New Beginnings (39 page)

“Her what?” Drake roared, drawing the attention of the patrons crowding the bar. “What the hell are you talking about? She doesn’t have a boyfriend.” Not that he wouldn’t consider applying for the job. He’d been determined to take it slow, but he was thinking it might be time to step up his game and let her know how he was feeling.

“Your driver, what’s his name again?” J.T. asked, snapping his fingers.

“Caleb.” Drake’s heart started thumping wildly in his chest. He and Cassidy has been spending a lot of time together lately. What if she’d started to develop feelings for Caleb? Where did that leave him? He knew where it left him. Out in the cold without a hope in hell of getting her back. “Did she say something to you about him?”

“No, but she didn’t have to,” J.T. said, chuckling. “I could tell he likes her…a lot.”

Drake was more concerned with how Cassidy felt about him. He wasn’t going to waste any more time wondering what she was thinking. He needed to know now.

Making his way to the stage area, he waited for her to notice him under the glare of the stage lights. To her credit, she didn’t miss a note when she finally spotted him, but he could see the wariness in her eyes. She was concerned about his reaction, rightly so.

As soon as she finished the song, he moved to the stairs positioned to the side of the stage and waited while she told the crowd she and the band would be taking a short break. If he had his way it would be a long break, as in weeks or months.

He wasted no time clasping her hand and leading her to the small dressing room in the rear of the bar.

“When did you get back?” she asked, glancing at the clock on the wall. She winced. “I guess I didn’t realize how late it was. I was having so much fun up there.”

Fixing his hands on his hips, he glared at her. “I don’t suppose you thought to ask your doctor if this was okay?”

Raising her chin, she looked him in the eye. “No one knows how I feel better than I do.”

Furious that she was being so nonchalant about her health, he moved in on her. Backing her against the wall, he settled a hand on either side of her head. “This was a stupid risk, one you shouldn’t have taken.”

Her pulse was pounding in her throat as she tipped her head back to look him in the eye. “This was my call, not J.T.’s. I don’t want you giving him any grief about this.”

“Why the hell do I have to protect you from yourself?” Controlling the urge to shout at her was almost as difficult as controlling the urge to kiss her. She looked so sexy with her cheeks flushed pink… that long dark hair framing her face and those ruby red lips… Trying to fight it was pointless, he needed to taste her.

He felt her hesitate for half a second before she hooked her arms around his neck and drew his head down to meet hers. He was devouring her mouth, with all of the pent-up fear, frustration, and confusion he’d been fighting for days finally coming to the surface.

She whimpered in to his mouth and he loosened his grip, afraid he may be holding her too tight. Grabbing a fistful of his custom-made shirt, she tried to pull him closer.

“Hold on,” he said, breaking the kiss as he gasped for breath. “I need to ask you something. Caleb. What the hell’s going on between you and him?”

She frowned as her breathing slowly returned to normal. “There’s nothing going on between us. We’re just friends.”

“Does he know that?” He wrapped his hand gently around her neck, caressing her throbbing pulse point with his finger. “Or do I need to have a little chat with him before he gets his hopes up?”

“It sounds like you’re a little jealous, Drake.” She grinned. “Is that true?”

He’d submit to a tooth extraction before he admitted he was jealous. But whether he admitted it or not, he suspected the truth was etched on his face. “Just answer the question. Do I need to set him straight where you’re concerned?”

“No.” She stood on her tip-toes to press a kiss to his lips. “I hate to admit this, but I missed you while you were away.” A faint blush stole across her cheeks. “That big house just isn’t the same without you.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said, holding her close. “I missed you, too.” Deciding to go for broke, he whispered in her ear, “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I just wanted to get home to you.”

“Really?” she asked, threading her hand through his hair.

“Really.” He nuzzled her neck, smiling when a faint sigh escaped her lips. “Talk is cheap. Let me take you home and show you how much I missed you.” He held his breath, waiting for her response. He wouldn’t blame her if she shot him down, but he would never forgive himself if he didn’t at least try.

