Chapter 12
Landon
I played her parting words in my head my entire drive home. Reegan was a fool to let you go. Except I was the one who finally said the words that ended things. I was the one who let her go.
I parked behind my shop and sat in the silence as my vehicle cooled, the engine popping softly. Ending things with Reegan never felt foolish to me. Not when I knew we weren’t meant to be together. She’d become a comfortable part of my life, a part I didn’t want to go without. But kissing Casey…
I’d never been so turned on by a simple kiss before. Not even when I was a kid and didn’t know what the words meant or what a kiss could lead to. Being around Casey was a whole new kind of experience. One I wanted to repeat as often as possible.
Our sleepy town was quiet as I made my way inside and up to my apartment. I grabbed a glass and filled it with water, then headed for a cold shower. Casey’s favorite dick still had a big head after her declaration.
I tossed my clothes in the hamper and stepped into the shower, wincing at the cold water.
I closed my eyes and ducked my head under the water, knowing I wouldn’t be able to go to sleep until I alleviated the pressure building.
My brain was insistent on replaying the evening until the cold shower felt like a steam room.
I slapped the handle to warm the water and reached for my dick. One stroke and I was groaning. Another and I was bucking against my hand.
“Fuck.”
I stroked harder, faster, squeezing with every slam of my fist on my dick. My other hand hit the wall. Water pounded on my back, sliding down my chest and adding a slickness to my fist.
“Holy… fuck.”
I couldn’t stroke myself fast enough. Casey looking up at me with a collection of cocks in her lap, eyes sleepy.
Casey telling me I have her favorite dick.
Casey falling over my display and looking cute as shit with her pink cheeks.
Casey walking into my shop dressed like a professional and rocking my damn world when she asked me for flirting lessons.
And that kiss.
“Yes. Fuck!” I came hard as I thought about our kiss. Her tongue peeking out to taste mine. Would she get her tongue involved when she sucked my dick? Would she use her hands? Would she moan with me?
I nearly collapsed as I imagined Casey on her knees in the shower with me. She had no idea what she did to me. How desirable she was. How fucking sexy she was.
I dragged in my breath and fought back the bone-deep need to sleep. After a few seconds, I turned off the shower and got out, knowing if I didn’t get to bed fast, my mind would drag her back to the front and I’d never get any sleep.
Five minutes later, I was in bed, naked, and wishing I wasn’t alone.
I didn’t hear anything from Casey for three days. I sent her a few texts, asking if she wanted to get together for lunch again, but she never replied.
I tried to rationalize with myself that she was busy, but I knew that wasn’t really what was going on. She was hiding from me.
Which begged the question why?
Was she ashamed of getting drunk and flirting with me? Was she regretting the kiss? Was she done with flirting lessons since she proved she knew what she was doing?
I didn’t know the answer, and I didn’t know anyone to ask. Not that I would. Probably. Maybe.
Fine, I was dying to ask someone, but how pathetic was I? A grown-ass man asking my buddy if he thought a woman liked me. Nope. Not going back to high school bullshit.
Which meant I had to find a way to talk to Casey.
I felt like an asshole manipulating her, but it felt like the best option. Especially since my other thought was to show up at her apartment, but I wasn’t sure how she would feel about that and the possibility that her daughter would be home.
DirtyLife
Now it’s my turn to apologize for being out of touch. Work has been busy lately. How are you?
I wasn’t sure if she’d message back, but it wasn’t long before she did.
TooBusy
I wasn’t sure I’d hear from you again. It seemed like I scared you off asking about getting together.
DirtyLife
Not scared. Work and life got more hectic than I expected. I should have reached out.
TooBusy
It’s no big deal.
DirtyLife
It is to me. I got a little wrapped up in my head and let work pull me in. It wasn’t fair to you. Or me because I missed talking to you.
TooBusy
You’re making it tough to be upset.
DirtyLife
Good. Then my plan is working.
TooBusy
DirtyLife
I deserve that. But I am sorry. And I did miss talking to you. How have you been the last few days?
TooBusy
Nothing new for me. My kid picked up a new afterschool activity. Fun for her, more work for me. But it’s nice to see her enjoying something new.
DirtyLife
I imagine it would be. I love kids. Hopefully one day I’ll have some.
TooBusy
My daughter is the best thing I ever did. For all my regrets about my marriage, having her was never one of them.
DirtyLife
Do you want more kids?
TooBusy
Once upon a time I did. But now, it’s not likely. And I’m not sure I really want more.
