Chapter 3
Cassie wasan emotional wreck by the time she arrived home. The apartment was quiet, which meant Brie wasn’t there yet. Part of her wanted to tell her friend everything and get reassurance that she wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life, but the other part of her didn’t want anyone to know.
Going straight to the bathroom, Cassie turned on the shower and stripped out of her work clothes. She couldn’t believe she’d agreed to go to dinner with Jesse. It was beyond stupid, especially given he was her boss’s son. But she couldn’t seem to say no to him. Not Friday night when he’d led her into his study or when he’d asked her to dinner.
She let her head fall forward against the fiberglass wall as water sprayed down her back. What was wrong with her?
A door opened and closed next to the bathroom and she knew Brie was home. There was no way to hide her date from her friend given Jesse was coming to pick her up, but she had no idea what to say. Tonight’s dinner was a formality. They were going to be working together. Not directly, but that was a moot point. His father was her boss. There was no way anything between them could work.
“Cassie, you in there?” Brie’s voice filtered through the closed door.
“Yes.” Cassie stood and reached for the shampoo. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Everything okay?”
“Fine.”
There was a long pause. “Okay. I’m going to start dinner.”
“Thanks.” Cassie figured agreeing was easier than trying to explain through a closed door why she wouldn’t be eating dinner there tonight.
She rinsed the soap from her hair and grabbed the conditioner. Once her hair was coated, she snagged her razor. She might as well make sure everything was clean and tidy, just in case, right?
That thought brought her up short. Why was she primping for a first date? She wasn’t even sure she wanted to make a good first impression with Jesse.
Okay, that was a lie. She did want to look good for him, even though she knew she shouldn’t.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she shaved her legs and armpits, even tidying up the little patch of hair covering her sex. Why, she had no idea. Even if the date went well, it wasn’t as if she was planning to sleep with him.
She finished rinsing off, toweled herself dry, and then made her way to her room to try to find something to wear. Cassie had no idea where he was taking her, but she had a feeling it would be somewhere fancy.
Normally, she’d wear her black dress, but she’d worn that to the party. She was standing in front of her closet, still trying to decide, when Brie knocked on her door. “Come in.”
Brie opened the door and stepped into Cassie’s room, noticing her friend contemplating her clothing choices. “Are you going out?”
Cassie bit the side of her lip as she flipped through her options. “Yeah.”
“On a date?”
“Yeah.” At the back of her closet, she pulled out a blue dress she hadn’t worn in a while. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the dress, but it made her feel self-conscious. The skirt was a couple of inches too short for her liking and the neckline dipped a hair too low.
“It’s Monday.”
She glanced over at Brie before bringing her attention back to the dress. “I know.”
Brie released a loud breath. “Do I need to drag it out of you?”
“Sorry.” Cassie turned toward her friend and held the dress up against her. “Do you think this is too much?”
“No. And you didn’t answer the question.”
Cassie removed the dress from the hanger, unzipped the back, and stepped into it. “What question?”
“Who are you going on a date with tonight?”
“Oh.” Cassie pulled the dress over her hips and torso, removing the towel as she went. “Jesse.”
She was hoping Brie wouldn’t make a big deal about it, but she should have known better.
Her friend squealed. “I knew it. I knew there was something going on between you two.”
“There’s not.”
“Uh-huh. That’s why you’re wearing your sexiest dress.”
“He’s already seen my black dress and it’ll seem weird if I wear one of my work outfits.”
Brie rolled her eyes. “Okay. Sure.”
“Really. It’s no big deal. It’s just dinner.”
“You like him, though, right?” Brie asked.
“Whether I like him or not is irrelevant.”
“Why?”
Cassie took a seat at her desk and pulled out her blow-dryer. “Because he’s Mr. Masters’s son.”
That brought Brie up short for a few moments and she was silent as Cassie blew her hair dry. It wasn’t until she unplugged the dryer and placed it back in the drawer that her friend spoke again. “Does that really matter?”
“I can’t date my boss’s son, Brie.”
“But you’re going on a date with him tonight,” she said, stating the obvious.
“It’s one dinner.”
Brie stared at her for a long time. She opened her mouth, then closed it before backing out of the room.
Cassie tried not to think about what was going through her friend’s mind or the fact that she was most likely on the phone with Kaden right now sharing the news. Time was ticking away and Cassie wasn’t ready for her date with Jesse.
At seven o’clock on the dot, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Brie yelled.
