“Cassandra, I told you I wouldn’t try. I truly thought Michelle and I were going to marry. But I knew something was wrong … probably the reason it took me so long to propose. But to answer your question, no, I would never push you into a physical relationship. We couldn’t live together like that.”
“So we could remain strictly platonic. No sexy dancing, no making out. That way you could give me a chance to fall in love with your home too.”
“I can’t kiss you?” He looked shocked, as though she’d suggested he not eat for six months. “I couldn’t agree with that. I wouldn’t be telling the truth. I understand, though, and I’ve thought long and hard about this. I’m sure we can find a happy medium. Of course … if it’s too much for you to handle … I could always move in with Mark,” he suggested, grinning.
“I think I can handle it, Chad,” she purred. “As long as we understand each other. I really would like to try to make this work.”
“Me too,” he said emphatically. “But, no dancing?” he teased.
“Maybe a little, but I wouldn’t want you to get frustrated.”
Chad flashed her one of his superstar smiles. “Okay … let’s say dancing no more than once a week … and two kisses a day?”
She laughed without warning. He was like no man she’d ever encountered. She appreciated the fact he was playing along. “I don’t guess we have to keep track. I really do want to see if I can love it here. I’m just concerned that after the infatuation wears off, I may become bored.”
“It doesn’t have to wear off, Cassandra,” he encouraged. “But again, I understand. I’ll keep my hands mostly to myself, and I’ll be careful not to tempt you. So, do we have a deal? You wouldn’t say this if you weren’t honestly willing to try, would you? You really believe you might want to stay here, with me, after six months?”
She giggled. “I feel as though we’re conducting a business arrangement.”
“Me too. Enough business. Let’s get back to our date and lessons of the area.”
Cassandra nodded in agreement.
Chapter Fifteen
Cassandra would have liked to think that the dinner was amazing, but truthfully, she barely remembered what she’d eaten. She couldn’t get enough of Chad’s teachings of life in North Carolina … and of course, him. Just being with him.
He’d rambled on about Ashville, Boone, and Blowing Rock, which were all smaller towns than she was familiar. But as he described the surrounding area, she found herself enthralled. He also reminded her that Charlotte and Atlanta weren’t far if they wanted to check out big-city life and get their fill of the hustle and bustle.
He assured her after a few months in Nantahala, she’d be running for the peace and serenity of the mountains. He’d also insisted that North Carolina had great beaches called the Outer Banks, and Myrtle Beach was close and a lot like her hometown beach in Florida. They debated for about an hour over that scrap of information. After all, three of the beaches in her hometown were among the top-ten American beaches yearly.
At that point, he reminded her they could fly to Florida anytime. Chad had an answer at every turn to convince her that even though they lived in Nantahala, any place in the world was only a day away. They owned their own company. If she needed to escape or go anywhere at a moment’s notice, she was free to do as she pleased.
Admittedly, he had a valid point. Why had it been so difficult for her mother? Had it been because her father worked so much? She understood the hours required as an attorney, and she’d been willing to subject herself to the same career. Why?
As she sat here with Chad, listening to the peaceful evening, she wondered how she could ever want to live anywhere else. By the end of the evening, she realized she didn’t need six months. She couldn’t imagine ever leaving Chad, no matter where he chose to live. At this juncture, Alaska wasn’t sounding bad. Although she hated the cold, she couldn’t deny that being trapped inside a cabin with Chad wouldn’t be such an awful occurrence.
“You’re quiet,” Chad said, glancing over at her from his side of the truck. “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing really.” She lifted up the center console and repositioned herself beside him.
“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to ask you to come over here,” he said softly. “I was keeping my end of the bargain and wasn’t sure where my boundaries lie.”
She peered up at him and huffed lightly. “You’re so ridiculous, Chad; you know what I meant.”
“No, Cassandra, I really don’t,” he mumbled, releasing a long breath.
