Chapter 20 - Nia #2
“Pssh, yeah; duh.” He waves a hand before him, which makes me laugh.
“If you two really are the best of buds, then why did he threaten to punch your teeth in when you came to my house and insisted on talking to me after I ran out of the diner?”
Cass’s mouth moves, but no words come out.
“Huh, what was that?” I lean in and put my ear close to his face. “Can you repeat that, please?”
He huffs, and just when I think he’s going to reply to me with a snarky comment or something, he moves his hands from my ass to my waist.
“What, have I left you speech–” I stop and yelp when he starts tickling me. “Cass, no!” I try to get off him, but he grabs me before I can, then tickles me harder. “Fucking stop!”
“You wanna taunt me again, Nia?” he says with a smirk. “Go on; give it your best shot.”
“You’re evil.” I push at his chest, but when he doesn’t budge, I shift a little and cup his crotch from over his jeans.
Cass sucks in a breath, and his hands immediately stop where they are. “Not fair, Connell,” he remarks, “but I like it – a lot.”
“It’s so damn easy to get distracted with you,” I tell him with a shake of my head.
He gives me a wink. “Why are you even worried? It’s just Noah, babe. I’ll talk to him.”
“It’s not just him.” I lean against the steering wheel. “It’s about the café and my life here. I’ve lived it all for so long that I don’t know what I’d do without it.”
“So, you want change, you want me, and you also want everything you have here in Adenbrooke?”
I shrug. “Maybe?”
Cass chuckles and sits up straighter, which brings us close again.
“How about I stay here with you for a few more weeks until you figure and sort everything out? I mean, I’m not exactly in a rush.
It’s my documentary, and I can take however fucking long I want to finalize it.
I know what you’re about to do is huge, and I’m here for you, Nia, every step of the way.
You and I, we’ll figure everything out together, tie things up here in Adenbrooke, and then head to New York. Does that sound good to you?”
I blink when my eyes sting, but don’t stop my tears from falling down my face. “You’d really do that?”
He flashes a beautiful smile at me. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Your whole life is in New York, Cass. I can’t ask you to stay away from it for any longer than you have to.”
“Correction: a huge part of my life is here, right in front of me, sitting on my lap. And, because I can’t live with only the other half of it, I have to make sure I have it all so that I can function properly,” he says. When more of my tears fall, he wipes them away and kisses me.
“Why do you have to be so goddamn perfect?” I question. “Why do you have to be so…willing?”
“Because I love you,” he answers easily, and my heart all but stops for a moment.
“Wh…what?” It’s not like he hasn’t said those words to me before, but the last time he had, we’d been 16, and so stupidly infatuated with each other that it was borderline crazy.
“I love you, Nia,” Cass says. “And I want to stay in Adenbrooke with you for as long as you need me to. Because I want you to let the unturned rubbles of our past rest, leave them undisturbed, and come with me to New York so that we can build a new empire for ourselves. Because I want you to let me show you why I asked you for a second chance; because I want you to let me prove to you that I’m worthy of you and your trust in me. ”
“Cass…” My throat is tight with emotions so deep, that it’s hard for me to say anything. And I’m afraid that if I do speak, I’ll miss something, or that my words won’t be enough for what he just said to me.
“What’re you thinking?” he asks.
I sniff. “About how well you understand me, and understand my need for time to figure everything out before I go to New York with you.”
“Of course. I’d be stupid if I didn’t give that to you. It’s the least I can do for the sacrifice you’re making.”
I wrap my arms around his neck. “But is it really a sacrifice if I get to have you all to myself?”
He acts contemplative. “Come to think of it, you’re right; I am pretty tempting, aren’t I?”
I playfully pull at his hair. “No wonder you have such a big head. You need someplace to store all that ego of yours, don’t you?”
He snorts. “I’ll have you know that I’m a pretty nice guy.”
“You’re a sunny side up gone rogue, is what you are,” I say.
“I don’t even know what that means, but I’ll take it. Two of ‘em, if you will. I’m starving.”
I laugh. “Only if you tell me that my idea of wanting to open an outlet for Café Connell in NYC isn’t a crazy one.”
He looks surprised. “You think Noah would want to expand?”
“I’d like to hope so,” I state. “I know I really want to.”
Cass quirks up. “Well, I’m onboard if he is.”
I shake my head. “Cass, no–”
“I’ve already made up my mind, so I’ll ask that you save your energy for something else.”
“Cass.”
“Nia.”
“No.”
He winks. “Yes.”
I exhale. “My savings should be enough for me to get a place for the shop, Cass. And I’m sure when I tell Noah about this, he’ll want to pitch in as well.”
“No chance. I wanna do this 50-50 in partnership with you. We’ve got this, Nia – you and I,” he says sincerely.
“You’re willing to live my dream with me by moving miles away from a place that’s been your home longer than it has been mine, so the least I can do is share your dream by being a small part of it. It’ll be my honor, trust me.”
I lean in and press my mouth to his. “Thank you.” I kiss him again. “Thank you so fucking much, Cass. I love you.” Because I do; I really love him. I don’t think I ever stopped, to be completely honest.
He smiles against my lips. “And I love you. No thanks needed, Nia, seriously. I’m super excited for you, and damn proud that you’re willing to do what you always have, but in a new city. It takes balls, babe.”
“I’m scared, though,” I admit. “I don’t wanna let you down, not after everything you’re willing to do to help me bring my idea to life.”
“But being scared is good. It shows how invested you are.”
“Says the guy with millions of fans around the world,” I say.
He chuckles. “I didn’t get to where I am overnight, did I?”
He’s right. Of course he’s right.
“You didn’t, no,” I agree.
“So…” He pulls me closer and runs his nose over my jaw. “How about you ride my cock into dawn as an act of celebration, then?”
I laugh airily. “Seriously?” When he simply grins in response, I laugh harder. “You really don’t have an off switch, do you?”
“Not when it comes to you, I don’t,” he confesses. “I lose my marbles when I’m with you, and I need my fix before I turn into a complete reprobate.”
“And would that be so bad? I like to think it’d be perfectly on-brand for you.”
He bites the inside of his cheek. “A businesswoman and a brand advisor. You’re just full of talents, aren’t you?”
I tug at his belt and brush my lips over his. “Just fuck me before I change my mind, Cass,” I tell him.
He chuckles as he pops open the button of my jeans, then unzips it before sliding a hand between my legs and pushing my underwear to the side. “Aye-aye, ma’am.”
THE END