Cassie had locked herself away in her room on the pretense of getting ready, to avoid any further inquiries from her friend. She could hear Brie talking to someone in the living room and knew it was time to come out of hiding. Like it or not, Cassie had agreed to this.
Grabbing her purse, Cassie headed to the living room where Jesse waited. He was talking with Brie, but his gaze fixated on Cassie the moment she walked into the room. She gipped her purse, trying to slow her heartrate as his gaze raked over her. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you.”
“Well, you two should probably be going. Wouldn’t want to be late for your reservations,” Brie said, pushing them both toward the door.
“After you,” Jesse said, holding the door open for her.
As she brushed by him, she tried to ignore the way her body reacted to being close to him again, but it was impossible. She’d made out with guys before and hadn’t felt this alive and Jesse wasn’t even touching her.
The door closed behind them, and she felt him come up behind her. He placed a soft hand on her lower back, guiding her toward the elevator. She wanted to lean into him, but she stopped herself. Dinner. That’s all it was. One dinner, then they could concentrate on being work colleagues.
“How was the rest of your afternoon?”
“Fine.”
He chuckled. “You can relax. I’m not going to ravish you in the elevator. Although I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”
Cassie swallowed. Why did that turn her on?
They stepped off the elevator and he guided her to an electric blue Ford Mustang. It wasn’t exactly the type of car she’d pictured him driving. He’d struck her as more of an Audi type of guy.
Jesse opened the passenger door and waited for her to slide into the seat before going to the driver’s side and getting behind the wheel. The engine roared and she could feel the rumble deep in her core. Or maybe that was because she was sitting so close to Jesse.
He glanced over at her as he pulled up to a stoplight. His gaze lingered on her exposed thighs, and she pulled at her skirt.
The smirk on his face said it all as he accelerated with the change of the light. “You have a killer body. You shouldn’t try to hide it.”
She didn’t know what to say to that, so she stayed quiet.
This only seemed to amuse him more.
Knowing she needed to change the subject, she straightened in her seat and did her best to keep her voice even and unemotional. “So where are we going to dinner?”
The smirk returned. “Just a little place I know. I want us to have some privacy.”
Being alone with him was the last thing she wanted. Okay, that wasn’t true. She wanted to be alone with him. She wanted to know what it felt like to have his lips, his hands on her.
But that was the problem. She shouldn’t want that. He was her boss’s son. Not to mention the fact that she didn’t know him well enough to want those things.
Her body, however, didn’t agree. It wanted Jesse’s touch. And it didn’t matter they’d only known each other for a few days.
* * *
Cassie was quiet for the rest of the ride to the restaurant. Jesse could almost hear her brain working, trying to talk herself out of her attraction to him. He couldn’t explain it either.
The restaurant he chose was a farm-to-table place in the heart of the city. It was one of those places one would miss if they didn’t know it was there.
Jesse found a place to park and helped Cassie from the car. Her skirt rode up again, revealing more of her creamy thighs. His gaze lingered until she pulled the fabric down as low as it would go.
“I shouldn’t have worn this dress,” Cassie muttered.
“I’m very glad you did.” He laced their fingers together, brought her hand up to his mouth, and placed a kiss on her skin.
Her gaze met his and he watched as she swallowed. She felt it too. She didn’t want to, but she did.
They made their way along the sidewalk until they reached the restaurant. The sign out front read Maxine’s Farm to Table.
Jesse opened the door with his free hand. “Have you ever been here before?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Then you’re in for a treat.”
Betty, Maxine’s sister, greeted them and took them to their seats. The restaurant only had ten tables and given it was a Monday, only half of them had people at them.
“What can I get you to drink?” Betty asked. “We have a lovely selection of wine.”
“I think I’ll stick to water,” Cassie said.
Jesse nodded. “The same for me.”
Betty smiled and went to get their waters.
“Do you come here a lot?” Cassie asked.
“I’ve been here three times since I’ve been back in the city.”
She nodded and picked up her menu. “What would you recommend?”
He liked that she’d asked him. “Everything is delicious, but I’d highly recommend the basil tomato soup to start and their filet mignon for your main course.”
Betty returned with their drinks. “Did you need a few minutes?”
Jesse met Cassie’s gaze over the table.
“I’ll start with the basil tomato soup and then the filet mignon,” Cassie said.
Jesse handed his menu to Betty. “I’ll have the same.”
“Are the green beans and mashed potatoes good for both of you?” Betty asked.
