He ascended to what looked like the highest rock, about thirty feet, and jumped in without even a moment of indecision. She peered into the water, searching for him, hoping he hadn’t hit bottom when she saw him break the surface. He was instantly swimming toward her, and she knew he was a strong swimmer. She yelped and turned to run, but it was too late. He’d already exited the water and was within feet of her.
How had he reached her so fast? She laughed internally at the double entendre behind her thoughts. How had he gotten to her so quickly? Preoccupied, thinking about him when she should’ve been running, he bounded in front of her, cutting off her escape.
He didn’t grab her, though. “You have your suit on, right?”
She eyed him carefully before answering, deciding which answer wouldn’t get her thrown into the water.
“That’s a yes!” He beamed brightly, a wicked glint in his eyes.
Before she could react, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
“You wouldn’t dare,” she threatened.
“You don’t know anything about me, Cassie,” he countered, echoing his words from yesterday. Only this time they’d come out playfully.
“I do … I know you are intelligent and thoughtful. And you’d never —”
“Admirable effort,” he said, cutting off her words with a chuckle, but continued to ascend the rocks while holding her securely.
“Please, Chad … I swear to you I’ll black out.”
He stopped on the first ledge, pulling her down so that he was cradling her in his arms. “Don’t be frightened, Cassandra. I won’t allow anything to hurt you. I saved you the first day, didn’t I?” His expression was serious for a fraction of a second.
Her heart thundered in her chest. Whether it was his words or the height, she wasn’t sure. But then, his face turned playful again. She saw the gleam in his eyes, and it was too late for her to beseech him anymore. They were plummeting.
She let out a squeal, but then they were underwater. In a panic to get to the surface, she kicked her feet violently. She was a good swimmer … she just didn’t appreciate not knowing what was underneath her. Chad emerged beside her and took her into his arms, pulling her back toward the shore. He stopped when they were about waist deep.
“Now, was that so horrifying?” he asked, one side of his face pulling up in that devilish, seductive grin of his.
“No …” she whimpered, her voice shaky from the adrenaline and cold water.
Without warning, his lips enveloped hers again. As cool as the water felt, her insides boiled. Fastening his arms tightly around her, he kissed her until she felt lightheaded. His hands moved up her back, gripping her closer.
It was just a kiss, she thought. Just a wonderful, delicious kiss that didn’t mean anything. She didn’t have to stop … he’d said he wouldn’t expect more. She could continue to kiss him —
His lips stilled, and he retracted a few inches, sighing deeply. His nose glided back and forth across her cheek as his hands moved up her arms and cupped her face. “What are we going to do, Cassandra?”
“Right now,” she burst out. Laughter was good. He looked too serious. “I was thinking pizza.”
He chuckled too, but there was an edge to his laugh, and then his expression grew serious. His eyes searched hers for an answer to his question.
She touched her fingers to his lips. “Shh … let’s not think about anything at the moment. Can’t we just enjoy today? It’s been a long time since I’ve had a vacation. I feel as though I am somewhere far, far away, and this is a summer romance. Tomorrow we can go back to annoying each other, especially in front of the employees.”
His hand gathered around her fingers, pressing them closer to his lips, and then he pulled her hand to his chest. “What if I don’t want it to end?”
A strong mixture of emotions played out across his face, and she wasn’t sure how to read them, not sure if she wanted to read them.
She reached up on her tiptoes, kissing him this time, ending his words. He reacted immediately, his lips moving greedily over hers. She felt as if she could stay in his embrace forever; she didn’t want the day to end either.
As before, he stopped short, before the kiss led to something more, it seemed. “Pizza?”
“I love pizza,” she confessed.
He took her hand, leading her out of the water. “Pizza, it is, then. I’ll take you back to the house before you freeze and then drive into town and pick up some while you shower.” She shivered, and he pulled her tightly to his side. “Sorry ’bout that, Cassie, but you weren’t leaving me any choice. I’ll wrap you in the blanket, and the house isn’t but a few minutes away.”
He lifted her into the truck and then pulled the blanket out and tucked it around her. When he got into his side of the truck, he lifted up the seat separator and pulled her toward him, then draped his arm over her shoulder. “How’s that … are you warm enough?”
Why fight her emotions? Life was too short. She certainly had learned that in her twenty-five years. She burrowed her head into his shoulder. Feeling his lips press against her head, she sighed. It was a contented sigh. This felt right.
Chad brought the truck to a halt outside their house, but didn’t turn off the engine; instead, he jumped out and helped her down again. “The closest pizza is thirty minutes away. I’ll order it on the way and be back in an hour.” He walked her to the door, kissed her forehead, then walked back to the truck, pulling himself up.
She walked back over to the truck and looked up at him in the cab. “Chad, I had no idea. Never mind. I’m sure I can unearth something.”
“It’s okay. Pizza sounds perfect. Besides, it will give you an opportunity to think about me while I’m gone.” He grinned and closed the door before she could comment.
Think about him? When had she stopped thinking about him? And what exactly had he intended by that comment? Again, the apprehension of the situation tried to unsettle her, but she couldn’t find purchase in her worries. He was smart, funny, and extremely attractive.
