by Laura Moore
“All right, just let me know how much to pay her.”
“Okay.” He smiled. It was pretty clear from her questions that Cassie was already a goner when it came to the house. “We’ll work that out once you’re settled in.” Caleb bent down to the ground and plucked a small, bell-shaped, white flower that bordered the edge of the house. He offered it to Cassie. “Here. It’s a snowdrop. We’ve had an early spring, so the crocuses and daffodils will be out soon. Tulips a bit later. It’s a beautiful time of year here.”
Touched, Cassie smiled shyly in thanks. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a man who knows the names of so many flowers.”
Caleb laughed. “Ah, the bane of my youth. Mom used to make me work for her once a week in the summer when I wasn’t over at Five Oaks. Lawnmowing and gardening was how I earned my allowance. Sometimes even flower arrangements. It was positively mortifying when I was a teenager. I convinced myself I’d never get a girlfriend because of all those hours I was forced to spend working in the garden or picking flowers. But now, it comes in pretty handy.” He paused and his dark, mesmerizing eyes locked with Cassie’s blue ones.
“For instance,” he murmured as he dipped his head and slowly brought his mouth down to her throat, his lips a soft whisper against her skin. “You’re wearing honeysuckle. You smell like a summer’s day by the sea. Divine.”
His words, the nearness of his lips, sent Cassie’s heart hammering, her breath caught in her throat, excitement and desire flooding her. Thoughts skittered around in her head, barely forming before they disappeared as quickly. Will he kiss me? Oh, please, yes. I mean, no, it’s too soon. Oh, but I want to so.
Against his lips Caleb felt the frantic fluttering of her pulse as he bent over her. With sensuous delight he watched how her silky lashes drifted downwards and felt her body lean fractionally closer to his. His own heart thundered in anticipation. Knowing she could be his, he hungered for a taste. He wanted her kiss.
Then, summoning a self-control he hadn’t bothered or needed to exert in years, Caleb straightened, settling instead for a light kiss on the tip of Cassie’s nose. There was no point in rushing a good thing. Instinct told him that if he pushed Cassie too fast, he might very well scare her off. Exhaling deeply, he tried to ignore his body’s growing arousal.
A crooked smile shaped his lips at the bewildered expression on Cassie’s face as her eyes opened once more. Desire lingered, at war with confusion.
“Come on Cassie, let me take you inside.”
Determined not to show how disoriented she felt, Cassie succeeded in following Caleb up the steps to the front porch. Sheer force of will had her making an appreciative murmur, even though her brain scarcely registered the porch swing and the comfortable rockers set beside it. By the time she’d reached the landing she’d managed to regain control of her body, if not her racing thoughts.
Why hadn’t he kissed her? she wondered, slightly irritated. She’d certainly made it plain that she was agreeable—gosh, she’d almost melted into a puddle at his feet. Cassie was still amazed that she’d responded so strongly to what amounted to no more than a nuzzle of the throat and a brotherly kiss on the nose.
She must be really desperate if that was all it took to set her off. Maybe, she reasoned, it was because she’d hardly dated since her engagement to Brad. It had taken her a long time to get over the pain of their breakup. Then, she’d either just been too busy or on the few dates she’d accepted, hadn’t been even remotely interested in the men who’d tried to kiss her. It must be her lack of practice that was sending her senses reeling each time Caleb came near.
Determined to forget the incident and focus instead on the house, where her thoughts should be, Cassie took two extra steps into the front hall, distancing herself from Caleb.
It was next to impossible to take his eyes off her as she stood there, a flush still delicately staining her cheeks. She was so lovely, dressed in a baggy cable-knit sweater and jeans that it was all he could do to stop himself from taking her into his arms once again. Perhaps she truly had bewitched him earlier this morning in the barn. He ached so badly he wondered why she couldn’t see the waves of desire he felt rolling over him.
Reminding himself of the point of their visit, Caleb began rattling off specifics, hoping the details would bore him into a near comatose state.
