Chapter 16
EVIE
Evie watched as Cash walked away from her. Every cell in her body lit up with desire. She had sworn he was going to kiss her, but instead he just turned and walked away. As scared as she was to let him in, he had been good to her. Even when she thought the worst of him, he kept proving her wrong. And she would be lying if she didn't ride her vibrator to the memory of him fucking her in her office. This was getting out of hand. Part of her felt the need to stop it, but the other part knew that was pointless. There was something here and she did want to explore it, as scary as it was.
She got her bag, and once all her skaters were picked up, she headed home. She got in the shower and texted Cash her address when she got out. Then she went to her contacts and pulled up Sasha Maloof and hit call.
"Hello."
"I need to talk to you," Evie said into the phone.
"Okay?" Sasha said apprehensively "What's up?"
"Cash Hawthorn."
"Ahhhh yes, Cash. What's going on?"
And so, she told her. She filled her in on all the main points since their day of drinking, the missed practice and the appearance of the nephew, and the fake wedding date. She left out the fucking in the office part.
"Wow...he must really like you," said Sasha.
"You think?"
"Yeah. I say see where it goes."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, I mean it."
She was quiet letting the words settle in. What would dating him even look like? They were so different. She knew what the sex would be like, and she was looking forward to that part, but the rest kind of scared her, but maybe it was time to push through that and give it a real go.
"Okay..."
"I hate to do this, but Conner just got back from golf with my dad, and we’re headed out to dinner with my sister before she leaves tomorrow."
"Of course, I'll talk to you later."
"Call me tomorrow."
"Will do."
She hung up the phone and started to get ready.
Cash - Be ready at 7
Evie - See you then
She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face at his text. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. She wasn't sure she had ever felt like this. When she had dated Bryan, things were good. They had gotten along and done the things they were supposed to do. She could see what their life would have looked like together. They made sense, but it wasn't what she wanted. He had never made her feel the way Cash did. She lit up inside at his touch, under his gaze, even at the mere thought of him. She lit up.
Nothing left to do but get ready for her date with Cash. Was this even a date? They were getting ready to plan a weekend of fake dates. She didn't know what was going on quite yet, but she would figure it out. And she would look fabulous while figuring it out.
After she showered and got ready, she stood in front of the mirror. She still wasn't sure what this was, but she looked good. She had picked a dress that looked casual but showed off her tits. Her hair fell in loose chestnut waves, and her makeup looked effortlessly flawless. With a deep sigh, she evaluated herself in the mirror. She was doing this, whatever this was. Fake dating? Real dating? Fake dating with sex?
There was a knock at her door, and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. She turned and started down the stairs of her townhouse, her bare feet skidded on a step, and she almost fell. She stopped and took a deep breath. She needed to get herself under control before she opened that door and saw Cash.
She slipped her feet into some sandals as she opened the door. She should’ve been more prepared for what would be on the other side. Holy Fuck! Cash Hawthorn. There he stood with his hair slicked back, his beard neatly trimmed. The loose roll of the sleeves of his button down allowed his tattoos to peek out on his forearms, and his dark wash jeans quickly drew the eye to a specific area.
"Hi," she managed to get out.
He just stood there looking at her with his mouth parted.
"Are you ready?" she asked, feeling a little self-conscious.
"You look amazing," he said, his eyes still wide. "I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair down."
Reflexively, she reached up and tucked it behind her ear. "Oh yeah, I had it up for the gala and at the rink it's always up." Her stupid heart was pounding in her chest. How did he have this effect on her? At least he seemed to be struggling to find words right now too.
With a little shake of his head, he said, "Right, should we get going?"
"Where are we going?" she said as she grabbed her purse from the entryway table and slipped her phone in.
"How does Manelli's sound?"
"Delicious. Expensive though."
"I can afford it, and this is our first real date."
"Is it? A date that is?"
He looked at her with a tentative expression before his normal swagger found him again. "Baby girl, you know this is a date."
