“Mom, this is…”
“I wanted to give it you when the time is right, and I’d hoped your father would be here to share the occasion with us when you do ask Cassey to marry you, but, unfortunately, God had other plans for him.” My mother sniffs and dabs under her eyes with a rumpled tissue.
“How do you know I’m going to propose to Cassey?” I ask out of curiosity. My mother lets out a small laugh. “I don’t, but your father did. He told me as soon as you two met, you’d fall head over heals. And when he saw you two together, he was thrilled. She’s a wonderful woman, Kyler. The two of you remind me so much of me and your father when we were your age.” “So, you like her then?”
“I adore her. I couldn’t have picked a better person for you if I had handpicked her myself.”
I chuckle. “I always thought you wanted me to end up with Jessa.” My mother looks down, a little embarrassed judging by the color in her cheeks. “That was before I saw you with Cassey. I knew then that who you decided to spend the rest of your life with, wasn’t up to me. But, darling, I had the best intentions, really, I did. And I’m glad you didn’t stay with Jessa. She’s quite a little bitch.”
My eyes widen. My mother never swears. “Go Mom!” I tease.
“Oh hush,” my mother chides playfully. “I cuss now and then.” “So, it doesn’t bother you that she’s not like us? That she doesn’t come from money or social standing?”
“No,” she replies, waving me off. “Quite the opposite actually. Cassey is strong and independent, and she will challenge you the way you need to be challenged. She’ll love you fiercely and unconditionally, and that, my darling, is all I want for you. Someone to spend your life with who makes you happy.” I nod, no words necessary, because my mother and I both know Cassey is that person.
My mother stands and I follow. “Now, as much as I love you, I need to get some rest. Tell Cassey we’ll do lunch in a few days.”
“I will, Mom,” I reply, kissing her forehead. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, sweetheart.”
I leave my parent’s house, my grandmother’s ring tucked away safely in my pocket. I want to propose to Cassey, and I will, I just don’t know if now would be the right time. We’ve had so much going on that I need to stop, and take a breath. When I walk into my apartment, it’s dark, and I’m surprised to find Cassey curled up in my bed. I can see the silhouette of her small, curvaceous figure under my sheets. It makes me smile.
I place the ring box in my drawer before pulling of my clothes off. My body is weary after the weeks events, and even more so after today. I want nothing more than to wrap Cassey in my arms and sleep. She turns, rolling onto her back and her green eyes find me.
“Hey you,” she says, her voice laced with sleep.
“Hey, baby,” I reply, crawling under the cool sheets with her. She slides closer to me, nestling her head under my chin and throws her leg over mine. I trace lazy patterns down her bare spine, and she does the same on my chest. “How’s your mom?” she asks. I can tell she’s really concerned. Her and my mother have become quite close.
“I think it’s going to be hard,” I reply. “They’ve been together forever.” Cassey sighs and I look down to see her regarding me. “I want that kind of love,” she says. “The kind that will be forever.”
I want to tell her we’ll have that, but before I can she asks, “Are you okay?” Her face is drawn, and she also has dark circles under her eyes. I realize that she’s stuck with me through everything this week, and that my parents are so right about her. She’s it for me.
“No,” I reply honestly. “But I will be. As long as I have you, I’ll get through anything.”
She moves closer and lays a gentle kiss on my mouth. I cup her head and deepen it, fusing our tongues together. It’s intimate, even without it leading to sex, and I know, deep down in my soul that we are forever. Cassey’s eyes open, and her lips turn up into a sweet, soft smile. Then I do excatly what I said I wouldn’t.
Before I can stop myself, I blurt out, “Marry Me.”
Chapter 16 ~ Cassey ~
I stare at Kyler wide-eyed. Did he just propose? Judging by the look in his face I’m guessing he did. And he’s waiting for me to respond. “Uh…” My words disappear, and I immediately wish I hadn’t said anything at all. Not exactly how I imagined my proposal, or how I would respond. Kyler’s expression shifts, and he slides out from under me.
