Chapter 21 #2
“They were just something I was messing around with, but it will give us some ideas when we speak to the architect for the building for the kids.” She looked up at me. Her eyes tentative. “The stables obviously don’t need changing.”
“I don’t know. I quite like the idea of those horse showers.
Some of the ranch horses get really dirty when they’re working.
It would be great.” I looked closer and made a mental note to investigate it further.
As Cassidy leaned in next to me I caught the scent of her light and fresh perfume that seemed to cling to her.
Her shoulder brushed mine as she pointed at the picture.
“Right here is where we could put a little classroom maybe, so the kids can learn about horse anatomy, or training programs. Basic stuff, though.”
I nodded and found myself leaning toward her, not to see the picture better but simply to be closer. It was a bad idea because suddenly the ground shifted beneath me.
“What else you got?” I asked, straightening up to create distance between us.
As if she felt it, too, Cassidy quickly shuffled to the side.
“A-a spreadsheet of the um, the permits and their um status,” she said, stumbling over her words.
“A list of things that we need to buy and the email addresses and mobile numbers of the contractors we already have on board. Then this,” she searched through the papers and picked another out, “this is a list of possible investors. The ones we discussed with everyone the other night, plus some others that I looked up online who invest in similar projects.”
“That’s fantastic, Cassidy.” I looked up to see her looking at me tentatively. “Honestly, it’s great. Thank you.”
“I hope I haven’t overstepped.”
“Not at all.” It felt strange that she hadn’t given me shit about it but instead was worried about upsetting me.
Normally we’d be verbally battling by now.
Since the kisses, though, things had changed.
How I felt about her had changed. “How was your date?” No fucking idea where that thought came from, but it was too late, I’d asked the question I’d been determined not to ask.
“Date?” She picked up her coffee and took a sip, giving a satisfied moan. One that made me wonder what her other moans sounded like. “What date?”
“You went to Downtown last night. Said you were meeting someone.”
“Oh, that. Yes I was meeting Lola Michaels, who works at the library. I read to a group of kids once a month and she wanted to thank me with a nice bottle of wine.”
“A nice bottle of wine in Downtown Bar & Grill. Is that even possible?”
“It was actually okay. I think Delaney has upped his game.”
Rubbing my hands together, I wondered why my stomach was churning even though I now knew she hadn’t been on a date.
“You had a nice evening then?”
“Lovely, thanks. What did you do last night?”
“Early bedtime. We were up at three-thirty this morning.”
Cassidy nodded and cleared her throat and suddenly everything felt awkward.
Not awkward as such but different, like the bickering between us was easier than being friends.
Like a couple of kisses has turned the world on its head, but then again wasn’t that what great kisses were supposed to do.
Didn’t I need to do something with that knowledge?
I liked discomfort, I relished being outside my comfort zone, so why the hell was this with Cassidy fucking with my head?
Because I was afraid she’d reject me. Because what if I didn’t light a fire within her like the one she lit within me?
Fuck it. “Talking of nice wine, I was wondering whether maybe you’d like to go out one night. For a drink.” I swallowed and licked my lips, waiting for what felt like an eternity for her to reply. “I know it’s probably—”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
Her hand rested on her breastbone, delicate fingers splayed out underneath the long, slim column of her neck and I thought I saw a tremble to them. As my eyes lingered on them, she instantly dropped her hand to the desk, edging it toward her phone.
“We could talk some more about the camp.”
Cassidy shook her head. “We can talk about the camp any time. A date would be nice, because that is what you’re suggesting, isn’t it cowboy?” She smirked. “Although, I’m hoping it’ll be better than the last one. That was awful.”
Instantly we felt back to normal, and my shoulders sagged with relief.
“Not totally awful. A date with me could never be awful,” I joked. “Plus, I never said it was going to be a date.”
“Liar.” There was a gleam in her eye, so bright that I could see it behind her glasses. “It is a date, and you know it. I’m thinking you might want some more of those kisses we shared.”
I laughed. “And you say I’m the one with ego.”
“Your ego is so big it probably needs its own zip code,” she replied, her lips curved into a grin.”
“And yet you don’t seem to be able to stay away from my neighborhood.”
Inhaling, she perused me carefully. “Where are you going to take me on this date, then?”
Shaking my head I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I thought we established that I never said it was a date.”
“And I thought I established that it was.” She lifted her leg and crossed it over the other, relaxing back in her chair with her mug to her chest. “But if you’re not sure you want it to be a date then I’m not sure I want to drink with a man who is too scared to be honest with himself.
Besides, we weren’t very successful at the dating thing last time. And that’s me being honest.”
“If we’re all about honesty, I guess I should be, too. You want me to be?” I asked, getting out of my chair and rounding the desk. She nodded, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “To tell you exactly what I’m thinking or feeling.”
When I reached her chair, I took hold of the arms and turned her around, so she was facing me. Pulling her between my legs, I looked down. Her face was upturned, her lips pouting naturally, perfect and waiting to be kissed.
Her chest was heaving, deep and slow, matching the rhythm of my own, the air charged with anticipation.
“Although, I’m not sure you’re ready to know what I’m thinking or feeling about you, Miss.
Turner.” Moving in closer, I gripped the arms of the chair tighter.
Holding on like my sanity and my reasoning depended on it.
As her lips parted slightly, I felt her soft breath on my skin.
When her tits moved upward with her inhale I also felt my dick stir in my pants.
She had me transfixed, caught in the deep whisky luster of her gaze.
Trapped and not eager one bit to escape.
“Considering you’re not supposed to like me very much, you’re staring a lot,” Cassidy said softly.
“Not staring Cassidy, just judging.”
Her eyebrows raised. “You’re judging me? What for?”
I shook my head. “Sorry, my mistake. Not judging but trying to make a judgement. Try to judge whether you can take my thoughts and feelings or whether you’re a quiet, shy farm girl who might just be a little scared.”
She gasped, sharp and short and when goosebumps pebbled her skin I knew she was as turned on as I was. I knew she’d be as wet as I was hard.
“No longer a city girl, now I’m a shy farm girl.”
“Now I know you better.”
She uncrossed her legs and planted her foot on the floor, parting them slightly.
Like it was an invitation for me to move in closer.
I stayed where I was. As much as I wanted to throw everything off my desk, undress her and make her yell my name, I wouldn’t rush this.
I wouldn’t threaten to spoil this by acting like I’d never seduced a woman before.
Besides which I’d promised her a date, well, pretty much.
“What if going on a date spoils us working together?” she asked, linking her fingers together over her stomach.
“It won’t but maybe we should just keep it to ourselves. You know how meddlesome Lily can be.”
Cassidy laughed. “Just a little, so yeah, I agree. We keep it just between us and if it’s as disastrous as last time then no one needs to know.”
“It won’t be like last time. It won’t spoil us working together.”
“What if it does?”
She had a point, but at this stage I couldn’t think of anything more important than spending time with her outside of work and maybe getting more of those fucking delicious kisses.