Baby girl...what the actual fuck was that? And why the hell did she love it so much? He held the storm door for her as she locked up, and they headed out. He opened the door of his big truck and helped her in. She took the moment it took him to walk to the driver's side to collect herself. This was getting out of hand.
"So, I just wanted to say thank you," she said as he climbed up into the truck.
"What for?" he asked as he started it up.
"For agreeing to go to this wedding with me. You didn't have to do that. I'm not even sure what made me tell my mother I was taking you...well I do, but that isn't something I want to get into right now."
He looked over at her with a quizzical expression as they started down the road. Manelli's was a nice Italian restaurant in downtown Glendale. She hadn't been there in a while. In fact, the last time she had been was one of her last dates with Bryan, but she wouldn't be telling Cash that.
"How long have you lived in Glendale?" she asked.
"I moved here four years ago when I started playing for the Magic."
"Do you like it?"
He nodded.
"Where are you from?" she asked.
"Colorado. Are you from here originally?"
She sighed. "Yep, I've lived here in Glendale my whole life except for college."
They pulled up to the restaurant. Much to Evie's surprise, Cash got out of the truck and quickly made his way over to her side of the truck and opened the door. As she accepted his hand, he helped her down. At the mere touch of their hands a bolt shot straight through her. She licked her lips and looked up into his heated gaze. There was a very large part of her that wanted to pull him back into that truck and do what they did best, but then his expression changed. His heated gaze softened to a warm smile. A smile that made her feel all glowy inside. She smiled back up at him and stood there for a stupid amount of time just staring into his eyes, but she couldn't seem to bring an end to it.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and then let go. She wanted to take it again, but then his hand settled in the small of her back.
"Shall we?" he asked, guiding her into the restaurant with the hand on her back. She had been with Bryan for years, but it had never felt like this. The warmth spreading all through her at his mere touch was all new to her. She nodded and they made their way into the restaurant.
"Mr. Hawthorn, your table is ready."
Evie smiled up at him and they made their way to their table. The host took them to a small alcove with a private round booth.
"Thank you," she said quietly as she looked up at him.
He just gave a little nod and smiled before sitting down at the table opposite her.
"This isn’t what I was expecting," she said, unsure of what to say.
"I told you I would take you out, and here we are."
"I still feel like I need to apologize to you. This whole wedding thing. I'm not sure what I was thinking. So please, don't feel like you have to go."
"Why do you keep doing that?" he asked plainly.
"Doing what?"
"Telling me I don't have to go to the wedding with you."
" I just feel like you are too nice to tell me you don't want to go."
He tilted his head pinning her with a look. "Nice."
She bit her lip and looked away.
"Evie, I haven't been accused of being nice in my entire life.” He said the word with such disdain.
“What’s wrong with being nice?”
“I don’t like it. Niceness has a level of phoniness to it…I’ve known too many ‘nice’ people who will stab you in the back the first chance they get. That’s not me. What you see is what you get.”
Evie let those words sink in. She had never thought about it that way. It made sense. Living in the world she lived in, she was often surrounded by nice people, but kindness and compassion were harder to find.
“I assure you,” he continued, “I’m doing this because I want to spend more time with you. And I have since the night of the gala. Why is that so hard to believe?"
It was her turn to give him a head tilt and an exasperated look.
"What?" he asked.
"You. Cash Hawthorn, hockey's toughest tough guy and biggest playboy is why I have a hard time believing it."
That broke the tension and he laughed. "Fair."
The waiter came and took their order, which gave her a moment to clear her head. How did he continue to have this effect on her?
"Evie," he said in his rumbly low voice. "Can we just forget all of that? Right now, I just want to get to know you. Like why it is that a beautiful woman like you doesn't already have a date to this wedding?"
She sighed and took a sip of her wine. "Coming out with the heavy hitters first, huh?"
He chuckled. "I mean, I'm not complaining. I'm pretty happy it means I get a shot, but what's the story there."
"It's a long, dull story. One about a girl who never lived up to her family expectations."
