12. Cassidy
CASSIDY
H ad I ever been more confused in my life? Doubtful. I squirmed a little on the bar stool as I felt a trickle between my legs. To distract myself, I grabbed another carrot stick, admiring the way Harle’s forearms looked as he wielded the knife.
Incredibly odd that a man could look so fucking hot just chopping veggies.
“There’s juice or soda in the fridge, if you’d like a drink.”
“Thanks, I’d love one. Can I get you one too?’
“Yeah, soda for me, thanks.”
“On it.”
I grabbed two sodas from the fridge and settled back on the stool, doing my level best to ignore the feeling of his cum slowly leaking out of me.
“What kind of pasta is this?”
“Amatriciana with a side salad.”
“Sounds fancy.”
“It is. Very fancy. There are five ingredients here, I’ll have you know.”
“No! Five?”
He winked at me, amusement glowing in his eyes. My heart rate picked up and I had to look away. Feeling Buddy’s weight as he leaned against my leg, I dropped my hand to his head, lightly scratching behind his ears. It was good to have something else to focus on.
The kitchen filled with the aroma of garlic and spices as Harle worked his magic at the stove. I found myself relaxing even more, tension melting away like butter in a hot pan.
“You know, I half expected this to be weird.”
Harle glanced at me over his shoulder. “Yeah? And you don’t think it is?”
“Surprisingly, no. It’s actually... nice.”
He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Good.” He went back to the cooking, giving me ample opportunity to admire, well, all of him.
Once the pasta was in the pot and the sauce was bubbling away, Harle said, “I need to do the rounds to feed the animals. You want to come with me?”
“Absolutely!”
“Come on, then.”
Out on the deck, I paused for a moment to take in the view. The lake stretched out before us, its surface a mirror of pinks and oranges as the sun dipped low on the horizon. A gentle breeze carried the scent of pine and wildflowers.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmured.
“Never gets old,” Harle agreed, his voice soft. “Come on, let’s go meet the gang.”
We made our way down the steps and across the yard towards a cluster of outbuildings. As we approached, I heard a cacophony of animal sounds - bleats, brays, and the occasional squawk.
“Alright, alright, I hear ya,” Harle called out, chuckling. “They know it’s dinner time.”
He pushed open a gate, and I followed him into a small paddock. A donkey with shaggy gray fur ambled over, its long ears twitching.
“Oh my god! Is this Derek? ”
“The one and only.” Harle reached out to scratch the donkey’s nose. “He thinks he runs the place.”
I laughed as Derek nudged Harle’s pocket, clearly looking for treats. “He’s adorable.”
“Don’t let him fool you. He’s a master manipulator.”
We moved on to a pen where several goats crowded around, bleating excitedly. Harle introduced them in rapid-fire - Pepper, Salt, Paprika, Rosemary and Nutmeg - as he poured feed into their trough.
“The spice girls.”
“What can I say? I’m a sucker for a theme.”
As we walked towards a large aviary, I heard the distinct chatter of parrots. Harle opened the door, and I gasped at the explosion of color and noise inside. “Pretty lady, pretty lady, pretty lady.” “Come closer, come closer.”
“Way to play hard to get, you guys.”
“ Nice tits.”
I burst out laughing, slapping my hand over my mouth. “Did he just say ‘nice tits’?”
Harle’s face flushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. He’s for the streets, that one.”
“Ricky wants a cracker!” the bird squawked.
“More like Ricky needs a bar of soap,” I quipped, still giggling.
Harle shook his head, “I swear, I didn’t teach him that. Must’ve picked it up from his previous home.”
“Sure, sure,” I teased, nudging him with my elbow.
With the animals all fed, we headed back to the house. In the kitchen, Harle served the pasta while I set the table. Then we sat down to eat.
“So, tell me something?”
“Mmm?” I asked around a mouthful of pasta.
“What’s the hardest thing you had to deal with at work this week?”
“Oh, that’s easy. I’m trying to help an NGO with funding and it’s going precisely nowhere.”
“What’s the project?”
“It’s for a wildlife rehabilitation center, out near Asheville.”
“What’s the issue with the funding?”
I shrugged, taking a sip of soda to give me time to gather my thoughts. This was a huge issue for me and if I wasn’t careful, I’d get into rant mode real fast. “The same issue for any projects like this. Scarce resources, spread too thinly. There are always so many projects, so many organizations doing incredible work, but there’s never enough money to go around. Everyone’s competing for the same grants, the same limited pool of funding.”
