Chapter 4
Brie was sittingon the couch when Cassie walked through the door. Pointing the remote toward the television, she clicked it off and waited.
Instead of answering her friend’s unspoken question, Cassie headed to the kitchen to get some water. She needed to cool off and gather her thoughts.
“Well?”
Cassie removed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. “Well, what?”
“How’d the date go?”
“It went fine.” Cassie took her glass and left the kitchen. She didn’t want to answer questions about her date with Jesse.
Of course Brie followed her to her room. “Are you going to go out again?”
That was the million-dollar question. She was already fretting over agreeing to go with him on Saturday. Should she cancel? Maybe she should drive down to St. Louis and see her dad for the weekend.
“Hello?”
Cassie shook her head. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Did something happen? Was he a bad kisser or something?”
The memory of his lips on hers had Cassie’s skin tingling all over again. “No.”
“No something didn’t happen, or no he’s not a bad kisser?”
Setting her water on the nightstand, Cassie went to her dresser and removed a set of pajamas. Brie meant well, but Cassie didn’t want to talk about her date. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about it. “Can we talk about this tomorrow? I’m exhausted and I have work in the morning.”
Brie held up her hands in surrender. “Fine. I’ll let you off the hook for tonight, but tomorrow you’re telling me everything. I want details.” She backed out of the room with a knowing smile on her face. “Sweet dreams.”
Details. Normally, she’d be excited to share the possibility of a new relationship with her best friend, but for some reason, this time, she didn’t want to. She wasn’t sure if it was because mixing business with pleasure was a bad idea or if it had to do with the way her body responded every time he was around.
Either way, it was going to have to be a quandary for tomorrow. She really was tired.
Changing into her pajamas, Cassie went to the bathroom to remove her makeup and brush her teeth. When she came out, Brie’s light was still on, and she could hear her talking to someone—most likely Kaden.
Cassie turned off the light, crossed the hall to her bedroom, and crawled under the covers. She could still hear Brie talking in the next room as she closed her eyes.
Soon, her friend ended the call and all was quiet. There was no sound other than the hum of electricity in the apartment. Perfect for a good night’s sleep.
Only an hour later, Cassie was still awake. Every time she closed her eyes and tried to relax, her thoughts would drift to being pressed up against Jesse’s car, wedged between the cool metal at her back and his warm body at her front. She relived every detail of their kiss over and over again.
Her body responded to the memories, and her pussy began to clench with the desire to feel his hard length inside her. It was crazy. She’d never wanted to sleep with a guy this soon. With Trent, it had taken months for her to feel comfortable enough to even consider opening herself up like that.
But with Jesse, it was different. Everything was different. The way he touched the small of her back as they walked together. How he’d held her. How he’d kissed her. She’d never felt so…cherished and turned on at the same time.
Her cheeks heated as she recalled his parting words. She could almost feel his breath on her face as he whispered them to her. Think of me tonight when you’re touching yourself.
A shiver rippled through her body and her sex pulsed. She shouldn’t have liked him saying that to her. But her body said otherwise.
Cassie looked toward her nightstand. In the back of the drawer was a vibrator. A birthday gift from Brie.
Before she could change her mind, Cassie dug through her drawer until she located the vibrator. It fit in the palm of her hand and was in a U shape.
She turned it on and spread her legs wide. As the toy worked its magic, she remembered how Jesse’s erection felt as it pressed against her. The thought had her body temperature rising even more.
Slipping a hand under her shirt, she palmed her breast, massaging it, then took her nipple and twisted it as she tugged. The sensation went straight to her clit.
She did it again, this time imaging it was Jesse’s hand.
A soft moan left her lips as she pressed her thighs together, seeking friction. But something stopped her from pushing herself over the edge just yet. She imagined Jesse would want to touch her more before he sent her flying. Cassie wasn’t sure why she thought that, but given how he’d kissed, she had the feeling he wouldn’t rush things.
As she continued to play with her breasts, the pressure continued to build. She was practically humping the air by the time she pressed the vibrator against her clit.
She was breathing hard as she raced toward her climax, tweaking her nipple between her fingers to the point of pain. Keeping her eyes firmly closed, she fantasized Jesse’s cock was inside her. That his mouth was on her breast, teasing and tugging.
It felt so good, but she needed more.
Turning the vibrator on high, she rubbed her clit harder, faster. She arched her back as sensation took over.