They both nodded and Betty vanished into the kitchen to put in their orders.
Cassie scanned the room, taking in the intimate space. “I never would have known this place existed. How did you find out about it?”
“A friend brought me here for lunch a few weeks ago.” He took a sip of his water before diving into what he really wanted to know about. Her. “Do you have a favorite restaurant?”
She shrugged. “I have a favorite pizza place. I’m not sure I’d put it on the same caliber as this, though.”
“Pizza’s important. One of the major food groups.”
Cassie smiled and it lit up her face.
Betty brought their soup and he waited for Cassie to take a spoonful before diving into his. She hummed as soon as her lips closed around the liquid.
“Good?”
She nodded and went in for another bite. “Very.”
He chuckled and filled his spoon.
They spent the rest of the meal talking about his time in Europe and her life after college. It was the best first date he’d ever had and he didn’t want it to end.
As they made their way to his car, he slipped an arm around her waist. She leaned into him for a moment, then straightened herself.
Jesse waited until they were at his vehicle before turning her to face him. He kept one hand at her waist and brought the other to cup her cheek. “What’s wrong? Didn’t you have a nice time?”
“I did have a nice time.”
His gaze searched hers. “Is this still about my dad?”
She nodded.
“What happens between us has nothing to do with my father.”
Cassie leaned into his touch as if she were trying to memorize the way it felt to have his hands on her. “It does.”
Stepping closer, he pressed his body against hers, letting her feel what she did to him. “This has nothing to do with anyone else. This is only you.”
There was no mistaking what he meant. His hard length rested against her belly, leaving no doubt he wanted her.
Instead of trying to pull away, she closed her eyes and whispered his name.
That was all he needed. He lowered his mouth to hers, savoring the soft feel of her lips as they moved against his.
Her fingers dug into his sides, holding him to her, silently begging him for more. He didn’t want to deny her, but he also didn’t want them to be arrested for public indecency.
She whispered his name again and he cursed the fact they were standing on a sidewalk in the middle of the city. Her hands hadn’t left his sides, and he was tempted to ask her to come back to his place. But he didn’t want only one night with her.
Breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers as they both caught their breaths. “I should get you home.”
Before she could respond, Jesse pressed a kiss to her forehead and backed away. He reached for the door handle and helped her inside. When he slid behind the wheel beside her, he started the car and reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze, then pulled into traffic.
Neither said anything on the drive back to her apartment. Jesse wondered if she was struggling with the same emotions as he was. She hadn’t let go of his hand, which he took as a good sign, but he knew, despite their kiss, she still had reservations.
He parked and walked her up to her apartment. With their fingers tangled together, they rode the elevator to her floor. It felt as if their time was coming to an end, and it was the last thing he wanted.
They arrived at her door, and she turned to face him. “This is me.”
His gaze lowered to her lips and her tongue darted out to wet them as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. He looked into her eyes, hoping to see the same heat and desire he felt. “I’d like to take you out again.”
“Jesse.”
He crowded her against her door, bringing their noses together. “Say yes.”
She held his gaze for a long moment. “It’s not a good idea. I?—”
He cupped her face with both hands. “You have to feel this between us.”
Her fingers gripped his shirt, holding on to him as if she didn’t want to let go. He didn’t want to let go either.
“I do feel it.”
“Then come out with me again.” Jesse wasn’t above using everything in his power to persuade her to give them a chance. He tilted her head to the side, brushing his lips along her cheek, down to her neck, and up to her ear. “Are you free this weekend?”
“Yes.”
Her back arched, pressing her breasts against his chest as he tugged her earlobe into his mouth and sucked. “I’ll pick you up Saturday morning at nine. Wear something comfortable.”
“Okay.”
Jesse was so hard he was about to burst. He was going to need a long shower to take the edge off, but he knew it still wouldn’t be enough.
Taking a step back, he put some distance between them and took her keys from her. He unlocked her door before placing them back in her palm.
Cassie reached for the handle, but he stopped her. She turned, meeting his gaze once more.
He grazed his lips over hers, needing to feel her mouth one more time before he said good night. “Think of me tonight when you touch yourself. I’ll be thinking of you.”
Then, before he could talk himself out of leaving, he left her standing outside her door and walked to the elevator.
When he turned to look down the hall, she met his gaze for a moment before ducking into her apartment. He pressed the button for the ground floor, not able to wipe the shit-eating grin off his face.