Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Cassidy
“Never answer an anonymous letter.”
Yogi Berra
The moment the words left my mouth, the air around us changed. Nate didn’t ask if I was serious. He didn’t smirk or make a joke. He just looked at me like he had already made up his mind and he was hungry for me.
He stepped into my space, crowding me in the best possible way as my heart skipped a beat and my skin buzzed with want.
His hand slid up my waist, fingers curling around the side of my neck, thumb brushing just beneath my jaw.
The way he touched me wasn’t rough, but it wasn’t gentle either.
It was firm. Intentional. He tilted my chin up just enough to meet him.
His mouth met mine without hesitation. The kiss was deep from the start, all tongue and tension, like we’d been saving it up and finally let go.
I opened for him instantly, tasting the lingering trace of mint and something warm.
My hands clutched his shirt as if I could pull him closer, even though he was already flush against me.
Nate kissed like he played—focused, strong, completely locked in.
He wasn’t tentative. There was no second-guessing.
It was a full-body kiss, and I felt it everywhere.
Every press of his lips against mine made my knees wobble and my breath falter.
My nipples tightened with need when he gripped my ass with one hand, his deep satisfied groan fueling me more.
When he groaned low in his throat, I practically melted.
I dragged my hands up to his shoulders, feeling the tension there, the heat, the muscle.
He kissed me like I was the only thing in the world he needed.
And maybe that was what I wanted most—to be wanted like that. To feel desired and seen and safe.
His hands slid lower, wrapping around my waist and lifting me just slightly. I gasped, clutching his shoulders as he turned and pinned me gently against the edge of the table. The tablecloth rustled beneath me. The candles flickered between us. His lips never left mine for more than a breath.
When he kissed down my jaw and toward the sensitive spot behind my ear, I whimpered.
He nipped at my skin, then kissed the spot just beneath my ear, slow and deliberate.
The sensation made my breath catch and my fingers curl into his shirt.
His mouth moved lower, dragging down the side of my neck like he wanted to memorize it, and I arched into him, desperate for more contact, for anything he’d give me.
My thighs squeezed together on instinct, and I knew if he kept touching me like that, I wouldn’t be able to think. I’d need the release and I’d let him do whatever he wanted with me. His fingers slipped under my dress, running along my thigh toward my center, his fingers grazing my bare pussy.
“What?” he whispered, pulling back as his fingers grazed me again. “You’re bare for me?”
I nodded, moisture pooling where his fingers remained. “With this dress, I couldn’t possible wear anything underneath.”
“Fuck me.” He blew out a breath, his fingers gently rubbing against my clit as his eyes darkened.
“I’ve been thinking about this every fucking night while I was away” he murmured. “Thinking about you. Just like this. Wet for me. Tell me you want this.”
I let my head fall back, eyes fluttering shut. The night air pressed cool against the heat of my skin. It was all too much and not enough. I wanted more. All of him. “I want this, Nate. I want you.”
Nate growled before sucking my collarbone while two fingers slid inside me. I bucked against him, searching for that release, when someone cleared their throat behind him.
Nate stilled and somehow made himself bigger, blocking me from whoever was there.
I ducked my head into his shoulder as my body trembled from need and getting caught.
This was so not the real me. Cassventures was reckless and spontaneous, but I wasn’t.
This was so out of character for me, but I loved how Nate brought it out of me.
“Uh, I-I can come back later,” a male waiter said.
“Give us a few minutes,” Nate said, his eyes never leaving my face.
“Right, okay, yeah, sure.”
Footsteps thudded away from us, and I moved to get off the table, but Nate held me still. “You are so sexy,” he said, his tongue tracing his bottom lip. He slid his fingers out of me and brought them to his mouth, sucking them as his eyes widened. “Fuck, you taste good.”
“Oh my god, Nate.” My voice was a mess. Every part of me was tuned to him, how he stared at me, how he watched me.
“This wasn’t my plan.” He ran his other hand up my side, his finger ever so slightly tracing the outline of my pebbled nipple. “You show up wearing this thing fucking dress, and no panties. Makes a man lose self-control.”
“Why do you think I chose this outfit?” I fired back, grinning up at him as I arched my back. “Almost put Pavin’s jersey over it too just to really mess with you.”
