"Can you bring me some juice?"
"Hell no, I'm not stepping inside that den of disease." Mark walked away.
By the end of the next day, Jensen felt like a new man. He walked to Tesha's house, intent on finding a good meal. The women who worked in the afternoons usually left hearty fare for them.
Once inside the house he was shocked to find only Cassie. Tesha's jazzy music played from somewhere in the background, and Cassie stood in the kitchen, her back to him, swaying with a glass of wine in her hand. The scent of Italian herbs made his stomach grumble, but he didn't dare interrupt.
For a few moments he stood there and watched, enjoying a rare moment where she seemed to be free of the usual nervousness that seemed to surround her. Her long hair swayed as she did whatever it was at the stove. Then she put the glass down beside it and lifted both arms in the air and twirled.
"Oh shit." She stumbled forward and steadied herself on the countertop. "You scared the crap out of me." The tension was back. A soft blush colored her cheeks and she frowned at him. "Need something to eat?"
"Yes." He was full of words today. "Please."
"You're in luck. I'm making spaghetti."
After pouring himself a glass of water, he went to the table. "Where's everyone at?"
"Some of the guys are in their trailers. They are watching a game. The rest of the production crew went to town for a birthday celebration."
She placed bread in a basket in the middle of the table and two heaping bowls of pasta. "It's nothing fancy." Cassie sat to his left and began to eat, her eyes focused on the view through the large French doors.
It was pleasant to share a meal there with her. Not in a noisy restaurant or surrounded by the crew. The spaghetti was simple, but delicious. "It's good." Once again his ability to convey his feelings astounded him. "So you're not just a great baker, but a good cook too."
"Thanks."
"Why are you here and not home?"
"Tesha is gone, to Nashville. Mrs. Miller and the ladies can't come in the morning. Instead of getting up super early with a car that may or may not start, I figured I'd spend the night."
"Why don't you get your car fixed? I hear the garage in town is good."
Cassie let out a slow breath. "It needs a new starter. Before, I couldn't afford the expense. Now I just don't have the time. I can't function without a car until after this movie wraps up. I'll get it fixed then. The poor thing needs an oil change and new tires too. Once that is done, it will be in great shape." She chuckled. "At least that's what I keep telling myself."
Her grin made his stomach tumble. Damn if he wasn't falling for this woman.
The idea shook him and it was Jensen's turn to study the view outside. The leaves were changing; the autumn colors reminded him of Cassie's eyes and hair. His favorite time of year, when the humidity lowered and he could ride for miles without sweating to death in his helmet.
"I'll take a look at it."
"What?" Cassie stared at him as if he's just spoken Japanese. "You don't have time."
They'd barely finished eating when Jensen jumped up and headed outside. Before Cassie could stop the maniac, she was chasing him to her car. He'd nipped the keys from the counter and, with a sense of purpose, gone outside.
He jumped into the passenger seat of her car and turned the ignition. Of course the damn thing started; he motioned for her to move away and drove toward Adam’s house next door. He pulled the car into driveway and strolled to the garage before she could catch up.
"What the hell are you doing?" She watched as he grabbed several tools with the efficiency of a man who knew what he was doing.
Without answering her, he made his way to her car and opened the hood, which he must have popped before getting out.
"Jensen, please don't make things worse than they already are. I need this car."
He looked up at her, his hazel eyes bright. "I know what I'm doing. For years most weekends I worked on cars with Dad."
"That was how many years ago?" She put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot.
An hour later, her mouth fell open as her car started, and not only that, the engine purred like it was new. Jensen wiped his hands with a rag and leaned in the window, his face too close. "Just needed a few adjustments. It should get you back and forth safely until you get time to take it to the shop. You will need a new starter soon, but I think it'll hold for now."
"Now how about you reward me with dessert?" His eyes locked on her mouth and she understood the ill-hidden message.
"I have some cupcakes back at Tesha's."
