“Oh god…” Strong hands gripped her hips. She circled them faster and tossed her head back when it became too much. “Oh fuck yes…”
As her body began to quiver, she lowered her eyes to the ones gazing up. Instead of the teal blue ones she expected to see, a different pair stared back. They were light blue—Theo blue—because the face peering up at her was his.
The mere thought had her body shuddering. There was no way to control it, nor did she try. She gave in to the ache, the same one that had her voice climbing and clit throbbing. The longer she stared, the more her little nub throbbed. And she came. Hard. Pulse after pleasurable pulse quaked through her body, but she couldn’t look away. She was too caught up in the moment, too focused on the thought of Theo buried inside her.
Grunts and groans mixed with her cries just before he reached his release. He dug his fingers into her hair and pulled her mouth closer. She wanted to kiss him. The need overtook her when the heat of his breath tickled her cheeks.
There was no hesitation on his end. Sweep after sweep, their lips pressed and parted, tongues swirled and danced. They continued kissing long after their bodies stilled. And when she finally eased away, the ugly truth punched her in the gut.
It wasn’t Theo she was straddling. It was Mike.
He studied her face, taking in every inch. “Wow,” he panted. “You’re fucking amazing. Do you know that?”
Her lips lifted and spread into a smile. So it wasn’t the man she’d imagined it to be. Didn’t mean she disliked the pleasure he brought her, and God, did he please her tonight. Sort of… His body may have produced the bliss, but it was thoughts of Theo that sent her over the edge and coming hard.
Damn, she needed to get him out of her head.
Once her thighs began to ache, she rolled over to her side and turned her back to Mike, who was busy peeling off the condom he’d been wearing. As she leaned back, the pillow cradled her head with its feathery softness. She snuggled in closer and sighed. God, the cool sheets felt good against her skin. Mike always managed to make her break a sweat.
The bed jostled as he lay back down and scooted closer. He bit her shoulder, just like he did any other time before they fell asleep, but then he did something else—something she wasn’t expecting. He curled his body behind hers and wrapped his arm around her waist.
It wasn’t until a deep sigh escaped his lips that she realized he had every intention of remaining in their current position. Maybe she shouldn’t have given two shits about such a small gesture, but it was completely out of character, like everything else he’d done tonight. Add the fact that she couldn’t get Theo’s face out of her mind, and it made for an uncomfortable situation.
Being as casual as possible, she tried to slip away from his embrace, but she didn’t get far before he gripped her hip.
“Um…what are you doing?”
“This?” His arms circled her again, and he pulled her back to the same spot she’d just escaped. “I thought we’d try something different. Don’t tell me you’ve never done this before.”
She peeked over her shoulder, viewing his chest first, then his face. “And what exactly is this?”
“We’re spooning, Cass.”
Spooning? Was he kidding?
A quick twist of her hips had her flipping over to her other side. Less than a foot of space separated his mouth from hers, but she didn’t let that fact distract her. She did what she normally did in awkward situations. She cracked a joke.
“Sweetheart, we’re not eating utensils. Besides, we just forked. No need to spoon, too.”
Laughter erupted from Mike’s direction. He trailed his finger along her jaw, under her chin, and then tapped her nose with his finger. “See, this is what I’m talking about. You’re sexy as hell, make me come harder than anyone I’ve ever known, and you’re funny. I enjoy my time with you.”
The sheets came back into view once she focused on the mattress. Was she in the freaking twilight zone tonight or what?
“Okay, Mike, that’s enough. What in the hell has gotten into you?”
He waited so long to respond that she worried he’d fallen asleep. Yet the moment she glanced up, her eyes locked with his. “Nothing’s gotten into me. Why do you ask?”
The mattress gave as she pushed up on her elbow. “You’re not acting like yourself. You’re acting like…like a—”
“Like a guy who really likes the girl he’s with?”