“Drake,” she said, toying with one of the buttons on his shirt. “I don’t know if this is a good idea. I meant what I said before. I don’t want to be intimate with someone until I know for sure that he’s
the one
.”

He tipped her chin with his index finger, forcing her to look him in the eye. He knew posing the question was a risk, but he had to know. “Be honest, haven’t you known from the first day we met that I was the one?”

Her eyes glistened with tears as she bit her lip. “I wanted you to be, but…” She lifted her shoulder. “Guys like you don’t go for girls like me. You could have your pick of any gorgeous, successful woman you want.”

He knew she’d made great strides in the past year, but it was going to take a long time to obliterate her troubled past from her memory. “I pick you,” he whispered, kissing her lips tenderly. “Now, are you ready to go home?” He let the word hang in the air between them, hoping she wouldn’t correct him. As far as he was concerned, she’d infused the space with warmth and life, and he knew if she ever left, that would be extinguished. He couldn’t let that happen.

“I still have another set,” she said, looking uncertain.

“No, you don’t,” he murmured, kissing her neck. He knew lowering her defenses by using her own desire against her was a dirty trick, but he wasn’t just playing to win. He was playing for keeps.

“God, that feels good,” she sighed, arching her back.

“I can make you feel even better,” he whispered, sliding his hands over her breasts. “Come on, sweetheart. Let me take you home and show you.” When he tweaked her nipple through the soft fabric encasing her breast, she reached for the door knob.

“Let’s go home.”

Cassidy had been questioning her decision all the way back to Drake’s house. Was she making a mistake, giving in to her hunger for this man? He was too much like the lethal substance she’d been addicted to for so many years. Luring her in with the promise of how good it would feel in the moment even though she knew the fall-out of surrendering could be catastrophic.

He hadn’t told her he still loved her or that he wanted a future with her. He’d only admitted he wanted her body. She swore she’d never give her love or her body to a man who couldn’t give her everything she needed in return. But this was Drake, and in the harsh light of honesty, she had to admit that she’d never stopped loving him.

Could she give him what they both wanted while protecting her heart, or was that too much to hope for?

He held his hand out to help her out of the limousine.

Caleb was already rounding the rear of the car when Drake pulled Cassidy in to his arms. “I really should fire your ass for not taking better care of my woman while I was away.”

Looking uncomfortable, Caleb shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m sorry, I—”

Drake held his hand up to silence his employee. “No need to apologize. Just don’t let it happen again.”

Feeling guilty for getting Caleb in to trouble with his employer, Cassidy spoke up. “It was my fault, not his, Drake. If you want to blame someone for what happened tonight, blame me.”

“It’s okay, Cassidy,” Caleb said, smiling down at her. “You don’t have to defend me. I made the call, even though I knew Mr. Elliott wouldn’t be happy about it.”

“Just so we’re clear,” Drake said to Caleb as he drew Cassidy closer. “This little lady is real important to me. If anything happens to her while she’s on your watch, you will have to answer to me. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir,” he said, tipping his hat. “I promise I’ll take good care of her.”

“One more thing,” Drake said. “You need to respect the professional boundaries from now on.”

“Drake,” Cassidy said, flattening her palm against his stomach. “Please, Caleb was just trying to be a friend when I needed one. You can’t fault him for that.”

Drake looked at his driver a long time before he raised an eyebrow and asked, “I don’t need to spell it out for you, do I?”

He looked from Cassidy to Drake before he said, “No, sir.”

“Good.” He took Cassidy’s hand in his. “We’re gonna turn in now, Caleb. You’re free to go.”

“Have a good night,” Caleb said, his voice sounding strained.

“We intend to,” Drake shot over his shoulder as he led Cassidy up the stairs.

Cassidy squeezed his hand. “What was that all about?”

“Just marking my territory,” he muttered under his breath.

She pulled back on his hand, refusing to take another step. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Fine, I’m sorry, okay?”

He didn’t look sorry, but Cassidy decided to let it go. She didn’t want to argue with him tonight.