“Not quite the response I was imagining,” he murmurs. He pulls his sweats on, and starts to stand when I grab his forearm.
“I’m sorry, I just - ”
“Don’t want to marry me,” Kyler intercedes, his body going rigid under my hand. I’ve hurt him. I can hear it in his voice.
“Will you let me explain?” I ask quietly. I hold the sheet to my chest, and move to sit on my knees.
“There’s nothing to explain,” Kyler replies, sounding both resigned and agitated. How the hell did the mood change so quickly? One minute we’re kissing, and the next he’s proposing and I’m stuttering for an answer. Again, not how I pictured this moment happening.
“Kyler,” I say quietly, pleading, “it’s not that I don’t want to marry you, I just - ”
“Didn’t want to say yes,” he interrupts again. “I’m going to crash on the couch.”
He pulls out of my grasp, and walks out of his bedroom, leaving me alone in bed. I have two options here. I can leave it until tomorrow, and potentially have him leave me, or I could chase after the stubborn man and sort this out right now. It only takes me a split second to make my decision. I jump out of bed, and throw on one of Kyler’s discarded shirts on my way down the passage. I find him standing next to his floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the city. The lights shimmer, horns sound down below, and all I can really focus on is the ay Kyler’s shoulder’s move up and down with his every breath. The soft moonlight shines down on him, and the sight is almost enough to take my breath away. I take a few tentative steps towards him, and stop a few feet behind him.
“Kyler,” I say quietly again. He doesn’t acknowledge my presence. Instead he places his palms against the cool glass, and leans against it, hanging his head between his shoulders. He might not want to hear me out, but I’m going to tell him anyway.
“I didn’t say no,” I start. “I was just caught off guard. I didn’t mean for it to come out the way it did, but you surprised me,” I wait for a response, and when it doesn’t come I continue, “We’ve been through so much, and our relationship is still far too new to be jumping into more so quickly. I just want to enjoy what we have now, before taking that next step.”
“You don’t have to explain Cass, I get it. I shouldn’t have asked.” His words knock me off kilter, and I feel hurt blooming in my chest. It’s silly, considering I didn’t exactly give him the answer he wanted. I still stand by it though. The past few weeks have been taxing on both of us, especially the week following Robert Knight’s death. I never left Kyler’s side, and if he was up late, unable to sleep, then I was right there next to him. It was difficult, experiencing all of that with his father. I felt as if I’d lost a father too. It didn’t help that news of Robert’s death spread like wild fire. Kyler and his mother were barely able to go anywhere without being swarmed by paparazzi who asked a thousand questions. I put my unease aside, knowing it was my life in the media too, and did what I could to be there for Kyler and his mother. I’m still not used to seeing my picture in the newspaper or in the tabloids, but over the past week, it was inevitable. I’m the new woman on Kyler Knights arm, and he’s just taken over his father’s company. It’s big news, or at least the paparazzi seem to think so.
I close the space between me and Kyler, and press my chest to Kyler’s bare back as I wrap my arms around his waist. He doesn’t move, but I feel the sigh that leaves his chest. My hand rests over his heart, and I feel the steady thump thump, thump thump, of his heart. I’ve found that it’s centers me, reminds me that no matter what’s going
on around us or between us, as long as I hear that sound I know we’ll be okay.
“We’ve been through so much,” I whisper against his skin.
“I know,” he sighs, resting his hand over mine.
My eyes flutter shut, and our breathing synchronizes, like we’re breathing as one person. It’s strange, to feel so connected to another human being in such a short space of time.
“I didn’t say no,” I tell him gently. “I just meant not now. We’ve just started figuring all of this out after our previous…” I swallow, wondering how to word what it is we had before. Saying we were fuck buddies, or even friends-with-benefits doesn’t feel right to me anymore, “arrangement. Don’t you think we should take our time, settle into our new relationship, and just take our time?”
Kyler pushes off the glass windows, forcing me to drop my hold on him. He turns to face me. “Yeah.” He leans in and presses a gentle kiss to my forehead. It feels like both a comfort and a dismissal. “Go back to bed, baby. I’ll see you in the morning.”