“That’s tough.”
“Yeah, it sucks. They need two hundred and fifty thousand just to get it going. That kind of money is hard to come by.”
“So your chances of securing funding are slim?”
“Slim to none, yeah. But we have to at least try, so that’s what we’re doing.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.”
That made me smile. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
The conversation tailed off after that, leaving us to eat dinner in comfortable quiet. When we were done, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to clear the table and clean the kitchen together.
I took the job of rinsing everything, while Harle stacked the dishwasher. First the glasses, then the cutlery. Then a plate. When I handed him another plate, my fingers grazed his as he took it. The casual touch shouldn’t have affected me the way it did, but here I was, practically holding my breath as I watched a drop of water trail down his forearm. I wanted to reach out and brush it away. To feel his skin under my touch. I wanted it so badly. When he caught me staring, I quickly looked away, suddenly very interested in scrubbing an already clean bowl.
Finally, we were done. I dried my hands on a nearby towel, aware of how late it had gotten. “I should probably head home. It’s been a long day.”
Harle nodded, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Of course. Let me walk you out.”
We made our way through the house, Max and Buddy trailing behind us like furry shadows. The cool night air hit my face as we stepped onto the porch, and I inhaled deeply, needing to clear my head. It didn’t work.
When we reached the driver’s side door of my car, I turned to face him, my hand resting on the handle.
My heart raced as I looked up at him, the moonlight casting shadows across his face. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
As though I was under a spell, I moved my hand from the door handle to his chest. His heart was beating steadily but the intensity in his eyes shot straight to my core. Mesmerized, I closed the small amount of distance between us, sliding my hand up his chest, to the back of his neck.
His hands moved to rest lightly on my hips and he slowly lowered his head.
My heart pounded as Harle’s lips met mine. The kiss was soft at first, tentative, as if he was giving me a chance to pull away. But I didn’t want to. I pressed closer, my fingers threading through his hair as the kiss deepened.
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me flush against his body. The solid warmth of him sent a shiver down my spine. I parted my lips, inviting him in, and he accepted with a low groan that vibrated through me. Our tongues tangled. Liquid fire oozed into my system and I wanted to melt.
My back hit the cool metal of my car door as he pressed forward, his hands roaming down my sides. The contrast of his heat against the chill of the night air made me gasp.
“Cassidy,” he murmured against my lips, his voice husky and filled with want.
I couldn’t think straight. All I knew was that I needed more. My hands slid down his chest, feeling the hard planes of muscle beneath his shirt. I tugged at the hem, desperate to feel his skin against mine.
Harle broke the kiss, his hands covering mine as he pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. His pupils were blown wide, his breathing ragged. “What are you doing to me?”
His words hit me like a bucket of iced water. “Oh god, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what that was. I didn’t mean to—” I went to pull away, but the arm around my waist kept me there.
His thumb traced my cheekbone, soothing me. “Whatever it was, it was fucking amazing.” Then he let me go, stepping away. “But it’s also not a good idea right now, is it?”
“I guess not.” Relief washed through me. I’d thought he would be mad at me. That he would chastise me.
“Don’t think I don’t want to. It’s just, yeah…”
“It’s fine. I get it. I, uh... I’m sorry. And thanks again for everything,” I managed to stammer out.
Harle’s lips curved into a gentle smile. “It was no hassle, Cassidy. Really.”
We stood there for a beat, the air between us thick with unspoken words. I knew I should get in the car and drive away, but my feet seemed rooted to the spot.
“So, um... same time tomorrow?” I somehow managed to keep my voice light.
Harle nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll have everything ready for you.”
Another pause. I could hear the crickets chirping in the distance, the soft lapping of water against the shore of the lake. It all felt so peaceful, so right. So fucking confusing.
Finally forcing myself to open the car door, I said, “Well, goodnight then.”
“Goodnight, Cassidy. Drive safe.”
As I slid into the driver’s seat, I cast a glance at Harle standing there, bathed in moonlight. I started the engine and turned the car around, heading for the gates and the main road, watching Harle in my rearview mirror until he disappeared from sight.
The drive home was a blur. When I finally pulled into my own driveway, I sat there for a moment, trying to process everything. This arrangement with Harle was supposed to be simple, clinical even. So why did I have to go and fuck it up my kissing him? This was quickly becoming so much bigger than I was capable of dealing with.