He was lying. He had to be with all the sentimental bullshit he was spewing. Instead of turning this into another argument, she lowered her gaze to his chest, but it didn’t ease the awkwardness burning her cheeks.
“That’s a sweet thing to say, Mike, which is why I’m having a hard time understanding where this is coming from. Don’t get me wrong,” she chuckled. “You’re quite charming, but this behavior is borderline romantic.”
Silence formed as Mike fell against his pillow. Guess he didn’t get the joke, or she had poor timing. Either way, he chewed on his bottom lip while gawking at the ceiling. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was seriously bothered by what she’d said.
“I don’t know how to explain it, Cassie. I mean I’ve always been attracted to you. But when you walked into the club tonight and I spotted you…it’s like I really saw you for the first time.”
She couldn’t believe he was saying this, and by the way he rose up on his elbow and leaned closer, she knew he wasn’t finished.
“We’ve always been clear about our arrangement since we started this. But what if I want more time with you? What if I’ve decided that I want to settle down and build a lasting relationship with someone? What if that someone is you?”
Each and every question tumbled through her mind as she stared at him, mouth open, her breath held. If he were on the verge of asking her to make vows and promises of forever, she wouldn’t be able to leave the bed quick enough.
Running off would be cruel, but then, being with someone she didn’t love was crueler. She cared about Mike. Probably always would, but she couldn’t spend forever with him.
“Mike, it’s late. I had a bad day, and I’m getting crankier by the second. Can we talk about this tomorrow?”
Try as she may, she couldn’t ignore the disappointment dulling his eyes. They lowered to the mattress, and he nodded. “Okay. Then let’s get some sleep.”
Her nod of approval was enough to satisfy him. He rolled to his side, putting his back to her. Out of all the conversations they’d shared over the last year, he never reacted this way. Then again, he’d never acted jealous before either.
Once his breathing deepened, she listened to the soft snoring he produced each time he drew air into his nose. The minutes continued ticking by, but each one seemed to take forever. No matter how many times she fluffed her pillow and waited for sleep to overtake her, all she could do was look at the ceiling.
After twenty minutes of tossing and turning, she finally scooted to the edge of the bed and stood. She waited to see if Mike would wake and ask what she was doing, but his snoring increased in frequency and volume, the telltale sign that he was out cold.
Perfect. Now she could grab her clothes off the floor, dress, and sneak out the front door before he knew any different. She didn’t like leaving this way, but she didn’t want to chance sticking around in the morning and having this conversation come up.
It wouldn’t do either of them any good.
Perhaps it was time to give him some space. They’d spent way too much time together in the last year. He was getting used to her being around. That’s all this was. A few weeks apart would do him some good and help clear his head.
Though a temporary break might solve the problem developing between her and Mike, it did nothing to rid her of her other issue—a six-foot, well-built wall of lean muscle with eyes that haunted her soul.
Time apart wouldn’t fix that issue, not if six years and thousands of miles hadn’t. Tonight proved that nothing on this planet, including
hot sex, could get Theo McCabe off her mind.
CHAPTER NINE
The sound of a car horn blowing ricocheted through Cassie’s head, jarring her from sleep. It faded a moment later, but the damage was done. She was awake, and from the feel of the lumpy object cuddled to her body, she was sprawled across the bed, hugging her body pillow.
She blinked twice in an effort to see the time, but her eyes were like sandpaper—dry and coarse. The sensation prevented her from fully opening them, as did the repetitious pounding in her temples.
God, she needed an aspirin and a cup of coffee. If she weren’t any better after getting both, she’d grab some tomato juice and a beer.
So it wasn’t the most nutritious breakfast, but by god, it would fix her hangover. Sex would too, but that wasn’t an option this morning. Probably just as well. Nothing had gone right for the last twenty-four hours. From Ally’s late arrival, to the minute Cassie stepped inside her house, there was only one thing she wanted to forget.
Running into Theo.
