We got out of Brad’s truck and walked to the front door. It was unlocked, so we entered. Immediately, I covered my nose. It smelled like garbage, as though they hadn’t taken out the trash since I’d left.
“Oh, God,” I groaned.
“Do you want to wait outside, and I’ll see if anyone is here?”
“No, I’ll just hold my breath.”
Brad nodded, and we walked up the stairs, knocking on each door. No one answered. “While you pack some clothes and stuff, I’m going to find out where that smell is coming from,” he stated.
“Okay.”
When I opened my bedroom door, it looked exactly how I’d left it, except the money in my wallet was gone. Not wanting to stick around, I quickly stuffed some clothes and underwear into a duffle bag from my closet, grabbed my parents’ wedding rings that were still in the air vent, and then went downstairs to see where Brad was.
“It was just the garbage,” he stated.
I nodded. “I’m ready to go.” I really just wanted to be out of the smelly house. At least that was the only thing I knew was wrong with the place. There were no holes in the walls or anything that looked damaged. Of course, I didn’t know about the appliances.
“Go wait in the truck. I’ll make sure all of the doors and windows are locked.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
As I waited in the truck as he’d instructed, I looked at the house I’d once loved. The grass was overgrown, and the paint looked as though it was coming off. I couldn’t see my mom or dad in it at all, and I knew that my decision to sell it was the right thing. It was just a house.
A few minutes later, Brad came out and got into the truck. “I got your keys from your purse and locked all of the doors.”
“Oh, right.” I wasn’t even thinking about locking the doors because I couldn’t remember the last time I had. It had stayed unlocked because it was a revolving door for Keith’s friends. I wasn’t even sure if they had a key to the house themselves. I also didn’t grab my purse because I had a new one and wasn’t thinking about that either. There wasn’t anything important inside either.
“I don’t want to leave the house unlocked, but I’m not sure everyone has a key. Is that going to matter with the eviction?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll check with Seth.”
“Okay.”
We left the house and went back to his, which was about twenty minutes away. “I need to go meet with Gabe about starting the self-defense class. Do you want to go with me or stay here?” Brad asked as I put a load of clothes in the wash because I thought they smelled like the stink at my house.
“Is it okay if I stay here?” I was tired, still healing from my surgery, and dealing with the house and everything had been exhausting.
“Of course. I won’t be more than a few hours.”
“Okay.”
He kissed me goodbye and then left. While the clothes were still in the washer, I turned on his TV in the living room and fired up Hulu. I had two more episodes of season four of Veronica Mars to watch.
When he opened the door and came in, I was sobbing my eyes out. Our gazes met, and I saw the panic on his face. I was crying so hard that I couldn’t tell him that I was really okay.
“What’s wrong?” He rushed over.
“Lo …” I cried some more.
He pulled me into an embrace. “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it.”
I looked at the TV and saw that the season finale had ended and was on the main screen. “Logan …” I cried again.
“Who’s Logan?”
I was crying so much that I couldn’t breathe, and it was over a fictional character. I couldn’t breathe, speak, or think of anything except what I’d just seen, and I was heartbroken because after everything Veronica and Logan went through, it was … I pointed at the TV to answer his question, still sobbing into his T-shirt.
“Wait … you’re crying because of the TV?”
I nodded and sniffed. “My heart is … my heart is broken.”
“Because of a TV show?”
I nodded again.
Brad chuckled. “Oh my God, princess. You scared me so much. I thought something was seriously wrong.”
“Something is wrong!” I cried. “How could they do that?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if it was a TV show, that’s not real life.”
“It’s real to me,” I sniffed. All I’d had after my parents died was TV shows, and now my heart felt as though it had been ripped from my chest.
“You know what’s real?”
I pulled back so I was looking into his brown eyes. “What?”
“Us.” He smiled warmly. “Everything we have is real, and you know what else?”
“What?” I smiled, my heart speeding up slightly.
“Every day since we had lunch at Freshly Baked, I’ve been falling in love with you.”
I sucked in a short breath. “You love me?”
“Of course I do, princess. I was ready to kill whoever hurt you again, and it was just a TV show.”
“A really good TV show,” I corrected.
Brad grinned. “Okay, a really good TV show.”
I smiled. “I love you too.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded. “I have for a long time.”
He kissed me again, and all thoughts about a fictional character went out the window. What I was living was real.
The next day, I scheduled an appointment to get my driver’s license. It was time. Being with Brad made it seem as though I could do anything, and that included walking into The Velvet Box and apologizing.
I took a deep breath and opened the glass door. Ray looked up to greet me, and his mouth hung open in surprise as nothing came out. He was standing with a girl who looked a little older than me—probably my replacement.
“Is Steve here?” I asked Ray.
He nodded. “Yeah. Where the hell have you been?”
I snorted. “In Hell.” Though, it wasn’t all Hell, but pretty close to it.
“What does that mean?”
“Can I talk to him first?”
