Chapter 15
Cassie tried notto let her nerves get the better of her as Jesse walked her into the large estate. She knew Blake and Florence Masters. She saw Blake five days a week. This was no big deal.
The foyer was as big as her apartment, the sound of their footsteps echoing as they walked down the hall toward the dining room. For some reason, it felt larger, more encompassing, than it had the last time she was there. She knew it was all in her head, that the house hadn’t magically morphed into something new, but that wasn’t doing anything to help her perception of the grandness of it all.
Her dad’s house was big by most standards. It was possible for two people to be in the house at the same time and not realize it. But the Masters’s house was on a whole different level. It made her feel small.
Blake and Florence liked to host dinner parties. They were both very active in their community and several charities. Rubbing elbows with other business moguls and politicians was part of the norm. Her dad was more of a home body and so was she. While she could hold polite conversation when she needed to, she’d much rather be home reading a book or vegging out in front of the television.
Jesse placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her past the kitchen. The smell of food tickled her senses and made her realize how hungry she was. It had been hours since she’d eaten lunch.
They entered the large formal dining room to find his dad and Beks seated at the table scrolling through their phones. Blake was most likely checking emails. She had no idea about Beks. Social media probably. His mom was rearranging some of the flowers in the centerpiece.
Florence noticed Jesse and Cassie. “There you are.”
She embraced Jesse, and he placed a kiss on her cheek. “We’re not late, are we?”
His dad put his phone away. “No, but your mom has been crawling the walks, waiting for you to get here.”
Jesse chuckled. “Mom, you know Cassie.”
Florence turned her attention to Cassie. “How have you been? My husband isn’t working you to death, is he?”
Cassie smiled. “No, ma’am.”
Beks tucked her phone into her pocket before addressing Cassie. “Hello again.”
Robert, the Masters’s personal chef, strolled into the dining room. He was pushing a cart full of food.
Florence took a seat beside her husband and Jesse held out a chair for Cassie. Once she was seated, he lowered himself into the seat beside her. The atmosphere felt formal and not at the same time.
Robert served everyone a plate, the food arranged beautifully. Everyone was silent as the food and drinks were served. Robert made sure everyone had what they needed, then discreetly disappeared into the kitchen.
Cassie followed Jesse’s lead and began eating her food. She’d never had roasted duck before, but it was good. Not as gamey as she’d expected.
“My big brother charmed you, huh?” The grin on Beks’s face told Cassie she wasn’t upset with this. “I was wondering when I found you two snuggled up together at the party.”
His dad raised an eyebrow, but he was looking at Jesse, not Cassie.
She wasn’t sure how to respond, and luckily, she didn’t have to. Jesse spoke up and answered his sister. “I didn’t charm her. I wore down her defenses.” He sent Cassie a sly smile and she felt her insides melt a little.
“At least your brother has found a nice girl he wants to date,” Florence said.
Beks rolled her eyes. “Jesse’s thirty. If we’re going by age alone, I have time.”
“You’re not getting any younger and I want grandchildren before I’m too old to enjoy them.” Florence picked up her wine glass and took a sip.
Cassie averted her eyes, keeping them on her food. This conversation sounded a lot like ones she’d at with her own mother. Jessica Rourke was all about becoming a grandmother. She wanted grandbabies and lots of them. And she wasn’t shy about bringing up the subject any chance she got.
“See, this is why it needs to work between the two of you.” Beks looked at Cassie as if it were solely up to her as to whether the relationship between her and Jesse would last. “If you two stay together, then you can give Mom the grandchildren she wants, and the pressure’s off me.”
Jesse spoke before Cassie could figure out how to respond. “I think we need to cool it on the baby talk. Cassie and I have only been together for a week. We’re not rushing into anything.”
Blake cleared his throat. “Your mother and I are hosting a dinner party next month. My college roommate is in town and I’d like for you to attend.”
It wasn’t clear to Cassie if the invitation included her or not. She’d never been to one of the Masters’s dinner parties, but she’d helped organize several.
“Send me the date and I’ll check my calendar.” Jesse took a sip of his water. “How long is he staying?”
“He’s taking over his uncle’s law firm, so he’ll be in Kansas City for the foreseeable future.”
Jesse smiled. “That’s great. You’ll have a golf partner now and won’t be trying to drag me along.”
Blake chuckled. “Yes, well, he has great timing. It will be good to have him close by again.”
It took a moment for Cassie to realize what her boss was referring to, but when she did, she glanced over at Jesse. His expression told her he knew exactly what his father was talking about, and she made a note to ask him about it later.
The conversation soon turned to Beks. She was planning to follow in her brother’s footsteps and spend some time in Europe. Unlike her brother, however, she was headed to Milan to study fashion.
After dinner, Blake asked Jesse to join him in his study. Beks disappeared upstairs, and Cassie and Florence watched the sun as it set behind the trees.
