Noah - 13

A gentle piano tune floats in the air as my hand reaches for the wineglass that's sitting in front of me. I take one large sip from the glass which I pray will work its magic as soon as possible so that I can ease a bit of the tension that's building in my body. My ears perk up in the middle of my gulp from the loud sound of laughter that rises above the melody created by the piano keys. Unfortunately, my attention is only drawn away temporarily before I end up recalibrating my focus on the disruptive vibrations that are rumbling and going off in my pocket.

Unable to add anything useful or worthwhile to the seemingly hilarious discussion, I force a grin and a light chuckle as my eyes shift down at the text message which was sent in by Cassie. Taylor is wondering where you are. She's getting restless waiting for you. What should I tell her?

Unease blooms from chest as I close my eyes and clench my teeth. If there's one thing that Taylor won't forgive me for, it's breaking my promise to properly celebrate her birthday together without letting work get in the way of the celebration. I've surprisingly made good on my word every year, but I somehow manage to find myself in this predicament in which I can't exactly excuse myself without ruining the joyful atmosphere. Though, it's mainly my fault for thinking that I could simply show my face without being roped into the festivities and conversation. Especially if the discussion involves any mention of business or work.

I quietly deliberate over what I should say to Cassie when someone audibly clears their voice amidst the sudden blanket of silence: "Ahem."

An icy chill runs down my spine as I slowly look back up and begin to realize that all of the eyes around the table are focused and fixated on me. There's an equally amused look on almost everyone's faces while they lightly chuckle and indulge in the fact that I've been seemingly caught red-handed.

"Is there something wrong, Noah? You seem rather uninterested in our conversation today. You usually have the most to say. Are we, perhaps, boring you?" the older gentleman who cleared his throat earlier cheekily grins and then laughs. His curt yet casual remark forces everybody else who is seated around us to uncomfortably shift in place -- but that's just the way Adam Cohen is. Always blunt and straight to the point without the bullshit pleasantries.

I quickly shove the phone back into my pocket while shaking my head with a smile. "No, Adam, that's not it. It's just that it's my kid's birthday today, and she's wondering where I am because I promised her that we would go to the zoo together."

"That's right! You have a daughter," Adam says with a loud cough as he almost chokes in the middle of swallowing down his gulp of wine. He wipes his mouth and furrows his brow. "What was her name again? Taylor? Taylor, right? How old is she turning today? It feels like it's been ages since I last saw her."

"Yeah, it's definitely been a while. She'll be turning 7 today."

"Wow, 7?" His eyes widen and bulge with surprise. "I still remember the day that she was in diapers and giving Elizabeth a hell of a time. God, kids just grow up so fast these days, don't they? Before you know it, she'll be introducing you to her first boyfriend and then telling you she's getting married!" he heartily chortles.

A terrible sinking feeling emerges from my stomach as I reluctantly smile in response to Adam's nonchalant statement. Even though his comment was clearly meant in jest, I can't quite find the same enthusiasm to laugh and joke alongside with him. Frankly, the thought of Taylor growing up and heading into adulthood scares me, especially since Chase's smug face keeps appearing in my head for some odd reason when I think about her stepping into the dating scene. I don't know what I would do if she brought home a man like that to introduce to me. I'm already getting chills from imagining it.

Maybe I'm just going a little crazy without Elizabeth's wisdom and guidance in the frightening world of parenting, but I can't help but think that it would be better if Taylor just never grew up at all.

I'd be okay with her staying as my innocent little girl, the same little girl who eagerly greets me at the front door every night without fail. The precious little girl who sees me as her hero.

Adam gently slaps his hand against my thigh. "You should go, Noah. Don't keep her waiting. She's not going to be a kid forever, so you might as well cherish these days while you still have them," he smiles.

Resounding agreement spreads across the table as everyone else nods their head in consensus. I loosely hang my head in defeat and let out a tiny laugh. Seeing and hearing their approval for my hasty departure gives me the green light to get up from my seat, but not before finishing the last red drop in my wineglass. I swiftly down the remaining liquid content in my glass and send my brief goodbyes and farewells to the company seated around the table.

My speedy footsteps naturally guide me back to the entrance of the restaurant where I anxiously wait for my driver to pick me up. Knowing Taylor, it won't be long before she starts to give Cassie a hard time about my whereabouts. I shove my hand into my pocket to retrieve my phone which I immediately use to make a phone call.

"Hello? Mr. Bishop?" The sound of Cassie's sweet and distinctive voice softly tickles my ear and tugs at my heart. I feel at ease when she speaks into my ear, her dulcet tones filling me up with an overwhelming sensation of joy.

"Hey, Cassie. Tell Taylor that I'm on my way now," I respond as I take a glance at my watch for the time. "I'll probably arrive there before noon, so I hope you can keep her busy until then."

"Okay, I can definitely do that. Easy. We'll see you soon then."

"Yeah, I'll see you guys there. Bye."

"Bye!"

A low yet steady breath of delight slips out from my lips as the phone call ends. It seems that even when I'm not standing directly in front of Cassie and gazing into her dark brown eyes, my body still manages to strongly react to the mere tone of her voice. It's almost like there's a sense of warmth flowing through my chest when I hear her speak. I don't know when this feeling exactly started to happen to me, but I can tell that it's a strange phenomena -- an odd occurrence that has me questioning its origination and validity.

Surely, this budding feeling within me is none other than the feeling of love, an emotion that continues to follow and haunt me even though I've done everything within my power to deny its existence and to prevent its growth. I've felt it before when it happened with Elizabeth -- the constant butterflies, the restless anticipation, the floating joy, everything. I know the feeling well enough to realize that I'm still attracted to Cassie in spite of the cold manner in which I've been pushing her away from me.

The immense relief that I felt settling across my chest when I heard that Chase wasn't Cassie's boyfriend but her brother instead can't be a sensation that is faked or forced. That brief feeling of serenity and satisfaction was real, and so was the tender affection that I felt when I watched Cassie intimately braid Taylor's hair as though they were more than just two people bound by a contract. I can't ignore the unusual sight of Taylor getting along with someone who's basically an outsider. The rare incident just makes me even more intrigued and interested in the person who has managed to capture my daughter's scarce affection.

But in truth, my curiosity and fascination in Cassie stems from way before she became Taylor's nanny. In fact, she probably caught my eye that night she stood in front of me with that narrowed look of disdain in her eyes. After that fateful night and moment of frustration, I could never completely forget about the way she held her ground against me with her small yet fiery spirit. Her tenacious will and energy clearly struck a chord with me, a lasting impression that heavily lingers within me to this day.

 And despite the devastating weight and pull of my feelings for her which continuously grow with each  brand new day that we spend together, I stubbornly continue to ignore its call. I adamantly disregard the way my heart warms and tightens when I see her secretly pursing her lips into a pout because she doesn't think I notice her distaste for my comments and rules. I turn away from the fact that her lively expressions and gentle relationship with Taylor puts an earnest smile on my face. It seems like no matter how much I try to pretend like the fondness isn't there, the truth simply resurfaces with an even stronger impact than before.

A weak and pathetic scoff leaves me as I helplessly wallow in my pitiful situation. I didn't think a grown man like myself would ever have to deal with trivial matters in regards to love again, especially at my age where I've experienced more than enough romance to know all of the ins and outs of it. But it's also because of that same experience that I know there will come a time when I won't be able to hold back the crashing wave of my passion. Strong feelings like these don't just go away like that.