She had wondered how she could be interested in him yesterday, and now she wondered how it was possible not to be interested. She wasn’t twenty-eight, but he was. That could fit into her ridiculous twenty-eight plan.
Had her mother known what she was doing when she’d arranged this? Had she known Chad would appeal to all her expectations in a man? Suddenly, living in the middle of nowhere appealed to her.
She bounded upstairs. It usually took her approximately twenty minutes to get ready for everyday life, forty-five minutes if she was going to a party or some social event of her father’s. She would look fabulous, she decided. She would wash and straighten her hair, put on her loveliest sundress that would show off the sun she’d gotten today, and then she would apply a little makeup, something she rarely did.
He’d mentioned she looked good without makeup, but she always received compliments when she put on a little shadow and mascara and followed up with lip-gloss. It didn’t make her look made-up; it just accentuated her coloring.
She had just finished dressing when the phone rang. She hurried downstairs to retrieve it. It was probably Chad, wondering if she needed anything else while he was in town.
What if it wasn’t Chad? Did anyone else know she was here? “Hello?” she answered timidly.
The line was silent for a moment. “Is Chad there?” She heard the double question in the woman’s voice on the other end.
She wasn’t just questioning if Chad was there, she was questioning whom she was, and immediately, Cassandra had the same question.
“Um … Chad went for pizza; he should be back shortly. Would you like to leave a message?”
“Definitely,” she agreed in a cool tone. “I’m Michelle, Chad’s fiancée. Would you tell him I just returned, and I was hoping to see him tonight? And you are?”
Cassandra worked desperately to control her tone. “I’m Cassandra, his stepsister.”
“Oh.” She
sounded relieved. “You’re Jasmine’s daughter? Is she home?”
Cassandra released a short huff. “My mother passed away, Michelle. I’ll advise Chad you called. Goodbye.”
She hung up, resisting the urge to chuck the phone across the room. His fiancée? How could he? And where had she been? She didn’t know about his stepmother’s death, the woman he’d claimed that he loved like a mother. Had he been untruthful about everything? Had it all been a game, deception to cause her to fall for him, only to pull the rug out from underneath her?
His truck pulled into the driveway a few minutes later. She heard the truck door shut after a few seconds, and then he was at the door while she stood immobile in the middle of the kitchen.
“Are you gonna let me in, Cassie?” His muffled words came from outside.
Her body remained frozen in a trance, unable to move. The tears refused to fall. There was nothing … she felt like stone. Why had she thought she could trust anyone in life?
Chad fumbled with his keys while holding the pizza boxes, but he managed to open the door. “Wow, you look fantastic.” But then he obviously noticed her expression. He dropped the pizza on the table and sprinted over to where she stood. “Are you okay?”
She wanted to flee upstairs, but her legs felt rooted to the floor. How had she been so stupid? She’d always been smart. Had never let a man inside her head.
He lowered his head to look her in the eyes. “What happened?”
Her stupor broke for a few seconds at the irritatingly false concern. How could he be so proficient at faking emotions?
He grasped both of her shoulders. “Cassandra, you’re scaring me. What happened?”
Releasing a long sigh, she looked into his eyes. His beautiful, lying eyes. Why was she surprised? Isn’t this the way everything in life ended? Love wasn’t allowed. Love … what was she thinking? She’d only just met Chad; she couldn’t possibly love him? But deep inside she knew she wasn’t being truthful with herself. If it wasn’t love, it was amazingly close. It wasn’t lust, she was certain. If she simply had a sexual interest in Chad, she wouldn’t be so infuriated right now.
“Cassandra, please … Please tell me why you’re so upset.”
The phone rang again.
She smiled, a thin smile, attempting to conceal her anguish. Sniffing, she worked to retain the tears threatening to spill over any second.
The phone continued to ring.
“You should get that.” She huffed out a gust of air. “It may be someone important, like your fiancée.”
“What?” He frowned, his brows pulling together. He looked bewildered. He was exceptional at dishonesty.
She shook her head in defeat, unable to cling to her façade. “It’s Michelle, Chad. Please answer the phone.”
He backed to the phone that she’d left on the counter. His eyes remained locked on hers. “Hello?” A brief silence passed as he listened. “Yeah, about a month ago. You would have known if you’d called occasionally.” His words were bitter.
Cassandra looked up, confused by the conversation. Obviously, Chad had not been completely untruthful.
“So, you’re back?” He listened for a moment without commenting. “Not tonight.” He waited again before responding. “No, Michelle. I don’t want you to come over.” His words were acidic. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Goodbye.”
Chad slammed the phone on the counter, then went to the base and yanked the cord out of the wall. His actions frightened her, but she was too angry to be apprehensive. He may have hung up on Michelle, but he’d said he would call her tomorrow.
He turned toward her. “You thought I was engaged? You thought that today — I don’t understand women.” Throwing up his hands, he huffed and stormed away.
“Chad, what do you expect me to think? She called looking for you and introduced herself as your fiancée. What am I supposed to believe?”
