Chapter Twenty-Seven
Cash’s POV
We spent the rest of the night having fun together. I took her to a comedy show where I knew a few of the comedians personally. They called me out and gave me shit about going on a real date with a girl til I stood up and announced to the whole place.
“It’s forever!” The smug smile on my face, and confidence with which I told everyone, seemed to have got their attention.
They got wide-eyed and gave her some more truth about who I used to be.
The guy they said would be the ‘forever bachelor’.
Never had a serious girlfriend at almost forty, but she giggled, and looked at me, squeezing my hand.
They told her about the free tickets I’d give to the single mothers, joking I was funding their social lives or something stupid, I just smiled at her, laughing along with their jokes and jabs.
I was an open book for her.
Anything she wanted or needed, I’d be happy to give it or tell it to her.
She wanted a partner. I knew the sentiment, because that was what I wanted also.
I didn’t want someone to do the laundry or grocery shopping and cooking or raise kids.
If she wanted them. I’d help her around the house, like I should.
I would help cook dinners some nights. I’ll always be hands on with any kids we have.
Again, if she wants them. But I could already picture her stomach swollen with my baby and it was doing things to my pants I did not need her seeing on the first date. I watched her as she smiled and laughed along to the show once they moved on from me.
I’d be happy with her. Just her. She would be my family. She made me smile. She made me feel like I could see a future, one with her and three kids, all for me. One I could only hope for in my younger years.
After the comedy show, I only had about twenty minutes to get her home.
I took every bit of those twenty minutes, making the most of our time together.
I pulled up outside of our building, walking her in and to her door.
We were almost there when I grabbed her hand, stopping her.
I knew I couldn’t keep this want inside of me, to myself.
I felt like I needed to shoot my shot. I know we agreed to be friends, but I had to know. The curiosity was killing me.
“Devin?”
She turned and smiled up at me, those big beautiful green eyes full of curiosity. I loved that I could read her, that I could see what she was thinking right on her face.
“Yeah?” her steps slowed, looking back at me. My eyes were staring at her lips, unable to look away. They were plump, slightly parted, and I wanted to feel them.
“I want to kiss you,” my voice came out husky, full of need.
“O-oh.” She looked momentarily nervous. Her brows scrunched together as she worried her lip between her teeth. I reached my hand out, gently pulling her lip out, then moved my hands up in surrender.
“I’m not going to if you aren’t ready, or if you don’t want to kiss me. I just, can’t stop thinking about your lips. And I can’t get out of my mind how kissable they’ve looked all night. I want to know if they really are as soft as they look.”
Her gaze was locked with mine.
“How do they look?” Her voice a slightly breathless whisper as her chest heaved up and down.
I affected her.
I affected her like she affected me.
“Like flower petals, soft, almost velvety. But like they’d be as tasty as caramel, or peanut butter on Oreos.
” That made her laugh, and I couldn’t help the daze I was in.
I was falling. Fast. Sprinting, full-steam ahead into serious ‘like’ with this woman.
This…redhead who came out of nowhere and threw my wonder into disarray.
I watched as she threw her head back and laughed, so carefree and easy.
We were standing in front of her door now. I chanced a glance at my watch.
10:59
One minute.
I put my hands on either side of her face, leaning down, my lips dangerously close to hers. I could feel her ragged breaths on my face as I whispered to her.
“If you want this, you have to move the last ten percent.”
She had to do this.
I wouldn’t push myself on her. No matter how badly I wanted to, because holy shit biscuits and I want to push more than just my lips on her.
I wanted my lips, and hands all over her, and to bury my rock, hard dick inside of her tight, wet pussy.
Just as I was about to lean back and stand up, her arms went around my neck, pulling me in for a kiss.
Her whole body melted into me.
I tried not to run my hands all over, as they moved from her face down, wrapping around her waist. I lifted her into my arms while her lips danced with mine, heat and desire mixing together.
I took one step forward, pinning her against the wall, running one hand down her side, keeping the other firmly on her lower back, and pressing her into me.
I knew she could feel just how badly I wanted her, by the bulge that was straining against my zipper.
Her door opened, but I didn't pull away from the kiss right away, not from her having her body pressed against mine as tightly as I could either. Sucking her lower lip between my teeth, I slowly pulled back. She let out the breathiest, tiniest moan and I swear I almost came in my fucking pants.
I had never heard something so fucking sexy in all my life.
A loud, aggressive throat clearing snapped her out of the heated gaze she was giving me as we broke apart. I slid her dangerously slowly down my body, letting her feel everything. Letting her feel me.
“What happened to friends, Fia?” He sounded pissed, and I could feel the indignant stare, but I simply couldn’t take my eyes off her.
It was magnificent watching her face as emotions hit her.
I watched as a blush crept up her cheeks, embarrassed, and annoyed, and then something akin to guilt crossed her features.
That snapped me out of my staring at her, at the memorization of her face.