"I can't imagine you not living up to anyone's expectations," he said, taking her hand over the table. As his thumb grazed over her knuckles, it lit that same fire in her he always did.
"You've met my mother," she said flatly.
"That bad, huh?"
"Yes and no. I was supposed to marry my college boyfriend and settle into life as a wife with country clubs and charity committees and all that."
She saw a moment of insecurity flash across his face before his normal confidence returned. "And that's not what you want?"
"No. That's not what I want," she said with a rough laugh.
The warm smile returned to his face, and it settled something inside of her.
"She wants me to get back together with my ex who will be there. When she thought I didn't have a date, she was sitting us together and inviting him to all the other stuff like we were still together. So that is why I invented a date. I never dreamed she would call you over and introduce herself like that."
"I see. Is the ex going to be at the wedding?"
She looked up at him with a cocked eyebrow and nodded.
"What kind of ex are we talking about here? Do I need to kick his ass?"
"No, nothing like that,” she said with a small laugh. “He’ll provide a wonderful, well off, boring life for someone who is not me. If he had his way, I would have already married him, quit my job and turned into the perfect housewife."
He looked confused. "Quit your job?"
"If they even see it as a job. I think they all just assumed it was a hobby I would give up when I stopped competing. But to be honest, I like coaching even more."
"Really? You’re amazing on the ice."
She didn't know why that stoked the fire inside of her more, but it did. "You watched me skate?"
He nodded, watching her.
"When?"
"The other morning, I think you were skating to a Tori Amos song."
"And you watched me?"
"I don't think I could have taken my eyes off you if I tried. You look amazing out there. Plus I know what's under those leggings and when you spun and pulled your foot over your head, I had to adjust my pants."
She scoffed at him and hit his hand.
"What? I'm just being honest. You can be both graceful and fucking hot at the same time."
Okay, now her body was damn near vibrating for this man. How did he seem to see her better than people who had known her for her entire life?
"So, what else do I need to know about the wedding? Like when is it for starters?"
"It's in two weeks...I hope that's okay."
"Two weeks works for me. Is it in Glendale?"
"Yes, and I hate to tell you this, but you’ll be expected for the rehearsal dinner too."
"Not a problem."
"I think the wedding party is supposed to stay at the hotel, but you don't have to..."
The squeeze of his hand that had been resting on her knee stopped her.
"There you go again tell me what I don't have to do. Believe it or not, I'm glad you told your mom we were going together. I've been trying to get you to date me since the gala. Now you're stuck with me for two weeks and hopefully by then I can show you that I'm not who you seem to think I am."
She didn't know how to reply to that. This whole situation was throwing her off. Luckily at that moment the food came, and it gave her a moment to collect her thoughts.
"So, you told your mom we've been dating, correct?"
She just nodded.
"Well, I mean, it's not a total lie. We’ve been doing dating activities, just not the actual dates." He gave her a look that made her core throb. She took a sip of water and he smirked. That asshole knew exactly what he was doing. "So, give me the rundown of Evie. Major points, family, school, all that."
"Well, I have a sister, clearly, and a brother. We grew up here, my dad owns Masterson’s Sports, and my brother is set to take over.”
“Hold on, your family owns Masterson’s Sports?”
She nodded. “My sister is marrying a lawyer. They all fit right into the plan, I'm the only one who seemed to run from it. I went to NYU and studied art history. Bryan was studying finance. We started dating and when we moved back, he went to work for my dad and I came back to the rink, which is not what I was supposed to do."
"Do you get along with them?"
"I guess. My sister and I get along. And really...they aren't horrible people. They just don't understand me.”
“Why did you stop competing?”
She took a sip of her wine and continued, “it just ran its course. I loved skating, I still do, but I was never good enough to compete after I left for college. Maybe it would have been different if I had stayed with it, but I did what I was supposed to do. I quit and let it be a hobby, went to school, met a guy my parents approved of and then one night it just hit me. I was getting ready to live a life that I would absolutely hate.”
“One night huh?”