This affection I hold toward Cassie is more than a simple crush.

I loosely grit my teeth and lower my head in defeat while the car slowly pulls up to the curb. As much as I would like to keep on actively avoiding the inevitable encounters between us, there's no stopping time. Life moves on, and eventually, I'll have to face both her and my feelings whether or not I want to do it. Yet even in spite of the overwhelming resistance I hold toward the forced interactions that I have with her, I still feel a small, stirring sense of excitement when I think about meeting her face to face. That sincere eagerness and anticipation is an experience that I can't hide or lie to myself about.

I want to see her.

***

The neatly-wrapped present sits in the palm of my hand as I quickly make my way over to Taylor and Cassie's location which happens to be all the way on the other side of the zoo. I slightly loosen my tie to get more comfortable while I take a breather to look at the large map on display which is planted in the middle of the crossroad. Normally, I wouldn't be feeling the sweat dripping down my back because there would be a small designated vehicle provided by the organizers to drive me around the zoo, but Taylor specifically requested that there be no special treatment this year for her birthday. No bodyguards or crazy levels of security, and no buying out the entire park for the whole day. She wants a regular birthday so that she can feel like a regular kid for the day.

So I oblige Taylor's request to the best of my abilities by allowing a certain amount of profiled and background-checked guests to enter into the zoo alongside with her. There's enough people in attendance to make it feel like a normal day at the zoo, but not enough of a crowd to form a huge line in front of the displays and exhibits which would make the experience unenjoyable for her. And after walking through the zoo myself, I must admit that I wholly agree with her sentiment. Even I find the light and ambient noise from everyone's casual conversations a bit soothing as I stroll through the park.

I look over to my left and to my right where I can't help but notice the smiling families and the affectionate couples happily enjoying the sights and the sunny weather. Seeing the peaceful atmosphere and scenery spreads a warm glow of joy across my chest. The pleasant mood and vibes influences me to quicken my pace so that I can look like one of those laughing and smiling families as well. My footsteps hurry along the paved road and through the sparse crowd of people until I see a sign that tells me that the exhibit for the lions is straight to my left.

Taylor and Cassie are waiting for me somewhere around that exhibit area, but it shouldn't be too difficult to find them. After all, I have a strange feeling that Taylor might notice me first before I even see her. She has an odd way of consistently predicting and sensing my arrivals and appearances which I assume to be due to her years of experience waiting for me. However, it seems to be a victory for me as I walk through the animal displays and catch sight of the large red bow that's tied into Taylor's hair. Any lingering doubts that I have about Taylor's identity are erased when I see the young girl playfully pulling a woman around who happens to struggle and trail behind her -- Cassie.

A big, wide smirk forms across my lips as I watch the girl and the nanny chat and marvel over the king of beasts prowling behind the enclosure. I can see Taylor's tiny face light up in sheer awe from the magnificent creature's ferocious appearance while Cassie kneels down next to her with a gentle smile. The ordinary scene is oddly heartwarming and touching to witness and observe, especially since their interaction is filled with pure laughter and giggles. If I wasn't aware of the true nature behind their relationship, I would definitely assume that they were related somehow. There's just something natural and special about their synergy when they're together, a synergy which might even eventually surpass the one that I share with Taylor.

But I'm not afraid of that possibility happening. I actually welcome it.

Both Taylor and Cassie continue to remain captivated by the majestic beast while I quickly place the wrapped gift behind my back and start to close in on the distance between us. They have no idea that I'm already here, and I can't wait to see the look on the young girl's face when I show up with my birthday surprise. My legs move with an eager swiftness toward them, yet I'm suddenly forced to stop in my tracks when I see an unknown man approach the two of them.

"Hey! Hey, miss!" the stranger speaks with a crooked grin on his face. The loud and informal greeting grabs their attention albeit with a bit of wariness. However, as soon as Taylor and Cassie turn toward him, the man points a small camera toward their faces while holding a voice recording object in his hand. "That's CEO Bishop's only daughter, Taylor, isn't it?" he asks with a smirk.

The positive energy and spirit immediately drains from my body once I hear the stranger's question and realize his agenda. He's a reporter, a sleazy journalist looking to sully and ruin my reputation by intimidating the people who are closest to me. I can tell from one glance at his beady-eyed stare and unsettling grin that he's a stubborn leech who probably gets off on twisting the real story for a scoop that will fit his perfect narrative. Just watching the curious delight spread across his face as he sickeningly indulges in the growing fear within Taylor's gaze is enough to get my blood boiling.

Luckily, Cassie seems to promptly recognize the situation in which she grabs Taylor by the hand and moves the girl behind her. She refuses to acknowledge and answer the reporter's intrusive inquiry, the pure disdain in her glowering expression the only reaction that is drawn out of her. Her fierce aura and will remains like a burning flame.

"Hi there, Taylor," the reporter slyly smiles. His direct address and disturbing stare forces Taylor to hide even further behind Cassie's legs. Unable to receive any response from her, the man turns his attention toward Cassie instead. "So I'm guessing that makes you her nanny? But if you ask me, you look a little too young to be one. How old are you? 22? 24?"

Cassie bites her lip in an effort to maintain her silence. Instead of confronting the journalist head on, she simply ignores him by talking to Taylor. "Come on, Taylor, let's go and look at the penguins. They should be on the other side," she suggests with a gentle tone.

The nanny starts moving away with Taylor's hand in her grasp before she even hears the little girl's answer. It's clear that she's anxious to get away from him, but the persistent reporter follows them without hesitation. My legs automatically chase after them as if it were natural instinct.

"I heard Noah Bishop tends to have relationships with a bunch of different women like it's a sport to him. There are stories that he has a lot of mistresses and illegitimate children whom he refuses to acknowledge as his own," the reporter states in a pushy yet confident tone of voice. His unpleasant gaze shifts and drops down to Taylor who stiffens up at the sight of his vulture-like eyes.

"How does that make you feel knowing you might have a little brother or a sister out there, kid?" he snidely asks.

Something instantly snaps within me as soon as I see the devastated expression on Taylor's face. She looks like she doesn't know what to believe, the fear in her eyes a heartbreaking scene to idly stand by and witness. I almost charge straight up to the pompous bastard out of pure rage to give him a piece of my mind when Cassie abruptly stops walking. The young woman turns around to look at him with straight daggers in her dark brown eyes.

"Stop it. I know you're just doing this to try and get a comment out of us, so I will say this much. Mr. Bishop is a good man who loves his daughter and who treats the people who work under him with utmost concern and respect. If all you're trying to do is slander him, then please, leave us be," Cassie asserts with a heavy scowl.

But the reporter just scoffs out loud as if she had said something funny and humorous. "Good man? Is that what you're calling him? He-"

"Yes, a good man," Cassie interrupts in a stern voice as she shakes her head at him. "I might not know anything about the nature of Noah Bishop's work or the people he chooses to romantically involve himself with, but I do know that he is a good person. Nothing you say can change my mind on that."

My feet come to a sudden halt when I hear what Cassie has to say in my defense. The assurance and poise in her vocal declaration leaves both me and the journalist with the same exact stunned and speechless expression. Even when she's in the middle of being intimidated, she still manages to fight back without losing sight of her values. It's that precise stubborn and defiant look on her face which tends to make my heart beat a little faster. I find that rebellious attitude of hers unusually charming and attractive.