“Sure.” He turned and walked into the back.
My palms started to sweat as I waited, and then he and Steve walked out. “Cassie,” Steve greeted. “What are you doing here?”
I took a calming breath. “There are some things you need to know.”
“I already know it was your brother who robbed us. The detectives told me.”
“Yes, but do you know how they found out or what happened afterward?”
He blinked and furrowed his brows. “No, I don’t.”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about.”
Steve stared at me for a few moments. “Okay, let’s talk in my office.”
I followed him back, and we both sat in the chairs at his desk. I told him how I knew it was Keith and his friends who robbed him, how I was scared to turn him in because he was my brother and the only family I had, how the bystander who got shot during the robbery was now my boyfriend and how we ended up dating, how Keith drugged me and took me to Tennessee without my phone so I couldn’t call in sick, and how it all came to a head when I was shot and Brad killed Micky.
“That’s quite a story,” Steve stated.
“I have the scar to prove it.”
“And you’re not being charged with anything?”
I shrugged. “Not yet, but I hope not. The only thing I did wrong was not telling the cops who committed the robbery, and looking back on it, maybe I should have because I wouldn’t have been kidnapped and shot.”
“Thank you for telling me. I was worried about you, and then when the detectives told me they recovered the jewelry and the name of the person who pawned them, I was upset.”
“I understand, but really, I had no idea my brother would do that.”
He bobbed his head slowly. “I believe you.”
My shoulders fell as though the weight was lifted. “Thank you.�
��
“Did you come to get your job back?”
I balked because that wasn’t on my mind though I needed a job. “No, I just wanted you to know because I was really grateful that you gave me a chance, and then it just all turned to shit.”
“That’s very professional of you.”
“Thank you, Steve.”
“What are your plans for a new job?”
I shrugged. “Not sure. Everything is just settling down, and I’m still recovering. I can’t keep my eyes open much in the afternoon and need a nap every day, it seems.”
“I bet. The good thing is you have a long future ahead of you. You’ll be fine.”
I really hoped that was true.
Brad and I were getting ready for our first official date. With everything that had happened, we’d never had a romantic date. I do think that the night before my birthday when we were at the drive-in was romantic, and even the lunch at the lake, but there was no candlelight dinner or anything like that. It was his idea too because he knew that I’d never been taken on a proper date—his words, not mine.
As I got ready, I thought about how the night would go. Would it end in my first time? From what I knew about when he would date, it usually ended with him in bed with the woman. I knew that he would make sure everything was enjoyable on my end. And I was ready.
“Ready?” he asked as I slipped on my strappy sandal paired with jeans and a black tank top.
“Yep.”
We had dinner at Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace, followed by dancing at OMNIA. We didn’t stay long, since neither of us felt as though clubbing was our scene. Instead, we went back home.
“Sorry that was a bust.” He threw his keys onto the kitchen island.
I shrugged. “It’s okay. I still had fun, and now I can say that I’ve been clubbing in Vegas.”
“True.”
I looked out the side window to the backyard where I could see the pool illuminated with changing colors from blue to pink to green to yellow and so on. “Maybe a late-night swim?”
“Yeah, if you want.” I started to go toward the stairs, but he stopped me. “You don’t need a suit.”
I turned and looked at him. “I don’t?”
“Neighbors won’t see.” He winked.
My belly dipped as I thought about seeing Brad naked again. “Okay,” I whispered.
Brad grinned. “Or we could use the shower, and I can show you what the seat is good for.”
Oh fuck. “Okay.”
Without hesitation, he picked me up, looping my legs around his waist, and we kissed as he carried me up the stairs and into the bathroom. He set me on my feet, and we raced to discard our clothes, every stitch flying into the air before hitting the floor.
“Can we …” I hesitated. “You know?”
“If you want to.”
I was so ready, as though I was literally burning with the need for it to happen. “I do.”
“Okay. Get the water perfect, and I’ll be back.”
I tried to stay calm as I turned the dials to heat the water to the right temperature. I never thought that my first time would be in a shower, but then again, I never really thought about my first time until I met Brad. He’d awoken everything inside me from getting over my fears to finding out how to pleasure myself.
He didn’t take long before he returned, naked and holding a bottle of something clear in one hand and a condom in the other. His cock was already hard, jutting out and asking to be touched, and I swallowed, looking down at it.
“Just thinking about your tight pussy around my dick makes me hard,” he stated as though he read my mind.
As I felt moisture gather between my legs, I could only nod because I was at a loss for words. The urge to slide my hand down my belly and between my legs was fierce. My pussy was aching.
Brad put the condom on and then stepped toward me. I held my breath because I thought this was the moment. Instead, he urged me into the shower.
“Put one leg on the step,” he instructed.
I didn’t wait to do as he asked, eager to do anything this man told me to do. He bent and got between my legs, reaching up with his mouth and tasting me. I moaned as his warm tongue ran across my most sensitive spot. He stuck a finger inside of me and then two, making it difficult to stand with the pleasure running through my body. With his fingers working me, he leaned forward and started to lick my clit again. I held onto his hair, needing to balance myself.