“You’re good for him,” Florence said, taking a sip of her coffee.
The compliment brought a smile to Cassie’s lips. “Thanks.”
“Has there been any trouble at work? I know how office gossips can be.”
Cassie was a little surprised at that. While Florence stopped by the office on occasion, she wasn’t a regular fixture.
The look on Cassie’s face prompted a smile from the older woman. “I’m guessing you don’t know how Blake and I met.”
“No.” While her boss was friendly and respectful, he didn’t tend to overshare.
Florence took another drink before speaking again. “Blake hired me as his secretary when he first started the company. We worked together for three years before he got up the courage to ask me out.”
“He was your boss?”
Jesse’s mom chuckled. “He was. And when it got out that he and I were an item, there was quite a lot of talk.”
Cassie nodded. “I’ve gotten looks more than anything. I think the worst is said behind my back.”
“I have no doubt.” Florence finished off her coffee and looked Cassie in the eye. “I know I’m Jesse’s mom, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here to listen.”
“Thank you.” The gesture was appreciated.
A few moments later, Jesse reappeared with his father. Both had rather stern looks on their faces, but Jesse’s expression lightened when he met Cassie’s gaze. He came to stand beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist. When he spoke, however, it was to his parents. “We’re going to head out. Thank you for dinner.”
Florence gave her son a hug, then turned to Cassie. She took her right hand and gave it a brief squeeze. “You’re both welcome anytime.”
A few minutes later, Jesse was helping her into his car. It had cooled off quite a bit since they’d arrived, and Cassie had forgotten to bring a jacket. She ran her hands up and down her arms, trying to ward off the chill.
Jesse removed his suit jacket before sliding into the driver’s seat. Before turning on the engine, he draped the jacket over her, tucking in the sides on either side of her arms. It warmed her almost instantly. “Thank you.”
“Can’t let you catch a cold. I have plans for us this weekend.” His sly grin sent a completely different type of heat coursing through her.
“What did you have in mind?” she asked, feeling bold.
His only answer was a mischievous grin as he started the car and made his way down the long driveway toward the road.
* * *
Jesse was trying to put the conversation with this dad out of his mind. He wanted to enjoy his weekend with Cassie and that wasn’t going to happen if he continued to dwell on the shit show he was uncovering. That, and he needed to get to the bottom of Cassie’s hesitation regarding her family. He couldn’t fix something he didn’t understand.
He opened the passenger door and offered her his hand. She took it and stood. Her heels brought her head to his eye level, so she didn’t need to raise her gaze very far to meet his. She’d turned his jacket so it hung from her shoulders and wrapped around her like a blanket.
Her pupils darkened and the air around them began to spark. She swayed toward him as if drawn by some unseen force. It was always like this with her. He felt this pull deep in his gut, the urge to possess every part of her surging through his veins.
They were alone in the parking garage, and it had been more than twelve hours since he’d felt her mouth on his. He closed the distance between them and kissed her.
Cassie melted into him, her fingers gripping the front of his dress shirt as his tongue played with hers. He wanted to forget all sense and bury himself deep inside her. But he didn’t want someone to catch them. Or worse yet, for it to be caught on surveillance video and be leaked to the press.
While his family wasn’t known for making headlines outside of the occasional mention in the business section, the last thing they needed right now was any type of focused attention. If Jesse’s instincts were right, and he had no reason to doubt them, someone had been skimming off profits from the company. Once he found out the source and how deep the corruption went, it would be hard to keep it under wraps.
“What’s wrong?” Cassie’s whispered words brought him back to the present.
“We should get upstairs before we do something indecent.”
She frowned.
Jesse sighed and began moving them toward the elevator. “It’s nothing to worry about. Not yet, at least.”
“Does it have to do with work?”
“Yes.”
She circled her arms around his waist and hugged him as they rode the elevator to his floor. Having her with him, knowing she provided refuge from the piles of paperwork that never seemed to end, had him wanting to forgo the conversation he knew they needed to have. All he wanted to do was take her to his bed, strip her down, and lay her out on his mattress.
But the logical part of his brain knew better.
Once they were inside his condo, she removed his jacket and went to hand it to him. She froze. “We forgot my bag in the car.”
He’d been so focused on getting her upstairs that he’d forgotten her overnight bag. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll get it.”
Giving her a quick kiss, Jesse headed downstairs. He grabbed her bag from the car and hopped back on the elevator.
The living room was empty when he reentered the condo, and the only light was coming from the large windows on the far wall. He dropped her bag on the couch and went to find her.
Jesse was halfway down the hall when the door to the bathroom opened. Cassie walked out in nothing but her bra, panties, and stockings. His cock responded without any consideration of his intentions.
She saw him and smiled. “You’re back.”
Jesse stalked toward her. His only thought was to get his hands on her. He backed her against the wall and kissed her.
