hand. Better to keep the dress from collectingsomething else .
“Whoa!” Oliver said. “Slow down, Cassie.”
It was the one name that had never been bestowed upon her. She was Cass to Iris and her other friends. Cassandra to her professors and the interviewers who were quick to show her the door. Sandy to her family. She always hated it. Cassie seemed such an obvious choice. But no one she knew had ever latched onto the possibility.
Until now.
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
Oliver brushed a strand of stray hair from her wine stained cheek.
“Don’t apologize. Just take it easy. I don’t want you drunk.”
She made a mental check and noted the one way that he claimed that she would not appeal to him. Fine. She set the glass down on the floor and tucked her legs under her skirt. Cassandra folded her hands under his chin and managed to smile as he reclined again.
“Okay. So what do you want?”
She was intrigued.
Oliver kicked off his shoes and lifted his legs to the bed. She quickly realized that he could only see his own eyes in the mirror. For a second she wondered if he was narcissistic enough to whet her appetite in order to view only his possibilities in the glass.
Suddenly, nothing was obvious.
“What do I want?” he asked as he dangled the glass between his fingers. “To talk. Just talk.”
Okay.
“I… I don’t know…”
“What to say?” he asked. “Figured. It’s okay.”
Cassandra tried to relax for whatever would come next.
“So… what do you want to talk about?”
Oliver finished his wine and tossed the glass to the floor. It didn’t shatter.
“You.”
The familiar topic made her unusually nervous.
“Seems you already know a lot,” Cassandra said.
He laughed and fell back against the bed.
“Hardly. Why are you doing this?”
Was he insulting her for trying the trade that filled his lonely nights?
“ Excuse me?”
He waved his hand in a weak gesture of surrender.
“No offense meant. None. But I am curious. Fine taste. Finer face. Why do you have to give it away?”
She was hardly giving it away. Did he think that he was going to skimp on the bill by getting her drunk? But he claimed that was the last thinghe wanted. Still, she was buzzed enough to leave the bed and toss her own glass. It hit the far wall. It shattered into a million shiny shards. Cassandra gasped at the destruction she had wrought and pressed her hand to her open mouth.
“Oh! I’m sorry.”
She waited for Oliver to rise and hurry her to the door. No one smashed his plans. Especially not Cassie .
He wason his feet. And laughing. He took hold of her shoulders and gently kissed the top of her head.
“And feisty. Strong Staythat way. It’ll serve you well.”
Cassandra expected him to pull her back to the bed. He wanted her strong. She could do that. And more.
Oliver lifted her face to the light and carefully inspected her image. Cassandra let a low sigh leave her lips as he appeared to consider what would come next. What he would do next?
Cassandra forgot her outrage and prepared to play along.
“What do you want?” he asked.
It was a question with too many answers. At this second she wanted him. All of him. Beyond that she wanted a sense of security. She wanted tomorrows that weren’t preludes to more worry. She wanted to be safe .
“I… I want…”
It was so clear in her mind. But she couldn’t give it voice.
“Do you want this?”
He met her mouth and kissed her in all the ways she had wanted at the opera. His tongue was soft as he reached around her waist and pulled her closer. Cassandra fell against him and tomorrow became Oliver Chambers. She wanted him to press her against the bed and remove every inch of reality. When his lips left hers, Cassandra reached for his face. She wanted his mouth again. But Oliver beat her to the punch and held her stare before his.
“You do, don’t you?”
“Yes. I want to stay with you.”
Oliver kissed her brow and reached for his
“Whoa!” Oliver said. “Slow down, Cassie.”
It was the one name that had never been bestowed upon her. She was Cass to Iris and her other friends. Cassandra to her professors and the interviewers who were quick to show her the door. Sandy to her family. She always hated it. Cassie seemed such an obvious choice. But no one she knew had ever latched onto the possibility.
Until now.
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
Oliver brushed a strand of stray hair from her wine stained cheek.
“Don’t apologize. Just take it easy. I don’t want you drunk.”
She made a mental check and noted the one way that he claimed that she would not appeal to him. Fine. She set the glass down on the floor and tucked her legs under her skirt. Cassandra folded her hands under his chin and managed to smile as he reclined again.
“Okay. So what do you want?”
She was intrigued.
Oliver kicked off his shoes and lifted his legs to the bed. She quickly realized that he could only see his own eyes in the mirror. For a second she wondered if he was narcissistic enough to whet her appetite in order to view only his possibilities in the glass.
Suddenly, nothing was obvious.
“What do I want?” he asked as he dangled the glass between his fingers. “To talk. Just talk.”
Okay.
“I… I don’t know…”
“What to say?” he asked. “Figured. It’s okay.”
Cassandra tried to relax for whatever would come next.
“So… what do you want to talk about?”
Oliver finished his wine and tossed the glass to the floor. It didn’t shatter.
“You.”
The familiar topic made her unusually nervous.
“Seems you already know a lot,” Cassandra said.
He laughed and fell back against the bed.
“Hardly. Why are you doing this?”
Was he insulting her for trying the trade that filled his lonely nights?
“ Excuse me?”
He waved his hand in a weak gesture of surrender.
“No offense meant. None. But I am curious. Fine taste. Finer face. Why do you have to give it away?”
She was hardly giving it away. Did he think that he was going to skimp on the bill by getting her drunk? But he claimed that was the last thinghe wanted. Still, she was buzzed enough to leave the bed and toss her own glass. It hit the far wall. It shattered into a million shiny shards. Cassandra gasped at the destruction she had wrought and pressed her hand to her open mouth.
“Oh! I’m sorry.”
She waited for Oliver to rise and hurry her to the door. No one smashed his plans. Especially not Cassie .
He wason his feet. And laughing. He took hold of her shoulders and gently kissed the top of her head.
“And feisty. Strong Staythat way. It’ll serve you well.”
Cassandra expected him to pull her back to the bed. He wanted her strong. She could do that. And more.
Oliver lifted her face to the light and carefully inspected her image. Cassandra let a low sigh leave her lips as he appeared to consider what would come next. What he would do next?
Cassandra forgot her outrage and prepared to play along.
“What do you want?” he asked.
It was a question with too many answers. At this second she wanted him. All of him. Beyond that she wanted a sense of security. She wanted tomorrows that weren’t preludes to more worry. She wanted to be safe .
“I… I want…”
It was so clear in her mind. But she couldn’t give it voice.
“Do you want this?”
He met her mouth and kissed her in all the ways she had wanted at the opera. His tongue was soft as he reached around her waist and pulled her closer. Cassandra fell against him and tomorrow became Oliver Chambers. She wanted him to press her against the bed and remove every inch of reality. When his lips left hers, Cassandra reached for his face. She wanted his mouth again. But Oliver beat her to the punch and held her stare before his.
“You do, don’t you?”
“Yes. I want to stay with you.”
Oliver kissed her brow and reached for his
Similar Books