“Damn, baby. I swear you have the sweetest pussy I’ve ever tasted.”
I moaned a response as his tongue returned to my clit as his fingers pumped inside of me. I felt myself getting closer to the feeling I’d had before I’d come the other night. “I’m close,” I panted.
“That’s it,” he urged. “Come on my tongue and fingers.”
“Oh god,” I breathed, and my body jolted as the orgasm shot through me.
When I was done and I loosened my grip on his hair, Brad sat on the seat in the shower. “I want you to go as fast or as slow as you want.” I nodded, watching as he took the clear liquid and spread it over his sheathed cock. He motioned for me to step forward. “Straddle my hips, baby.”
The steam from the shower started to coat my body, and I swallowed before taking a step forward, knowing that this was the moment. Of all the guys in the world, I was happy this moment was happening with Brad. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Placing my knees on either side of his legs, I climbed up, which placed my boobs level with his face. Brad sucked a nipple into his mouth, causing me to hiss. He worked my nipples to hard peaks and ran his hand between my legs.
“Christ, you’re soaked.” He held the base of his cock. “Lower down on me at your own pace.”
I nodded as I lowered myself until his tip was touching my pussy. He moved his shaft until it was in the right spot, and I sank lower, feeling a slight burn as I stretched to fit him.
“That’s it. Take your time.” Just like the night we masturbated together, his calm words made me comfortable.
I went lower, hissing softly as the burn increased.
“Look at me,” he ordered, and my gaze moved to his. “We can stop whenever you want to.”
“It’s okay. I want this. It just hurts a little.”
“It will until I’m all the way in.”
I nodded my understanding and sank a little lower. Brad cupped my cheek with his free hand and brought my lips to his. We kissed as I lowered again, this time my focus on his tongue and not the pain between my legs. Then, I was all the way down, savoring the feeling of him deep inside of me. He let me have a few moments to adjust and then grabbed my hips and guided me up and down. The pain went away, and I was left with the sensation of fullness inside of me.
Reaching between us, he rubbed my clit as I took over going up and down his cock. Brad kissed me again, but this time he didn’t stop until I was shaking from another orgasm. He stilled our movements and groaned, and I knew he was coming too.
We showered for real and then climbed into bed. Brad pulled me to him so he was curled around me from behind. He kissed my neck.
“Are you okay?”
I smiled. “I’m perfect.”
“You might be a little sore in the morning, but nothing aspirin can’t fix.”
I rolled onto my side, my heart swelling at the way he was always looking out for me. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For loving me.”
He grinned and then pressed his lips to mine. “Cass, baby, I’m going to love you for the rest of our lives. I’m not going anywhere.”
I wasn’t sure why I fought it for so long. Maybe it was because I had to wait for the one, but being in love made me blissful. I thought I was happy before, but waking up next to Cassie each morning, spending time with her each day, and falling asleep with her in my arms every night was truly what happiness was about.
“… you’ll meet a woman who you’ll start to care about, a
nd then before you know it, you’ll never want to go a day without her.”
Paul’s words played in my head as I stared at my sleeping beauty. I never wanted to wake up alone again.
Her eyes fluttered open. “Why are you staring at me?”
I grinned. “Because I have a question for you.”
“What’s that?”
“Will you move in with me?”
“I practically already have.” She yawned.
“I mean officially. Don’t buy another house once yours sells. Live here with me so I can wake you up with my mouth every morning.” I smirked.
Cassie chuckled. “You didn’t wake me up like that this morning.”
“Well, you have to say yes, first.”
She put her pointer finger on her chin as though she was thinking. “Yeah, I guess I can move in. I love your shower.”
“Princess, you’re going to love every inch of this house before I’m done with you.”
* * *
The doorbell rang, and I raced down the stairs to answer it. We were having people over for a barbecue, and I was planning on telling everyone that if they’d bet on me to be next, they were right. I didn’t know when it would happen because I wasn’t proposing, even though in my heart, I knew Cassie was going to be my wife.
When I opened the door, Gabe, Autumn, and their son, Liam, were waiting. “Hey.” I stuck out my hand to shake Gabe’s, and then I hugged Autumn hello and patted Liam on the head. “Come in. Cassie’s in the kitchen.”
Before I could close the door, Seth, Cat, and Joss pulled up. Paul was still in Virginia and unable to attend my little party. I hugged and greeted Cat and then Joss before shaking Seth’s hand. “Cassie’s in the kitchen,” I told them and closed the door.
Seth stayed behind as the ladies went to find Cassie. “I checked with the detective before coming over here.”
“Oh?”
“DA isn’t going to charge Cassie with anything as long as she testifies about what happened, and points the finger at her brother and his two friends.”
“She will.”
“Good. She’ll be getting a call next week about the trial and stuff.”
Gin & Jewels Page 16
