Casual Encounter: The Complete Series Box Set (27 page)

By the time we landed back in Chicago, I was a bundle of nerves. Something was wrong and I didn't know what it was. I promised myself that as soon as we got in the car, I'd ask him, and I wouldn't let up until he told me the truth. Whatever it was, we'd get past it. He'd told me he wasn't done with me yet and I intended to hold him to that.

As we walked out of the terminal, however, he handed me my bag. “You'll be taking the car back to your place.”

“What about you?” I hoped I sounded much more casual to him than I did to myself.

“I have some business to attend to.” He didn't meet my eyes. “The driver's waiting.”

I stared as he walked off. The entire time Cade and I had been together, he'd had his moments where he'd kept his distance, but he'd never been rude. And he'd never made me feel cheap. Until now. I lifted my chin. I wasn't going to let him do this to me. I would go home, spend the rest of the day relaxing and grading papers. I wouldn't think about Cade until the next time he called. And I certainly wouldn't spend the time in between worrying over him.

That resolve lasted exactly three hours. As much as I tried not to, I wasn't able to stop myself from being distracted. Every so often, I found myself staring at a test and realizing I'd been looking at the same question for five minutes. Sometimes it was a specific thought that caught my attention, or a theory about what could've happened. Other times, it was just a general feeling of unrest.

I waited for him to call, to set up a meeting for the upcoming week, but he didn't. Monday came and went with nothing. Mindy asked about my weekend and I gave her a few unimportant details. Good food. Good sex. Nothing much else. I didn't like lying to her, but until I was sure what was happening with Cade, I didn't want to speculate. There were too many variables in play, too many things I didn't understand.

I considered calling him, but every time I took out my phone and started to tap on his number, I began to wonder if maybe this was a test. Maybe he was teaching me patience. I remembered his lesson on orgasm denial and wondered if this was just another way for me to learn delayed gratification.

Even the idea that this isolation was intentional didn't mean any of it sat well with me. It was one of a dozen scenarios, each one with its own sets of pros and cons. I didn't know what to hope for, which meant I didn't have a single possibility on which to fix my mind. Instead, I jumped from scenario to scenario.

When Friday rolled around, I was more than ready for a night out with the girls. Adelle and I were good again, which meant there wouldn't be any awkwardness. Neither she nor Mindy would expect me to give them details about my weekend since they both knew the whole Cade thing was a sensitive subject. Whatever I did share, they'd take at face value. Plus, there'd be alcohol, which was always a good thing. Okay, not always, but in this instance, it would be. Plus, I was hoping Adelle and Mindy would be able to provide me with some distraction.

When I arrived at L20, the other two were already there and Mindy was practically bouncing in her seat. That was good. It meant she had something exciting she wanted to share. Whatever it was, I hoped it would be big enough to keep us going most of the night.

“I'm so glad you're here,” Adelle said. She sent a pointed look in Mindy's direction. “I think she's going to burst if she doesn't get to share her news soon.”

I smiled as I sat down. Mindy didn't even wait for me to get my coat off before letting loose.

“I met someone!”

“That's great!” The enthusiasm in my voice was genuine. Mindy wasn't quite like Adelle when it came to the love 'em and leave 'em mentality. She enjoyed her flirtations and her one night stands, but she also wasn't opposed to having a relationship like Adelle was. Not that I could really blame Adelle for not wanting to get into anything serious. Losing Morgan had been tough on her.

“All right, then, spill.” Adelle signaled to the nearby waiter. “Champagne, please. The best you have.”

“Well,” Mindy began. “I met him two weeks ago...”

“Two weeks and you're just sharing now?” Adelle shook her head. “What's his deep dark secret?”

Mindy rolled her eyes. “It was a chance meeting a coffee shop one morning before school, and that turned into a second meeting and then a third. We chatted in line, waiting for our orders and he confessed that after our first meeting, he'd deliberately gone back at the same time, hoping to see me again.”

I really was interested in what Mindy had to say, but I found myself having to concentrate to pay attention. Random things made me think of Cade, and I didn't want that. I focused on each word, occasionally following Adelle's lead and putting in a comment or two. I let the atmosphere of friendship and warmth surround me and began to relax.

