Chasing Destiny (17 page)

Their bodies remained turned toward one another for the rest of the evening. They talked about his career and how his promotion had added extra
pressure to an already demanding pro
fession, amongst other things, and when their bottle of pinot noir was empty he paid their tab. It was late and the night was coming to an end. If he’d been unsure whether or not he was still in love with her before, there was no question after spending time alone with her tonight that he still was.

They descended down the wood staircase and slowly ambled along the sidewalk toward the historic bed and breakfast. The wind had picked up and a light mist of fog was sparsely forming. Cassie crossed her arms and began rubbing her shoulders in an attempt to keep warm. Jacob noticed and removed his tan sport coat, covering her arms with it. He placed his hands in his pockets as they continued toward their destination. He was deep in thought, trying to figure out how he was going to explain to her the reasons their relationship failed and how he’d never stopped loving her. His heart rate accelerated with every step and as they entered the gravel lot and approached the front porch steps, he knew the time had come.

Jacob reached for her wrist as she
climbed the first step, preventing her from
climbing any further. “Cass, wait… There’s something really important that I wanted to talk to you about.”

Cassie stepped back down, planting both feet firmly on the ground in front of him. “Okay… what do you want to talk to me about?”

“I, ah…” Jacob scratched the top of his head. “I wanted to—”

Without warning, Cassie’s cell phone interrupted. “Geez. Who could be calling me at this time of night?” She reached into her beige clutch and retrieved her phone before looking up at Jacob. “It’s Emily. Do you mind?”

“Of course not.”

“Okay, it will only take a minute”, she reiterated as she walked away.

His heart galloped wildly in his chest and his palms were moist with sweat. He couldn’t remember the last time that a woman had made him this nervous. It was probably when he was a freshman in high school. He’d attended a party, along with his fellow baseball teammates, and had been eyeing Mikayla Johnson all night. Mikayla was two years older than him. The moments leading up to losing his virginity that night were tense; he was so nervous. He was a natural at the physical act and ever since, he’d been able to keep his nerves in check—but not now. He was moments away from telling the only woman that he’d ever loved that he was still in love with her and the reason he’d left her six
years ago came from a place of love
.

Tanner was right; he’d never had a
problem saying anything to a beautiful woman, so why was he at a loss for words now? Deep down, he knew why. Unlike all of the countless women he’d encountered
over the last thirty-one years,
she
mattered
. He was terrified that he was going to push her away again, but he was even more frightened of living the rest of his life with regret.

“I’m sorry—Emily has impeccable timing, doesn’t she?”

“She sure does”, he replied.

“She just called to check-in on us. She wanted to make sure we found our way back.”

“Oh.”

“So, what were you about to tell me before she interrupted?”

He needed more time; just a little more time.
“Never mind—it’s nothing that can’t wait.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure”, he said softly.

They climbed the front porch steps and continued down the extended hall toward the elevator. They ascended to the third floor and journeyed down the narrow corridor until they came upon their rooms. Jacob walked her to her door and leaned his shoulder against the wall.

“I had fun tonight.”

Cassie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I had a great time, too… Thanks for dinner and drinks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Cassie turned the knob and pushed the door open while staring into his mesmerizing, green eyes. “Okay… goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Cass.” He watched as she entered her room and then gently closed the door behind her. He stood leaned against the wall alone for a minute before he turned and headed back to his suite.

* * *

The door closed gently behind her and she leaned her back against it before making her way to the settee at the foot of the bed. She sat motionless for several minutes with her eyes closed, recalling how innocently she’d turned to face him
at the bar earlier, their legs touching. She
hadn’t expected an electric current to ignite within her, but it did. Cassie opened her eyes, suddenly aware that she was still wearing Jacob’s tan, corduroy
sport coat. She slipped it off her
shoulders and held it tightly against her
chest,
inhaling his delicious scent
.

What was it about this man that captivated her senses? Granted, he was her first love and just like your first kiss or your first intimate encounter, you never forget it. But this was different—entirely different somehow. She’d never met another man that looked at her the way he did. Their chemistry was undeniable and for reasons she couldn’t quite comprehend, she felt drawn to him; drawn to him like moths to a flame.

* * *

Jacob carelessly tossed his room key on the bureau adjacent to the door and ran his hands through his dark hair. He removed his shirt and kicked off his shoes in an attempt to make himself more comfortable, but it didn’t work. He needed a drink. He ambled toward the buffet table on the opposite side of the room and raised the chilled bottle of champagne from the silver ice bucket. He would have preferred something a little more… powerful, but this would certainly do. He removed the wire cage and firmly gripped the cork while giving it a slight twist. A distinct pop sounded, followed by a cold haze that curled entrancingly around the opening. He poured a glass and walked slowly to one of the cream, wing back chairs at the foot of the bed, collapsing his six-foot, muscular frame upon it.

