“One kiss,” he said and tossed the keys into the air, catching them again. “You can drive it wherever you want for one kiss.”
Cassie shook her head. “That’s it? I expected a tougher bargain from you, Reid.”
“Like what?” His voice was low and soft, his gaze unswerving.
“I thought you’d want to find out where my boots end.”
He laughed out loud, obviously surprised by her comment. His eyes glowed with interest. “I didn’t think you’d go for that. My mistake.”
“But a kiss it is. You sold yourself short, Reid.”
“Maybe I’ll have a chance to make another offer,” he murmured.
“I should help Tori,” she said, remembering why she was in town.
“Go!” Tori called, obviously having overheard their conversation. Her eyes were sparkling. “Dinner in one hour.” She pointed at Cassie. “I expect you to be on time and then do the dishes for this.”
“Looks like you’re free, after all,” Reid said.
Cassie dropped her voice low. “Don’t be fooled. I’m very expensive.”
Reid laughed. “But worth every penny, I’m sure.”
His gaze was so hot that Cassie had to avert her gaze. She checked her watch. “We can’t go far.”
He nodded. “Lover’s Leap, maybe,” he said, his gaze returning to hers. There was a challenge in his expression. “The road has some nice curves on the way there. It’s good for getting a feel for the gearbox.”
Their gazes met and locked, the gleam in his eyes making Cassie’s heart pound. She’d never made out at Lover’s Leap. She’d never liked a guy enough to do it—or the ones she’d liked hadn’t liked her enough to offer.
The curves in the road weren’t the real reason Reid wanted to go there and she knew it.
“Uh huh,” Cassie said. “You just want to get more than we agreed upon.”
“And I’m prepared to give more for it.” His grin widened as he leaned closer, giving Cassie the sense that she’d made a deal with the devil himself. His voice dropped low. “You can collect anything you want from me, anytime, Cassie Wilson.”
Cassie’s heart stopped, then raced. She plucked the keys from Reid’s hand, their skin brushing one more time in that electric way. “Lover’s Leap it is.”
Two
Of course, Cassie could drive a stick.
Reid had worried for only a moment about the fate of his car’s gear box, but as soon as Cassie took the wheel, he’d recognized her confidence. She adjusted the seat and mirrors, started the engine and smiled at the sound of it. She worked through the gears once to get a feel for the gear box, her foot on the clutch, then backed out of the spot. She waved to Tori, who was probably going to spend the next hour on the phone sharing Reid’s conversation with Cassie, then squealed the tires when she pulled out of the parking lot.
“Oh, this is nice,” she said, halfway under her breath.
Reid was watching her legs, sheathed in that gleaming black leather. He was also thinking about her quip that he’d sold himself short, and wondering what she’d do about it. For the moment, he was content to let this bolder Cassie take the lead.
It seemed to be what she wanted.
Once out of town, she accelerated smoothly, at one with the car as she navigated the curves in the road. Reid smiled at her pleasure in the vehicle. “What kind of car do you have?” he asked.
“I don’t have one at all. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to have one in the city.”
“What does Nick think of that?”
Her smile was quick. “That it’s a good reason to never live in Manhattan. I don’t think he could stand being without a car.”
“And you?”
“I miss driving, but I really like living in the city.”
“And you don’t miss Montrose River.”
“Not one bit.” She stopped at a stop sign and cast him a sparkling glance. “Why did you come back here?”
“Why not? There’s something comforting about a place where you know all the rules...”
“Because you broke them all.”
“And you know all the people.” Reid continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “It’s home.” He shrugged, not knowing how to explain it better than that. “Doesn’t it feel like home to you?”
Cassie shook her head. “If home is where the heart is, then Flatiron Five is my home.”
Reid didn’t recognize the name. “Where?”
“The fitness club in Manhattan. I’m one of five partners and it’s in the Flatiron district.”
“Five women?” Reid had to think that a club run by five women as gorgeous and polished as Cassie would be a huge hit in any city.
Maybe he was due for a trip to New York.
Cassie smiled and shook her head. “Four guys and me.”
He gave her an appraising glance. “Uh huh.”
“It’s not like that, although there was a time when I wished it was, at least with one of the guys. He’s married now, and two of the others are in serious relationships. Theo and I are the hold-outs.”
She said this easily, as if being single in her early thirties was no big deal.
“What’s your mom think of that?”
“You can guess. I should have had at least four kids by now in her estimation. My being single drives her crazy.” Cassie sighed. “I’m sure, for example, that there will be at least one eligible bachelor crossing my path this weekend.”
Reid smiled. “Why does that sound like it’s not going to work?”
“Because it won’t,” she said with resolve. “I make my own choices, and I’m definitely going to find my own partner.”
“Partner,” he echoed. “Is that a lover or a husband?”
“Does it matter?”
“It could.”
“I want a partnership, a relationship of equals, something that lasts more than a night or a month.”
“Babies.”
“No.” She flicked a quick glance Reid’s way, but to her relief, he didn’t seem to realize that it wasn’t a simple question or answer for her. “Just permanence. Aren’t you looking for that, too?”