By the time I was walking out to get a cab, I was feeling better than I had all week. I could do this. I didn't need Cade.

As I slid into the back seat of the cab, my phone rang. My stomach flipped when I saw his name on the screen. Maybe I wasn't as completely over him as I thought. I answered the call, keeping my voice cool and clipped. I didn't want him to know how worried I'd been. Better he think I was either annoyed or indifferent.

“Yes?”

There were no apologies, no explanations. He didn't even bother with a greeting. All that came were instructions. We had a date for tomorrow night, and it was going to be a surprise.

Chapter 4

Saturday morning, I woke to someone knocking on my door. I ran my hand through my hair as I stumbled out of bed.

“I'm coming!” I called, then stifled a yawn. It had taken me a long time to fall asleep last night. I was just glad I'd worn a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to bed instead of something more pajama-like.

The guy at the door didn't even bat an eye as he handed me the clipboard to sign for the package. He wished me a good day and handed me what was obviously a garment box. It was light, making me think I knew what was inside. Or, at least, I had a pretty good idea.

When I opened it, I saw that I was right. In general, at least. I'd guessed that Cade had sent me lingerie, but what was laying on the tissue paper wasn't like anything I'd ever owned. I'd saved up to buy the lingerie I'd gotten for my honeymoon, but even then, I'd gone to a regular department store. One look at this, however, and I knew it had to have come from some high-end boutique. The kind of place that didn't bother putting their prices on things because if you had to ask, you couldn't afford it.

I didn't take it out right away though. There was an envelope sitting on top, my name written in strong, masculine script. Opening the creamy linen, I pulled out a piece of stationary; my breath caught in my throat as I unfolded it. Inside was the same handwriting with a list of instructions.

Tonight, you are to come to the loft at eight. Wear the enclosed garments under a coat. Only a coat.

I shivered at the idea of being out in public in a very skimpy pair of bra and panties with only a coat to cover me. Although it was almost the end of October in Chicago, it wasn't the chill outside that prompted my response. I'd felt exposed walking a few feet across a parking lot, fully dressed sans underwear. I could only imagine what it would be like to walk outside, take a cab, walk up the stairs to Cade's loft, all while nearly naked.

I swallowed hard as my stomach squirmed. I couldn't deny that the idea turned me on. I was nervous, of course, but my arousal more than covered it.

I kept reading.

For tonight's lesson, you must follow my instructions exactly. First, you are to completely shave or wax. Legs, pussy, ass. Everything. Second, there is something new you have to do...

My face flamed as I read his directions. I wasn't an idiot. I had a pretty good idea why he wanted me to do... that, but it didn't make the thought any less embarrassing. Now I understood why he'd sent this today. I wouldn't have to rush, but I was going to need most of the day to follow his instructions. I'd even have to run to the store for a few things.

I set the note aside and picked up the lingerie one piece at a time. First, there were a pair of sheer purple-black thigh-high stockings. That was good. At least my legs wouldn't be completely bare. The stockings looked like they connected to the panties with garter belts. The panties almost looked like they could be boy-shorts... if they hadn't been sheer purple. And crotchless.

Fuck.

The bra was strapless, with barely enough of the same filmy material to cover my nipples. All three pieces of the outfit – if it could be called that – had a dusting of glitter making them sparkle and shimmer in the light.

Something glinted inside the box and I set aside the bra to see what else Cade had sent. Whatever it was had slipped underneath the tissue paper. My fingers closed around something cold and as I lifted it out, I gasped. If I hadn't known how meticulous Cade was, I would've thought it was a mistake.

The gold chain was delicate and the setting for the stone simple. It wasn't a diamond. It was amethyst, a deep purple that went perfectly with both my eyes and the lingerie. I'd never seen a necklace quite so exquisite.

I set it back down in the box, my head swimming. I understood the clothes and the instructions. He was still in teacher mode. But I didn't get why he'd given me the necklace? It seemed like such an odd gesture, especially after how we'd left things. I closed my eyes and tried to regroup.

