I definitely interrupted someone tonight.
The naughty thoughts that crept through my mind in record time both appalled and fascinated me, as did my body’s incredible reaction to them.
Damn it. Pull yourself together Cassandra!
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…interrupt.” I stuttered, looking anywhere but at him.
The woman, who I assumed was responsible for his nearly nude state, had appeared at some point and was standing behind him. Her chest pressed against his back and her eyes screamed at me to get lost, ‘he’s mine.’
Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I recognized her from around town, Katie. She was a grade above me in high school, I remembered her as one of the annoyingly popular girls.
“It’s not a problem, sweetheart. Did you need something?” He seemed oblivious to the woman rubbing her hands up and down his forearms, kissing the back of his neck. He raised his shoulder where her lips lingered, forcing her face away.
She frowned looking both embarrassed and annoyed.
His gaze never strayed from mine but his usual smirk slowly crept over his luscious lips. No, not luscious!
“Hmm?” I asked. All I could see was the perfect stubble surrounding his chiseled jaw and plump, kissable lips. Think, Cassandra, think.
Why was this so hard? I never had this reaction to a man before.
I shook my head again. “Right, I made these for you and Oliver.” Finally, something that pulled me back to reality, Oliver. His son. The son that needed me to stay off—no—away from his father.
My arms had been like dead weights working against me, but suddenly I began finding my way out of the lust-fueled fog. I held out the basket for him to take it, but his face marred with confusion.
He glanced down at the basket and then back up at me. Was he debating on whether he wanted them? I spent so much time making sure they not only tasted perfect but also creating a brilliant presentation. I at least wanted Oliver to have them.
Worry was settling in my gut. Why did I come here? What was I thinking? Suddenly his expression softened, a smile pulling at his lips. It was unlike any of the smirks I’ve seen on him before or even the grins he gave during our disastrous jog.
This smile was warm, genuine and matched his eyes, equally soft. With bated breath, I stood there, practically swooning over him.
Damn it.
“Thank you. Oliver went to visit his cousin for the night, but I’m sure he’ll enjoy one when he returns.”
I smiled, thankful for him stowing away his cocky attitude.
“Ooh, those look good!” Katie grabbed the basket from Logan, planting an exaggerated kiss on his cheek in the process, and disappeared inside the house.
I fought back the urge to race past him and tackle her to the ground screaming, not yours, slut! Instead, I did what I always do when faced with frustration; I gave a polite tight-lipped smile and turned to leave.
A part of me wanted him to say wait. Not the logical part of my brain. There was nothing left to say and even if there was he was definitely off limits and I was strong enough to resist. Right?
But after that sweet smile it didn’t matter what he had to say, I only wanted another excuse to stare a second longer. That’s all I needed. One more second to capture his essence, and lock it away for my dreams.
I hated that I felt like an irresponsible girl, but a man that good looking was a crime against women. How could anyone expect us to keep our hands to ourselves around that, especially when you added in his charm and devilish smirk?
“Cassandra.”
I stopped, my stomach flipped violently and my ears smoldered. Did he really just say my name? He wanted me to stop, why?
No, no, no! Everything inside of me screamed to stay strong and keep walking. Pretend you didn’t hear him. Run away! He is a player, a womanizer, a flat-out man whore according to his own sister.
Instead of doing the smart thing for once in my life, I listened to my body. To those urges kept dormant since my breakup with Mark over a year ago.
“Yeah?” I asked tentatively, turning back just enough to see him.
“Would you like to join us, sweetheart?” His lips pulled up, spreading into a wide grin. His eyes glistened under the porch light filled with something dark and primal.
Eww! No thank you!
Julia was right. Complete player. What the hell was I thinking?
The smug look on his face remained unfazed as I scoffed and turned back around, heat undoubtedly brightening my cheeks. I left without another word, chastising myself for letting him see even the slightest shred of attraction I felt.
Never again. He was an arrogant jerk and I was not about to be pulled into his clutches.
Chapter Five
The Power of Men
“You’re sure I look all right?” Hilary asked for the fifth time in the last hour.
I glanced up from the sink in my tiny bathroom and grimaced.
Nerves tainted her usually cool poise.
This was not like her at all. I’d seen her get ready for numerous dates with attractive guys and never once did she care about her outfit or how her hair looked, but an invitation to the grand opening of Haven, Caleb’s bar and grill, watch out.
“No, you don’t look all right.” Looking back into the mirror, I swiped on a hint of pearly lip gloss and glanced up at her reflection to my response.
Her eyes narrowed at me.
“You look hot!” I laughed. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
She cracked a slight smile, one that begged to shine brighter, but her body remained noticeably rigid. “I should have worn the green one,” she sighed.
The dress Hilary was wearing looked absolutely flawless on her. A classic little black dress with a soft neckline that flared out in the skirt—showing off her long tanned legs.
I remained silent, swiping on a touch of smoky eyeshadow and deep black mascara. I couldn’t wait until the party was over and I’d have my friend back to her perky, confident self.