He motioned for her to drive. "I'll walk over."
God, what was he doing? He constantly changed from one moment to the next, from a total asshole to an endearing guy who fixed her car. At any given moment, he was a mega star, then switched without notice to just a guy. It was too confusing, hard to figure out who walked into her world when. As attracted as she was to him, in her mind, she knew that being in Jensen's world was a very dangerous and potentially devastating thing. Why was he coming over now? It wasn't a good idea, not at all.
She entered and made a beeline for her wine. Her hands shook as she lifted her glass to drink. Time alone with Jensen was not a good idea. Especially right now.
So many emotions tumbling around in her head. For one thing, she owed Kevin an answer. He'd asked her to move back to Nashville and spend the last months with him. Not that she owed it to him, but he only had a brother for family. Yes, he had parents, cliché rich parents who'd shipped him off to boarding school for most of his life and hired someone for whatever else was needed.
At the sound of the door opening, she tensed. "Something's got your brow furrowed again. You think too much, Cassie Tucker." Jensen lifted her chin and peered into her eyes.
He was going to kiss her. In her gut she knew this kiss would change many things.
He cupped her face with both hands and held it as his lips took hers. The kiss was soft, gentle, almost as if he were afraid to hurt her. Cassie slid her hands up his sides and splayed them on his back enjoying the feel of his hard muscles under her palms.
When he pulled her closer against him, Cassie let go and allowed Jensen to consume her totally. The feel of his hard planes against her softer ones, the large arms surrounding her and the smell of him, some sort of expensive cologne, melted the last morsels of reserve.
She parted her lips for him, took his tongue into her mouth and suckled at it while snaking her arms around his neck and weaving her fingers through his silky hair to pull him closer, unable to get enough of him..
"I want you so much, Cassie." His heated whisper in her ear was like an elixir. She could barely stand the barrier of clothing between them. "Since the first moment I saw you, I knew you could be my undoing."
His trailed his tongue from her earlobe to the side of her neck, while she clung to him in desperation. "Oh, God. You are an amazing kisser."
There was a twinkle in his eyes when they met hers. "Then kiss me again. Take me."
He leaned forward but did not touch his lips to hers. Instead, he waited for her to take the initiative. Cassie pulled his head down and covered his mouth with hers. Tasting and prodding until he let her move in. With a soft growl that came from the base of his throat, he cupped her bottom and pulled her against his hardness.
Jensen was hard, erect and wonderful. He ground into her very hot and super ready center.
If someone had told her it was possible to climax just from making out she would have laughed. But at this moment, she began to float. Cassie kissed him harder, a moan escaping when he shifted just enough to thrust against her once again.
"Mmmm." She gasped when he bit the side of her neck. "Yes."
"Oh, shit. Excuse me." The voice was like a bucket of cold water. Cassie shoved Jensen away barely able to contain her hard breathing enough to identify who'd walked in.
Jensen turned to block her from the intruder. His large body in front of hers, but she cou
ld see he breathed just as hard. "Hey, Mike. The party over?"
Somehow his demeanor as well as the tone of his voice remained even, as if it was no big deal that the man had practically walked in on them making love.
Cassie skirted around them and went to the kitchen counter, attempting to find something to busy herself with until they left and she could lock the door.
Mike, the cameraman looked over his shoulder then back to Jensen. "We shoot early in the morning. Over on the empty field. I was sent to find you and tell you to be ready at five."
"Not a problem." Jensen walked towards her, a curve to his lips. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then stopped.
Vanessa walked through the doors. From the flush of color on her face, she'd been drinking quite a bit. Or maybe not much given the woman barely ate. "There you are. Why didn't you come out with us?" She walked straight to Jensen and draped herself easily around him. "Miss me?"
The perfect ending to her evening. For some stupid reason, she'd assumed they'd hooked up once and were no longer an item. Why would Jensen come on to her and kiss her otherwise?
As if noticing her for the first time, Vanessa looked to her. "Hi there. Cassie, right?"