Cassie keeps her grimace on the silent reporter while she intently stares him down. "I'm sure that you realize that this zoo is supposed to be closed for a private event, so if you don't want to get arrested for trespassing, I would suggest leaving right now. I don't want to call security on you. Don't make this a scene when it doesn't have to be one," she stresses with a grim tone.

"Hah!" the reporter ominously laughs. Even though there's an obvious smirk on his lips, the expression displayed across his face is more annoyed than it is amused. "I have to say, Miss, you have a lot of nerve to go around threatening me when I'm just trying to have a friendly conversation with you. Besides, who is to say that I'm not one of these guests on the list?" he innocently smiles. "You sure you want to make a big scene on young Taylor's birthday?"

A flash of hesitation and uncertainty appears in Cassie's eyes upon the calculated mention of Taylor's name. She quickly glances down at the frightened young girl who still has her small face hidden behind the back of her leg. I can see the confidence and strength gradually fading from the young woman's face, a look of defeat replacing the ferocity in her stare. But my feet naturally begin moving toward her, my gaze fixated on the shady and underhanded individual who has no remorse for his low course of actions.

As much as I would love to put him in his place, I have to keep my cool. The last thing I want to do is give this scumbag any content for his articles even if he does deserve a long, hard dose of reality.

Unsurprisingly, everyone shifts their attention onto me as I step in between Cassie and the journalist. Although there are many things that I want to say to him, I simply look straight into the startled man's eyes and tell him the only words I need to convey to him: "If you have something to say to me, then do it. But don't ever bother my family. Especially not my little girl."

"I-is that a threat, Mr. Bishop?" the reporter questions with a slight gleam in his eyes. The camera in his hand is pushed closer to my face in hopes for a dramatic reaction. He seems adamant on pinning anything on me in spite of the trepidation hidden within his voice.

I know he's just waiting for me to get upset, so I shake my head and smile at him. "No, it's just a friendly conversation," I calmly reply.

My ironic response leaves the man with no words as he tries to rack his brain to find another way to rile me up. Yet his brief moment of weakness allows me enough time to flag down one of the plainclothes security guards who have been hired to loosely patrol the zoo. These guards are meant to blend in with the crowd, but it's easy to pinpoint them with the amount of experience I have in dealing with them. So I make eye contact with the security guard in his casual clothing who gives me a nod while he swiftly walks over to my side.

"Would you please escort this man out of the park? He seems to be in the wrong place," I explain without taking my eyes off of the seedy man who looks a bit more nervous than before.

The expressionless guard nods his head and takes the reporter by the arm. "Come on. Let's go, buddy," he says as he starts to lead the dirty journalist who walks with a bitter step away from us.

A low yet heavy exhale escapes from my lips while I watch the despicable man get taken away by the hired guard. I know that I should be thankful for how easily and promptly that problem was resolved, but I don't feel completely satisfied with the result. That bastard still managed to terrorize Cassie and Taylor with his deception and lies, planting seeds of doubt within their minds that have no reason to be there in the first place. All I can do is hope that this incident doesn't stick around in Taylor's mind as a painful reminder or memory for her.

My gaze drops down toward the silent little girl who has her sights set on the reporter's distant silhouette. I bend down to her at eye level and hold out the present that I've been carrying around since I arrived right in front of her. The unexpected presentation of the neatly-packaged gift distracts her from the awful man's exit.

"Happy birthday, princess," I grin and shake the box in a showy manner which instantly captures her interest. "I got you something. I hope you like it."

"Can I open it now?" Taylor excitedly asks.

"Yeah, go ahead."

The young girl grabs the mysterious present out of my hands and begins shaking the gift like it's Christmas morning. A smile spreads across my lips at the little pout she makes from her fruitless endeavor to figure out what's inside the box. Eventually, she gives into the temptation and starts pulling both the ribbon and the wrapping paper apart. Her large brown eyes brim with anticipation until she finally reveals the item hidden within the box. She breaks out into a gasping grin as she clutches the beginner's magic trick kit against her chest.

Taylor sprints over and gives me a tackling hug. "Thank you, daddy!"

The gentle warmth and strength of the little girl's embrace fills me up with a positive energy. I was a bit worried that she wouldn't like it because it's not the lavish type of gift she normally receives from me, but it seems like my gut feeling was right. Chase's clever little magic trick appears to have created some sort of a minor interest in the hobby. Though, calling her interest a minor one might be a huge understatement because she looks a lot happier than she's ever been compared to any of my previous birthday gifts.

I try to forget and remove Taylor's obvious infatuation with Chase out of my mind while I stand back up with a disapproving shake of my head. However, the sound of Cassie's stifled giggle and laughter draws my attention where she gives me an extremely amused look. I naturally scoff at her smug expression. There's no need to ask her why she's laughing because I know she's aware of the reason behind why I got Taylor that specific birthday gift. She knows it's because of Chase.

But I'm less bothered by Cassie's joyful reaction and more intrigued by the outfit and appearance that she has chosen to show up in today. It's a simple dark blue denim dress which cuts off right above her knee, the short length of the hem exposing the smooth surface of her legs. A soft feminine aura exudes from her girlish presence which entices me. I can't help staring at her when she's wearing something that's vastly different from her typical t-shirt and jeans look. The way her dress hugs the curves of her body only serves as a reminder of what's hidden underneath her outfit.

"You look really nice today," I say with my eyes still fixed on the young woman's bright and smiling face.

The compliment takes Cassie by surprise as her amused laughter suddenly turns into an embarrassed grin. She tries to hide her blushing face from me, but I can already see a faint shade of red spread across her fair cheeks.

"Well, it's a birthday celebration, right? I figured I should at least look a little more formal and festive for the occasion. Especially since Taylor looks so adorable today," Cassie states. She turns and looks over at the little girl who is currently mesmerized by the rhino exhibit. Her dark brown eyes shine with affection as she watches over the young and curious Taylor.

I wish I could feel the same tender sentiment as Cassie at this very moment, however, another thought happens to weigh down heavily on my conscience which I can't simply get rid of. That wary and panicked look on her face from when the journalist tried to intimidate and bully her is one that I can't entirely erase from my mind. I feel the need to take responsibility and blame for what happened.

"I'm sorry that you had to deal with that sketchy reporter guy. I should have warned you that this sort of thing happens from time to time," I explain with an apologetic and shameful shake of my head. "I hope he didn't scare you too much."

Cassie immediately shakes her head back and forth in response to my concern for her mental state. "Oh, no, I'm fine. Don't you worry about me. I've shut down a few persistent creeps in my life already before. He's not so different from them," she proudly states with a smug grin on her face.

I blankly stare at her without words. However, her earnest answer eventually forces me to turn my head away where I hide my smirk and laughter from her. The fearlessness in her tone of voice and unyielding stare is absolutely reckless yet admirable at the same time. She's almost like an unstoppable force who keeps getting back up in spite of all the hurdles and obstacles that are thrown at her. The struggles that she had to go through because of Jenna's childish vendetta and even my own mistreatment of her -- I'm honestly no match for someone like her. But I'm sure Elizabeth would have loved being in Cassie's bold company and presence.

"Most nannies learn to call security when a dangerous situation like that happens, so please keep that in mind next time. I don't want to see you or Taylor get hurt on my behalf," I plainly advise.

The nanny lowers her head in remorse. "Yeah, I completely understand. I'm sorry for putting Taylor at risk like that. It was pretty foolish of me," she nervously laughs.

But this time, it's my turn to shake my head at her statement.