He turned back to look at her, but then just stood in the hallway, sighed, and closed his eyes. When he opened them, there was fire in them. Crossing the room in three steps, he placed both hands on her shoulders and forcibly pulled her close. “You’re supposed to ask. You’re supposed to treat me as innocent until proven guilty. Isn’t that what you learn in law school?” His eyes burned with intensity.
“Do you love her?” Cassandra asked, ignoring his comments and pulling away from him. Why should it matter to her if he loved her?
“I thought so, but now I know I can’t possibly.”
His honesty surprised her. “Why is that?”
“Because —” A knock at the door broke off his answer. “Dammit — it’s her. It’s Michelle. She was down the street when she called. I’ll get rid of her,” he grumbled. He started toward the door, mumbling something about nice evenin’, then stopped when he saw her retreat to the stairs. “Where are you going, Cassandra?”
“Upstairs,” she answered sharply.
“I have nothing to say to Michelle … please stay,” he pleaded. He did look innocent, but this wasn’t her concern.
“I’ll be upstairs,” she said. She wouldn’t stay to witness their reunion. The moment he saw her, they would probably be well, all forgiven. He obviously had asked her to marry him at some point. He hadn’t denied that … hadn’t denied that he’d been in love with her, only that he couldn’t possibly be in love with her. But … he would … She knew there had been a reason he was still single at twenty-eight. Not that twenty-eight was old, but most people were usually in a relationship by then, as she’d hoped she would be.
Chad shook his head and went to answer the door. Good, this wasn’t her business. She’d put on her noise-cancelling headphones she wore to study and drown them out. She had no claim. As he’d said several times, she didn’t know him. But she knew of him, of all people who said one thing and did another. People who lie, cheat, and steal to obtain what they want.
Chapter Ten
Chad snatched open the door, glaring at Michelle as she strolled inside without being welcomed.
She turned around and faced him. Nothing. He felt nothing for the woman who’d broken his heart more times than he could count.
Michelle gave him a once over, then opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again. She sighed. “I’m sorry about Jasmine. What happened?”
He leaned back against the counter. “My father and Jasmine died in a plane crash a month ago. If you’d called, you would have known.”
She raised her hand to her mouth, covering a gasp, but then let her hand fall away. “I couldn’t call … you know that. We weren’t allowed contact; even our letters were held.”
He didn’t care why she hadn’t called. Why had he even mentioned it? Typical, though, that she would blame everything on her job. He didn’t believe she never had a chance to call … she just didn’t want to be reminded that she had a boyfriend back home. “Why are you here, Michelle?”
She took a step toward him. “Well, it’s wonderful to see you too.”
“It’s been five months. Actually, six years and five months. I waited for you to finish your enlistment. I figured you were supposed to get out this summer, so Christmas would have been the perfect time to propose. We would have had six months to prepare a June wedding. You turned me down. Or did you forget that part?” He shook his head. “And I haven’t heard or received a letter from you. Now all of a sudden we’re engaged? I spent the five months getting over you and then had to deal with losing my parents alone. I’m twenty-eight years old, Michelle. How long did you think I would wait while you ran around the world? And before you start … don’t make this about your duty as an American citizen. I gave you six years! I understand patriotism. I was patient while you served.” He shook his head again and then let out a long gust of air. “But now … just leave, please. I’m tired, and I don’t feel like fighting.”
Unperturbed by his tirade, Michelle took another step closer. “Is there someone else?”
“Yes.”
“Who … your stepsister, Cas
sandra,” she mocked.
“She’s not really my stepsister. Our parents were married, but we only met three days ago.” He didn’t answer her question, hoping his comment of three days would make her assume it wasn’t Cassandra. Things were complicated enough without getting into the specifics of their situation with Michelle.
She moved directly in front of his face. “Well, Chad, I just wanted you to know that Im back, and I accept your proposal. So whenever you’re ready to place that ring on my finger, just let me know.”
Michelle leaned in to kiss him, so he pushed himself off the counter out of her reach, opening the door for her to leave. It really was over, he realized, and not just because of Cassandra. He’d gone through a great deal these last few months, and Cassandra was the only person who’d made him feel even remotely alive. Michelle could try all she wanted … that ship had finally sailed, for good this time. He was over her completely.
Michelle gave a slight huff, but then pranced toward the door. She stopped in the doorway and turned back to look at him again. “I’ll see you soon, Chaddy.”
God, he hated it when she called him that. What had he ever seen in her? He slammed the door behind Michelle, then turned, hoping to see Cassandra on the balcony. She had to have heard their entire conversation, had to know Michelle wasn’t the woman he wanted after hearing his words.
He hadn’t been able to answer Cassandra’s question: how he knew he wasn’t in love with Michelle. It was easy; he was pretty sure that he was in love with Cassandra. It had taken him six years to propose to Michelle, and yet, in just three days with Cassandra, he couldn’t imagine not spending every day of the rest of his life with her. But how would she react now?
Their evening had been going so well. He’d been so excited coming back with pizza, bringing home dinner to share, instead of eating alone. He’d known that she’d look incredible, and she had. The entire thirty-minute drive, he’d anticipated wet hair and sweatpants, but she’d dressed up. Her hair was long and gorgeous as it fell around her shoulders.
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