I stepped in front of her, my arms making sure she stayed behind me, shielding her from him. No one would make her feel guilty for something she wanted to do. I’d make damn sure of that.
Not even family.
“You may be her brother, but she’s a grown woman!
” He scoffed, so I plowed the fuck right on ahead, “She told me about taking things slowly, and building on trust and friendship first. I am more than willing to give her anything she wants. Including waiting as long as she needs.” I peeked over my shoulder at her, giving her a wink.
“I’m fully aware she’s seeing a therapist to help with the trauma after what her ex did; she filled me in on quite a bit tonight.
Don’t worry though, she’s not scaring me off.
She’s more than worth it.” I kept my eyes locked on Eddie.
He needed to understand that I understood the gem his sister was.
I understood the priceless treasure she was.
But he needed to know I’d keep her safe and protected.
From any threat.
He glared at me. Hard. I figured this show would just make him dislike me more, but this wasn’t all for him. It was for her too. To show her I saw her. I respected her. I turned, taking her hand in mine and bringing it to my lips.
“My lady June. Until I may be graced by your company again.” She blushed and I loved that it was me who put it there.
“I’ll call ya, Johnny.” She smiled as she walked in, past an angry Eddie. She looked every bit of the old Hollywood starlet and I just wanted to eat her up.
Fuck this might kill me.
Eddie glared at me as I walked away, a smile plastered to my face with a single thought, ‘At least I’ll die happy’.
*****
Devin’s POV
It had been three weeks since our first date.
And true to his word, Cash pursued me. Fervently.
He asked every Sunday for my schedule if I had it, and we planned out our weeks.
He invited me to a cooking class two nights after our first date.
Then came the museums, the pottery and painting classes that were six weeks long, each.
He asked me if I would ever go to a dancing class with him that is twelve weeks long.
This man was planning for the future.
In every class we went to, he always found some way to kiss my cheek or hold my hand, or touch me in some way.
During one painting class, he helped me clean myself up when I got paint all down my front.
Thankfully I was prepared and wearing things I didn’t mind if they got ruined.
He was so gentle wiping my cheek off that it felt intimate.
For a moment, I was thankful we were the last ones leaving the room.
I would have died of embarrassment if anyone else had seen us together like that.
It felt almost more intimate than any other interaction I’d had.
He’s also finding more fun things to do, and they all involve touching me in some way.
But nothing overtly sexual.
He also engaged me in conversation when we were able to during the classes.
We talked about everything, anything really.
It didn’t even matter what the subject matter was, because I loved it all.
Talking, debating, learning different things just through conversation.
He had told me about work, how there was so much for him to fix after ‘that fuckwad was done fucking everything up’.
Cash learned, after quite a bit of prying, that I did indeed want to get married again, someday. He also found out in that next breath, that when I do get married again, it’ll be to someone worthy, and it’ll be in Ireland. No exceptions. I wanted to get married where my grandparents did.
That was something Caleb was vehemently against for some reason, and the biggest regret I had about marrying him.
I told him about being called as a witness for my ex’s case against his mistress.
Like…how fucked was that? He willingly cheated with her, only to discover she drugged him, and let him think he was fucking me.
Like, raw fucking, and ended up getting her ass pregnant, all without his consent.
And now, because he’s fighting against her for custody of the baby, and pressing rape charges against her, I’ve been called as a fucking witness. A character witness.
I couldn’t care less, and I didn’t care how heartless that made me sound either.
The only emotions I had towards him were negative ones.
I really wished he would leave me the fuck alone.
Amber couldn’t get me out of court, but she got the judge and both attorneys to let her be able to object to any question asked.
She knew me better than anyone. She knew what he put me through, and she was willing to do whatever she could to try and protect me.
I looked in the mirror, unsure about wearing the exact same outfit I’d worn on my date, into court. I needed the power of the outfit to give me strength, even though it made me look like I should be on the stock photo in the new frame at the store.
This time though, I pulled my hair up onto the top of my head and did a super cute and structured messy bun.
I added a few more bobby pins than were probably necessary to hold my hair because, well, it was curly and unruly.
There were some steps that were taken to make it look messy when it wasn’t really a true messy bun.
I looked chic, modest, and like I didn’t come to play games.
I wanted this to be the last time I saw my ex-husband.
Ever.
Amber and I walked into the courthouse through the metal detectors, through the wanding, and sat on a special bench off to the side for witnesses.
I tried to keep my shoulders back, trying to keep myself together.
I looked around at the others milling about in the halls, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
I wish Cash was here.
“You’re up,” the bailiff said as he opened the thick wooden doors to the courtroom.
Amber and I walked in and I kept my head up, shoulders back, spine straight.
I walked in, all the way up to the podium, like I was prepared and this was just another Monday.
I heard a whisper through the room as I walked up, but paid no attention to it.
I got up on the stand, raised my right hand, placing my left on the bible.
“Do you swear to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” I felt the Judge’s eyes boring into the side of my head as I kept my eyes straight ahead.
“Yes, your honor.”