She laced her hands around his biceps. God, he felt good, and strong. “I thought we already hammered out our business arrangement,” she teased. He looked entirely too serious.
He was silent the remaining distance as he navigated the winding road. Thirty minutes later, he pulled into their driveway and turned off the
vehicle, but didn’t exit.
“Are you okay?” she asked as the silence lengthened, and he didn’t move to leave the truck.
Chad looked down at her, his expression guarded, as if deciding how to respond. “I’m not certain.”
Instantly inundated with grief, she sucked in a breath. What wasn’t he certain about? Had he decided he didn’t want her living here or that he didn’t want to honor their arrangement? What would she do if he suggested she leave? Suddenly, she realized how much she wanted to remain with him.
He opened his door and held his hand out to her. “Let’s walk down to the dock, Cassandra. I don’t want to go inside, only for you to go to your loft while I have to retreat to my bedroom — alone.”
He looked exhausted, she noticed, as if he hadn’t slept for several days.
After jumping down from the truck, he pulled her across the seat, helping her down, and then took her hand, leading her toward the water. When they approached the end of the dock, he turned to her. The look in his eyes was familiar, the look he’d had the first time he kissed her.
He raised his hand and rested it against her cheek. “Cassandra,” he said on a sigh, “I didn’t want to do this because I was afraid of rejection, but I’ve thought of nothing but us the entire ride home … actually this entire week. It took me six years to ask Michelle to marry me because I never felt a hundred percent sure of our relationship.”
He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, weighing her reaction.
Cassandra gulped, unable to speak, her mouth had suddenly gone dry. Was he implying what she thought he was? She simply nodded for him to continue.
“I’m twenty-eight and have lost my entire family, as have you. Life’s too short to always wonder, what if. I love you, and I’m mature enough to know what I want and, Cassandra, I want you — forever.”
She shivered involuntarily as chills rolled down her arms. Quick to notice, he wrapped his arms completely around her, pulling her close. His lips found hers, and faster than she thought possible, she was warm. She knew what he was insinuating, and he was giving her an opportunity to decide before he asked outright, allowing her an opening to flee and save him rejection, she assumed.
But the way his lips felt on hers, she couldn’t move. Already connected in every way, it would be a simple step to take, accepting him fully.
Pulling his head back a few inches, he searched her face, gauging her reaction. “You didn’t run away?” he whispered. “I expected you to scurry away in fear, hide under your pillow with your headphones again,” he teased, smiling to lighten his words.
Her voice absent, she simply shrugged, not knowing how to respond. He was obviously waiting for her to make this simple, to give him an indication either way.
“Come on, Cassandra, I’ll take you inside before you freeze.”
What? No. He hadn’t finished. What was she thinking? She wanted him to propose? Was she crazy? Maybe she’d misunderstood.
Wrapping his arm around her waist, he led her up to the house. Once inside, he walked her over to the sofa and directed her to sit. He cupped
her face with his large palm. “If I go downstairs for a moment, will you stay awake until I get back?” He grinned. “I promise I won’t take but a couple of minutes.”
She nodded, still finding it impossible to speak.
He returned minutes later, smiling, happy it seemed that she was still awake.
Without a second’s hesitation, he knelt down in front of her as he’d done this morning when he’d admitted he loved her. “Cassandra, I do love you, and I promise I will love you every single day for the rest of our life. If you don’t like Nantahala and you want to move, I will take you anywhere you want. But I don’t want to wait. And if you say no, I will ask you every single day until you either say yes or leave me.” He took a deep breath then exhaled. “Cassandra, will you marry me?” He offered a ring as he articulated his beautiful words.
Tears filled her eyes. She loved Chad, truly. Beyond a shadow of a doubt she knew she loved him with all that was within her. “Chad …” she whispered. “Oh, God.” She exhaled. Why was he doing this? He said she could say no, and he would ask her again tomorrow, but she couldn’t make herself utter the word. She wanted to say yes with everything in her being.
