by Cate Cameron
“Central Park,” Emily said quickly. “You’d like that, Aunt Cass. Right? Lots of trees and stuff. And I think there’s even horses.”
“I don’t know about the horses,” he said. There’d been some sort of controversy about riding in the park a few years earlier, but he hadn’t cared enough to notice how it was resolved. “But the park is right down the street from my place. We can go there whenever we want.”
“Sounds great,” Cassidy said. She didn’t sound totally enthusiastic, but Will didn’t think she was being sarcastic, either. “Must be nice to live that close.”
“I don’t get to the park all that often, actually.” Too busy working, making money, even though he already had more than he could ever spend. “But I guess it’s nice to know it’s an option, yes.”
And then they drove in silence, down along the river, Will trying to see the familiar scenery as it must seem to someone who wasn’t used to it.
He still thought it was beautiful. This was his city, his home, and maybe he couldn’t be objective about it, but surely no one could see that skyline and not be moved? They couldn’t refuse to feel the energy of the place, even from inside a vehicle? It was New York City, for God’s sake.
He looked over at Emily, saw her practically bouncing out of her seat, and grinned. Yeah, she felt it. He couldn’t pretend it was proof of his paternity, because Pippa had always loved the city, too, but it was one more similarity between them, one more bond. Then he glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Cassidy looking down at her lap.
Damn it. This wouldn’t work if he couldn’t get Cassidy on board. It wouldn’t work for Emily, and it wouldn’t work for him. He refused to bulldoze her on this. If she didn’t want Emily to go to school in the city—damn it, what if Cassidy didn’t want it but Emily did? And if he thought it was where she’d get the best education?
It would be unworkable, and therefore it was unacceptable. Cassidy would just have to be persuaded, without being coerced. That was his job for the next two days.
Emily’s questions resumed as they approached his condo. She would spot a landmark out the window, spin to ask him about it, and turn back to the window to spot something new before he was even finished talking.
“Like a golden retriever watching people play catch,” Cassidy said wryly. He wished he could reach back and touch her. A squeeze of her hand, a touch to her knee, just something to reassure and reconnect. But of course that was forbidden with Emily in the car.
Then they were at the entrance to his parking garage, and Emily kept him busy with even more questions.
He explained the security system in his building as they entered, and added, “There’s a gym on the main floor, and a reception suite a floor above that. I can sign it out if I want to have a party too big for my place.”
“Do you have big parties?” Emily asked skeptically.
“You think I don’t have friends?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen you with anybody but us. Do you have friends?”
“I have a few. A few very good friends who are looking forward to meeting you. And many, many acquaintances, some of whom I sometimes entertain in the reception rooms.” Usually for business events, but he didn’t bother to explain that distinction to her. She’d understand in time.
Of course, based on what he’d seen of Cassidy, Emily might be used to adults who didn’t really have friends. Cassidy was too busy at the diner, too busy with Emily. And while her relationship with her sister hadn’t been healthy, at least by Will’s standards, it had obviously been pretty close. Maybe Cassidy hadn’t wanted any friends beyond that. Maybe.
But maybe he could find her some in the city. If he did a good job, that could be the thing that convinced her to make the move.
He unlocked the apartment door and stepped aside to let the others in. Emily bounded through the doorway, and Cassidy, of course, hung back suspiciously. “There are no traps inside,” he told her solemnly. “And the lock on the door only keeps people out, not in. I promise—you’re safe.”
A slight eye roll, and then she stepped carefully over the threshold.
“It’s huge!” Emily yelled from the living room. “I thought New York apartments were tiny, but this is bigger than our house! And it’s so nice. Everything looks so new.”
“Barely looks like anyone lives here,” Cassidy said. Will could feel the judgment in her tone but couldn’t figure out what she meant until Emily scampered down the hallway toward the guest rooms and Cassidy added, “If Emily moves here, you’ll need to be home for her. She can’t come back to an empty apartment night after night.”
He bit back the retort about Emily being used to going home to an empty house, and instead said, “I’ll need to make some lifestyle adjustments. I know that.”
“She needs stability,” Cassidy said. She had a way of making the words sound like a challenge, one she clearly didn’t think he’d be able to meet. “She’s been through a lot, and this would be just one more change. If she comes to the city, she needs to know there’s someone at home for her.”
“Absolutely,” he agreed. It was too much of a chance for him to pass up, so he added, “I’m hoping there will be two people here for her. Or if this place doesn’t work for you, we could move. If you want a house, there are places just over the river, in Jersey or Connecticut or wherever. We could find somewhere with space for the horses, but Emily could still commute in to school, or she could stay at school during the week and come home on weekends, if that was better. There are a lot of options to consider, but I really, really hope you’re going to be part of whatever we come up with.”