My insides are screaming at me to argue, to fight, to make sure he understands where I’m coming from. Instead, I listen to him. Pressing a soft kiss to the side of his mouth, I say goodnight and make my way back to his bedroom, where I crawl back under the covers. I can’t marry Kyler now. It’s way too soon, and Kyler still has so much left to deal with after his father passed away. But I can compromise. That much I can do for him.
~ Kyler ~
Cassey is still asleep when I leave my apartment. It’s a Saturday, but I have a few things to do in the office after my father’s funeral. I left her a note, telling her I’ll be back later. I don’t quite know what got into me last night, and if I’m being totally honest with myself, Cassey’s rejection stung. But after brewing over it for a little while longer I realized that she was right. It is too soon. Our relationship has been nothing but a whirlwind of lust, sex, and a stupid arrangement that flipped my world on its head. What was I thinking proposing to her now?
I’m afraid to admit to her that proposing out of the blue like that was the wrong thing to do, simply because my head is a screwed up place to be right now. I’m mourning the death of the man I idolized, the man I wanted to be when I grew up, and helping my mother grieve the loss of her soul mate and best friend. Needless to say I’m not thinking clearly.
After spending four hours in the office, I check my phone to see that Cassey hasn’t called or texted, and decide to take a walk back to my apartment. The streets bustle as people do their usual Saturday shopping, but I barely notice it. I walk in a haze, thinking about everything and nothing.
When I make it back to my apartment, it’s quiet, until I hear noises coming from my bedroom.
“Cass?” I call out, walking down the hallway.
“In here,” she responds.
I find her standing in my closet, hands on her hips, a proud smile on her face. “What are you doing?” I ask, a light chuckle in my voice. I’m happy to see her, despite my inner turmoil.
“Notice anything different?” she asks, taking the few steps to where I’m standing.
I look around, and then start noticing little things. Her clothes are hanging next to mine, her shoes too, and her perfume bottles line my chest of drawers. I go to the bathroom, and find all her girly face products, body lotions and make-up taking up most of the space on my bathroom counter. “What is all this?” I ask, turning to face her again.
“Well,” she sighs. “I thought about last night, and decided that we could reach a compromise. I want to marry you, and be your partner in every aspect, give myself to in every way, but just not yet. So,” she gestures to everything around us, where all her belongings now take up residence in my home, “this is me giving you what I’m ready for.”
It all clicks, and my mouth turns up into a shit eating grin.
“You moved in.”
“Is that okay?” she asks, suddenly unsure.
I press my lips to hers, and smile against her mouth. She giggles, and I swallow the sound, revel in it, in the way this woman is able to breathe life into me, into my soul.
“It’s more than okay,” I reply. I pull away and look into her beautiful, understanding and compassionate eyes. “Welcome home baby.”
Epilogue
~ Cassey ~ ~ 2 years later ~
I stare at myself in the mirror. My long brown hair is pinned to the side and hangs down past my breasts. My white gold drop earrings shine in the sunlight, reflecting shards of color on every surface. I’m wearing a white dress with a beaded lace bodice and tulle skirt that flares mid-thigh. I feel like a princess.
I turn my head when the door opens and Quinn walks in.
“Cassey,” she whispers, her eyes welling up with tears. “You look perfect.” I smile. “Thank you.”
“We’re almost ready,” she says. “Are you sure you still want me to walk you down the aisle?”
I nod, knowing I wouldn’t want anyone else to do it.
Sure, it’s unconventional, but nothing about my life has been conventional from the day Kyler Knight blew into my life like a tornado.
Quinn smiles and checks her watch. “Okay, girly, time to go.”