"Errr.... yeah. I'm going to bed. Help yourselves to anything you want." Cassie did not make eye contact with Jensen or Mike, instead looking at Vanessa. "Have a good night."
The actress giggled and ran her finger along the side of Jensen's face. "Oh, I plan to."
"I'm gone two days and all this happened?" Tesha sat at one of the tables in the cupcake shop working on specials sign, while Cassie piped decorations on her pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes. "Kevin wants you to move to Nashville?" Her friend gave her a questioning look. "And then you make out with Jensen and almost get busted by Vanessa? Good lord, girl, I can't move away, you'll hold up a bank or something."
In spite of the fact that the day before when she'd cried as soon as she found herself alone, today she could barely hold back a smile. "I can't believe it, either." She let out a deep sigh. "What am I going to do?"
"First of all, I don't think it's fair for Kevin to want you to walk away from your life to take care of him. It's too much to ask. I think it's his way of getting you back. How do we know he's really dying?"
"I really don't think he'd go that far? Do you?" Cassie had to admit Kevin looked healthy to her. But many times people with cancer didn't die right away and didn't look too bad until their last days.
"You probably never thought he was the type to sleep with another woman at your wedding either?"
She pushed the finished tray aside. "True."
Tesha got up and poured two cups of coffee. "Now, about Jensen. I totally get why you're attracted to him. I mean, Adam is a hunk, but I have to admit of all the brothers Jensen is just freaking beautiful." She frowned. "And although deep inside he is a good person, he's also a player. Adam says not to believe the tabloids, that Jensen is a one-woman man. Then again, last night proved otherwise."
The thought of Vanessa and Jensen together the night before made her want to throw something. "Yeah, I shouldn't have gone there with him."
"So is he a good kisser?" Tesha grinned and held her cup with both hands. "Spill it."
It was nice to find something to laugh about, after how bad and embarrassed she'd felt the night before.
"He is an amazing kisser."
Chapter Eleven
"I hear you fly out tonight." Jensen took a swig of his water while Vanessa dug through her purse, her brows drawn together.
"Finally, I'm so glad I can leave this po-dunk town," Vanessa exclaimed, uncoiling from the couch. "I'm so sick of all the cutesy crap, I could scream." She motioned around the room with her hand. "And the accents here are annoying. I'm glad you managed to get rid of yours."
He bit back a curse. "I can bring it back pretty damn quick," he drawled in his best Tennessee accent. "And you're talking about where I grew up."
"Sorry." She didn't look the least bit remorseful. "So," she looked to Mark, "where are Jensen and I going to rendezvous next?"
"Dinner at Lux, then you're going to be seen leaving her apartment." His manager looked from one to the other and then concentrated on Jensen. "Stay away from anyone else for now, especially a certain someone around here. Someone could get a picture."
Vanessa's eyes narrowed at Jensen. "Like, who exactly would he be interested in around here?"
"I'm just sayin'," Mark quipped, his eyes on the cell phone he held up. He wasn't fooling Jensen. The man had eyes everywhere. Somehow he already knew what happened the night before with Cassie.
"Ha," Vanessa grabbed a nail file and held it up like a trophy. "I found it. Yay." She lounged back into the couch and looked up at him. "I'm off to Nashville in half an hour. Want to go with me?"
"Nope." Jensen turned to see that Cassie had joined Tesha in the kitchen. They held cups of coffee and watched the interaction between he, Mark, and Vanessa as if it were a television show.
Tesha lifted a hand to him. "Hi."
Cassie didn't make eye contact. She kept her gaze on Vanessa. "Have a safe trip."
The actress jumped to her feet and rushed to the women. "I'm going to miss your cooking, and Cassie, I'll be seeing you in LA next month."
"I'm sorry?" Cassie gave the actress a puzzled look. Jensen wondered what the hell Vanessa was talking about. Last night she didn't even remember Cassie's name.