She turned away quickly, but Emily was still in the other room, so he continued with what he needed to say. “It doesn’t have to be sexual. You and me, I mean. If that’s what’s holding you back—even if you don’t want to live in the same apartment as me—we can figure that out. I can buy another condo in this building for you, or we could move somewhere with a main house and a—”
“A nanny suite?” she said quickly. “Is that how you see this going? I have no money, so you can just assign me whatever job suits you, and I’ll be grateful. It’s not convenient for me to keep running the diner, and it doesn’t make much money, so I should close it down and come join your domestic staff.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Cassidy,” he started, but then Emily bounced back into the room, and he had to let it go. He tried to focus on his daughter, not the frustrating, defensive, beautiful woman who stood behind her, watching them both with an expression of mixed affection and concern.
He needed advice. He was back in the city, and he had people here. Friends who would tell him the truth and help him see what he needed to do. They should probably meet Cassidy, just to get a better idea of what they were dealing with.
And because he wanted them to meet her, he realized, for her own sake and for theirs. He wanted her to understand that he knew about tight bonds, about loyalty. And he wanted them to understand that she was special. Unique. He wanted them to meet her so they’d know how serious he was about finding a way to make this all work out. Somehow.
Chapter Fourteen
Cassidy knew she was being a sourpuss. Emily was so excited, so in love with everything they saw, that Cassidy didn’t have to worry about dampening the girl’s enthusiasm, but she was angry at herself anyway. This was reality, and there was no way to change it, so she should try harder to accept it with good grace.
Nice in theory, but harder to put into practice. Will had ordered pizza for dinner, and that had seemed like at least it would be something familiar and comforting, but when it had arrived, the toppings were all wrong, chicken and spinach and weird cheese and vegetables she’d never even eaten before. It hadn’t tasted bad, exactly, but it sure as hell hadn’t been familiar or comforting. Maybe she should have been able to find solace in the familiar company, but all Em could talk about was the city and everything else that was new and different. Even Will, who had become p
art of everyday life in Lyonstown, was subtly different in his own home. It wasn’t like he’d ever seemed uncomfortable in other surroundings, but the New York condo amplified his smoothness, somehow, making him intimidating again, even when his smile was as warm as ever.
Cassidy lay in bed that night, trying to decide if it was possible that the sheets were even softer than those at the rental in the country, and found herself reverting to her idea of this entire episode as a mirage. A temporary fantasy. She didn’t belong in this fancy Manhattan apartment, and she couldn’t make herself believe that she did. And of course, she didn’t belong with Will Connelly.
But she was in this fancy Manhattan apartment. And Will Connelly’s bedroom was on the other side of the living room. Far enough to give some privacy from Emily, but close enough that maybe Cassidy’s nerve would hold all the way there. Nothing was real, so none of it counted.
She slipped out of bed. She looked down at her old T-shirt and ragged cotton shorts, her standard summer-sleeping garb, and wondered if it was the first time something bought at Walmart had been worn in this apartment. Well, no, she thought as she padded silently to the door of her room. Surely there was cleaning staff, and maintenance people. They couldn’t all wear uniforms.
But thoughts like that were going to get in the way of her progress. This was her mirage, and in her mirage, none of that mattered. She’d slipped out of the constraints of reality, and every careful step she took down the polished hardwood floors of the hall was another step away from those thoughts. She was going to find Will, and when she got there, they wouldn’t have to worry about money, or clothes, or Emily, or—no. None of that. It would just be her and him. And if they could stay like that, at least for a little while, it would be perfect. It would be a memory worth keeping.
There was moonlight slanting in through the huge windows at the far side of the living room, and the cool glow added to her feeling of unreality. She was far in the past, or maybe in the future, or in a magical time when none of her daily concerns really applied. Everything would be okay, as long as the moon kept shining in that way.
She hadn’t followed the tour to this side of the apartment earlier in the evening. Emily had been bouncing all over, practically sniffing the corners like a puppy in a new home, but Cassidy had hung back. It had felt too personal to invade this space. But now, down a short hallway, there were two doorways in front of her. A soft orange light bounced and moved from one of them, and she smiled as she pushed that door from ajar to fully open.
Will sat in a leather armchair next to the fireplace, a glass of wine in his hand. The same one he’d served at dinner and seemed to expect her to enjoy more than other wines? Maybe. He was reading something on a tablet but looked up at the sound of the door.
“Hey,” he said, his voice softer and somehow less intimidating than it had been in the dining room. “You okay?”
“I am.” She took a few steps toward him. The room was spacious, but the walls were lined with bookshelves, not windows. No moonlight. Would the firelight do? “Too bad that’s not real wood burning,” she said, almost to herself.
Will nodded. “I miss making the fires. Just pressing a button doesn’t have quite the same mystique. Still, better than nothing, right?”
Yes. That was the answer. It was better than nothing, and it would do. She found the strength to move forward again, and finally he seemed to understand why she was there. He set the tablet on the table next to his chair and stood up, and she stepped in close to him, near enough that their bodies brushed against each other in interesting places.
He hesitated, as she’d known he would. “This is okay?” he asked, his voice even lower than before. “With Emily down the hall?”