He ingested the bubbly concoction in hopes that it would numb his insides. He’d bailed on the opportunity to confess how he felt and it sickened him. He’d been on the verge of explaining why he’d broken her heart years ago and how his countless attempts to get over her had failed. All it took was a quick interruption from Emily and he’d lost his nerve.

He closed his eyes and replayed the evening over and over in his mind. The familiar ache in his chest overwhelmed him and he quickly raised his glass, emptying it to quickly deaden the agony. His eyes remained closed for several moments before abruptly opening at the sound of three faint knocks. He sat his empty glass on the small, wood end table wedged between the two wing back chairs and headed for the door.

Cassie stood in the hallway in a trance; Jacob was barefoot and shirtless in front of her. His broad shoulders and chiseled abs distracted her, along with the faded blue jeans sitting low on his waist, revealing the waistband to his designer boxer briefs.

“Cassie is everything alright?” he asked.

“Um… yeah, I’m fine.” She lifted the sport coat in front of her. “I forgot to give this back to you earlier.”

Jacob grabbed the coat from her and smiled. “Thanks. Listen, do you want to come in? I just opened a bottle of champagne and I’d hate to drink alone.”

“Oh, I don’t know—”

“C’mon, I promise I’ll be on my best behavior. Just one…”

Cassie nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before answering. “Um… okay.”

He scurried across the room
, pouring her a glass and refilling his. After handing her the champagne he took a seat in the wing back chair beside her.

“Your room is a little bit different than mine”, she said.

“How so?”

Cassie glanced around the room. “Well, your walls are navy and you have white wainscoting. My walls are deep charcoal. You have a four poster bed and I have an upholstered headboard.”

“Anything else?”

“
Yeah—I have a settee at the foot of
the bed and you have two wing back chairs. I just love how they have everything decorated here… It’s really pretty.”

You’re pretty.
“So, can you believe Tanner and Emily are finally tying the knot?” He asked.

“They’ve certainly come a long way, haven’t they? It’s hard to believe they’ve stayed together as long as they have, living in different states. I guess when you find the right person you’d do just about anything to make it work.” She looked into his eyes and he met her gaze.

“Yeah, I suppose—but sometimes it’s more complicated than that…”

“Emily mentioned she was going to take a year off from teaching”, she continued.

“That’s what I hear, too. Tanner let it slip the other day that they were going to try to have kids right away. I guess they figured they’d wasted enough time.”

Cassie looked down at her lap, becoming quiet. Jacob suddenly remembered the conversation they’d had earlier on the boat and he felt like a complete jerk for having mentioned Tanner and Emily’s quest to become pregnant in the first place. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“No—it’s fine. My time will come… one day.”

She did her best to smile, but he could see right through her façade. She was clearly hurting and he wanted more than anything to be the one to console her.

“Well, I should probably go… it’s getting late.” She placed her glass on the end table between them and rose from her chair. Jacob followed her to the door and when she reached for the handle, she hesitated. Cassie turned around to face him and wrapped her arms around him. “Thanks again for dinner and the glass of champagne”, she whispered.

“You’re welcome.”

Her body remained against his as she caressed the hair on the nape of his neck with her hands. Every brush of her fingertips delivered an intoxicating force to the pit of his stomach and dispersed warmth throughout his body.

Cassie lifted her head back and gazed into his hypnotic, green eyes. He recognized her expression; it mirrored his own. Lust permeated from her pores and her eyes were dark with desire. Her focus swept down his face, targeting his mouth. He longed to feel her lips against his; to taste her again. She slowly closed the distance between them, pressing her plump lips gently against his. His senses were awakened by her touch and his heart rate propelled his excitement with every beat.

Her lips parted in an invitation as the passion grew and her wet, hot tongue infiltrated his mouth, searching for his. She tasted delicious; erotically sweet, infused with raw passion. He craved more, but he didn’t want to repeat the mistakes he’d made last fall. He grabbed her shoulders and respectfully pushed her away. He gazed into her determined eyes as she seductively bit her bottom lip. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, breathlessly.

Cassie placed her hands along the sides of his pronounced jaw and rose onto her toes. She kissed him passionately, justifying her need to continue. Jacob grabbed her waist and took a step forward, sandwiching her between his strong, muscular body and the door. He continued kissing her while simultaneously untying the belt to her wrap
dress. The garment unraveled and
opened, revealing her matching, lavender lace bra and panties. He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, staring down at her flawless body through hooded eyes. “God, look at you”, he mumbled softly. The sight of her bare
skin enticed his hunger,
further
accelerating his excitement
.

Cassie’s dress fell to the floor, settling around her feet. She cupped her
hands around the back of his head as he
lowered himself, softly kissing her stomach; sending a warm, electric current up her torso and down her thighs. He slowly made his way up to her chest, tugging on the lace with his fingers and revealing her firm breast. His tongue delicately grazed her pink nipple, further heightening her arousal.