“Downstairs, there’s the living room, dining room, study, kitchen, pantry, and a bathroom. My parents took a few pieces of their furniture with them. If you think you’ll need anything, just let me know.”
Cassie had already entered the living room ahead of him, noting the smaller study that adjoined it. She shook her head, her golden hair brushing against her shoulders.
His eyes watched as its thick mass swept back and forth across her slender back. He imagined her golden hair against her naked skin. Against his skin, wrapped around him.
Cassie’s voice forced an end to his erotic daydream.
“I wouldn’t have noticed a lack. Everything is so perfect.” A note of skepticism crept into her voice as she admired the simple, clean lines of the furniture. Dark brown oak chairs and tables stood in the living room. The couch, a deep blue, was placed against the wall between two windows. A muted blue and cream floral-patterned rug covered the wide-planked floors.
“Are you sure you want two five-year-olds running through this place? They can be more destructive than a hurricane.”
Caleb laughed. “You wouldn’t believe it, but most of this stuff was here when I was a kid, and I was pretty incorrigible. My mom was forever dragging me off to pick up some disaster I’d left behind.” He shrugged. “If it worries you, you can have the twins keep the crayons in the kitchen. But my parents always intended for there to be children in the house.”
“What about you?” Cassie asked impulsively, her curiosity about him overriding discretion. “Surely your parents would be thrilled to know their son is living in their home?”
Caleb stiffened slightly and was silent for a moment, but he didn’t ignore her question. “When I married, my parents were still living here. We could have moved into the carriage house, but Pamela preferred to live closer to town. Our marriage didn’t last long enough for this house to become an issue.”
“I’m sorry.” Cassie felt extremely gauche, annoyed with herself for having pried into Caleb’s private life.
“Don’t be,” he bit out harshly, then softened his voice when he saw Cassie’s startled expression. “It was a bad marriage for far longer than it was good. We weren’t right for each other.”
The understatement of the century, he thought cynically to himself. But he wasn’t about to go into the sordid details of his marriage to Pamela.
Cassie wished she had the courage to ask him more questions and she wished she could think of something else to say other than, I’m sorry.
So, she said nothing.
For long moments, silence reigned. At last Caleb seemed to shake off his pensiveness. He motioned for Cassie to precede him through the doorway.
“The kitchen’s through here. Then I’ll show you the upstairs. There’s something you’re going to go wild over.”
Glad that thoughts of his ex-wife were no longer haunting him, Cassie replied jokingly “What, a king-size waterbed that vibrates?”
Caleb laughed, the rich sound filling the room. He gave Cassie a devilish grin, his teasing mood restored. “What a kinky mind you have, Slim. I love that in a woman.” Caleb raised his hands, halting any further questions. “No, no. I’m not going to tell. I think I’ll surprise you.”
After they’d toured the kitchen, Caleb led Cassie upstairs. “There are six bedrooms in all. Two on each side of the hall and then two larger bedrooms on either end of the house. If I were you, I’d stake my claim on this one. It was my parents’.”
Cassie entered the room. A cherry wood double bed was set against one wall. Opposite the bed, there was a large bay window with a window seat and cushions arranged invitingly offering a view of mea
dows and rolling hills, still visible in the deepening dusk. Cassie smiled with pleasure at the sense of coziness and comfort the room gave.
“You’re right. The room’s lovely. The entire house is incredible.”
“Slim, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” Caleb said. He opened a door that Cassie hadn’t noticed in her enthusiasm over the view. With a Cheshire cat grin, Caleb let her pass. Curious to see what Caleb could find so noteworthy in a house that already bordered on the marvelous, Cassie stepped inside. Only to stop. Enchanted. Enthralled. In heaven.
Cassie stared at the sunken jacuzzi in silence, already envisioning easing the day’s aches and pains in a whirl of hot, pulsing jets. The muscles in her lower back and thighs, brutalized after her roller coaster ride on Hot Lips, cried out at the sight of the deep, massive tub.
She didn’t hear Caleb approach. She hardly registered the fact that he was standing in front of her. Until he began talking. Heatedly, fervently.