“She’s exhausted. She’s not going to wake up and come looking for either of us.” She stood up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his, just a hint, a suggestion.
“I’m not sure she was ever going to come looking for us at the rental house, either,” he said. “I’m not sure I understand the rules.”
Another stretch, another gentle kiss. “I don’t think there actually are any rules.”
“That’s probably not going to work for me, long-term,” he said, but she could feel his hands hovering beside her, could feel how much he wanted to grab hold. “I like to know what’s going on.”
“I don’t think we need to worry about long-term right now, do you?”
She could see the conflict in his face, and then his hands slid around her back and down to cup her ass. “I guess not,” he murmured, and this time the kiss was real, and deep.
He was usually so calm and relaxed that it was easy to forget he had another side to him. A side that pulled her close, took what it wanted, and danced on the edge of control. She loved that part of him. Maybe she couldn’t match his education or his style or his money, but she could damn well match his passion.
She tangled her tongue around his, shared his breath, and then found enough of a grip in his short hair to pull his head back. His stubble was rough under her lips as she kissed her way back to the smoother skin of his ear. A nibble on the lobe, then kisses and nips to the softer skin just beneath it, too far back on his neck to be stubbly. Their previous explorations had taught her how well he responded to attention in that area, and his muted groan was enough to set her heart racing.
“Is there a lock on your bedroom door?” she managed, and then she was in the air, his hands cupped under her thighs to support her as he started moving. It was only natural to wrap her legs around his hips and irresistible to keep nibbling at his neck. He stumbled a little when she found the perfect spot, and he swore in a soft, needy way that sent a flash of warmth right through her body.
There was a bit of fumbling once they were through the bedroom door, and he needed a free hand to lock it, but the interruption didn’t distract her. She was working on the buttons of his shirt, and the coordination required was almost too much for her. She’d felt his chest before, pressed against hers through two layers of clothing, or bare under her fingers as she’d stolen quick moments in the diner’s back room. But now she needed to see it, needed to taste it. They’d waited long enough, and there was moonlight coming in through the bedroom windows, so nothing counted and everything was okay.
It took longer than it should have to reach the bed, and she pulled herself away from his body long enough to look around the room. “Shit. This is huge. What the hell do you need so much space in a bedroom for?”
She could feel his chuckle through her whole body. “Got to impress the ladies, you know.”
“You compensating for something?”
“I think we should definitely let you find that out for yourself.” And with that she was flying backward, landing on the bed with the duvet fluffing up around her like a splash after jumping into a pond.
She looked up at him as he dropped his shirt and undershirt to the floor. His skin was pale, but not ghostly, and the light dusting of hair she’d only felt before then was blonder than she’d anticipated, just a sheen in the moonlight. She wanted to touch, but made herself stay still, and was rewarded when his fingers fell to his waistband.
And then they stayed there, motionless. She cast her hungry gaze toward his face, trying not to growl with impatience. He said nothing, just raised an eyebrow. He wanted…?
Oh. She grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head, tossing it to the floor somewhere near his. Her breasts were smallish, but it wasn’t like she’d been wearing push-up bras or anything, so there was nothing she’d been hiding, nothing too shocking about losing the fabric. Nothing at all interesting about her breasts.
Will seemed to disagree, though, because the bastard had pulled his hands away from his pants and was shifting forward, moving toward her, ready to fall onto the bed.
She lifted her foot and braced it on his hard, warm stomach just in time. “Hey,” she said. “You were in the middle of something there, buddy. Don’t get distracted.” A moment
of discomfort, then, remembering that she was in his fancy Manhattan bedroom where he generally hosted fancy Manhattan women. Maybe she was doing this wrong, maybe she wasn’t being fancy enough. But he grinned at her and returned his hands to the button of his fly, so she stopped worrying at least for right then.
He didn’t quite put on a show. Nothing too exaggerated, no big shimmies or anything. But he moved with tantalizing slowness, and whenever she could tear her gaze away for a moment and look up at him, he was watching her and smiling.
“You enjoying this?” she asked.
“Hell, yeah. You?”
It was her turn to grin. “Pretty good so far, but you have, like, two seconds to keep up the tease before I take over.”
“You say that like it would be a bad thing,” he said, but he sped up a little, pushing his pants and underwear down over his hips, pausing and lifting for a tantalizing moment, and then dropping them to the floor. She hadn’t realized she was licking her lips until he made a noise, and she followed his gaze to understand his reaction.
This time when he tried to drop down onto the bed, she let him, let him stretch out on top of her, his bare chest warm and hard and perfect against hers. She closed her eyes and got lost in the sensations, his soft lips trailing kisses down over her neck to her breasts. Her back arched instinctively as his mouth closed on her nipple, and she heard herself make a breathless, needy sound that she’d be embarrassed about later. Right then, though, she didn’t care, and she tangled her fingers in the hair on the back of his head, pulled him in closer, savored the feeling of his rough stubble against her sensitive skin.