Sliding off the sofa, she melted into his arms. “This is what I was talking about, Chad … you don’t play honorably. Why are you doing this?”
He chuckled. “Well, at least that wasn’t a no.” He pursed his lips, though, and his face turned stern. “I’m not playing, Cassan —”
She pressed her mouth to his, cutting him off. After a few minutes, he pulled her up into his arms and sat down with her on his lap. “Marry me, Cassandra,” he implored. “Marry me, and stay with me forever.”
Her heart jolted, sending a current rushing through her veins. She ignored him, kissing him again.
He obliged her for a few minutes, but then pulled back. “Do I have to withhold my kisses until you answer me?” he threatened darkly. “We agreed to only two kisses a day. But … if you marry me …”
“Do I have to say yes for you to continue kissing me? That’s extortion,” she said, smiling.
“Yes.” He raised his eyebrows at her and smiled. “And that would be an excellent answer, too.”
“But if I say no, you’ll ask me again tomorrow?”
He shrugged. “Maybe, or then again, perhaps I’ll be too embarrassed. This isn’t easy, Cassandra.”
“Chad?” she pleaded.
“Yes?” he asked. “See, it’s easy, one little word. Tell me yes, Cassandra, and I will kiss you all night every night for as long as you will allow me.”
“Yes,” she breathed out, kissing him again.
He pulled back. “Yes? You said yes?” He took her hand, sliding the ring on her finger before she could change her mind, it seemed, then lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “This was the ring my father gave your mother, Cassandra … I thought it only fitting. It wasn’t the one I offered Michelle; I returned that one. If you want a different ring, I would be happy to get you something new and even grander.”
“No, it’s beautiful, and you’re correct, it does fit metaphorically as well as physically. Jasmine was the one who brought us together.”
Taking her face tightly in his hands, he kissed her again. It seemed she couldn’t get enough of his kissing. His kissing alone made her feel euphoric inside.
But then he pulled back again. “How ’bout tomorrow?” he asked. “Unless you want a big wedding, that is. Do you have anyone to invite?”
“No. Like you … all my family is gone, but tomorrow … how could we possibly?”
“Well, I was thinking we could take off a few days, and then at the end of six months, we could have a full-scale honeymoon. Since we don’t have time for a vacation, as we both have to work for six months. But we can call in sick; say we are under the weather, which is by all means truthful. I can’t think of anything but you, and the only thing that will assuage me is if I know that you’re mine completely. Besides, I haven’t called in sick in five years … I’m due. What do you say?”
“I say you’re crazy … we can’t get married tomorrow.”
“That may be true, the crazy part, but tell me why not. You said yes. So unless you were merely accepting my proposal to get me into bed —” He smiled crookedly at her. “Then why can’t we … why wait? When you want to spend the rest of your life with someone … why not start immediately? Besides, if I don’t take you off the market, I may have competition.” He grazed his fingers under her chin. “Did you see Tom’s face tonight? I told you he wants you, and Tom is accustomed to getting his way. It isn’t easy to thwart him. He would literally stalk a woman until he obtained what he wanted. I believe the Turners were looking to marry off two children simultaneously.”
Cassandra giggled. “Yeah, they did appear traumatized.”
“Imagine their surprise now.” He raised one brow. “You didn’t answer my question … What’s wrong with tomorrow?”
“So if I say tomorrow, are you going to make love to me tonight?” she asked, wondering if that had been his inspiration from the start.
“Absolutely not!” he retorted. “And allow you to take advantage of me then amend your decision? What kind of a gentleman do you think I am?” She could hear the playfulness in his tone.
“Tomorrow,” she breathed, not sure why it really made a difference. She did want to marry him, so why not tomorrow, as he’d suggested. “Okay, Chad, tomorrow. So how do we do this? I always heard weddings took months to prepare.”
