Chapter 27
Cassy
I had a lot of doubts. I wasn’t sure if I should trust him again, but nevertheless, I just followed my instincts and let my guard down just for that evening.
I probably won’t see him again after this, anyway…I thought as he led me to the dance floor and pulled me close to him.
A romantic song was playing and most of the couples had begun slow-dancing around us.
My heart was sprinting, the fast rhythm seemingly reverberating in my ears. He took my arms and placed them on his shoulders before wrapping his arms around my waist. The entire time his eyes were on mine, a loving gaze in them. I felt like I was melting as we slowly swayed to the gentle music.
We didn’t say anything to each other, and I was happy with that. I had so many words stuck in my throat, but I didn’t know where to start. It was like we were both content just savoring the moment.
Eventually, I slid my hands around his neck and pressed closer to him. It just felt so natural at that time. He held me tighter, which made my body temperature shoot up. I could feel the electricity coursing through my whole body, every inch of me screaming for his familiar intimate touch.
I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. That was when I felt his lips brush against my forehead very gently and very sweetly. I smiled but didn’t open my eyes. I felt like I was floating in a dream I didn’t want to wake up from. It was a beautiful, peaceful place with no remorse, doubts, fears, and lingering pain from the past.
Suddenly, I was shocked to feel his lips graze my ear. A single whisper made my heart swell with so much emotion I could feel tears rising in my throat.
“I love you, Cassy,” he whispered in my ear, causing my heart to constrict because of the immense overflow of emotions that those three simple words conjured. I was almost afraid to open my eyes.
He pulled back gently and faced me, searching my face for some sort of reaction. I was feeling so overwhelmed, I couldn’t get any word out. This was the very first time he’d said those words to me, and I wasn’t even sure if I felt the same way. My mind was blank, but my heart was certainly full.
“Come on,” he said, pulling me toward a portion of the lake where couples were lining up to have their picture taken on a live horse that was posing under a floral heart-shaped arch.
“Really?” I asked, scoffing. “You’re serious?!”
“Why not?” he said, grinning as we waited for our turn. We were the last in line.
“This ain’t too mushy for the big football star?” I said in a joking tone.
“Well, yeah,” he admitted, chuckling. “But just for kicks.”
“Okay,” I said, smiling.
Finally, our turn came. Ivan hoisted me up first on the horse then went up behind me, enfolding me in a sweet embrace. The assistant positioned the horse, the sudden movement causing me to wobble. I gave a little scream, which made Ivan laugh and hug me tighter. “I got you, don’t worry,” he said.
After having our picture taken, he tipped the assistant whom he seemed to know by name. “Thanks, Tommy,” he said. “You can go eat dinner now.”
I was taken aback when Ivan suddenly took the reins and led the horse to a trot. I gave a shriek, gripping his hands tightly in fear of falling. “Are you out of your mind?” I hissed.
“You could say that,” he replied with a laugh, making me glare at him. That made him laugh harder.
We went toward the far end of the lake where we could hardly hear the music from the party. He stopped the horse by the wooden boat house and helped me down before tying the horse to a post. “Thanks, buddy,” he told the animal, patting it on the head and caressing its mane. “We’ll be back in a jiffy.”
“What are we doing here?” I asked, my heartbeat once again picking up as a wave of nervous anticipation washed over me.
“It’s a surprise,” Ivan said as we walked around the boat house on the narrow pathway hanging above the water.
When we got to the other side, I immediately saw the illuminated surface of the lake. I rushed to the wooden railing to lean closer, gasping when I made out the bobbing candles arranged in letter I, a heart shape, and the letter U. Surrounding the candles were lit up pink, white, and blue balloons scattered around on the water, floating quietly under the starry evening sky.
I felt Ivan’s strong arms wrap around my waist as he pressed his body against mine. His warm breath tickled my neck, making my heart beat even faster. “Do you like it?” he asked.
I nodded, tears streaming down my cheeks. “It’s so beautiful,” I whispered, turning to face him. “Why?”
“Just wanted to let you know how much I love you, Cassy,” he answered, gazing into my eyes. “I’m so, so, so sorry for hurting you. And if you’ll have me again, I won’t make any promises, but I will love you the best way I can. I’ve never felt like this before, Cassy. I just can’t bear to lose you without even trying.”
I couldn’t say anything. My mind was spinning, and my heart was teeming with all sorts of emotions. I just kept crying, until he stopped me with a passionate kiss, his lips pressing hard on mine. I found myself kissing him back instinctively, my lips parting to let his tongue in and meet mine in an erotic reunion.
We kissed with great fervor, our hands eagerly exploring each other’s bodies, our hearts almost exploding with the passion. I felt my desire for him rising as he led me toward the nearby door, all the while kissing me hungrily.
We stumbled inside awkwardly and he locked the door behind us. I could hear the sound of the lake lapping gently in the background of my thumping heart. Kicking off my high heels, I stepped onto the wooden panels underneath my feet, hardly feeling the coldness.
He pushed me against the wall, his lips traveling downward to my neck and to the top of my breasts, kissing the flesh of skin exposed with the low neckline of my dress. Before I knew it, he’d taken off my dress and his shirt, his hands caressing my body with much craving.
I longed for him too, realizing how much I had missed him. My fingers fumbled with the zip of his pants as he took off my bra and devoured my heaving breasts.
My head was devoid of logic, empty of thoughts. My body had taken over, the overwhelming desire and passion of the moment intermingling with my inner affection for the man who had helped me take off with my dreams.
I moaned with intense craving as he went down on me, pulling down my underwear and licking my wetness. His tongue expertly thrusted into me, twisting and then moving up and down the length of my sensitive slit. I opened my legs a little more as he inserted his fingers too, making me squirm and groan with great satisfaction.
Just as I was nearing my peak, he stood up and lifted my legs up on either side of him. I saw the wild look in his eyes right before he entered me. I closed my eyes, delighting in his intense rigidness, feeling every bit of him sliding inside. He crammed the space completely, driving me crazy with pleasure.
Thrusting deeper and harder into me, I felt my nails digging into the skin on his back, our raspy breathing unifying with our sounds and utterances of gratification.
I let go without hesitation, allowing the fusion of desire and pleasure to spread across my body and take me to the unparalleled bliss I had missed. We climaxed together, our bodies bursting with electrifying pleasure.
He pulled back gently. As my feet touched the ground again, he took me in his arms and gave me a sweet kiss on the lips. “Be with me, Cassy. Give me another chance.”
My heart was still pounding hard. “I care a lot about you, Ivan…” I started, hesitating.
He looked at me with disappointment and hurt. “But?” he whispered.
I grinned then. “But horsie’s probably wondering what’s taking us so long,” I kidded, making him groan.
We both laughed as we quickly got dressed again and headed out of the boat house hand in hand. When I saw the “I love you” symbol in floating candles, I stopped Ivan and faced him with a serious look on my face.
“Ivan, I really, really appreciate this,” I told him.
“But you need time,” he said before I could continue.
“Yes,” I told him honestly. “Actually, I…”
“What is it?”
I took a deep breath before speaking again. “I’m leaving for Paris in a few days, Ivan. My mom had enrolled me in this fashion school, so I’m planning on staying there for an entire year.”
Ivan looked devastated. “Whew, that’s a whole lot of thinking to do for a year,” he said jokingly.
I lifted my hand to his cheek. “I’m not asking you to wait or anything. I can’t promise you anything as well. All I know is that you are special to me, Ivan. And I hope that someday, we’ll have our chance again.”
He nodded in understanding and then leaned forward to kiss me. “I’ll be waiting, Cassy. No matter what.”