The youngest McCabe brother showed what he thought of her. Nothing. All the flirting he did was for sport. He was out to get laid, nothing more. It’s who he was.
Still, she didn’t have a right to be upset. She would do the same had the roles been reversed. In fact, she did. Wasn’t that the reason she ended up at Mike’s?
It sure as hell wasn’t for chitchat.
As she eased into a sitting position, memories rushed through her mind. How she entered Mike’s apartment when he opened the door. How he closed the same door and approached her. His lips had covered hers, followed by his body.
Damn, he had an amazing body…
Gripping the sheets, she remembered every vivid detail. Those details included the sound of their clothes hitting the floor, the sound of the condom wrapper opening, and the feel of his hands when he lifted her against the wall and slammed his cock inside her.
She’d let him have his way, taking control of her body. It resulted in him carrying her to the bedroom. Her thighs wrapped snug at his waist, and her legs crossed above his ass.
Once the mattress cradled her back, she lost herself in his thrusts. Those swift thrusts caused their skin to slap together. God, she loved that sound. The harder he pounded her, the more excited she grew.
She still wasn’t certain how she’d ended up atop him, but it didn’t stop their stride. She rode him. Hard. And deep… Desire took control. She grew insatiable as the ache between her thighs increased. It didn’t stop until she came.
And she did the moment Theo entered her mind.
“Damn it.”
Jumping to her feet, she left the bed in her wake and found the bottle of aspirin in its usual spot. It hadn’t left the nightstand since she’d placed it there four months ago. One quick sip from the water bottle beside it and the pills slid down her throat. It wouldn’t take long for the medicine to rid her of the headache.
Too bad there wasn’t a pill to get Theo off her mind…
If incredible, hot sex with Mike couldn’t do it, nothing would. She thought about calling to check on Ally, but doubted it would help. Besides, Ally might bring up the Jonah fiasco. That particular conversation would provide no distraction. Cassie would only dig herself deeper into thoughts of Theo.
A series of trills buzzed from her cell. She surveyed the room, unable to find where she’d placed it. Instead, she followed the sound, creeping around the room like a tigress ready to pounce. She must have dropped it before she went to sleep because the noise came from the floor.
By the time the fifth trill sounded, she shoved her hand down a knee-high boot near the foot of the bed. She clasped the rectangular object and pulled it from the boot in time to see a missed-call bubble on the screen. The letters within spelled Mr. O.
“Mike,” she grumbled, remembering how he explained that the O in Mr. O stood for orgasm.
She’d never forget the night they met. How they flirted all evening. How he fixed her the best Manhattans she’d ever tasted. How he entered his phone number into her contacts and told her to call whenever. But the final hook that reeled her in came when he whispered in her ear.
“The call will cost you a set of panties, but the orgasms are free.”
Her skin tingled from the memories. All the countless panties she’d spent on those calls were worth it because Mike kept his promise. He always made her come.
In one night, the desire she had for him changed. His jealousy, along with the insinuation of a commitment, had her sneaking out of his room like a teenage girl past curfew. Now he was awake and knew what she did. She couldn’t talk to him. She needed time to process everything.
“This stupid headache.” She grumbled the words, lifting her hand to her temple. “Why won’t it go away? I didn’t drink that much.”
As she ran her fingers through her hair, they collided with a metal object. Her scalp burned and she sucked in a breath. “What the hell… Oh…it’s the hair comb.”
Untangling a few stray hairs, she worked the comb loose and held it in front of her. The tension in her temples lessened. No wonder she had such a wicked headache. She never slept with anything in her hair.
She brought the comb closer and studied the details. Layers of Black Hills gold made up the camellias’ petals, giving them a rosy tint and the leaves minty ones. The satiny texture of the pearls graced her fingertips. The diamond baguettes sparkled in the light. All in all, the piece was magnificent. They didn’t make hair accessories like this anymore. There was no stamp on the comb reading Made in China.
