Chasing Cassidy (10 page)

He chuckles. “That sounds a lot like kidnapping.”

Shaking my head, I reply, “No, not at all… we’ll call it two weeks of coercion therapy. I’m going to remind her exactly why we fell in love and then I’m going to marry her
before
we leave and go back home.”

“You don’t feel like you’re missing out? You’ve never had another girl… it’s always been her, right? Maybe this is a sign or something?” I’ve always admired Pete’s straightforward curiosity. He’s the only person I’ve ever known who loves to crawl inside someone’s mind, not to judge, but to really learn what makes them tick.

After pushing away my plate, I lean back into my seat and think of the best way to answer him. “It’s always been her, man. We started off as friends and even though she was Ry’s best friend, she was mine, too. Cassidy went to school with us but she wasn’t one of the girls who had a lot of money. Well, she does… or
did.
I don’t even know for sure, but her parents never spent it on her so she had what she needed but that was it. She didn’t have designer anything but she didn’t care, either. Nothing has ever been about money to her, which is perfect for me because the only girls who have ever tried to date me have always been about the money.”

“Yeah, I could tell she didn’t seem to care about the money. She seemed really overwhelmed by the beauty of the house, but I think she shrugged it off as your mom and her extravagant ways.”

“Cassidy is my lifeline, Pete. She is insecure and afraid to believe in love and yet she’s the only person I’ve ever met who loves with every single part of her being. In all the years we’ve been together, I’ve never even been
tempted
to cheat.”

He raises and eyebrow at me and I laugh. “I’m not dead, man.
Of course
I notice women, but Cassidy is fucking beautiful, inside and out. I’ve never had a conversation with a woman who even comes close to captivating me the way Cassidy does. I hit the fucking girlfriend lotto and I know it.”

“Alright then, so what is the plan and how can I help?”

Pete is so easygoing, nothing fazes him. “I’m going to recreate some special occasions for her, so I’ll probably need you to pick up a few things for us. Each day we’re here, I’m going to make a remembrance of a special event. I’ve got the first one handled already, but I’ll probably shoot you an email the night before so you can get me what I need for the next day.”

“Sounds good. Are you ready to put this plan in motion?”

“Hell yeah. The sooner I can see for myself that Cassidy is okay, the better.” As he stands, I throw some money on the table to cover our bill and the tip.

The ride home is mostly silent. I’m exhausted and excited at the same time but no matter how excited I am to see her, I know the next two weeks are really going to be the test of our love. Cassidy has to break and let me in this time… all the way in.

“One more question before you go in.” Pete pauses and I nod at him to continue as he pulls into the drive.

“You’re extremely protective of her and not alpha male protective, either. Is there something I should be aware of? Stalker? Crazy ex?” I’m not sure how much I should tell him. This isn’t something Cassidy has ever broadcasted to
anyone
. Even Ry doesn’t know the full extent of what she’s been through.

“There shouldn’t be anything you need to worry about, Pete. When Cassidy was a kid, her parents were abusive, but it’s been years and she’s been doing well ever since she got out of their house. This
is not
something she tells anyone and the only reason I’m telling you is because you’re looking out for her. Sudden movements may scare her, yelling might set off a panic attack, and occasionally, she’ll have a bad dream but that’s about it.”

“Jesus, man, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

“Look I don’t mean to speak out of turn, but I
do
know what it’s like to grow up in an unpleasant home. If whatever you’re trying to accomplish doesn’t work you might want to have her go to therapy, if she doesn’t already.”

If only.
“She won’t go, I’ve tried. But I did the next best thing and
I
went.” I’m telling him the only secret I’ve ever kept from her, from anyone.

“You went? For her or for yourself?”

“Both. When we were teenagers, her dad assaulted us. Cassidy was in the hospital for a few days… she could have died. I blackmailed him to keep him away from her and that’s when it all stopped. I knew it was bad but until that night, I had no idea how much worse it had gotten.”

I pause, needing a minute before continuing. “After that, I needed to talk to someone about what happened to me and her. She refused to go so I went behind her back. I think she was terrified the therapist would confirm what her dad has told her since she was six.”

“What did he say?” Pete demands in a controlled voice. He looks as pissed as I feel.

“He’s been telling her she’s unlovable and love doesn’t exist. I never knew all the years he’d told her that, not until that night. I had heard bits and pieces before, and she had said things which made me wonder, but I never put it all together. I was aware of the beatings and of some verbal abuse but I had no idea he was breaking her spirit by telling her that every chance he could.”

“So the therapy helped you cope?”

I sigh. “Yes, but she also helped me understand that in order to get through to Cassidy and reverse years of feeling unworthy, my actions needed to match my words. She taught me how to make my words count by letting her in to my every thought and inner feeling. It’s hard to explain, but for example, telling Cassidy I loved her wasn’t enough… it was just words. But if I kissed her head and
then
told her I loved her and followed the words with hand holding or an even more intimate kiss, it was reaffirming that my words weren’t meaningless.”

“Like how she was hit and then told she was unlovable.”

“Exactly. Positive affirmations instead of negative ones. And realistically, I was already pretty good at filling her in on my feelings because I knew her home life was unstable and I wanted her to feel loved and protected. The more I opened up to her, the more she let me in, but there’s always been a piece of her I couldn’t touch. The piece that pulled her from our wedding and brought her here. That’s the part of her I need to break through before we leave this house.”

“Zack, man, for what it’s worth, I hope you get there and I’ll do whatever I can to help. I’ve never met anyone willing to go through what you have for someone. Damn, you guys were just kids and you knew way back then she was special. I envy you in a way.”  The wistfulness in his voice is unmistakable. Time to lighten this party up.