“Are you gonna come for me, baby?” His voice rang clear as day in her head. It was like he was right there beside her in the bed, watching her.
That thought turned her on even more. She was so close.
The vibrations had her hovering on the edge, and she knew it wouldn’t take much more. Removing her hand from her breast, she pushed two fingers inside her pussy and began riding her fingers with an abandon she’d never felt before.
Her sex clamped down on her fingers as she imagined Jesse hovering over her. She could feel his lips trailing down her neck to her breast, whispering how good she felt wrapped around him. How he wanted to feel her come.
A whimper left her lips as she increased the pressure on her clit a little more, and that was all it took. Her orgasm hit her hard, the pure force of it causing her to gasp.
As she came down from her climax, she lay there, contemplating what had happened. Her fantasies in the past typically involved nameless, faceless partners. But since she’d met Jesse, they’d changed.
Tonight’s fantasy had been all about details. His eyes. His hands. His mouth.
It would be easy to write it off as physical attraction, but it was so much more than that. She liked him. A lot.
Cassie had no idea what she was going to do, but she didn’t have the energy to think about it now. Rolling onto her side, she placed the vibrator on the table beside her bed and closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed as she let sleep take her to more dreams of crystal blue eyes.
* * *
Jesse woke up the next morning with a smile on his face. He had a list a mile long of things he needed to get done before he officially started his new position on Monday, but all his thoughts drifted back to Cassie. His hands itched to touch her again, but he knew he had to play his cards wisely. She was hesitant, and he understood that, but he wasn’t willing to ignore his attraction to her.
Grabbing his keys, he left his condo and drove to the florist. First things first, he wanted to send her some flowers to thank her for their date and to let her know he was looking forward to Saturday. He was tempted to send them to her at work but didn’t want to spook her even more.
“I need these to be delivered to this address tonight at six thirty,” Jesse told the woman behind the counter after selecting the bouquet he wanted.
“We normally make all our deliveries during business hours.”
“I understand, but this is a special circumstance. I have no issue paying more for the inconvenience.” He smiled, not afraid to use his charm to get what he wanted.
The woman stared at him for a long beat before blinking and nodding. “I can deliver them on my way home.”
Jesse’s smile widened. “Perfect.”
With that task marked off his list, he moved to the next—the DMV.
Three hours later, his stomach was growling. He needed food.
As he walked to his car, he pulled out his phone. He typed out a quick text to his dad, asking if he wanted to grab lunch.
His phone dinged as he clicked his seat belt in place.
Dad: Are you close by? My next meeting isn’t until 2.
Jesse: I can be there in twenty minutes.
Placing his phone in the cup holder, Jesse backed out of the parking lot and made his way through traffic to his father’s building. He found a place to park in the garage and rode the elevator up to the executive floor.
The doors of the elevator opened, and his gaze went to the end of the hall. Cassie sat at her desk with her head lowered, her dark hair cascading around her shoulders. She’d worn it down today, as she had at the party, and he wanted to run his fingers through it.
He never took his gaze off her as he closed the distance between them. As he approached, she looked up. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was, and he heard her breath hitch. “Good morning, Cassie.”
“Um.” She blinked a few times before she turned her attention back to whoever was on the phone. “Yes, I’ll pass that along to Mr. Masters and have him get back to you as soon as possible.” She hung up and turned her attention to him again. “What are you doing here?” Jesse didn’t miss the way her gaze drifted toward his father’s closed door.
“I’m meeting my dad for lunch.”
“Oh.” A look of what he thought might be disappointment crossed her face.
He leaned forward so what he was about to say wouldn’t be overheard. “Were you hoping I was here to see you?”
“That’s absurd.” She took a stack of papers from one side of her desk and moved them to the other. “Of course not.”
Her discomfort told him more than she probably wanted him to know.
Unfortunately, his fun at seeing her squirm was cut short when his father’s door opened. Blake Masters strolled out of his office, smiling when he saw his son. He turned to Cassie. “If Forester calls again, tell him I should have the report by the end of the day.”
Cassie nodded.
Blake clapped his son on the shoulder, and they turned toward the elevator.
They ended up at a steak house across town. He hadn’t been there in years, but the hostess had recognized his dad. “Come here a lot?” Jesse asked.
His dad chuckled. “Every now and then.”
Jesse snorted.
