Catering to the CEO (21 page)

Best money he ever spent.

Shoving his own clothes away, Adam couldn’t wait any longer; it was too much; his need for her was too great.  Foreplay was over.  He entered her in one swift stroke that had Cassie bucking off of the table and clutching at his shoulders.  Their movements were frantic; frenzied.  It was over way too soon and as they both lay breathless and heaving, Adam stared down into Cassie’s flushed face and felt his heart drop to his knees.

She was beautiful.  She was exciting and wild and represented everything that he had worked his whole life to avoid.  Cassie smiled up at him and ran a limp hand over his chest.  “Want me to get you that newspaper so you can finish reading?” she asked.

Standing, Adam pulled away and held out a hand to her.  Taking it, Cassie stood before him, naked and weak.  “I want you to come with me upstairs so we can finish this weekend out properly.”

They scooped up their clothes, heedless to their nakedness as they rode the elevator up to his suite.  Where down in the game room there was wildness, here there was tenderness.  Where before it had been fast paced and frantic, now it was slow and sweet.  Adam took his time memorizing every inch of Cassie’s body, knowing deep down that their time had to come to an end.  He was beginning to need her too much and Adam did not want to need anyone. 

There was no thought to time or to reaching a climax, all Adam wanted was to go on touching, kissing, exploring; to bring Cassie to one peak after another.  As she cried out his name, it was almost a sob; Adam knew that he would never be able to come to this house again.  As much as he wasn’t a commitment type of man, he finally found that he did have a heart and it belonged to this woman. 

He just didn’t want all that went with it. 

It would be enough, the memories of this time.  For a brief moment in his life, Adam Lawrence knew what it was like to love a woman and be loved in return.  There was no doubt in his mind of Cassie’s feelings for him.  She might not have verbalized them but it was there in every thing that she did, every move she made, in the way she touched him. 

Rising above her, Adam stared deeply into her eyes and it was all there for him to see.  There were tears and there was love.  Cassie dreamily reached up and touched his face, whispered his name as he entered her.  Her eyes closed briefly but Adam pled for her to open them, to look at him, to watch him as he loved her. 

“Yes,” she whispered back to him.  “Love, me.”

With a slow thoroughness, with a patience that Adam didn’t know he possessed, he loved her endlessly.    With mouths, with hands, with entire bodies, they went on through the night with nothing but the light of the moon shining through the windows. 

Sated and exhausted, the first rays of sun were coming through the clouds when they finally fell asleep.  Adam pulled Cassie close, kissed the top of her head as she turned towards him and ran a hand over his chest and a leg over his.

“I love you,” she said, so quietly that Adam was almost unsure she’d said it.

It was both everything he wanted and everything he feared all in one.  Too exhausted to think, he merely held her tight and let sleep claim him.

Chapter Fifteen

Neither knew what to say when they finally awoke after noon.  While Cassie was in no rush to get home, Adam most definitely needed to get back to the office.  Cassie prepared a light lunch for them and once they had eaten and had packed up their cars, she turned to Adam, desperate for something to say that wasn’t the awkward small talk that they’d been sharing all morning.

“Adam, I…
” she looked at him and had to hide her disappointment when his face was expressionless, much like it used to be in their business dealing.

“The cleaning staff is due this afternoon, aren’t they?” he asked stiffly.

Cassie nodded. 

“Good.  When you get back to your office, submit everything to Grace and she’ll take care of your check.”  He looked at his watch.  “I have to go.  Will you be okay driving home?”  If there had been even a hint of tenderness in his voice, Cassie would have been okay; she would have believed that last night was real.

Tears clogged her throat as she nodded and turned away.  She was reaching for the handle of her car door when Adam spun her around and claimed her mouth ruthlessly with his.  The tenderness from last night was gone and in its place was the kiss of a stranger; a kiss that signaled an end.

Without a word, Adam released her and walked to his car and sped away.  Cassie stood where she was for some minutes, trying to compose herself.  What had gone wrong?  What had happened between dawn and now to make Adam change so drastically?

As if on auto pilot, Cassie climbed into her car and made the three hour drive home.  She had no recollection of the scenery or of anything that she saw along the way.  Since it was a Monday, there was nobody waiting at the shop for her and she was able to unload her car and settle into her apartment in relative peace and quiet.  She’d had a magical week.  She’d had a taste of what it was like to be in a relationship with someone who understood her and gave as much as he took. 

With a mirthless laugh, Cassie swung her suitcase into her closet.  She never thought she’d see the day when Adam Lawrence gave anything.  But he had; throughout the week he had given to her time and time again…and that’s what hurt so much.  Because in the end, his giving was all an act.  He gave so that he could get and Cassie most certainly gave to him – she gave him the perfect weekend for his clients and that in turn was going to make him a lot of money.

It was all speculation and deep down she knew it but it helped her to keep from crumbling to the floor and crying to the point of pain.  If she could make herself believe that Adam was the selfish bastard she had originally pegged him for she would be alright.  In time she would forgive herself for being foolish and falling for his act but for right now it just hurt too damn much.

Maybe it wasn’t goodbye; maybe he was distracted.  Maybe his mind was on getting back to work, after all, he had been away for almost an entire week.  Cassie had no idea what to think or what to allow herself to feel and she wouldn’t know until she saw Adam again.

Wiping the tears that were streaming down her face, she walked to the bathroom and washed up and composed herself.  There was no use in getting all worked up when she had no idea what there was to truly get worked up about. 