“What about you?” She said, looking for a subject change. She wouldn’t get into that night. That night she overheard Bryan on the phone talking about how he would get her to quit her job and make sure she turned into the perfect wife for him. She didn’t want to be molded, she just wanted to be who she was. Cash gave her a knowing look, because of course he knew she was changing the subject. To her relief, he let her.
"I grew up in Colorado. Well...mostly. My parents toured around with bands until I was almost ten. Then my mom took me and my sister, and we settled in Boulder and went to school and all that stuff. I played hockey and got into BU. I was drafted after college. I played in Canada for a bit until I got traded to Glendale, and here we are."
"Wait," she said with a smile. "I think you glazed over quite a bit there. You grew up following bands with your parents?"
He nodded. "My dad stayed on the road, and I lived with my mom and sister."
"Are they both still in Boulder?"
He nodded.
"But your nephew is here with you?"
"Yeah."
"I saw him the day you brought him to the rink with you. Wes told me he was your nephew. Why didn't you tell me that was why you were late that morning?"
"You mean when you blocked me?"
"Yeah…" she said looking into her lap. “What’s going on with that?”
"I don't know. It all just kind of happened this week. He ran away to the city to try and be in a band and my sister is freaking out that he is going to turn out just like his father...and our father for that matter. So, he's staying with me for the summer."
"I think it's nice that you are doing that."
"There you go again calling me nice. I'm not nice. Maybe you need a reminder of that," he said as his hand that had been resting on her thigh gripped her.
They were in a round booth, so he pulled her over until they were sitting next to each other, and he let his hand wander higher. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "I could finger you right here in his booth. Then would you stop calling me nice?" His hand kept slowly sliding up until his pinky brushed across the fabric of her underwear and she was gone. Her breath had turned into shameful little pants she was trying to control.
"Is there anything else I can get for you two?" asked an unwelcome voice.
"Just the check," Cash said without looking at the waitress.
He thankfully didn't move his hand any higher, because if he did, she would combust on the spot. This was so far from the safe relationship she'd had with Bryan. He would barely hold her hand in public. Kissing in a movie theater was scandalous for him, he never would have his hand between her legs in a restaurant. But this thrilled her. And what pissed her off, is Cash was fully aware of what he was doing to her.
After Cash settled the bill, they made their way to his truck. He walked over to her side, but before he unlocked the door and let her in, he pinned her to the truck and kissed her. He reached behind her and opened the door and broke the kiss. Dazed, she got in and tried to gather her thoughts as he closed the door and got in on the other side.
He had already started up the truck, pulled out of the parking lot, and had his hand resting on her thigh before she was able to fully formulate thoughts again.
"So, thanks for doing this fake date thing."
He gently squeezed her knee as he drove. It was a quiet drive back to her townhouse. She hopped out and to her pleasant surprise Cash followed her to the door.
"Do you want to come in?" she asked.
"I do, but I want to be up front first."
Here it was, here was the other shoe she was waiting to drop. She knew it was too good to be true.
"I want to come in, but I just want to tell you right now I can't stay the night. As much as I would love to, I have a teenager at home who has already run back to the city once this week. While we seem to have come to a truce of some kind, staying out all night might break all that."
"You want to come in?"
"Are you kidding me? What the fuck do you need me to do? I am here. I’m here for you, to fuck you, to take you on real dates, not these fake ones you keep referring to. If you'll have me. I just didn't want you in your head when I have to leave, because," he said as he stepped into her space and kissed her neck and kissed up to her ear, "if I had my way, I would stay all night and make you come again and again until you couldn't stand anymore. Then I would make you breakfast and do it all over again."
"Oh," she said breathlessly. That's all her brain could come up with because all the blood in her body was pulsing between her legs.
"So, I'm going to need you to open this door and let us in so I can have my dessert," he said then he bit her earlobe. She whimpered.
He finally pulled back out of her space, and she was finally able to complete a thought.
"I mean, unless you want me to eat that incredible pussy right here on your porch...because I'm game?—"
Before he could finish that thought, she had the door unlocked and her hand fisted in his shirt dragging him into her house.