Blake smiled and changed the subject. “Are you settling into your new condo? Beks said your party was a success. I’m sorry your mother and I couldn’t come.”
His father had to fly to New York the day before and had asked his mother to accompany him. It was rare for his mother to stay home these days when his dad had to travel. With no young children needing her attention, his parents spent as much time together as they could. He didn’t understand the significance of that when he was younger, but he did now, and he wanted that for himself.
“Oh, that reminds me, your mom wanted to know if you could stop by on Saturday. She found some boxes tucked away in a closet that belong to you.”
The server came to take their drink orders, breaking the flow of conversation. Once they were alone again, Jesse responded. “I can’t on Saturday, but I’ll try to swing by on Sunday.”
“I’ll see if your sister can stop by as well and you can both stay for dinner.”
While his parents had been excited Jesse had the opportunity to work in Europe, they were thrilled to have him home. They’d missed him. “Sounds good.”
Their drinks came and they placed their orders. As they waited for their food, Jesse shared some of his ideas for the accounting department. Like it or not, he knew he had something to prove. He was the boss’s son and he wanted to show everyone he was there because he could do the job, not because Daddy was signing his paychecks.
“What did you think of your team?” Blake asked.
Conversation pulsed again when their food arrived. After assurance they had everything they needed for the moment, their server disappeared, and they both picked up their utensils to dive in. “No red flags as of yet.”
“Your assistant, Stephanie, has a lot of ambition.”
Jesse nodded. “Cassie told me she’d only been in the position for a little over a month.”
His dad stopped his chewing and stared at his son for a long moment. He had no idea what his father was looking for, but Jesse continued to eat his food. Eventually, his dad did the same.
There were so many questions he wanted to ask about Cassie, but he didn’t. She was already nervous about them dating.
They finished their meal discussing a much safer topic…Beks. His sister was a bit of a wild child. While he’d been in Europe, she’d been hopping from job to job. Dad had tried getting her to come to work for the company, but she had no interest in finance or business in general. To be honest, he didn’t know what she was interested in.
Jesse walked his dad back to his office, hoping to see Cassie again, but she wasn’t at her desk. It was after one, but he figured maybe she was still at lunch.
Blake stopped outside the door to his office. “I’ll let your mom know about Sunday and text you the time. Don’t be late.”
“Not me you have to worry about.”
His father nodded. “True.”
They said goodbye and Jesse made his way back to the elevator. He shoved his hands into his khaki pants and rocked back on his heels.
The elevator doors opened, and he came face to face with Cassie. She stood frozen, like a deer in the headlights, and he took advantage. He stepped inside the elevator and closed the doors before she could move.
“Hey.” She reached for the button to open the door again, but he closed his hand over her wrist and brought it back to her side. “What are you?—”
Jesse used his body to back her up against the wall. “I was hoping I’d see you again before I left.”
She looked up at him, her breathing labored as if she’d walked up ten flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator. “You were?”
“Yes.”
The elevator began to move, and he wished they’d have more time alone.
As the doors opened, he took a step back. A woman entered, one he recognized from the accounts receivable department. She seemed surprised to see him but smiled. “Hello, Mr. Masters.” Then she looked at Cassie and her smile fell a little. “Are you all right?”
Cassie straightened. “Yes. I’m fine.” She glanced over at Jesse, then back at the woman. “How’re things in accounting?”
The woman relaxed again. “Well,” she said, leaning in as if imparting some big secret. “Word is we’re getting a new boss.”
Cassie played along. “Really?”
The woman nodded, sending me a sly smile as the elevator doors opened again and she exited.
Jesse laughed. “What was her name?”
“Beth.”
“I like her.”
“She’s married with two kids.” Cassie’s voice was devoid of emotion. Too much so.
He met her gaze. “Jealous?”
“Of course not.”
Jesse brushed his fingers along the back of her hand. He wanted to do more, but he knew better. “You have no reason to be jealous. I’m not interested in Beth like that.”
Their eyes met and held. He didn’t break the connection as he hit the button for the garage level.
Cassie didn’t move as he continued to caress her hand and he wondered if she could feel the same tingles going up her arm as he felt going up his.
The elevator doors opened, and a rush of wind blew inside from the garage. Then, unable to resist, he took a step forward and pressed his lips ever so slightly to hers. “Saturday.”
Before he could be tempted to do more, he turned on his heel and marched out of the elevator.