"No, don't apologize, Cassie. I know you meant well. And I have to admit, I was rather humbled and happy to hear your kind words. Though, you give me way too much credit that I don't feel like I honestly deserve," I lightly chuckle as my eyes rest on her timid yet lovely face. Her feminine appeal is something that I can't seem to get my mind off of today. She's even more dazzling than she normally is.

"I might not be as good of a man as you think I am," I softly add.

A small grin lingers on my lips while I stare at Cassie who lifts her head and looks up at me with a puzzled and wide-eyed look in her eyes. She doesn't seem to know how to react to my questionable words, her mind unable to discern the intention and meaning behind my statement. But every single bit of what I said to her is no lie or misconception. It's all entirely true.

I can still feel the warm and gently stirring emotion in my heart from when I first heard her resist the lies being spewed by the seedy reporter, lies which were plausible enough for her to believe in given my immodest reputation. She's seen the kind of relationships I've been involved in, and she knows that those brief affairs were all just a matter of sexual pleasure and release for me. It's a truth that she should understand and know from her own firsthand experience. There's absolutely no question or doubt about the way I view or treat my relationships with women. I have nothing to be proud about.

Yet Cassie foolishly refutes the evidence of my despicable deeds and loathsome nature with some truths and facts of her own. Even when she's been a victim herself of my abhorrent actions, she still manages to see the good in me somehow regardless of the pain that I've brought to her. I just can't fathom it. She must be blinded by her inexperienced affection for me to not be able to see the real man I am behind the smokescreen of confidence and sophistication.

The sad and honest truth is that I'm a lot weaker of a person than she actually realizes.

I've just had more time to refine my hardened façade than others do.

Nonetheless, I shove my hands into my pockets and quietly follow behind Taylor's keen trail of the zoo animals that are publically on exhibit. The little girl sticks her nose up against the display cases and excitedly points at the different beasts with the same amount of enthusiasm each time. However, an awkward tension floats above both Cassie and my own head as we continue to slowly move through the park in what I consider to be a comfortable silence. The nanny can't spend more than a few seconds without furtively glancing over at me in clear uncertainty of what to say or do.

My lips naturally shift into a smile at Cassie's self-conscious habit. It seems like the most that I can do for her right now is pretend that I don't notice her nervous gawking and staring. But a part of me is morbidly curious to see the flustered reaction on her face when I catch her looking at me. It's one of the few times I can ever catch her off guard from her usual tenacious exterior, one of the rare moments that I can see that beautiful yet vulnerable expression in her eyes.

Both Cassie and I continue to bathe in the tension and silence until a young photographer working for the zoo walks up to us and stops us in the middle of our quiet stroll. "Would you guys like a family photo in front of our cool polar bears?" the male employee asks with a huge forced smile on his face. He motions his hand toward the photo-op display located directly behind me with a bit of pain and desperation in his weary gaze.

I reluctantly turn around and find myself staring at three large cartoonish sculptures which are undoubtedly meant for children. All of the polar bears are standing on their two legs while their arms are wrapped around each other's shoulders. They all appear to have the same uncanny grin on their faces which genuinely fill me with a bit of unease the longer I look at them. I physically cringe at the cheesy and seemingly pathetic display and move on to decline the young man's offer when Taylor cheerfully pipes up from out of nowhere: "Yeah, let's do it. I want a picture!"

The little girl sprints over to the photo-op area before I can say anything else, the pure excitement in her voice difficult to refuse. She impatiently waves at me to come over as she stands alone in front of the polar bears by herself. I let out a small, defeated sigh at her pushiness. It seems that there's no changing Taylor's mind on the matter, but I don't really hate the idea of it -- even if the polar bears are a tacky addition to the backdrop.

A photograph would be a perfect way to remember this birthday.

"You guys can go ahead. I'll wait right over there," Cassie points to the side and beams. She turns around to move out of the photographer's way, but I instinctively reach out to grab her hand before she can walk away from me. A startled look spreads across her face as she turns back around to look into my eyes.

"What are you talking about? You're a part of the family too," I quickly add with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

Cassie returns a blank and stiff stare to me while I secretly indulge in her honest and vulnerable expression. Her fierce and proud brown eyes shift toward a more docile appearance. She's completely taken aback by my sudden assertion, her stunned gaze almost hoping that I was joking with her. However, I maintain my stance about her importance in the family with a firm grasp of her hand which I have no intention of letting go of.

And as if my words weren't enough for Cassie, Taylor also goes ahead to support my claim with a selfish request of her own: "Yeah, you have to take a picture with us, Cassie!" the birthday girl exclaims.

With the majority ruling in favor of Cassie's appearance in the family photo, I pull on the hesitant nanny's hand and lead her over to where Taylor and the fake polar bears are waiting. She obediently follows my guiding hand without question even as we stand in front of the sculptures to pose for the picture. I only let go of her hand so that I can slip my arm around her waist, a simple gesture which evidently surprises her even more than my previous statement from the way she looks over at me. But Cassie doesn't squirm or shift away from the presence of my hand on her hips. She responds by placing her arm around my waist as well.

My heart almost instantly tenses up from the return gesture of Cassie's hand on the side of my hip. It's been a while since her electrifying touch last laid hands on my body, but the impact of her grasp is as strong as ever. Pleasant goosebumps and tingles spread across my chest in waves from her delicate grip which draws a satisfied smile out of me. Her unexpected and unassuming action has made more of a ripple and an effect on me than I could have imagined.

It's hard not to want to touch her a little more than I'm already doing.

"Ready, everyone?" the young photographer shouts in a low-energy voice. "One…two…three."

The camera's flash immediately goes off and temporarily blinds me with its white light. My eyes gradually adjust to the brightness of the blinding glow, but I can feel Cassie swiftly withdraw her hand from my body as soon as the image is finished being taken. She nonchalantly scoots herself away from me, and the warm and fleeting moment between us fades just like that in an instant. Even though I know it's ridiculous to get hung up over a simple touch and gesture, I can't resist feeling a bit empty from her tactical retreat.

She really knows how to make a man feel rejected and unwanted -- but I can't really blame her for that without sounding like a huge hypocrite, can I?

I go ahead and thank the employee for his services while Taylor hastily pulls Cassie away toward another animal display that has caught her curious eye and attention. The two girls hurry off and leave me behind with the photographer who describes how to pick up my photo before I leave the park. But I can barely pay attention to his explanation, my interest stolen away by the young woman in the pretty denim dress. My gentle stare silently idles on her curves and silhouette when she suddenly turns back around to meet my longing gaze.

It's at that exact moment when our eyes met that I knew what it was that I had to do.

The subtle gleam from Cassie's brown eyes brings a brief pause to my breath and to my heartbeat. However, she makes sure to keep the exchange between us short, the tenderness of her stare disappearing quickly as she turns her head forward. I can't see the expression on her face while she has her back turned to me, but she still seems to shine brightly before me like the centerpiece of a painting. My eyes are unable to see or focus on anything else, my head filled with thoughts of her lovely face, her bold voice, and her gentle laughter.

This overwhelming feeling of love is way stronger today than it usually is, and it's too late to act like these passionate emotions aren't there. I can clearly see the lingering affection in her eyes, so I'm certain that she can see the same in mine as well. There's only so much lying and pretending that I can continue to do before it eventually wears me down and breaks me. Especially since I'm already feeling beaten down from suppressing those urges I have to reach out and touch her. Those late-night goodbyes are the hardest to ignore and swallow when all I want to do is tell her to stay the night.