“Sweet Jesus, Cassie, I thought I was going to be able to keep my hands off you, but I can’t resist that look on your face. Like an angel in a dream.” He reached out and gently drew her toward him, flush against the hard planes of his body.
Cassie didn’t think to protest. His hot, whispered words, his hands, his mouth flowed over her, caressing all her senses. “Cassie, sweet Cassie, do you have any idea of what you do to me? I’m losing my mind.”
Unable to reply Cassie could only moan helplessly. Caleb rained warm kisses over her face, brushing eyelids, cheeks, jaw trailing his mouth down the slender column of her neck before returning again and again to plunder her soft lips. Hungrily tasting her.
Her skin might never have been touched before. The sensation of his hands sweeping down the length of her body, learning the shape of her breasts, the narrow indentation of her slender waist was so devastating, so new. His mouth continued its erotic assault, his teeth gently tugging the soft flesh of her earlobe, sparking a wildfire in her nerve endings.
Desperate to experience the feel of his mouth against hers once more, Cassie’s fingers closed, fists digging into his hair guiding his lips to hers. Her body quivered, her knees weakened as Caleb responded, his tongue entering, seeking the heat of her mouth.
His blood had turned to fire, coursing through him, setting him ablaze. Like a blind man searching, he fingered the hem of Cassie’s sweater and slipped underneath. The intense pleasure that flooded him at the satiny warmth he found there made him groan. He needed more, more heat.
“Christ Almighty Slim,” Caleb’s voice was strained, his words rushing with the force of his breathing. “I’ve been thinking about your sweater since you walked into the barn. What I could do with it. Did you know? How easy it would be to slip my hands inside and find you so soft and sleek. Like warm silk. Do you like the way I touch you?” At her moan of pleasure, Caleb’s hands moved, cupping the gentle swell of her breasts. “Your breasts have been in my dreams since I saw you in Hank’s office. The way they looked. How they would feel in my hands if I could touch them, caress them. Like now . . . perfect.”
Wrapped in the sensual spell Caleb wove so skillfully so effortlessly, Cassie’s hands clutched his muscular shoulders, her legs too weak to support her. She could no more resist him than she could stop the tremors that were enveloping her body.
His body was screaming for release. Never before could he remember feeling this degree of fevered urgency for a woman. He needed to see her naked, her glorious hair spread out like a golden halo about her.
“Sweetheart, let me take you to bed,” Caleb murmured urgently in her ear. “I don’t want to make love to you here.” He moved to scoop her into his arms, but stopped when Cassie stiffened abruptly and hastily stumbled back, freeing herself from his embrace.
His whispered words had the same effect as if her body had plunged into an ocean of ice. Cold shock washed over her her mind numbly taking in the scenario of the past. . . . God, she wasn’t even sure how much time had passed while Caleb had been kissing her like a starved man at a banquet. With her equally famished. She couldn’t believe it. Here was a man she’d known for perhaps three hours, the first man she’d even kissed in months, and she’d been close to begging him to make love to her on—wildly, she looked around, no longer even sure where she was—on the bathroom floor. Next to a jacuzzi, of all things. Dear God, what had possessed her?
Caleb watched her withdrawal with deep frustration. That’s what he got for opening his mouth. He should have just kept kissing her senseless. Then he could have picked her up, holding her close against him, and carried her to the bed. Slowly he’d have undressed her, caressing her flesh inch by inch as he uncovered it. He groaned in silent frustration at the image so clear in his mind, knowing from the look on Cassie’s face that there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell she would let him touch her again any time soon. His errant thoughts were interrupted by her voice. It was strained with tension.
“I don’t know what kind of impression you have of me, but I want you to know that I don’t usually do this.”
“Do what, kiss? Surely you’ve been kissed before?” Caleb replied, hoping to tease a small smile from her. No success.