This was business. Pleasure too, but no attachments. Cade had his reasons for everything he did and I was sure I'd learn what they were tonight. For right now, I had to do all of the things on his list, and they were going to take me a while.

After several hours of grooming in ways I'd never imagined, I was dressed – or as close to dressed as I was going to be – and ready to go. I'd had to dig into my closet to find my longest coat, but it actually ended up being the perfect choice. The bottom of it hit just above my knees and it closed tightly enough that I didn't have to worry about flashing anyone. One accidental slip and I could end up in jail for indecent exposure. I could only imagine having to call one of my friends to bail me out for that.

My stomach was in knots as I headed out. I was sure someone would figure out what I was doing and what I wasn't wearing, but no one gave me a second glance. The cab driver barely looked at me until I gave him the address to the loft, and then it had hardly been lust or admiration in his eyes. He definitely didn't think a woman should be alone in that neighborhood at this time of night. After I reassured him that, yes, that's where I wanted to go, we set off.

It was a bit noisier than it had been the last time I'd been here, but no one bothered me as I got out of the cab. I was pretty sure someone was watching me, but when I looked around, I saw only a few kids across the street and a guy standing on the corner, smoking a cigarette. He looked a bit rough around the edges, like he'd done some time, but he wasn't doing anything threatening. No one looked my way.

After taking a calming breath, I headed up the stairs. It was showtime.

Chapter 5

I knocked on the door, then pushed it open when I heard Cade call for me to come in. I stepped inside, remembering the last time I'd been here. The lighting was dimmer than it had been, casting the edges of the room into shadows. The center of the room was still well-lit. In fact, in the same spot where Cade had literally painted me, was a ring of bright lights, all pointed down at what looked like a fleece or velvet blanket of some kind. There also appeared to be some padding underneath it, making a vague, sort of shapeless cushion that looked big enough for two people to enjoy.

“Did you do as I instructed?” Cade stepped out of the shadows and I caught my breath.

I nodded in answer to his question, too distracted by him to answer properly. He was barefoot and bare-chested. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans that hung low enough on his hips to show off the deep v-grooves that pointed straight to his cock. His hair was wild, a mass of untamed curls.

“Come here.”

I walked toward him, until I stood at the edge of the light circle. When I stopped, I noticed he had something in his hands. A camera. Not a digital one, but the kind real photographers used. The butterflies in my stomach doubled.

He raised the camera and pointed it at me. “Slowly walk toward me, unbuttoning your coat as you come.”

My fingers shook as I reached for the top button. My steps, however, were steady. I could hear the camera clicking as I undid a new button with each step until the coat hung open.

“Take it off.”

I didn't need him to tell me he didn't want it to just fall off. I took a step and let the jacket slide off of my shoulders. Then fall to my elbows. By the time it was on the floor, I was standing only a few feet away from Cade, dressed only in my skimpy lingerie.

He put the camera on a tripod facing the cushion at the center of the circle and picked up something from the floor. He crossed into the circle and stood next to the cushion. “Come here.”

I moved to stand next to him, curious as to where things were going next. I heard the snap of a cap and saw him squirt something into his hand. A moment later, cool gel slid across my skin as he ran his hand over my arm. I looked down and saw glitter. It wasn't too thick, but enough that the light caught it, throwing sparkles into the air.

He didn't speak as his hands worked over every bit of exposed skin, sending little tingles of pleasure across my nerves. When he knelt in front of me to rub down my legs, I saw lust flash across his face when he caught a glimpse of the panties framing my bare pussy.

In what seemed to be an uncharacteristically impulsive move, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against the exposed skin. I bit back a moan, hoping he'd do it again, but he didn't. He stood, our bodies mere inches apart. His fingers brushed just under the necklace and warmth spread out from the place he touched.

“Sit on the cushions,” he said as he took a step back.

I did as he said while he retrieved the camera from the tripod. It was funny, I thought, how I never even considered the danger of letting an escort take pictures of me in what I was sure would be provocative poses. As a teacher in a private school, I should've been worried that the pictures would leak and I'd lose my job. I knew it wouldn't though. I completely trusted Cade to never let that happen.