But this overflowing emotion has already gone past a point of no return from the moment I took Cassie's hand into mine. The pleasant and satisfying sensations I feel within my body from her slightest presence and touch are crazy addictive to me like a drug. One taste of it and I instantly need more. Just holding her hand and grabbing her waist isn't enough for me anymore. I want to feel her gentle warmth between my arms and against my chest again.

Though the only thing I can do now is face my feelings head on regardless of the unknown and frightening outcome waiting for me at the end of the road. I've never been the type to act first and then think about the consequences later, but Cassie has had me breaking my own rules ever since I first met her. It's practically an inevitable occurrence when I'm by her side, one which I welcome with open arms.

I'll break the rules for her if it means being able to kiss her lips once more.

I'll break them all just to hold her in my arms one more time.

***

The rhythmic and soothing sound of the rain splashing against the windows lulls me to sleep as the vehicle slowly moves in the heavy traffic. An exhausted yawn surges forth out of my mouth from the quiet drive, the physical fatigue settling into my body. I don't remember the last time I had to walk around so much out of my own choice and now my legs are paying the price for it. There's hardly any energy left in me, and the sleep-inducing rainfall isn't helping the mood either.

"Hey, look at that over there, Taylor-" Cassie turns over to show Taylor something out the window but stops speaking when she realizes that the little girl is slumped over my chest. She immediately stifles her laughter. A small puddle of drool appears to have spilled from Taylor's mouth onto my clean dress shirt.

"Is she already fast asleep?" the nanny skeptically asks with a smile.

I look down at the softly snoring young girl with a nod of my head. "Yeah, she's probably just worn out from all the running around," I answer as I brush her long brown hair out of her face.

My heart tenderly stirs while I watch Cassie quietly giggle at the sight of the sleeping child. A heavy and lengthy breath passes through my lips, a knot forming within the depths of my stomach. The warm expression on her kind face strangely tickles my chest. That sincere affection she has toward Taylor undeniably tugs at my heartstrings, and the fact that we're seated so closely together in the car makes me feel like she can hear my nervous breaths and anxious heart beating.

"Thanks for showing up to Taylor's birthday event today. I know it was supposed to be your rare off-day and all, so I really appreciate you going out of your way to come. It made her really happy," I humbly say.

"Thanks for allowing me to come along with you guys on your little family excursion. I had a lot fun," Cassie states with an avoidant shift of her gaze. Her eyes sink toward the floor in a stiff manner, her body slightly moving in the opposite direction to increase the space and distance between us.

It's obvious that she's intentionally pulling herself away from me. But I'm not willing to let her go that easily. Not when I want my feelings and stance to be clear to her.

I reach over to grab and tightly hold onto Cassie's warm hand which flinches at the motion of my grasp. She lets out a tiny gasp while her eyes bulge in extreme surprise. I can feel her shaking with trepidation within the palm of my hand, yet my hold on her doesn't falter. A panicked look spreads across her face as she tries to pull away from my hand as though my action was a mistake. But her struggling only makes me hold onto her tighter.

"I meant what I said earlier, Cassie. I consider you an important part of the family as well," I profess with my somber stare fixated on her. She returns a response to me in the form of that same confused and vulnerable look which naturally captures my heart's attention. I loosen my grasp around her hand and gradually intertwine my fingers between hers so that our hands are holding one another.

"And if you absolutely hate what I'm doing, you can pull away from me. I won't stop you," I coolly mention with a light squeeze of her hand.

A lump swells in my throat while the rainy silence surrounds us. Even though I sound composed and certain in my tone of voice and in my actions, my heart is still beating like crazy over the pitter-patter of the rain. Deafening pound after pound strikes against my chest as I anxiously wait in anticipation of Cassie's reaction. I fully expect the startled woman to reject my advance because of the way I refused and denied her the first time she made her feelings clear to me. However, she doesn't move her hand.

I turn my head and stare out the wet-stained window with ambivalence while Cassie's hand remains unmoving and resting in the same spot. My chest feels overwhelmed with satisfaction yet swamped with unease and doubt all at the same time. I can't tell what she's thinking, and I can't bring myself to look over and acknowledge the expression that's currently settled on her face. But her hand which gently holds onto mine under the blanket of silence is enough to speak for both of our hearts' desires.

***

My arms cradle the exhausted birthday girl as I quietly carry her up into her bedroom. She peacefully snoozes and snores without a single care in the world, her beauty rest undisturbed even while I tuck her right into bed. I kiss her square on the forehead which goes completely unrealized by her before making my way back down the staircase and toward the living room. But my feet move and walk with a heavy weight and burden around my ankles as I slowly step into the parlor where I find Cassie wistfully staring out of the window. She looks like she's mesmerized by the gloomy view of the dark sky and its falling raindrops judging from the way she hasn't noticed my presence in the room yet.

"It seems like we won't be able to cut the birthday cake for a while. Kid's still out cold," I suddenly speak which causes Cassie to jump up in surprise as she turns around to face me. Her eyes widen and her shoulders stiffen with an obvious unease and tension from the mere sight of me.

There's no doubt that she's way too conscious of me. But her nervous state only makes me want to tease her over it.

"Uh, it's fine. Just let her sleep. I was thinking that I should probably go soon anyway," Cassie expresses with a slight chuckle and awkward touch of her hair. She glances down at her watch with a stiff and startled look. "Wow, it's late. I didn't realize what time it was already."

"Why don't you stay a bit longer? At least until the rain lets up a little more." I turn my gaze toward the window that the nanny was looking out through earlier. All I can see sitting within the glass is our vague black reflections staring back at us. "Besides, you look like you have something that you would like to speak to me about."

Cassie immediately lowers her head while another chuckle sounds from her lips. "You know, I really hate it when you do that," she grumbles with a shake of her head.

"Do what?" I confusedly ask.

"When you clearly see through me and call me out on it without hesitation. I hate it," she audibly sighs and then scoffs. Her dark brown glare slowly lifts toward me with bitter frustration. "You want me to ask you about it? Fine. Why? Why did you grab and hold my hand like that? You were the one who told me that everything that happened that night was a mistake. So why?"

An intense look of pain and resentment flashes and spreads across Cassie's eyes. She looks incredibly hurt and upset by the confused state that I've unwillingly instilled upon her, the contempt apparent in her hard and cold stare. There's no longer any weakness or hesitation in her eyes. There's only a burning desire to figure out the truth which I have persistently kept from her.

Yet despite the pressure from her demanding aura, I fully accept and understand where her anger is coming from. She has every right to be outraged and unhappy with me, especially since I relentlessly broke her heart and am now trying to win back her favor. But a heavy sigh parts from my lips as I move closer to her with the truth hanging at the tip of my tongue. Cassie deserves to know why I held her hand the entire car ride back, and she deserves the right to hate for me for it.

God. I never thought coming clean could be so hard, but I guess I know why Taylor tries to avoid it as much as possible now. It's a bit nerve-wracking to say so the least.

My steady footsteps keep on moving forward until I'm standing right in front of the troubled young woman. Staring into her desperate gaze, I pause and take a deep breath. "Because that was before I realized how much I actually like you, Cassie. I severely underestimated my feelings for you, and it's quickly catching up to me now," I admit with an unyielding stare that's fixated on the fierce expression displayed in her dark brown eyes.