Reid shook his head. “No. I believe in making the most of the moment, and in making promises I can keep.”
She stopped at another stop sign and turned to look at him. “People promise the future to each other all the time.”
“And how many of them manage to keep the promise?” There was something about Cassie that let Reid be more honest with her. Maybe it was that she was leaving, and that he didn’t really think he had a chance with her. “It’s betting on the outcome, making guarantees without knowing all the variables. No wonder so many couples split up.”
“So, you’ll never get married?”
Reid shook his head. “Never,” he said with finality, knowing there was no point in pretending he was different than he was. He winked at her. “But it’s a matter of pride that I always show a lady the best time I can, for as long as I can.”
“That sounds like a contract.” She lifted a brow. “Or a negotiation.”
“It’s a philosophy.” He sensed her disapproval and felt the need to provoke her a bit. “I’m going to guess that you subscribe more to the ideal of dreams than the practicality of objectives.”
“What if I do?”
“Then you can’t be surprised if you don’t ever get what you want.”
“What?” She squealed the tires as she pulled away from the stop sign. He noted the stubborn set of her lips and the indignation flashing in her eyes and thought she looked amazing.
“It’s a question of perspective and of terminology.”
“I don’t see how having a dream can keep you from getting what you want...”
“Because just using the word ‘dream’ makes it sound unattainable and elusive, or even worse, beyond your own control. You need luck to achieve a dream, or someone else’s help, or divine intervention.” Reid shook his head. “I like better odds than that.�
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Cassie considered that for a moment before she replied. “So, no dreams?”
“Not for me. I have objectives. Achieving them is entirely up to me. No matter what the goal is, I can put the pieces in motion and make my own luck.”
“That can’t work for everything. It can’t work for love, for example.”
“But I’m not that interested in love,” he replied, which was true. “Let’s compare our philosophies here. You’re waiting to find true love, or a guy just like your partner who married someone else.”
“I didn’t say that!”
“You might as well have.” He noticed how deeply she blushed. So, she was still hot for the partner who was married. “I wish you luck with that dream, but I’m also going to guess that you’ll spend a long time waiting for true love, thinking your glass is half-full.”
Her lips tightened for a moment. “While you?”
“I see my glass as half full. It’s good but there’s always room for improvement. I’ll enjoy every minute, though, and appreciate what I have.”
“That doesn’t sound like much of an objective.” She parked the car at Lover’s Leap and turned off the ignition. Then she turned an expectant glance on him.
Reid smiled. “My objective right now is to see you again this weekend, preferably in the next twenty-four hours. I’d like you to negotiate for something else you’d like from me, and I’m going to guess that whatever it is, I’ll be willing to participate.” He indicated her purse. “So, I can put the pieces in motion to make that objective more of a possibility. Pull up the address book on your phone.”
Cassie did as instructed.
Reid beckoned and she smiled a little as she handed the phone to him. He quickly added himself to her list of contacts with his own cell phone number, saved it, and handed the phone back to her, looking her straight in the eye. “Call me anytime.”
“To negotiate.” She seemed to find that amusing.
“To do anything you want. I’m open to the possibilities.”
“Did your father teach you that philosophy?”
Reid snorted. “No. Marty taught me that.”
“My uncle Marty?”
“The very same. He’s the one who gave me a chance and a kick in the ass.” Reid shrugged. “More than one of those, actually. The only thing my old man ever taught me was to be quick enough to get him another beer before the one in his hand was empty.”
He could feel her watching him and changed the subject before she could ask him a question about his family. “Devin Crawford.” he said. “That’s my guess for bachelor number one.”
Cassie grimaced. “Why?”
“Because he just got divorced and every mother in town is trying to fix him up.”
“This is what I don’t miss! All this gossip.”
“It’s not gossip. It’s fact.”
She spared him a killing glance. “It’s speculation about other people.”
Reid shook his head. “No. I don’t gossip. If there are established facts, I might choose to share them, but I don’t speculate about others.”
“Why not?”
“You don’t have to be on the wrong end of that kind of speculation to see how destructive it can be.”
Her sidelong glance was more considering this time, and Reid felt as if he’d inadvertently confessed a secret. He frowned and continued. “Also, Devin lives in town, and I’ll guess your mom wants you to move back to Montrose River.”
“Don’t be so sure of that,” Cassie replied, her tone a little bitter.
Reid resisted the urge to ask more about her family. “Well, maybe Tori does.”
“Maybe.”
“And he’s considered by those who worry about such things to be good-looking, responsible, and a nice guy. I guess that makes him a suitable date and good catch.”
Cassie made a face that reassured Reid about Devin. Her words did even more. “I don’t even remember him.”
Reid didn’t note that Cassie seemed to have tried to forget them all. “You probably do. He used to wear glasses, but had surgery. His dad’s an electrician, and he always did well in math. He went to college for computer stuff and now runs his own company. IT stuff.”
“Sounds like you’re trying to fix me up now.”
Reid laughed. “Hardly!”
“Tell me what’s wrong with him, then.”
“Never. It’s a small town, Cassie. I only have good things to say about my neighbors.”
She studied him, assessment in her eyes. “Is that new, too?”