Vanessa laughed. "You're funny. Or did I forget to tell you? You know, the Hollywood party. I told my girlfriend you'd provide the cupcakes. It's only going to be about five hundred people, but it will help get your name out."
The color drained from Cassie's face. "Five hundred famous people?"
"Not all super famous," Vanessa waved her concerns away and dug into her purse coming up with a card. She scribbled on the back of it and handed it to Cassie. "Scarlett wants cupcakes at her party."
"Oh. My. God." Tesha grabbed the card. "Scarlett Johansson?"
"Yep,” Vanessa clip-clopped toward the door. "See you there." She blew a kiss in his direction and disappeared out the door.
"Aren't you going to see your girlfriend off?" Cassie finally spoke to him. It was on the tip of his tongue to say they weren't an item, but Mark cleared his throat.
Letting out a breath, Jensen stood and went straight through the door and outside without looking at Cassie. "Vanessa, wait up."
His costar's hair swung in perfect synchronicity and fell into place as she strolled to her rental. For a moment, he just stared at it. How did she do that? "What's up with the cupcake hook up?"
"Oh, that." She waved it off. "I love her cakes, she's pretty talented, so why not?"
"I don't think it's a good idea." He inched closer when she frowned. "I know you're trying to do a good thing, but think about it. How will she fit in there? The well known cupcake people in LA won't be happy, they may go after her." Nothing he said made any sense, of course, but he knew Vanessa would pretend to understand.
"You know, you're right. I'll text Cassie and tell her Scarlett changed her mind." She pulled out her cell.
"Yes, she's not the LA type."
"I won't tell Cassie that."
"Tell me what?" Cassie stood behind him. Her voice was an octave higher than normal.
"Oh, there you are," Vanessa said and pulled Jensen to her side. "I don't think they will need you in LA after all."
Cassie's gaze traveled slowly from Vanessa to him. Hurt mixed with anger shone in her wide eyes. "I appreciate the thought, Vanessa. But Jensen is right. I am not the type. I would never fit in your world." She spun on her heel, and with her head held high, went back to the house.
"Oh, boy. Her best friend is marrying your brother. I'd watch my back around her if I were you." Vanessa kissed his cheek and trotted to her car.
Hands jammed into his pants pockets, he stared at the ground. When it came to Cassie, he was extra adept at messing things up. He'd meant to protect her from what was sure to
be a cancellation, but instead now Cassie probably thought he was being an asshole again. He knew Vanessa would forget to tell Scarlett and when Cassie called, the actress would probably string her along, even going as far as a week prior before canceling, if she did at all.
He went to Tesha's house and looked around. "If you're looking for Cassie, she just went in my office. What did you do this time, Jensen?" Tesha blocked his way, hands on her hips. "Why don't you just stop? If you don't like her, then stay away from her."
"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings. I was trying...let me talk to her."
With a roll of her eyes, she stepped aside and motioned for him to pass. Cassie stood at the window, she looked out and didn't turn when he walked in. "Please just go away. Leave me alone."
"You don't understand."
Cassie swung to face him, her face scrunched up in anger as she stalked to him. "I understand perfectly. I'm not good enough to fit into the elite LA society. I would embarrass you if I dared to say I knew you." She wiped an errant tear with the back of her hand. "Maybe you're right. I don't know anything about being rich. But I know that I'd be okay if you never spoke to me again."
"I'm sorry."
She didn't reply, instead brushed past him back to the kitchen and began cleaning up.
His phone rang. It was his mother.
"Jensen?" His mother's voice was unsteady. "You have to come home now. Bring Tesha."
"Is it Adam?"
"No, Caden. He's been shot. They aren't sure he'll make it. Hurry, honey." He heard her sniff.
"I'll be there in an hour."
"Please, honey, drive carefully, and don't speed. I don't want to worry about something happening to you."
The Last Hero: Fords of Nashville, Book 2 Page 8