The previous night had been like a dream; so full of passion like she’d never known.  Perhaps Adam hadn’t either.  Maybe he just didn’t know what to do with what they had shared and it scared him.  Cassie much preferred that scenario.  Leaving the bathroom, she walked to the phone and decided to check in with her family.  That normally made her feel better and if she knew her family as well as she thought she did, she’d be sharing a meal with them within the hour.

Predictable was good.

****

Unless you were currently Adam Lawrence.

His life used to be predictable and that was the way he liked it.  Now it irritated the hell out of him.  It was late Monday evening and although less than twelve hours had passed since leaving Cassie, her face wouldn’t leave his mind.

Her sleepy words stayed with him and made him uneasy.  Damn but he was being fickle.  First he was irritated because he thought she had no feelings for him and now he was pissed because she did! 
Make up your mind, Lawrence!
He screamed to himself. 

Memories of the weekend flooded his mind; their love making, their conversations.  Not once during that entire time did it feel awkward or uncomfortable.  Being without her made him feel that way, however. 

Adam thought about the scene he’d witnessed when they were seeing the executives off.  Cassie had been standing with the Chamberlain’s and they were both beaming.  Max Chamberlain had hugged Cassie and Adam could tell that he was profusely thanking her and then Danielle took a turn in hugging her.  He understood Danielle’s enthusiasm but why had Max felt the need to thank her?

Then there were the Chapin’s.  As Cassie had walked over to say goodbye to them he saw, unbelievably, Elizabeth Chapin smile and hug Cassie.  He’d nearly fallen down the steps in shock.  The woman who rarely cracked a smile or said a kind word to anyone actually hugged Cassie and what was more, Cassie seemed genuinely pleased by it.

She fit.

She fit into his life in every possible way.  Looking back, Adam couldn’t even find it in himself to be angry over the initial disagreement they’d had.  If it hadn’t been for that moment, for that fight, they might not be where they were today.  He might not have ever known what it was like to be with her, to know who she truly was.  He might have lived his same, empty existence these last six weeks had it not been for that one fateful day.

How could he continue to hold a grudge against it?

Adam stood abruptly and looked at his watch.  Dammit, it was too late to call or go over to Cassie’s.  Tomorrow was another day and he’d just have to wait.  Knowing that he hated to fail at anything or to be wrong, Adam knew that waiting the night could only help him to see things more clearly.  He was willing to take a chance with Cassie.  He was willing to see if he could possibly have a relationship with her and see where it went.

He liked her; he trusted her.

He knew it was possible to love her.

One more check of his watch had him cursing his own timing.  He was anxious to explain everything to Cassie and after her declaration this morning, he knew she’d feel the same way as he did.  He just wanted to be wide awake and looking at her when she said it again.

Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

****

Unfortunately, tomorrow had other plans.  When Adam arrived at the office, Grace was waiting with a stack of messages from his client in
South America who was still having issues.  Adam knew that he would have to go himself and fix the problem in person but for the first time in his entire professional career, he wished there was someone else to do it for him.

Barking travel instructions at Grace as he packed up his briefcase, Adam made a mental note to call Cassie once he was in flight and on his way.  With a swiftness he was known for, Adam had everything he needed packed and ready to go within the hour and the company jet waiting for him at
RDU Airport.  A driver brought him directly to the tarmac and he shared a brief conversation with the pilot and flight attendant as they prepared to take off.

Knee deep in paperwork and on his fifth call to
South America to confirm his arrival and accommodations, Adam took a brief moment to call Cassie.  He got her machine and while he hated leaving messages, he was willing to make an exception.

“Hello, Cassandra, it’s Adam…I am on my way to South America for a few days…I’ve got a difficult client that I’m dealing with…but when I get back I’d really like to talk to you.  You can reach me on my cell.”  He paused, unsure of himself and what to say.  He hated having conversations with machines!  “Anyway, I look forward to hearing from you.  Bye.”

Even to himself Adam knew that he sounded awkward and uncomfortable.  He was sure that he’d hear from Cassie at some point during the day and if all went well, he’d be back home within two to three days and he’d see her.  The thought made him smile.

But best laid plans and all that…it was almost a week before Adam returned home and during that time, Cassie had tried to call him several times only to get his voicemail.  By the time Adam had the time to try and return her calls, it was always too late at night her time to call or he got her voicemail. 

He was beyond frustrated.

It was Saturday evening when Adam finally found himself in his own car back in
Raleigh.  Without bothering to stop at his home, he drove directly to Cassie’s in hopes of finding her in. 

The shop was dark and there was no answer in her apartment.  A look around the parking lot showed him that the catering van was gone so she must be on a job. 
Dammit!
  Adam could have kicked himself for not calling first but he had been so anxious to see her in person that he couldn’t wait.

It was only after s
even p.m. so he climbed back into his car and called his mother.  Maybe she would have some idea of what kind of event Cassie was doing and when they were expected to be done.

“Adam!  How are you sweetheart?” Bev gushed at the sound of her son’s voice.

“Fine, Mother, just fine.  I just got back from six days in South America.”

“Oh, my!  Is everything okay?”

Adam gave her the quick version of his week, sparing her the specifics.  “Anyway, I was just driving home from the airport and wanted to see what you were doing.”

Bev knew her son well and could not suppress her grin.  Adam never called just to say hello.  Until the night that she and Stephen announced their engagement, Bev rarely heard from her son and if her suspicions were correct, it had something to do with Cassie.

“We’re all fine, here.  Stephen and I are watching Ella tonight because the girls had a big event.  Katie said that we shouldn’t expect to see here until around three a.m.”  She made a ‘tsking’ sound.  “They all work so hard and I know it kills her to be away from Ella for so long.”