“No. I never say bad things about anyone. I told you. No gossip.”
“Does that stop anyone from saying bad things about you?”
“But are they bad things if they’re true?”
She laughed then, an honest laugh that made her eyes dance. Then her gaze dropped to his lips. “You know, I used to think that kissing you would be the worst possible thing a girl could do to her life and her reputation.”
“I hope I can live up to that kind of pressure.”
She laughed again. “You’d better if you ever want another one.”
Reid held her gaze. “Cassie Wilson, when did you become a tease?”
“I’m not a tease,” she said. “I deliver on my promises.”
“Now, I’m the one with expectations about this kiss. Maybe I’ll be able to tell Devin what he’s missing.”
Cassie shook her head and reached for him, sliding her hand around the back of his neck. Reid almost shivered at the smooth feel of her leather gloves, then he felt a surge of heat at her scent. She still smelled clean and feminine, although her perfume was seriously sexy stuff. Having her lips so close, so red, so ripe, awakened a primal urge within him. He thought about slinging her over his shoulder and taking her home for the night.
Or the weekend.
He could see the creamy perfection of her cleavage and her skirt had pulled up a little, revealing an increment of smooth thigh above the top of one boot. He looked and swallowed and she smiled.
“Now you’re the one talking too much,” she whispered, her voice low and husky. She met his gaze, then leaned closer and touched her lips to his.
Reid wasn’t going to settle for a little kiss. He speared his fingers into Cassie’s hair and drew her closer, slanting his mouth over hers and sealing his lips to hers. When she made a little purr of satisfaction, he deepened his kiss, feeling a sudden determination to look like a better option than Devin Crawford.
What a kiss.
Cassie halfway thought she’d died and gone to heaven. A long spell of celibacy wasn’t doing one thing to diminish the effect of Reid’s kiss, never mind his sheer expertise. She wasn’t going to think about how many kisses he’d given to practice his technique, or even how swiftly he’d changed the balance of power so that it was his kiss instead of hers.
She was just going to enjoy.
The best part was that he took his time. There was no rush. He didn’t push. He coaxed and cajoled, kissing her deeply, lingeringly, thoroughly, then pulling back a little and letting her pursue him. He knew she’d want more and even though Cassie hated being predictable, she couldn’t resist the temptation of demanding more.
Her hands framed his face and her eyes closed as she surrendered to his kiss. She smelled his skin and felt his heat, but the interior of the car seemed dark and private. She could hear the falls in the distance and smell the pines that grew on this peak. Otherwise, there was only the sound of a few birds.
Reid had one hand cupping her nape and the other resting on her thigh. She smiled into his kiss when she felt his hand move higher, sliding over the smooth leather and under the hem of her skirt. She felt his fingertips brush against her skin, then run around the top of the boots to the back of her leg. His fingers spread wide then, his palm smooth and warm against her leg, as his hand moved up to cup her buttocks. He made a little moan of approval, a sound that Cassie swallowed easily, then gave her a little squeeze. She rolled her hips,
liking his touch, and found his fingertips between her thighs.
She gasped when his fingers brushed across the thin cotton crotch of underwear and caught her breath when the heat of his fingertip flicked against her. She pulled back to meet his gaze, knowing she looked disheveled and flushed. “You are fast.”
“You are irresistible,” he murmured and moved his fingers against her, slow and sure, as he held her gaze.
Cassie gasped and barely kept from moaning aloud. “You are a dangerous man,” she said, hearing how husky her own voice was. She didn’t move away, though, and saw the glint of satisfaction in his eyes.
Reid smiled, clearly having no issue with her enthusiasm. “Come all the way over here, Cassie,” he invited, with no doubt that she would comply.
And why not? If the reward was more of his touch, Cassie wasn’t going to decline. She didn’t know how she did it exactly, but she managed to climb over the console and into Reid’s lap without getting all tangled up. The short skirt was probably a good choice for that. In a heartbeat, she was straddling him. He tilted back the seat, then slid his hands under her skirt, exploring her bare thighs with his fingertips before he gripped her buttocks and pulled her closer.
Cassie lowered herself on top of him, kissing the smile from his mouth even as his fingers eased beneath her panties. Cassie heard herself gasp, then he swallowed the sound. It felt so wanton and yet so right to be making out with Reid. He touched and teased her, making her writhe on top of him, and Cassie gripped his shoulders as she kissed him with increasing hunger. They were making out like teenagers, but she didn’t care. He felt so good. He was so hard. He touched her just right. He coaxed her higher and higher, then slipped his fingers inside her. Cassie found herself rubbing against him, wanting more than that.
“Take off your jeans,” she whispered in his ear, then kissed him there for good measure.
“My hands are busy,” he drawled, then winked. “Unless you want me to stop.”
Cassie made a little growl of frustration at his confidence. “You know I don’t.”
“I planned it that way.”
“Don’t tell me I’m predictable.”
“You’re not.” Surprise touched his expression as he glanced over her. “I never expected the plan to succeed.” He met her gaze again, his own hot. “I never realized you were so passionate, Cassie.”
Some Guys Have All the Luck Page 3