“Easy … we book a getaway to Las Vegas. We’ll stay there Friday through Monday and come back Tuesday and then return to work on Wednesday happily married.”
“It sounds as if you thought of everything.”
“I told you. I’ve thought of nothing else since Tuesday night when Michelle so rudely interrupted our evening. I wanted to ask you then.”
“Really?” she asked, surprised. And suddenly thankful Michelle had shown up. She honestly didn’t think she would have even considered his proposal, but Michelle had encouraged her decision. She certainly wanted to marry him. Enough so that she’d tried to interfere with their evening three consecutive nights.
“I’ve known from the first day we met that I wanted you in my life, and not just because you’re beautiful; though, that indisputably is a fact. I love everything about you. Did I tell you … I was going to hunt you down after you ran off Sunday? I knew you were the one I wanted from that first day. I just never conceived I’d be able to have everything I wanted and then some.”
Cassandra sighed. “You’re overwhelming me again.”
“Good. I’m determined to do that every day now.” He brushed her hair back off her face and kissed her once on the lips. “Cassandra, I’m going to go downstairs and make arrangements, but will you come to me after you get ready for bed? I assure you, nothing will happen, but I want you in my arms tonight. I don’t ever want to be without you from this evening forward. Is that tolerable, or will that overwhelm you?” he teased.
Cassandra felt the warmth fill her cheeks again, wanting the same thing, for him never to let her go. She nodded and stood up to leave, but he held her hand for a second, kissing it, then let her go unwillingly.
Steaming hot water engulfed her body, but she couldn’t relax.
Chad was waiting downstairs. Would he really not attempt anything? Did she want him not to try? Married by tomorrow … the entire idea was baffling, but exciting. How had everything changed so completely in a matter of days? Why Chad? Why here?
Ordered and structured had been the norm her entire life … though, she’d never been happier than she was right now. She knew who she was and the direction her life was taking. And where had it brought her? Seven years of college to do what her father wanted, but then he’d died and the one thing he’d promised her — that she would have a career — had gone out the window.
She didn’t need to marry Chad … she had over half a million dollars coming; she didn’t need anything. But she knew what
she wanted. She desired Chad with everything inside her. Unlike her mother — who felt she had to grasp at whatever life offered — Cassandra was free to choose.
Chad loved her … why, she didn’t understand, but he did just the same. He was a respectable man too; her father would have been proud. He was a Christian, he didn’t drink, he didn’t smoke … he had to have some fault. Was she missing something? She laughed at her analytical self. Why did he have to have a fault? Wasn’t it possible he was everything he seemed?
The water turned cool, so Cassandra turned it off, wrapped herself in a thick cotton robe, and headed to the closet.
Clothes … she had to find something decent. She had nothing sexy, but then again, that would be wrong. She grabbed a pair of thin cotton sleep pants she wore at home in Florida and a threadbare T-shirt. It was as flirtatious an outfit as she could manage without being tempting. Tomorrow she would find something appropriate for a wedding night. She smiled at the notion, exhaling deeply...tomorrow. She had waited forever for this day. She’d never thought it would be Vegas, but then again, she assumed her father would escort her down the aisle. Chad was right; life passed too quickly, so why waste a precious moment?
Rushing downstairs, she stopped tentatively in his doorway. He wasn’t at his desk or in bed. Her eyes drifted to the opened sliding glass door leading to the deck, noticing he had lit a fire in the Chiminea.
“Out here, Cassandra,” he called.
He was rocking the swing, waiting for her. As she stepped over the threshold, he held out his arms, an irresistible request. Her heart raced again, and she wondered if she would always react this way?
Folding his arms around her, he pulled her down beside him, but said nothing as he kept a steady rocking motion, staring out over the lake for several minutes.
“Reservations are made,” he finally whispered. “Tomorrow night you will be Mrs. Cassandra Wilkinson.” He turned to her. “Does that make you happy?” His eyes intensely searched hers for an answer.
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