Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
“You make me happier than I ever thought I could be. And that’s not something I’m going to throw away,” he says softly, “or let somebody force me to walk away from. No matter who they are. I refuse to be manipulated that way.”
“Is it wrong for me to be happy about that?”
“Nah. It’s not wrong at all.”
The hard pounding of my heart echoes in my ears, and as I stare into Cash’s golden-hazel gaze, I’m dumbstruck. Incapable of harnessing my thoughts and forming a coherent word. I didn’t know what I was expecting to happen when he went to see Zane today, but it’s probably safe to say this wasn’t it.
“Anyway, I’m pretty wrung out,” he says. “I’m going to grab a shower.”
I nod. “All right.”
He gives me a quick kiss as he gets to his feet and smiles. “I do love you, Cassie.”
“And I love you back.”
“Good girl.”
Cash heads into the bedroom, and a moment later, I hear the shower turn on. I sit back on the couch and press my head into the cushions, unable to wipe the smile from my face. God knows my feelings for Cash have been intense. Far stronger than I’ve ever let myself care for anybody before. And even though I knew he was fond of me, knew he cared for me, I didn't dare to believe that his feelings for me were the same as mine were for him. To hear him say he loves me lights up my very soul in ways I didn’t know it could be lit up.
I’ve heard people talk about love making them feel like they’re floating on air before but never thought I’d be one of them. Never thought I’d ever really know what it was like to be loved. Truly loved. I never thought I’d know what it was like to be genuinely cared for. But from the start, Cash has made me feel all those things and so much more. He’s made me feel protected. He’s valued me. Respected me. He’s shown me, without even trying, that I’m worth loving. Without him, I might not know that I deserve better than what Zane was giving me. I might have even gone back to him.
The dark thread woven around the bright tapestry of joy in my heart is knowing that my happiness and the love I have for him has come at a terrible cost to Cash. Nobody has ever chosen me. Nobody has ever put me first the way he did. But the jubilation I might otherwise give myself over to is tempered knowing that my relationship with him has come at the expense of his relationship with his son. It hurts my heart to know that I’m the reason for the divide between father and son. And even though Cash is putting on a brave face, I can see the pain reflected deep in his eyes.
I just want to make him as happy as he makes me. Turning my head, I cast my gaze toward the bedroom door and purse my lips as my thoughts swirl. I might not be able to ease his emotional turmoil, but I can at least give him a temporary reprieve from it. Getting to my feet, I strip down, leaving a trail of my clothes on the floor as I head for the bathroom. Naked, I walk into clouds of steam as thick as San Francisco fog then quietly open the shower door and step inside. Closing the door, I slip my arms around his waist from behind and lay my cheek against his broad, muscular back.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
Cash turns around and pulls me into a tight embrace, staring down at me with his warm, sultry eyes. He leans down and plants a soft, chaste kiss on my lips.
“I’m good,” he replies. “You just make everything better.”
“I can say the same for you, mister.”
As the hot water gently rains down on us, Cash kisses me in a way he’s never kissed me before. It’s forceful and passionate, but at the same time, it’s tender and sweet. It’s the kiss of a man in love, and having his lips upon mine makes me want to explode with glee. His eyes locked onto mine, Cash leads me out of the shower and into the bedroom. We stop beside the bed, our arms wrapped around each other, and he offers me a small smile.
“I love you, Cassie Robb. More than I thought I could love another person.”
“And I love you back, Cash Teague.”
He gently guides me down onto the bed and kisses me tenderly yet passionately before sliding his tongue down my neck, between my breasts, moving slowly yet inexorably until his face is down between my thighs. His golden eyes glitter as he looks up at me, and when his warm breath hits my already-tingling button, I draw in a sharp breath. My pulse races and a river of fire flows through my veins as he tickles my slick folds with the tip of his tongue.