned in, pressing her against the shower wall. “I don’t love Tatiana.”
She looked away, so he tilted her head back toward his and kissed her lips softly. He lowered his voice. “I don’t love her, Cassandra. I never did.” His kiss deepened. Their tongues swirled together and she pressed her breasts into his chest. Her fingers dug at the buttons of his shirt.
“Why were you talking to her this afternoon?”
Cupping her bottom, Stephen walked them backwards away from the shower spray. “It’s complicated. And I don’t want to get into it with you, but can you believe I’m telling you the truth? That I’m not with Tatiana?”
He pulled back to look her in the eye. More than anything before in his life, Stephen needed Cassie to believe him on this one thing. Right here and right now, Stephen needed Cassie to trust him. Ultimately it wouldn’t matter, but his heart pounded as he waited for her response.
Her eyes searched his. She took a breath. Two. Her hand smoothed the wet hair away from his face and settled under the curve of his jaw. “I believe you,” she said, finally
.
With that, Stephen covered her mouth with his. Their tongues swirled and danced as his hands closed in tighter on her bottom. She worked her hands into his shirt and pulled it completely from his shoulders, letting it drop onto the granite floor. Reaching up, he moved her soaking wet curls over her shoulder to give him better access to her breasts.
God, her breasts. So beautiful. Creamy white, coral tipped nipples hard from arousal. The steam from the shower billowed up off the floor as he dipped his head to take one into his mouth. She arched her back in response and leaned back against the shower wall.
Digging fingers into his hair, she held on tight as he moved to the other breast. She moaned in response to his tongue, his teeth as they nipped. “Stephen.” She breathed his name.
He stood and pressed her hands above her head, causing her breasts to strain and her body to lengthen. She was curvier than any other woman he’d ever been with, but her stomach was still pulled taut as he kissed the hollow of her neck and caressed a hand down her side. His hand steadied over the soft curls between her thighs and a finger found the slick evidence of her arousal surrounding her tightened bud. She moaned harder as she pressed her mound into his hand.
Stephen pushed her thighs apart and knelt on the shower floor. He kissed the insides of her thighs. She tangled her fingers in his hair as he pressed into her. God she smelled good. He used his thumbs to peel her back as his tongue darted out, tasted. He buried his face and braced against her tightening fingers on his shoulders. “God, Cassie,” he said as her breathing quickened. She teetered on the edge, her skin reddening and muscles tensing before he pressed a couple of fingers in deep to push her over the edge. When it was over she tried to fall to the shower floor, but he held her in place and pressed his cheek to her perfect belly. Finally, he stood and kissed the hollow of her neck. “You still taste amazing,” he whispered into her ear.”
A knock sounded at the bathroom door, stopping everything mid-moan. “Mrs. Sands, I have Mr. Giles on the phone for you. He says it can’t wait,” Abigail said through the door.
Stephen stiffened and stepped away. Water dripped from his chin as he looked for the truth in Cassie’s eyes. “You accused me of treating you like a whore.”