Cassie didn’t miss a beat. She kissed him back, meeting every stroke of his tongue with one of her own. Her hands went to his hair as she tried to climb his body.
A low growl emerged from deep in his chest as he positioned her leg around his waist, opening her to him. He dug his fingers into her ass as he ground his erection against her pussy. “So fucking sexy.”
He dipped a finger beneath the hem of her panties, seeking the wetness he knew he would find. She was swollen and oh so wet. He slipped a finger inside. By the way she was responding, he knew it wouldn’t take much to get her off. Hell, it wouldn’t take much to get him off.
A little voice in the back of his head was attempting to remind him they needed to talk, but he couldn’t, for the life of him, remember what about. The only thing dominating his thoughts was figuring out how many times he wanted to make her come before he found his own release.
Cassie lifted herself up on her toes, shifting their position and causing his finger to brush against her clit. She sucked in a breath, and he felt a vibration go through her.
Deciding he didn’t want to wait, he used his free hand to unbuckle his belt and unfasten his slacks. She was his all weekend. He’d have time to play with her later.
Once his erection was free, he lifted her. He used the wall as support and impaled her on his cock.
She didn’t miss a beat, kissing him back with fierce passion. He wanted to devour her and from her response, she wanted to do the same to him.
He fucked her hard against the wall, driving his cock into her until they were both breathless.
When he knew he wasn’t going to be able to last much longer, he adjusted his hold on her hips and dipped his thumb above where they were joined.
Less than thirty seconds later, she was going off like a rocket. Her fingers scrapped his scalp to the point of pain as her climax racked her body.
Jesse felt his release surge a moment before it dawned on him he’d forgotten a condom.
“Fuck!”
He tried to separate them enough to pull out of her, but she was holding on to him. His orgasm ended up coating her, the wall, and the floor.
Cassie lowered her legs to the floor and he rested his forehead on her shoulder, trying to catch his breath. How could he have been so irresponsible? She wasn’t on birth control. He’d planned on broaching the subject this weekend.
His hands tightened on her hips and released.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Jesse laughed without humor. “I think I should be the one asking you that question.” He lifted his head to meet her gaze. “I forgot to use a condom.”
“Oh.” It was only then she seemed to realize his cum was streaming down her leg.
He waited for her to say more, but she didn’t. “Let’s get cleaned up, and we should talk.”
Leading her into the bathroom, he removed a washcloth from the cabinet and wet it with warm water. He kneeled in front of her and cleaned the remnants of their lovemaking from her legs and pussy. “I left your bag on the couch. Why don’t you take it into the bedroom and get yourself settled. I’ll be in as soon as I get things cleaned up.”
She nodded and left him to his task.
Jesse had no idea what he was going to say. He’d lost his head, which had never happened with a woman before. This was new territory for him. He was nervous, but more for her reaction than anything else.
With the last of the mess removed from the hall, he washed his hands, then went to find Cassie. It was time to face the consequences of his actions. Whatever they may be.
Cassie was already in bed when he walked into the room. The covers were pulled up to her neck, but she turned to look at him when he entered.
He sat on the edge of the bed next to her. “We should talk about what happened.”
“Okay.” She paused. “I’m not upset.”
That surprised him. “You’re not?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Why not? You should be. I screwed up. It’s my job to protect you and I didn’t.”
“I’m not ready for a baby right now, but I can’t be mad at you without being mad at myself.”
He furrowed his brow, confused. “That makes no sense.”
“I could have told you to stop, but it didn’t even cross my mind. All I could think about was how much I wanted you.”
“But—”
Cassie scooted closer to him, the blanket she’d had covering her falling to her waist, revealing she’d removed the bra she’d been wearing. Her nipples stood proud on breasts he wanted to taste. Despite having been inside her less than twenty minutes ago, he felt his body responding.
She placed a finger on his lips. “There’s two of us in this relationship. I can always say no. Or use my safeword.” She gave him a little smile, referencing that aspect of their relationship.
He removed her finger from his lips and turned her palm over to kiss it. That feeling of warmth deep in his chest was back, making him want to keep her with him forever.
Instead of going down that road of thought, he refocused the conversation on the topic at hand. “I think you should look into birth control. As much as I’d like to assure you something like that will never happen again, I lose all common sense when it comes to you sometimes.”
That seemed to please her. “I lose all common sense when it comes to you, too, sometimes.”
He brought both her hands to his lips, pressing them against his mouth and giving them a squeeze. “So you’ll make an appointment with your doctor?”
Cassie nodded.
Releasing a breath, he lowered her hands to her lap. “Okay. I only have one more question for you, then, for tonight.” He paused. “Are you completely naked under those blankets?”
She giggled. “You’ll have to find out for yourself.”
Standing, he lifted the covers and sure enough, she was naked from head to toe.