DirtyLife
Can I ask why?
TooBusy
Ending a relationship is hard. You know that.
Being with someone you thought you’d spend your entire life with…
and then not… It was harder than I expected to get to a place where I was open to dating.
But getting married? Having more kids? Building a life with someone?
I know it’s what you’re looking for, but I’m just not. I don’t think I can do it again.
Reading her words… It was a punch to the gut.
Not because she wanted something different than me, but because I knew what Casey had to offer.
Not just sex, but the kind of woman I was coming to learn she was.
Smart, funny, interesting. Yeah, she twisted me up inside and out, but even if she ended up with someone else, the lucky son of a bitch would have a woman who loved with her entire self.
She was scared, but that didn’t diminish who she was. I saw her light. I saw the way she looked at Natalie and Omar when they were staring at each other and oblivious to the world. She wanted the same thing. She wanted to be loved the way Omar loved Natalie.
TooBusy
I figured that was why you stopped talking to me. You realized we wanted different things and couldn’t see the point of continuing whatever this is.
DirtyLife
That’s not it. I like talking to you. A lot. And I don’t know where this is going with us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it along the way.
TooBusy
Is it worth it if we both know we want different things?
I wasn’t ready to end our conversations. Not online and not in person. Why was she so quick to?
DirtyLife
How about this? We set a date to meet in a few weeks. We keep talking until then, get to know each other, and if either of us doesn’t want to meet in person, no hard feelings.
TooBusy
Are you trying to Sleepless in Seattle me?
DirtyLife
I don’t know what that means.
TooBusy
It’s a movie. God, you’re making me feel old that you don’t know the movie. These two people agree to meet on Valentine’s Day at the top of the Empire State Building.
DirtyLife
That’s a bit of a drive, but if you really want to do that, I can make it work. We might need to make it longer than just lunch, though.
TooBusy
I’m not saying that. Just… Never mind. Okay. I’ll agree. When do you want to meet?
Natalie and Omar’s wedding was in three weeks, so it had to be after that.
DirtyLife
Three weeks from this coming Tuesday. Lunch. You pick the place.
TooBusy
Do you know O’Kelley’s in MacKellar Cove?
DirtyLife
I do.
TooBusy
Noon? Three weeks from Tuesday.
DirtyLife
I will meet you there.
TooBusy
If I don’t scare you off by then.
DirtyLife
Not going to happen.
TooBusy
Such confidence.
DirtyLife
LOL! Maybe I just know when I’ve found something worthwhile. What are you up to this weekend? Anything fun and exciting?
TooBusy
I’m working. My daughter has plans today, so I have some time to get work done.
DirtyLife
You really don’t take time off, do you? What do you do for fun?
TooBusy
I don’t have a lot of that anymore.
DirtyLife
Well, what would you do if fun was the only thing on your agenda for today?
TooBusy
I don’t know. It’s been so long since I’ve had that kind of freedom that I can’t think of how I’d spend it.
DirtyLife
That’s your homework for the next time we talk.
TooBusy
You’re giving me homework?
DirtyLife
I need to know what to plan for our dates after three weeks from Tuesday.
TooBusy
I seem to have a knack for turning men off, so if you do show up that day, I have no doubt it’ll be the last time we see each other.
DirtyLife
I have no doubt at all that I will be begging you for another date.
TooBusy
If you say so.
DirtyLife
I know so.
TooBusy
We’ll see. But for now, I really need to work. I only have another hour before my daughter is done.
DirtyLife
It was good talking to you. And I hope you find something fun to do this weekend.
TooBusy
Yeah.
I smiled as I signed off. Except for the part about having a knack for turning men off, it was a good chat. But that one piece of information was all I needed to know she didn’t think I wanted her.
She was so wrong. Not only did I want to see her more, but I wanted to crack her wide open and find out all the secrets she hid from the world.
But first, I had to work.
Andre let himself in the back door as I was locking the front one. While Casey had been dodging me, I’d been dodging Andre. I was not ready to answer all the questions I knew he would be asking. But I was clearly out of time.
“Hey,” I said when he met me in the back. “I need to run up and change.”
“I’ll be here when you’re ready.” The words were subtle, but the tone was ominous.
“What?” I asked, pausing on the bottom step.
“What, what? I didn’t say anything?”
“Your smirk did.”
He laughed fully. “Don’t blame me for being curious about you swooping in to take Casey home and never showing up again.”
“It wasn’t like that.”