However, Cassie instantly shakes her head in denial like what I'm telling her isn't possible. She opens her mouth to speak, but ultimately ends up holding her tongue in shock of the rapidly-developing situation. The expression on her face swaps back and forth between scorn and sorrow. She's clearly taken aback by my straightforward confession, her brown gaze looking up at me in pure disbelief.

"And-and how do you expect me to believe what you're telling me after the way you pushed me away?" the nanny stutters with a deep furrow of her brow. "Do you know how hard I've tried to forget what happened between us? How hard I've tried to act like everything was perfectly normal and fine when it wasn't? God."

A wave of guilt hits me hard in the gut from the painful sound of Cassie's voice breaking. She looks like she's almost on the verge of tears, her mixed and volatile emotions getting the best of her. But she quickly turns her cheek away to wipe off her watery eyes and to bite down on the tender recollection of her heart's struggles. Even when she's past her emotional limit, she still tries to stay strong and confront me with a bold and determined look on her face like she's unbreakable. Like she's unstoppable.

And it's that exact tenacity which I can't help but greatly admire her for -- that grit and perseverance which I gradually began to fall for without ever realizing it.

"Honestly? I didn't actually expect you to believe me that easily," I softly chuckle. But the slight grin on my lips from the laughter falls from my face as I peer into her lovely brown eyes which makes my heart gently stir. "So why don't you tell me what I can do to prove it to you instead? What do I need to do to show you that I'm serious about my feelings for you?"

Cassie is left temporarily speechless by my forward and upfront suggestion. She continues to look into my eyes as though she's waiting for me to break, yet I destroy her expectations by maintaining my stance and position on the matter without faltering. When she finally realizes that I'm serious about proving myself to her, the frustrated expression in her scowling glare eases up. She bites her lower lip and drops her eyes toward the ground.

I can feel my heart pounding and racing from the obvious implication in the young woman's timid reaction. As much as she wants to hide what she's thinking about from me, I already know the answer to my loaded question based off the tender and rosy look on her face. I slowly place my hand underneath her chin and lift her head up toward mine. However, she stubbornly chooses to avoid my firm stare until I eventually speak out to her: "Tell me, Cassie. What is it that you want from me?"

My question prompts her to raise her eyes up toward me, the muddy color of her irises entering into my line of vision. I normally would find the dark and dull brown color unappealing to gaze into, but her intense stare seems to have completely grabbed my interest for some reason. The plain yet pretty shade strangely suits her and accentuates her natural charm. It's a hue and color which I have grown to appreciate and favor over time.

But the longer I look into Cassie's eyes, the more I begin to notice the appeal and beauty in her appearance. It starts off with my gaze lingering on her eyes where my captivated stare then starts to drift down lower toward her tempting lips. A heavy wave of lust and passion sweeps through me as I fight and struggle to not give in so easily to my desires. However, the sensual sight of her slightly parted and pouted lips fills me with the incredible urge to taste and kiss her, an impulse and craving which I have been staunchly resisting since I set the strict boundaries between us.

And now that Cassie's unintentional seduction is testing me again right before my very eyes, I know that I can't hold back my lust any longer.

My mind completely blanks as I abruptly move forward and press my lips against Cassie's mouth before she can do or say anything to stop me. I can feel my heart pumping and my adrenaline rushing from the sweet sensation of her soft lips against mine. Each gentle yet passionate kiss makes my chest swell up with so much joy that I can't stop chasing after more and more of it. The intoxicating scent and touch of her lips continues to overwhelm my senses until she finally pulls away from me with an out of breath look on her face.

"That's cheating, Mr. Bishop," Cassie heavily pants while a red flush spreads across her cheeks.

The disgruntled tone of her voice tells me to stop what I'm doing, but her flustered yet eager expression tells me to keep going. She's desperately trying to convince me with that bitter glare that she hates the feeling of my kisses even when I know it's what she really wants. There's only so much contempt she can pretend to hold toward me, especially when those heavy-lidded eyes and sensually-parted lips betray her. It's a telling expression I've seen time and time again, and I've never been a fool to mistaken it.

Yet I pull in close to Cassie's ear, so close that my breath probably tickles against her neck. "Let's stop with the formalities, Cassie. Just call me Noah like you did that night."

I weave my fingers through the long and thick strands of her hair until my palm rests on the back of her head. A slow and heavy sigh escapes me as I admire her hesitant yet eager brown eyes which anxiously await my next move. There's no question that she wants this as badly as I do. She's just not willing to admit it to herself out of sheer pride.

My mouth instinctively moves in to kiss her, but Cassie surprisingly presses her lips up against mine first before I can even make the first move. The immediate sensation of her soft lips against my mouth brings a heavy and fuzzy weakness to my knees. It's exhilarating. An instant rush of adrenaline and excitement pulses through my whole body from the passionate kisses that are planted on my lips.

There's no holding back anymore and any longer.

I'm going to take back and claim what's always been mine.

A gasping moan softly trails out of Cassie's mouth while I rapidly tear off the buttons of her dress until her naked flesh is exposed to me. She sighs and flinches from the warm touch of my fingertips sweeping across her cold and bare skin, my fingers firmly running down the curve of her spine. The beautiful sound of her pleasured voice sends tingles toward the lower half of my body. I want to hear more of it. I want to hear more of the desperation in her voice.

My hands slide down the curves of her young body where I grab the band of her panties and pull them down to the floor with one tug. But Cassie immediately seizes both of my wrists as soon as I strip her down, the reluctant and shocked look on her face telling me to stop. She cautiously glances over toward the open doorway on the other side of the room as though she were afraid of someone catching us in the middle of the act. Unfortunately, worrying about getting caught is the last thing on my mind right now when her cleanly-shaven mound is directly in front of my face.

Regardless of Cassie's concerns and grasp around my hands, I push her down onto the couch and spread her legs wide apart. I can feel my manhood becoming harder and stiffer as I feast my eyes on her glistening entrance, the pink flesh slightly swollen from her aroused state. My fingertip glides over the natural lubricant that's being produced from between her legs. Even though she tries her best to resist against the full view that I'm receiving of her wet hole and folds, she can't hide the fact that her body likes the attention that I'm giving it.

A big smirk forms across my lips as I watch the tense and restless expression on Cassie's face. I know that she's too stubborn to admit her desperate need for release, so I shove my head and lips right in between her thighs with my tongue prepared to taste her arousal. My tongue slowly dances over the wet entrance of her hole until it finds the engorged bud sitting at the top of it. The muffled sound of a squealing whimper floats through the air while her legs instantly start to tremble around my face, an inviting reaction which encourages me to keep going.

Cassie instinctively grabs the back of my head with her hands as my tongue slides over her swollen pearl again and again. She can't control the pleasurable moans pouring out of her lips nor the natural thrust and shove of her waist against my mouth as if she wants more. But I can tell from the heavy sound of her breathing that her body is growing weaker and weaker to the motions of my tongue. Each time I lick the swollen bud between her legs, she twitches and squirms like she's almost about to cum.

Though I guess it's also partially my fault for getting her this wet and aroused since she never knew what a real orgasm felt like before I showed her one with my cock.

And as much as I would love to keep on teasing Cassie's young body until she's begging for that sweet release, the pleasured and moaning sounds of her voice compel me to keeping rolling my tongue all around her small yet sensitive nub. She softly gasps and shivers with every hot lash of my tongue against her clit. I can feel her hands trying to pull my lips away from her wetness, but I tightly grab her thighs to stop her from shifting away and force her to endure the heavy teasing of my tongue. She should know by now that I won't stop tasting her until she's shaking all over.