The house was still and quiet. Cassidy knew Dora’s routine by now; she had probably retired to her quarters with a good book hours ago.

Drake turned Cassidy into his arms. “I should’ve thought to ask this before. Are you okay to…? I mean, would the doctor object to us…?”

Her lips twitched as she watched Drake stammer. It wasn’t like him to pull punches. When he had a question or concern, he was always direct about it.

“The doctor said I could engage in light physical activity… swimming, treadmill…” She batted her eyelashes as she smiled up at him. “Sex.”

“Thank God,” he breathed, tipping his head back. Gripping her shoulders, he said, “I mean, if you’d told me there was any risk we obviously wouldn’t have…”

His uncharacteristic discomfort made her feel better. He was obviously taking this seriously. It wasn’t just about satisfying an urge, it was about filling a void. “I want you,” she said, finding the courage to be bold. “If you feel the same way…”

“I do,” he said quickly. Dipping his head, he brought her in closer, overwhelming her with an intense kiss that laid her fears to rest. When he finally broke the kiss, he looked her in the eye as he brushed her hair off her face. The way he was looking at her, as though he could scarcely believe this was happening. “I’ve spent so many hours thinking about you this past year.”

“I can imagine,” she said, casting her eyes lower. “You must have hated me.”

“I wanted to, but I couldn’t. I thought getting revenge would give me some kind of perverse pleasure, but in the end, I was disgusted with myself. If I’d just been able to let you go and get on with your life, you never would have been living at that damn place.”

It still pained her to know he blamed himself for her attack. “Phil and Susan gave me a home when I needed one, and that center gave me a purpose. In spite of what happened, I wouldn’t have traded my time there for anything. Living there allowed me to grow and heal. It showed me that I could help people who were going through what I’d been through and that gave me the courage to keep fighting my addiction.”

“You blow me away,” he whispered, leaning in to skim his lips across her cheek. “You’ve been through so much, but you haven’t let it destroy you. I can’t tell you how much I respect and admire you, Cassidy.”

“Thank you.”

Hearing those words from him again meant so much. After the depth of disappointment she knew he must have felt finding her with Lee, it meant everything to her to earn his trust again. She wanted to tell him she loved him, that she’d never stopped, but she couldn’t find the courage to voice the truth. She didn’t want his pity if he couldn’t return the sentiment. If one more night in his arms was all she was entitled to, she would gladly take it.

“Let’s go upstairs,” he said, taking her hand. He brushed his lips across her knuckles as he walked her up the stairs.

Pausing at the entrance to the master suite, she admired the space. She’d poked her head in a time or two when Drake had been out of the house, but she never expected him to invite her inside his private retreat to share his bed again.

He flicked the switch and dimmed the lights, casting a warm glow over the room before doing the same to the gas fireplace tucked into a built in wall nook facing the bed.

“It’s perfect,” she said. It felt like they were in a luxury hideaway, safe from prying eyes. Here they could explore their relationship at their leisure before having to explain it to the outside world.

“You’re perfect,” he said, setting her in front of him as he brushed her hair aside to kiss her neck. His fingers flew over the buttons lining the front of her shirt before he slipped it off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

She rolled her head back against his chest and closed her eyes. Nothing had ever felt more heavenly than the gentle scrape of his whiskers abrading her sensitive skin. Moaning, she leaned in to him, revelling in the hard evidence of his arousal prodding her back. There was no doubt about it. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.

He flicked his thumb and forefinger over the closure at the front of her bra and her breasts fell free of the lacy garment. Filling his hands, he began to roll and tweak her nipples as he continued to lick and kiss her neck, focusing his attention on the areas he knew she was most sensitive.

Her breathing was raspy as she struggled to maintain some semblance of control over her body. Her skin was on fire, her tense muscles finally relaxing as she gave herself over to his expert touch.

“That’s it,” he whispered in her ear. “Just relax. We’ve got all night.”

She wasn’t sure she could survive this exquisite torture for another minute, much less the rest of the night. Steeling her resolve, she decided to abandon her concerns and let herself fully experience every caress in case this night would be their last.