“Very funny. You know perfectly well what I mean. But if you want, I’ll spell it out.” Her spine straightened with the rigidity of a marine. She glared at him defiantly. “I’m not fast. I’m not easy. And I don’t hop into bed with men I’ve known for a total of three hours. If you’re thinking that having me live in this house means that I’m going to sleep with you, you can think again. I have two small children to take care of. And my job at Five Oaks is far too important to me to screw it up because you can’t control your overactive hormones.” Knowing it was unfair she nevertheless forced the last bit out, unwilling to acknowledge the depth of her attraction, either to herself or to Caleb.
There were few things he hated as much as hypocrisy especially when it came to sex. They both knew damn well he wasn’t the only one suffering from overactive hormones. Cassie’s prissy righteousness nettled, provoking him.
“If I remember correctly, Slim, you seemed to be enjoying yourself just fine, if those throaty moans you made were any kind of gauge.” His gaze held hers. “You were with me every step of the way. Moreover I’ve never once thought of you as easy or fast. Ninety-five percent of the time, you’ve got more prickles than a porcupine. The rest of the time, though, we seem to get along pretty well. And for your information, I don’t want you here as a convenient fuck.” He use the word deliberately angrily. He was mad enough not to care whether he offended her delicate sensibilities.
Her outraged gasp was loud enough to be heard in the next county.
Unmoved by the sound, Caleb stepped closer, his arms pulling her stiff body flush with his. With his head lowered, his lips were merely inches away and she looked up to find his eyes dark with angry passion. His breath brushed over her lips as he spoke once more.
“But just to make everything crystal clear for you, Cassie, we are going to make love. You want to and I’m damn near dying to. And when we do, it won’t have anything to do with where you live, your kids, your job, or the fact that I’m your boss. It’ll just be the two of us. You and me. Alone. Together.”
The rest of the tour passed in a thick fog for Cassie. Caleb, as she was coming to learn, could shift moods with mercurial swiftness. As quickly as it had come, his anger vanished, replaced by his usual teasing self. Cassie however, remained off balance, still dazed by the passion he’d so easily ignited.
On the way out of his parents’ house, Caleb had led her through the back door, via the kitchen, and pointed out the carriage house where he lived. The exterior was painted in identical colors to the main house. Cassie saw two large mullioned windows set on either side of a huge barn door.
“Wow. Is that your front door?”
“No, it’s over on the side of the house. What you’re seeing used to be the original entrance for the carriages and wagons. My parents decided to transfo
rm it into an enormous window. There’s a matching one at the back. They both have screened wooden frames, In the summer when it’s hot, I can swing the doors open and latch them to the house. All that open space provides a good cross breeze and the view out the back is amazing.”
“It must be lovely in the summer.”
“Yeah, they did a terrific job on it. It still has the space and feeling of a barn inside, but it’s also comfortable.” Caleb paused and looked at Cassie. In the darkening evening, it was difficult to read his expression.
“I’d invite you in, but the way I’m feeling right now I’m not sure I’d let you leave without trying to convince you to stay the night.”
Cassie said nothing, but she felt a blush stealing over her features, suddenly grateful now for the concealing darkness. Caleb laughed softly at her mute response.
“I guessed as much. Come on, Slim. I’ll take you back to the farm. You’d best keep your fingers crossed that Hank hasn’t eaten all your share though, or you might have to go out to dinner with me.”
“At least in public you’d keep your hands to yourself,” she replied, waspish and annoyed that he could tease when she was still reeling from the aftershocks of their embrace.
Caleb’s laugh rang out in the night. “You never can be too sure. Let’s go out together tomorrow and test that idea.” “No thanks, I’m sure I’ll be busy. I generally wash my hair at night.”
“Slim, you’ve wounded me,” Caleb protested, his hand clutching his chest in a theatrical gesture. “Passed over in favor of a shampoo. I thought that line died in the sixties.”
Cassie made a sound of utter disgust as Caleb continued to shake with mirth. Determined to have the last word, Cassie yanked open the truck door.
“You should forget the vet business. Maybe you should consider a career change, too. I read somewhere they’re filming Dumb & Dumber II. You could easily get the third lead role: Dumbest.”