"No…no," Cassie whimpers in the middle of her moans in a bid for me to stop.

But despite her hopeless protests, I continue to taunt and punish her clit out of my own selfish desire. All it takes is one final lick and lash of my tongue to set her over the edge. Even when she's already heavily breathing and coming, I can hear her incoherently protesting against the immense pleasure that's rippling across her body. The lovely sound of her orgasmic squeals and cries fill the air as I guide her release with my tongue. Eventually, she just stops resisting and allows the pleasure to flow through her in the form of nonstop contractions.

When the blissful rush finally passes for Cassie, I start to unbutton my shirt and undo my pants. My manhood feels like the hardest it's ever been, my desire to fuck her wet and tight body stronger than ever. The desire to make her physically mine. Yet there's a weary look in her dark brown eyes as she quietly watches me take off my clothes, her silent gaze particularly glued to the sight of the hard bulge jutting out from the lower half of my body. It's almost as if she isn't entirely satisfied with the pleasure that I had just filled her up with. The sensual look on her face tells me that she wants more.

My heart gently stirs as I take the young woman's face into my hands and kiss her right on the lips. An immediate tingling rush flows through me from the gentle warmth of her kisses, my attraction and lust toward her growing more potent than before. I love the way the scent of her natural odor enters my nose as I move my lips to the same rhythm and motion as hers. But each kiss from her soft lips only serves as a reminder of my intense desire for her body.

Cassie's smell is so intoxicating and arousing that I can't help but unleash the carnal instincts within me. I naturally find myself spreading her legs apart where I slowly put myself in between her thighs which is still wet with her feminine juices. She quietly whimpers from the penetrative force of my hard rod entering her slit, but her soft cries aren't enough to stop me stretching out her flesh which tightly wraps around my package. A satisfied exhale parts from my lips as the warm sensation of her tight hole takes the entire length of my cock inside her.

She's so wet that my whole rod penetrates her without any issue.

Yet once I get my shaft nice and wet with Cassie's lubricant, I throw her legs over both of my shoulders and start to move my hips in a back and forth motion. My eyes roll back from the natural tightness of her warm flesh which is still new and inexperienced to the feeling of my manhood stretching it out. The fact that her hole feels like the perfect tight fit for my package edges me closer and closer to that sweet sensation of ecstasy. It doesn't help that the sexy sight of her pleasured face as I thrust myself in and out of her heavily arouses me. Everything about her hot and bothered state seems to just drive me wild.

Even though I know I can let go at any moment if I tried, I hold myself back for the sake of Cassie's sexual delight. I know the exact way she likes to be taken, so I pull myself out and force her to flip over with her ass facing up. She obediently does what I want her to and bends over while her hands tightly grip the arm of the couch for support. However, the view from behind of her swollen and glistening pink lips is too much of a tease for me to wait on. I can't resist the urge to fuck her and make her mine when her body is basically begging for it.

With her wet slit practically being shoved in front of my face, I waste no time slipping back inside her hole which welcomes me into her flesh with ease. But once I shove the whole length in between her thighs, I can't stop indulging in the satisfaction that her tightness brings me. My hips simply thrust in and out of her flesh without stopping, the frantic gasps and sighs of her breath my motivator to keep going. I can feel myself inching closer and closer to release with every plunge and plow of my hard rod between her warm and wet folds, and it seems that it's the same situation for Cassie as well because she decides to rock her body up and down the length of my manhood as if my thrusts weren't enough for her.

Hearing the pure desperation in her moaning voice as she uses my stiff rod to pleasure herself is a huge turn on which shows me how much she wants to come for a second time. No matter how badly I want to draw out the bliss and delight that her body gives me, I can't deny her the satisfaction of climaxing especially since I'm almost there with her. The soaked yet warm feeling of her taut flesh is a deadly combination which has me hanging at the cusp of my release until I can begin to feel the overwhelming sensation coursing through me. I continue to chase after the satisfying feeling with quicker and harder thrusts that intensify the euphoric sensation in spite of Cassie's constant cries of pleasure.

It's clear that she's about to come for me.

A series of powerful contractions instantly start to tighten and ease around my cock as she begins to moan and convulse uncontrollably. But despite the increasing ripple of pleasure that tests the limits of my endurance, my hips continue to aggressively thrust into her while I clench my teeth and brace myself for the eventual release. I keep on chasing the incredibly satisfying and magical feeling with my thrusting motions which only briefly satiates my lust. The constant pleasure that sweeps across my entire body brings me closer and closer to the finish until I can feel myself blanking out in a moment of pure awe and relief.

Everything fades to black, and I lose all control. The amazing strength and force of Cassie's ongoing orgasm grips me so tightly and firmly that I can feel myself being pushed over the edge alongside with her. A cold sweat wraps around my whole body as the powerful feeling rushes over me without slowing down. There's absolutely nothing I can do about the pleasure that's tearing me apart except enjoy the moment without resistance until every last bit of my energy and every last drop of my seed is drawn and drained inside of her.

The only noise that lingers in the air is the sound of us trying to catch our breaths with one inhale and exhale at a time. But after a long passing moment of silence and heavy breathing, I finally start to regain a hold and sense of my surroundings again. A deep exhaustion quickly settles within my bones as I weakly sink down into the couch without much of a thought. My gaze blankly stares straight ahead of me when I suddenly feel Cassie rest her head against my chest and join me in embracing the still yet rainy atmosphere which surrounds us. She sets her face right on top of my heart where she can probably hear just how fast it's beating.

Yet not a single word needs to be spoken from either one of us as we sit underneath the blanket of silence together. I can feel a comfortable feeling of relief and ease gently spreading across my chest with each second and minute that gradually passes by. A natural smile forms on my lips as I put my arm around Cassie's bare shoulder. It's the first time in a long while that I've ever felt this at peace with myself -- a long time since I've actually felt happy.

There's not a worry in the world I could care about right now when Cassie's fondly resting by my side.

Everything feels just perfectly right.

***

My eyes abruptly open up from the incessant and nearby sound of a cell phone violently rattling across a hard surface. I groggily reach my hand toward the noise coming from the nightstand which eventually finds the ringing device after knocking over a few different objects along the blind search. But a slight groan spills from my voice when I realize that it's a work call from  my secretary who is probably wondering where I am today. I ignore the call and then put the phone on silent so that I can go back to sleep for a few more minutes.

I flip back over to the other side of the bed where I immediately pause and stare at the sight of Cassie gently stirring in her sleep. The realization of us having slept together in the same bed had slipped my mind until now. Yet she seems to have also been forced awake by the sound of the phone call, an annoyed expression spreading across her face as her brown eyes slowly open up. My face is the first thing that her sleepy gaze sets its sights on as soon as she opens her eyes up completely. There's a brief period where the young woman simply stares at me before she eventually gasps and realizes that I'm the real thing and not just a figment of her dreams.

"Hey, you," I greet her in a gentle voice that's followed by a slight smile.

"Hey yourself," Cassie hesitantly responds as she quickly sits up from the bed. She grabs and pulls the bed comforter over her chest and all the way up to her neck when she notices that she's still naked, her timid gaze averting my eyes out of embarrassment of the intimate situation.

