Logan's class would descend upon the ranch house for Logan's birthday party. The cake was in the oven, pizza was ordered and would be delivered, and all that was left was for Cassie to take a quick shower, ice the cake, and wait for the horde to arrive.
It had been exactly one week since she'd last seen or heard from Gage. She supposed she should be happy that he'd finally gotten the hint and backed away. And she was, mostly. But there was that tiny part of her, a small flame that had ignited in her heart, that was severely disappointed. All week long, she'd felt that flame burning lower and lower until it had finally extinguished. And she was happy about that, too. Mostly. She told herself it was for Logan's sake that she was upset about Gage's desertion, but she knew that was mostly a lie, too.
She had to remind herself that she was better off with Gage out of her life. That letting him back in would only lead to future heartache. She had survived his devastation once, but she wasn't sure she had it in her to survive it again. She knew she didn't want to test that theory. But luckily she didn't have to because he was gone.
Cassie was in the process of pulling up her jeans, she was in a pink lace bra, and her hair was wet from the shower when she smelled something burning. Her cake! She ran through the living room and into the kitchen. Smoke seeped from the oven. She yanked open the oven door, then immediately waved a hand in front of her face as a billow of smoke puffed out.
"Should I call the fire department?"
Cassie yelped, jumping up, clutching her hand to her chest. "You scared me." Gage's eyes devoured her. From her wet hair, to her pink, lacy bra, down to her unsnapped, unzipped jeans.
"On second thought," he drawled. "Having firemen show up right now wouldn't be a very good idea."
Cassie wasn't sure what to do first. Button her jeans or cover her chest. She opted for trying to leave the room. "Um... Let me go throw something on."
Unfortunately, Gage blocked the doorway, and he wasn't moving. "Can you please move? I need to get dressed. I have to go buy a cake. I don't have time to make a new one before the kids show up."
Gage stalked toward her. "I'll go buy you a cake, after."
Cassie backed up a few steps. "Af... after what?"
"After this," he said, reaching for her and hooking his fingers into her belt loops, bringing them together hip to hip. His head dipped, and he captured her lips in a searing kiss. He ground himself against her, and she moaned into his mouth, her hands grabbing his shoulders for support.
The kiss didn't last long. It was obvious he had other places he wanted to explore. His lips trailed down her neck, sucking in little pieces of flesh as he made his way down to the swell of her breast at the edge of her lace bra.
She pushed on his shoulders, trying to break contact. "Gage, you can't show up after a whole week of not hearing from you and just start kissing me."
Gage lifted his head and looked at her. "I was giving you some time like you asked. I was also planning and setting things up."
"Planning what things?"
"My grand gesture," he said, backing her up against the kitchen counter.
"Grand gesture?" He wasn't making any sense.
"I wanted to do something for you, something to prove my intentions toward you are real, that I'm not playing around." His skimmed his finger along the skin, just under her navel exposed by the open zipper of her jeans.
"What did you do?" She asked quietly, her eyes locked on his finger.
"I set up a charity concert for next weekend and all the proceeds will go to Tail Wagners."
Her head jerked up. "What?" A concert given by Gage would bring in huge profits.
"My friend, Jack Cole, owns the Allure hotel. He donated his nightclub, Pulled, for the event, so we don't have to pay for a venue."
"I don't even know what to say. That's just... thank you," she
It had been exactly one week since she'd last seen or heard from Gage. She supposed she should be happy that he'd finally gotten the hint and backed away. And she was, mostly. But there was that tiny part of her, a small flame that had ignited in her heart, that was severely disappointed. All week long, she'd felt that flame burning lower and lower until it had finally extinguished. And she was happy about that, too. Mostly. She told herself it was for Logan's sake that she was upset about Gage's desertion, but she knew that was mostly a lie, too.
She had to remind herself that she was better off with Gage out of her life. That letting him back in would only lead to future heartache. She had survived his devastation once, but she wasn't sure she had it in her to survive it again. She knew she didn't want to test that theory. But luckily she didn't have to because he was gone.
Cassie was in the process of pulling up her jeans, she was in a pink lace bra, and her hair was wet from the shower when she smelled something burning. Her cake! She ran through the living room and into the kitchen. Smoke seeped from the oven. She yanked open the oven door, then immediately waved a hand in front of her face as a billow of smoke puffed out.
"Should I call the fire department?"
Cassie yelped, jumping up, clutching her hand to her chest. "You scared me." Gage's eyes devoured her. From her wet hair, to her pink, lacy bra, down to her unsnapped, unzipped jeans.
"On second thought," he drawled. "Having firemen show up right now wouldn't be a very good idea."
Cassie wasn't sure what to do first. Button her jeans or cover her chest. She opted for trying to leave the room. "Um... Let me go throw something on."
Unfortunately, Gage blocked the doorway, and he wasn't moving. "Can you please move? I need to get dressed. I have to go buy a cake. I don't have time to make a new one before the kids show up."
Gage stalked toward her. "I'll go buy you a cake, after."
Cassie backed up a few steps. "Af... after what?"
"After this," he said, reaching for her and hooking his fingers into her belt loops, bringing them together hip to hip. His head dipped, and he captured her lips in a searing kiss. He ground himself against her, and she moaned into his mouth, her hands grabbing his shoulders for support.
The kiss didn't last long. It was obvious he had other places he wanted to explore. His lips trailed down her neck, sucking in little pieces of flesh as he made his way down to the swell of her breast at the edge of her lace bra.
She pushed on his shoulders, trying to break contact. "Gage, you can't show up after a whole week of not hearing from you and just start kissing me."
Gage lifted his head and looked at her. "I was giving you some time like you asked. I was also planning and setting things up."
"Planning what things?"
"My grand gesture," he said, backing her up against the kitchen counter.
"Grand gesture?" He wasn't making any sense.
"I wanted to do something for you, something to prove my intentions toward you are real, that I'm not playing around." His skimmed his finger along the skin, just under her navel exposed by the open zipper of her jeans.
"What did you do?" She asked quietly, her eyes locked on his finger.
"I set up a charity concert for next weekend and all the proceeds will go to Tail Wagners."
Her head jerked up. "What?" A concert given by Gage would bring in huge profits.
"My friend, Jack Cole, owns the Allure hotel. He donated his nightclub, Pulled, for the event, so we don't have to pay for a venue."
"I don't even know what to say. That's just... thank you," she
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