Hilary shoved me over and pulled the makeup from my hands just as I finished. I turned to scoff but noticed the corner of her lips pulled up slightly.
About time.
Backing out of the tiny room, I wondered why she was still standing in front of the mirror rolling on another layer of mascara. She started getting ready for tonight’s party the moment she awoke…yesterday morning.
“The sales clerk said it brought out my eyes,” Hilary called out.
I sat down on my couch in the front room. Why she was still stuck on the damn green dress was beyond me.
“And I told you, the one you’re wearing is perfect, now stop worrying.” It’s all I was going to say on the matter. If only she knew the truth about her love at first sight, must buy now, emerald cocktail dress.
I had to admit, the moment she spotted it in the boutique window, I was equally mesmerized. The price tag was a bit steep for my taste, or more accurately my budget, but for the right occasion completely worth it.
Problem arose when Hilary sauntered out from the dressing room and my eyes flew straight to the tiny pooch the fabric created around her midsection.
Growing up Hilary was naturally fit but through college, her figure grew from toned to curvy. She fully embraced her new appearance, as did the local boys.
Over the winter—the last semester of college before graduation—she spent a little too much time inside stressed about exams and fueling up on junk food. Honestly, the weight was hardly noticeable, distributed evenly through her tall body. But this green dress somehow created a less than appealing illusion of a tummy she didn’t have.
So I did what any good friend would do, I lied. Told her it looked great but that the black one we had been looking at earlier was worth trying on as well. The lively sales clerk nodded along with a supportive smile and handed her the new dress.
Once Hilary disappeared behind the black curtain, I turned and gave an appreciative smile, finding the employee with
a look of ‘close call.’
That’s right, girls stick together. You don’t send another female out there in a dress that accentuates every flaw she wants to hide. At least I could never do that and it was a relief to see I was not alone in that belief.
Hilary had walked out of the dressing room, twirled in front of the mirror, and watched the black dress flutter around her hips with a building confidence.
“Perfect!” I said, beaming. “Caleb will never be able to resist you in that.”
With a relieved grin, I turned to catch the icy stare narrowed at Hilary.
I winced as the sudden shift in the room. It was distressing. You would have thought the busty, flame-haired clerk saw us robbing the place—at point blank range—her friendly, animated smile replaced with a nasty sneer.
“On second thought, I loved the green one. It really brings out your eyes,” the clerk bit out, feigning sincerity.
Bitch. I wanted to leap off the fluffy ottoman I’d sat perched on for the last twenty minutes and rip out her spiky short hair. Looked like Hilary was in for some competition in the Caleb department.
Luckily, after the best murderous glare I could muster—in the once comrade now bimbo’s direction—the girl retreated without another word.
What was it about men that turned females against each other in less than a second flat?
Shaking the disheartening memory of our shopping trip from the day before away, I looked up to find the clock reading eight thirty. Time to get going.
“Seriously, you look great, now let’s go or we’ll be unfashionably late.” I called out from the living room after slipping on my red pumps and grabbing my clutch. An accessory I always thought foolish living in a small town like Harmony, but I couldn’t resist. It was also the only thing in the expensive boutique I could afford.
My outfit was the complete opposite of Hilary’s. White wash skinny jeans with a white tank top under a grey fitted blazer. I left my hair down, letting it air dry to show off my natural curls. Everyone always seemed to compliment me when I wore it that way. The red heels were as dressy as I was getting tonight.
It was a restaurant opening in Harmony, not Manhattan.
“Ready,” Hilary said.
She stepped out and for the first time all day she stood tall, shoulders back, head up, smiling.
There was my best friend. I knew she was in there somewhere. Well I at least hoped so. Now if I could keep the babbling freak from earlier hidden back in its dungeon once she actually encountered Caleb.
Twenty minutes later we were parked in the back lot of the restaurant. Hilary had spent most of the drive either glancing in her compact mirror or fidgeting with her hair while shifting in her seat.
“Ready?” I asked, switching off the engine and turning in my seat to face her.
She nodded, and smiled.
“Why do I feel like I’m walking into a firing squad?” Hilary looked down, embarrassed. “Sorry, I don’t know what the hell’s happening to me.”
“It’s fine. I’ve grown used to your Caleb induced freak-fests. I was beginning to miss them.”
We both laughed as we climbed out of the rusted red Volkswagen Bug my grandfather fixed up for my sixteenth birthday.
“Make me a promise?” I stepped around her, blocking her path just as we hit the sidewalk in front the lively restaurant, which blared soft rock music.
Hilary stepped back, nerves clouding her expression and gave me a tense smile.
“No matter what happens with Caleb—” I began.
“I know, I know. I’m still gorgeous and perfect and deserve better if he can’t see that. I got it already. I love you but I’ll be fine, really.”
My brows rose, a smile tugging at my lips. “Actually I was going to say—I don’t want to hear you moping around the next week if nothing happens tonight, but yeah, let’s go with yours.”