Its original owner must have paid a hefty price. The pin was exquisite. It should be a family heirloom, prized and protected for many generations to come. Instead it was a piece of jewelry, most likely passed between strangers, which ended up in a musty old shop.
Of course, later generations went through harder times. Perhaps the last family member who possessed it had to sell it to pay for something important. The shop owner didn’t know much about the pin’s origin. The only information she had to offer was a legend connected with the camellias.
“Longing for you…”
Cassie whispered the words while stroking the edge of the pin. Believing in the legend meant believing every person had a true half—a counterpart with whom they could face whatever came their way. The legend spoke of true love.
She broke into rich laughter. How sappy a notion it was to think true love existed for everyone. It did for people like Ally and Jonah, but for her?
“Yeah, right.”
As she turned toward her jewelry box, she didn’t take two steps before another thought came to mind. Perhaps she shouldn’t dismiss the legend as quickly as she wanted. Farfetched or not, it could explain Mike’s weird behavior. If that was the case, then she’d walked out on the chance at a real relationship. And for what, some stupid attraction she’d developed toward Theo?
No. It was more than attraction. It was an obsession, a sick, twisted obsession that left her consumed by thoughts of him…
Longing for you.
The words replayed in her mind the more she thought about Theo. Maybe the pin hadn’t affected Mike’s behavior, but instead, affected hers.
“No way. Time to come back to the real world, Cassie.”
There was no way in hell she would allow herself to believe in some silly legend. They were meant for entertainment, nothing else. It was time to debunk it, if for no other reason than to prove she wouldn’t be Theo McCabe’s next notch. His belt was already full.
Making a short trek through the hallway, she bypassed the dining room and entered the kitchen. God it was bright. Really bright. It made her head thump even harder. The aspirin wasn’t doing much to ease the pain, which meant one thing. She needed caffeine.
As she busied herself with the coffee filters and water, she glanced at her cell. She wouldn’t be able to avoid Mike for long. He’d been to her house a few times. If he were the least bit curious about why she’d snuck out, he’d come in sea
rch of an explanation. It would be better to deal with him over the phone than in person, just in case he was still feeling…affectionate.
While the coffee brewed, she grabbed her phone and clicked the ‘m’ on her list of contacts. After a few quick taps, she pulled up her text box and started typing.
Sorry about last night. You caught me off guard. Wanna hook up later? My place or yours?
She proofread the message before hitting the send button and placing the phone on the counter. Mike would call if he weren’t upset. If being the keyword. Depending on when he woke, he might be unaware of how early she left his bed. If that were the case, then they had no issues, other than his jealousy. Hopefully, it was a one-time thing.
Her phone vibrated against the counter from an incoming text. It didn’t take him long to reply, but it never did unless he was working. As she picked up the phone and gazed at the screen, she read over his message.
Who is this?
Seriously? Guess she’d been wrong. He was mad. Now he was going to act like he didn’t know her. It wasn’t the first time he did something like this, but the last time he did, she knew it was a joke. This time… She didn’t have time for his games.
It’s Cassie, silly.
She’d keep things civil. No sense in getting pissy. Regardless of whether they kept sleeping together, she did enjoy Mike’s company. Plus, she loved going to Midnight Blues. If they had a falling out, she would feel awkward going back to the bar.
The phone vibrated in her hand as another message popped across the screen.
My morning just got better. Didn’t think I’d hear from you again.
Yep. She was right. He was upset about her leaving. At least he was taking it in stride. He even seemed happy to hear from her. He couldn’t be too upset over what happened.
Sorry. I didn’t mean to leave so abruptly. I was worried over Ally and thought it would be best to come home. I’m sure if I’d stayed, I would be in trouble this morning. *wink*
Placing the phone back on the counter, she grabbed the cream and sugar and mixed it inside the cup. The conversation with Mike was going much better than she thought. Might as well be good-humored about it. If he focused on sex, any resentment he had would be long forgotten.