I grab my bouquet of white Calla Lillies, and follow Quinn outside into the warm summer sun. Kyler and I decided to get married in his parents’ backyard. I’ve always dreamed of a small, white wedding, somewhere green and lush. And Kyler gave it to me. I walk down the deck stairs and hook my arm through Quinn’s as we make our way to the isle of rose petrels leading me to Kyler. There’s a small quartet band, playing soft music to the side. There’s no need for chairs, but at the end of the aisle is a small arch, decorated in white flowers. I smile at Kyler’s mother who wipes a stray tear rolling down her cheek. Jarred is standing next to her, holding his and Quinn’s daughter, Amelia. When my gaze finally falls on Kyler, my heart stops, and stumbles over itself before picking up again. He looks amazing in his black suit. His smile is blinding and my body is giddy with excitement.
“Who gives this woman away?” the priest asks as Quinn and I come to a stop in front of him and Kyler.
“I do,” Quinn says. She smiles and I see her eyes glaze over. She kisses my cheek, whispers ‘I love you, sis’, and goes to join Jarred. It’s just the five of us, including little Amelia, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. As Kyler and I say our vows and promise our lives and hearts to each other, I think about how quickly time has gone by. Kyler successfully took over Knight Media after his father’s passing, and soon after that, I was made a publisher, the youngest Knight Media had ever promoted. We’d shared moments of love, passion, lust, pain, sorrow, forgiveness, and anger, and through all of it we always found our way back to the beginning.
“You may kiss the bride,” the priest says. Kyler steps forward and cups my face in his palms. His blue eyes shine bright and fierce, and in them I find the same peace he gives me.
“I love you, Mrs. Knight,” he whispers against my mouth. Hearing my new name sets butterflies off in my belly, and I grin.
“I love you, too, Mr. Knight.”
Quinn and Jarred both clap, while Kyler’s mother comes to hug us. “I’m so happy for both of you,” she says with a sniffle. I know today is bittersweet, for both Kyler and his mother, but we know his father is still here, watching us, celebrating with us.
After having dinner, we say our goodbyes and Kyler takes me to our apartment. We leave for our honeymoon tomorrow, but the stubborn man won’t tell me where we’re going. Instead, he simply said, “Don’t pack any clothes. We’ll be naked for a week.” The anticipation made me shiver, but now I really do need to pack something. Kyler opens the door and then bends to pick me up. He carries me inside, and as soon as I take in what his apartment looks like, my breath catches in my throat. There are small candles on every surface, lighting up the space magnificently.
“Kyler,” I sigh. “This is beautiful.”
“Welcome home, Mrs. Knight,” he says, grinning. My heart hum
s in my chest. Kyler walks down the hallway into our bedroom, and puts me down. The bed is covered in rose petals, and my eyes well with tears, knowing he did all of this for me. Kyler pulls me into his chest and kisses my shoulder before moving his hand to the zip of my dress. His hands come around to my torso and he slips the dress down my body. I hear him suck in a ragged breath and smile in satisfaction. I turn to face him, and take a step back until the back of my legs hit the bed. Kyler’s eyes travel the length of my body and I see his want swirling in his blue eyes. I’m wearing a white lace bustier with a plunging neckline and a matching garter belt.
“Damn,” Kyler exhales harshly. “My wife is gorgeous. Are you trying to kill me, baby?”
I shrug, “Maybe.”
Kyler closes the gap between us, and after I remove his suit jacket, I sit down on the bed and crawl backwards until I’m in the center.
Kyler joins me, covering me with his muscular body. He sears me with his gaze, and leans in to press our lips together. As his mouth seduces mine in a gentle, yet commanding caress, I realize that this moment, with me and Kyler, was inevitable. It was never my choice. I was always destined to fall…
The End
ABOUT TAMSYN Tamsyn is a 22 year old blogger turned author who has an insatiable hunger for New Adult Contemporary Romance novels, coffee and chocolate. When she’s not getting caught up in yet another steamy romance with a new book boyfriend, she can be found spending endless hours working away on her laptop in pursuit of her Marketing degree and a career in book Publishing. Tamsyn is a Brat when it comes to books and believes that every story, no matter how challenging, should have a Happy Ever After. Tamsyn is currently hard at work on her next novel, Destined To Fall, due out late 2013.
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