I smile. Seeing her coy reaction forces me to quietly chuckle in response. It's amusing to see that she's highly self-conscious about a little bare skin when she wasn't so shy about it at all last night. In fact, she practically flaunted and teased me with her curves and her body without any hesitation which is a huge difference from the modesty that she's suddenly displaying right now. But for the sake of giving her some time to gather her thoughts, I casually look down at my phone to sift through my latest work emails and messages.

However, Cassie eventually breaks the peaceful morning silence as she loudly clears her throat in an attempt to clear the awkward atmosphere: "Ahem!"

"So, about last night," she cautiously mentions with a sly glance which looks over at me.

"What about it?" I ask without turning my attention away from the phone.

A brief and hesitant pause falls across Cassie's lips which I can see from the corner of my eye. She looks a bit reluctant and scared to bring her inquiry up to me, but she finally gets the courage to speak up after a few seconds of quiet deliberation to herself. Her head slowly turns to directly look over at me.

"Last night…That wasn't just a crazy dream I had, right?" the young woman warily questions with a hint of fear in her shaky voice.

I lower the cell phone from my face and turn toward Cassie to look into her brown eyes as I immediately shake my head. "No, it wasn't a dream. Everything that happened last night was 100 percent real."

Cassie promptly releases the breath that she's holding in with a heavy exhale of relief. Yet in spite of the reassurance that I have given to her, she doesn't seem completely content or satisfied with my answer. There's still some uncertainty written across her face and planted deep within her eyes. I can feel a sorrowful aura lingering from her presence which lays beside me.

"Okay, so if everything that happened was true, what does that exactly mean for us, then? Because I'll be honest with you, Noah, I'm not trying to be an easy lay for you whenever you want it. I'm not trying to be some sort of a side thing that you can come back to when it's convenient. That's not what I want."

The sound of Cassie's voice remains loud and clear as she firmly shakes her head at me. Her brown eyes longingly look and stare deeply into mine with a sense of vulnerability and desperation. Seeing the pain and distress in her weak gaze makes my heart ache with sharp guilt. But I can't blame her for acting and feeling insecure about where she stands in my life - especially since she's already seen and heard of the types of relationships that I've previously been in. Her doubts and concerns are all warranted.

It's my fault that she's so apprehensive.

Cassie continues to look at me with the same worried expression when I suddenly reach over and grab her by the hand. "It means that I want to be with you, Cassie. Not just as your boss or as your lover, but as your lifelong partner," I confess with a smile and tight squeeze of her hand. "I truly love being with you, and when you're not around, my whole world just doesn't feel quite the same."

The young woman shyly returns a small smile back to me after hearing my heartfelt response. A look of relief and glee spreads across her face as she gradually comes to accept the truth that is spoken from my own lips. Yet that brief and fleeting moment of joy quickly fades away from her expression, an extremely troubled look taking its place instead. A dark aura hangs over her as she furrows her brow and lowers her head.

"But what are we going to tell Taylor?" Cassie plainly asks with worry in her voice.

I raise my eyebrow at her while a natural beam forms on my lips. Even when her happiness is up for discussion, she still manages to worry about Taylor's feelings in the end. I can't help but feel my adoration for Cassie strengthen the more I spend time with her. She doesn't realize it yet, but she has these maternal instincts within herself which I find incredibly attractive and endearing.

There's nothing more enticing and appealing to me than a woman who earnestly treats my daughter with such care and consideration that's of her own volition. It's because of that genuine kindness in her heart that I know that my affection and feelings toward her aren't wrong.

My hand tightly squeezes her warm hand in confidence. "What else can we tell her but the truth? She'll figure it out regardless. Besides, I don't think she'll be too upset over it if I tell her that the other woman is you. She likes you, and I have reason to believe that she won't approve of us."

Cassie lets out a heavy sigh at my unshaken optimism. "I really hope you're right, Noah. The last thing I want to do is feel like I've let her down or betrayed her. Especially after all she's been through."

"I don't think you need to worry about that. If anything, she'll just be more upset with me because I'll be seen as the one who's taking you away from her. And I'm more than fine with being the bad guy in this situation. I'm used to being the villain anyway," I smirk while she gently scoffs at my lighthearted remark.

However, a warm feeling rouses in my chest the longer my gaze sits and dwells on her face. I can't seem to take my eyes off of her soft pouty lips, her lightly-stained red cheeks, and her disheveled brown hair. Even though she has a morning look written all over her weary expression, she's still a lovely and beautiful sight to behold. There's something charming about the natural beauty in her messy and bedraggled appearance. And that modest allure she carries around with her only makes me want to get closer to her.

I make a move and pull in close toward Cassie's face, so close that my body happens to feel tingles from the scent of her natural odor. My chest tightens up from the dizzying aroma that permeates from her presence, my innate desire and affection for her swelling up beyond my immediate control. Just one whiff of her is enough to make my heart break out into extreme flutters and ripples. It takes most of my strength and energy to resist the temptation to simply kiss her and fill her up with my love, but I endure the excitement long enough to ask her the question that's been on my mind for a while now.

"So what do you say, Cassie? Do you want to take a risk and a chance on me, or is it too late for that now?" I ask.

Cassie's brown eyes grow large with surprise for a moment until they quickly shift into a warm and gentle pair of eyes that are filled with genuine delight. "Normally, I don't do second chances. But I think I can make a small exception for you," she cheekily grins.

"Is that right?" I chuckle as she enthusiastically nods her head in confirmation. "Well, all I can say is that I'm honored, and I promise I won't make you regret this decision."

The general atmosphere and mood in the bedroom slowly turns silent and quiet yet in a comfortable sense. But despite the peace surrounding us, I can feel a bit of unresolved tension drifting in the air - the same tension which Cassie undoubtedly feels as well. She softly bites down on her lip before she suddenly moves toward me to press her lips against my mouth. The gentle kiss instantly fills my chest with an inexplicable warmth, a tender warmth which continues to spread and grow with each sweet kiss of her lips.

Nothing feels more right than this moment right now with her.

This is happiness, the happiness that I've been searching for all this time since my heart was broken.

It honestly felt like time had stopped for me that day I lost Elizabeth. I kept searching for distractions and excuses to fill the void in my heart even if it meant hurting the people who were the closest to me. I was on a destructive road without realizing it, and I was gradually becoming an empty person who had forgotten what love was like. But now I can feel the joy and the color slowly being restored within my life - and it's all thanks to her.

Brilliant, bold, and brash to the point of being foolishly reckless - she's everything that I'm not. Being around her has opened up a new world to me, a new shining perspective that I couldn't see at all before. Though I would be lying if I didn't admit to harboring any feelings of guilt because I feel like I'm moving on toward a happier ending that doesn't include Elizabeth. I know I shouldn't feel any shame in taking a step forward in life, but I've always been afraid to welcome the potential happiness that's waiting for me in the arms of another woman.

Yet the burden of my fears is gone now. That constant and miserable feeling of unease is replaced by Cassie's strength and comfort. In all honesty, that woman is stronger than I'll ever be. She also probably won't ever realize that I need her in my life more than she will ever need me. But I'm fine with keeping that a secret from her because I'll just show her how much she means to me each and every day we have to spend together.

We have all the time in the world to indulge in one another's company, and I'm sure that this path that I'm headed on with Cassie is going to be a long journey that I'll be enjoying every single second of. My whole body is already shaking with anticipation from the thought of our new beginning and promises. I can only see an endless light waiting for me at the end of the road, a light which shines the way for new opportunities.

A brand new chapter in my life's story is about to begin, and I'm more than ready to start it with Cassie by my side.

***