Her mood lightened and she was smiling brightly when we walked through the double glass doors held open by black painted cinder blocks.
“There he is,” Hilary whispered the exact moment that our feet stepped inside.
I held my lips tightly together, stifling my laughter. The excitement in her voice was refreshing.
To my surprise, I felt a pang of jealousy. The last time I felt that level of excitement was the day Mark and I moved in together.
The thought of him forced my head to whip around, praying he wasn’t here tonight. I’d done fairly well avoiding him after the disaster of moving out the day after I caught him cheating last summer.
He refused to leave the apartment that day, watching me the entire time, shooting off excuse after pitiful excuse for why Mackenzie had been in our bed. With him. Naked.
I’m not a moron. No amount of excuses were going to stop me from throwing everything I owned into boxes and shoving them into the back of my friend’s pickup truck.
Mark finally relented and with the final box, he had the gall to sit on the floor, head hung low, and tell me he’d always love me. All I could think was—that couldn’t have been love. If it was, then I didn’t need it.
Love be damned, I never wanted to feel that vulnerable and broken again.
Since that dreadful day last summer, we’ve had very few run ins, and not a single one resulted in a word being spoken between us. I only hoped tonight wouldn’t change that.
I followed behind Hilary, smiling and nodding hello to the many familiar faces. There was a great turn out and spotting Caleb across the room, I could see the pride clearly written on his face.
It was no longer the outdated diner I grew up eating in. Having a mother that never cooked, the diner had practically been a second home when I was not staying with my grandparents. That was until about three years ago when the owner died and his son ran the business into the ground. The place turned into a dump, and rumor had it, Caleb won it in a poker game.
Not only did Caleb add an extravagant bar and dance floor, which was the highlight for most everyone my age, but he practically rebuilt the old place ground up.
I was proud of him.
Unlike Hilary, Caleb was never anything more than the boy who lived across the street and scared off the bullies that dared me to eat a worm when I was six. We’d never been particularly close, more like distant cousins that got along when around each other.
Hilary turned on her heel stopping me in my tracks and silently shouted the words. “Oh my God.”
I expected her to say more instead she gripped my arm. A hiss poured out through my gritted teeth from the pain. I looked down to make sure her nails didn’t break the skin. All clear, thankfully. The line to the ladies’ room was crazy, so cleaning up a battle wound was not on my itinerary tonight.
“Is he looking at us?” she whispered.
I pulled my wide eyes away from her fingers, pouting that they were still digging into my arm, and followed her gaze. Caleb was staring directly at us smiling, holding up his wine glass motioning for us to come over.
First things first, I needed to pry her manicured claws out of my skin, which she finally noticed and gave an apologetic shrug.
I could only chuckle. I understood it all too well. It’d been a long time since I’d felt that crazy enamored feeling, but I remembered it clearly. All actions on her part tonight would fall under the best friend clause.
Thou shall not be punished when butterflies are controlling thy body.
Weaving through the crowded room was not as easy as anticipated. I somehow found myself leading her, which was bizarre considering Hilary had started out in front of me. She was now trailing behind, walking no faster than a sickly snail and just as pale.
I could only imagine the emotions ripping through her as we grew closer to the one guy that had unknowingly held her affections.
Caleb left town after graduating high school. His return came as a surprise to pretty much everyone in town. The renovation of the diner went on for a few months without anyone knowing the identity of the new owner…until he su
ddenly appeared two weeks ago.
His father owned the local law firm and bragged for years about Caleb going off to college after graduating high school to later join in the family business. Instead, he skipped town never to be seen again.
Now, here he was, over five years later, and just as handsome as ever. His hair was shorter than in high school but still covered his ears in a shaggy mop of light-brown hair. Bright-green eyes lit his masculine face. No longer a boy.
He reeked of cool indifference with his black trousers and a simple white dress shirt left untucked and unbuttoned at the top. A black tie draped around his neck was loosened and untidy. Very few men could pull it off like he did.
The leather strings wrapped around his wrist were frayed and ragged but on him, they only added to his appeal. His lean build was less muscle and more toned and athletic. Caleb was tall, attractive, and looked like he just finished a photo shoot for GQ Magazine, but still, it did nothing to stir any feelings inside me.
“Hey, Cassie. You made it.” He still had that mischievous lopsided smile that made you wonder what he was up to. Caleb Townsend was always up to something.
“Surprised you remember me,” I replied, smiling.
“How could I forget.” He smirked, and turned his attention to Hilary as he continued. “Cassie here once left the light on in her room after dark, and from across the street I could see her singing with her hairbrush, dancing on her bed.”
Hilary giggled, her eyes locked with Caleb’s and all I could do was give a tight annoyed laugh. I remembered the night vividly or more accurately the next afternoon when he came over to tell me to close the curtains at night. Although that was after he teased me to no end for at least ten humiliating minutes.
“She had moves.” Caleb chuckled looking at me, taking a swig of his drink.
I quickly noticed he was looking past me. I tensed the moment hot breath caressed over my ear from behind.