Nate’s eyes clouded and he gripped my neck, finger at the base of my pulse as he kissed the hell out of me. It could’ve been seconds, or minutes, I wasn’t sure, but my body was burning up before Nate pulled back and growled, “I don’t share.”
“I can’t figure out,” I said, tracing my lip with my finger as Nate stepped back and helped me into my chair. “If it’s incredibly hot how direct you are, or if its worrying.”
“Why would it be worrying? I say what I mean and don’t play games.” He frowned and leaned onto his forearms. “Does that worry you?”
“Nah.” I flashed a smile as I took a swig of the water. “But its worrying how much it turns me on. Seriously, Nate. We got caught by a dude holding a wine menu. This is not my typical night.”
“But you’re the Cassventures, a girl made for adventures.” His eyes flashed. “I expect that mindset for the second part of our date.”
“Second part?” Excitement burst through me. “What do you mean? What is it?”
Nate chuckled, his knee knocking against mine as his voice deepened. “There is a pool in a secluded part of the patio. It comes with renting this place out.”
“Oh my.” I recrossed my legs as the heat in my core grew. “But, Nate, I didn’t bring a swimming suit.”
“I’m aware.” He smirked. “That’s part of the adventure.”
“Ah, you want to get me naked.” I winked. “I see your plan, now. Win me over with this fantastic place, then get me out of my clothes.”
“You’re more than welcome to leave your clothes on with what I want to do with you.”
I choked. “See? That. That is hot!”
He smirked, looking mighty pleased with himself. The waiter returned just then and we ordered—Nate, steak and whiskey neat, and me, a fancy mac and cheese and a tasty vodka drink.
When I thanked the waiter and handed him the menu, I caught Nate staring at me. “What is it?”
He shook his head, amusement on his face. “I don’t think you realize your effect on people.”
“I’m not sure I follow.”
His knee hit mine again, but in a comforting sort of way.
I liked having him touch me, even with the table between us.
“Its why you have so many fans. You are enigmatic. You wear every expression on your face and are genuinely kind to everyone. Despite having sadness in your life, you still find joy. It’s commendable. I’m in awe of you.”
“Of me? No.” I blushed, hard.
“Cassidy, my sister told me how you hired her and at first, I thought it was terrible.”
I laughed, a little nervous. “You thought hiring your pregnant sister was a terrible idea? Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
He smiled, but it was softer now. “Not because of her. Because I’ve seen people offer her things they don’t mean. She’s been let down by people who said they’d show up and didn’t. I didn’t want her to get her hopes up.”
I leaned forward, resting my elbow on the table. “So you assumed I’d flake?”
“I assumed you didn’t know what you were getting into. But I was wrong.” He looked at me then—really looked. “You’ve been more than a job to her. You made her feel useful again and she’s shared what you are doing, what you want her to do.”
My chest tightened. I wasn’t used to compliments like that. Not from someone who saw all the sides of me I usually tried to hide. “I didn’t do it for praise. She’s smart. She’s capable. And she’s funny as hell when she’s not threatening to throw her croissant at me.”
He chuckled, picking up his drink. “She said you’ve been talking about doing something bigger. Some kind of charity?”
I nodded, suddenly shy. “Yeah. I just … after my dad died, I kept thinking about all the dinners I turned down. The little moments I skipped because I was chasing followers or analytics. I want to build something that feels like it matters. That I can lean into when I miss him, that makes it feel like all that lost time with him was working toward something.”
“You do matter.” His voice was quiet. Serious. “Your numbers, your reach—that’s all impressive. But the way you love people? The way you bring joy to every situation? That’s hard and you do it well.”
I blinked hard, looking down at my drink. “I’m not used to this type of attention.”
He smiled, and this time it reached all the way to his eyes. “You need people in your life who remind you how incredible and resilient and amazing you are.”
This was too much, too vulnerable. I had to deflect, do something anything to calm the erratic beat of my heart. “You know I’ll sleep with you, even without you saying all this, right?”
He sighed, almost like I disappointed him. “I know your plays now, I’ve studied your playbook. I’m getting too serious for you so I’ll switch topics. When is your birthday?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why do you want to know my birthday? Planning a surprise party already, O’Brien?”
“Just want to know what day I’ll be taking you out next year. Or every year, if I get my way,” he said, like it was the most casual thing in the world. Like my heart didn’t just fall out of my chest.
“You’re terrifying,” I muttered, but I was smiling so hard my face hurt.