“Well, I’d envy me, too, if I were you but don’t get any ideas… Cassidy
is mine
.” His laughter fills the car.

“Now,
there’s
the cocky son of a bitch I went to school with. I knew he was in there somewhere. Just let me know when you need me, otherwise, I’ll be here but out of sight.”

“Thanks, man.”

“Anytime,” he says as I exit the car. As I walk up the path to the house, I see Pete’s man guarding the door. He’s not someone I would want on my bad side. This guy is huge and apparently, a man of very few words.

“ID,” he states gruffly, but I don’t begrudge him—he’s doing his job. I hand him my driver’s license and he looks at it and me very carefully. Once he’s satisfied I am who I’m supposed to be, he steps aside so I can unlock the door.

“She’s still asleep on the couch, or she was ten minutes ago when the guys in back gave me their update.”

“Thanks,” I reply as I gently close and lock the door behind me. Carefully, I take off my shoes so she doesn’t hear me walking through the house and wake up. When I walk into the living room, the house is completely dark but the moonlight casts a soft glow onto her and I easily make out her sleeping figure.

Relief floods through me just being able to see she’s okay with my own eyes. I’d love to pick her up and carry her to our bed but I know I can’t. Instead, I continue quietly down the hall to the guest room. I’m hoping I’ll be up before she is in the morning. I don’t want her to know I’m here until I’m ready. Besides, I’m exhausted and need to sleep off the alcohol before talking to her. I lock the door behind me; if she goes exploring in the morning she won’t think anything of a locked door. Even though I want her in my bed, it’s not possible tonight and I won’t sleep in
our
bed without her.

There’s a tap on the window. Pete must have seen the light go on. He’s in the process of popping the screen off when I open it.

“Miss me already?” I ask with a smirk.

“Not as much as you would have missed this in the morning, I’m sure,” he replies, passing my suitcase through the window. Damn, I can’t believe I forgot that.

“That’s for sure. Thanks.”

“Yup. Get some sleep, you’re going to need it. See you later,” he says, popping the screen back on and disappearing into the dark.

After closing the window, I strip out of my tux, down to my boxer briefs. This was not the way I imagined I’d be getting undressed and going to sleep on my wedding night. It doesn’t matter; we’ll still have a wedding night. If Cassidy needs time and a reminder why we’re meant for each other, I’m going to give it to her.

There’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for her.

When I wake up, the sun is streaming through the slats in the plantation shutters even though they’re closed enough no one could see inside if they tried. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. I’m excited to see Cassidy and have her to myself for the next two weeks and can’t wait to see her reaction when she finds out I’m here.

The clock on the nightstand says it’s eight a.m., so I only slept about five hours but that’s enough; I’ve never been much of a sleeper. Probably because, for as long as I can remember, the first thing I ever wanted to do when I woke up in the morning was make sure Cassidy was okay. After we moved in together, it was already a habit and instead of trying to break it, I enjoyed lying in bed and watching her sleep peacefully. My heart has never been more content than knowing she was safe in my bed and in my arms.

After grabbing my suitcase and tossing it on the bed, I take my toiletry bag out and hop in the shower. I decide not to shave because I know Cassidy loves me with just a day’s worth of scruff. My shower is quick because I’m anxious to see her. Unfortunately, when I packed my bag I didn’t give too much thought to clothes because I figured I wouldn’t need many here. I may need to do some shopping.

Finally, I find a plain black t-shirt that she loves because it clings to every muscle and ab I have. It also shows off my tattoos, which my mother hates but Cassidy loves. There’s one in particular she pays more attention to than any other. It’s on my upper back and says
‘faith makes all things possible.’
It’s a quote she has had written down and carries with her as motivation. When I realized how much it helped her, I knew I had to have it on me forever. Another way of trying to show her I’m as much hers as she is mine. The day I came home and showed it to her, she cried for hours. I was terrified she hated it, but she explained even though it was silly she felt as if it proved I was made for her.

That was the least silly thing she could have
ever
said to me.

“Baby, look at me,” I plead with her as I wipe away her tears. She looks up at me and her puffy, red-rimmed blue eyes have never looked more beautiful. The words I want to say to her can’t find their way to my mouth.

“Cassidy, I can’t even find the words so I’m going to show you what I’m feeling.” Taking her hand in mine, I pull her up from the bed and remove her white sundress over her head. The white lace panties and matching bra underneath have my cock aching to be buried deep inside of her.

My shirt is already off, so I quickly drop my shorts and remove my boxers. She gasps when she sees how ready I am for her and her eyes glaze over with desire. There’s my little vixen. Every time I get to see that look in her eyes, I relish the fact that no one else has ever seen it and no one ever will. Cassidy will always be mine and that look will always be reserved for me.

Pulling her close, my hands follow the curves of her body until they land on her ass and squeeze. When my cock pushes against her belly, she exhales. “Zack,” she moans as my mouth greets hers. Her lips taste salty from her tears and I lick them, greedily consuming the evidence of her happiness. As her tongue tentatively meets mine, my cock aches for her even more.

The intensity of our kiss increases while my hands roam her curves. She threads her arms under mine and pulls me closer to her by my shoulders. “Make love to me, Zack,” she whispers breathlessly, pulling away from our kiss and backing up to the bed.

“I plan on it, baby. Lie down.” As she crawls across our bed and lies down, I take a minute to admire the beauty displayed in front of me. She’s breathtaking, and I’m the luckiest fucker on the planet. Starting at the bottom of the bed, I let my hands work their way up her flawless ivory skin. At first, I place light kisses up her legs but once I reach her thighs, I’m biting softly and ease the sting with lingering open-mouthed kisses, letting my tongue float across her skin and reveling in the sounds of ecstasy coming from her.