Chapter 18
Sauce simmered on the stove on their last night together until after the holidays, and what a wonderful few days it had been. Last night, Brody had taken Cassie to one of the best restaurants in Atlanta for a private dining experience at the chef’s table. Tonight, he was giving her a lesson on how to make red sauce from scratch. Cassie didn’t know if she would ever get her head out of the clouds with all the romance Brody had given her, as promised.
He’d even started teaching her to cook. All of a sudden, the kitchen was a fun and interesting place, instead of just another room to clean or someplace to piece together a meal. Food became more than just fuel or an indulgent night out with friends. He brought together all these different textures and smells to play with, showing her new ways to combine ingredients and learn the way flavors could meld and work together to create something unique. For the first time, someone was patient with her, letting Cassie explore and learn without fear of rejection.
Even when she tried to pull off a surprise breakfast one morning while he slept in and wound up burning the eggs, Brody had just smiled, poured a cup of coffee, and ate them anyway. He gave her a wink and said they were, by far, the best burned eggs he’d ever had. The comment had chased away the anxiety that had built inside her and made Cassie laugh instead.
She’d also learned that the downside of staying with Brody was he had a slightly sloppy and lazy side to him. When you were with someone all the time, it was easier to see their imperfections. No disarray lay in the kitchen — there he was almost obsessively organized and as clean as a five-star restaurant — but most days Cassie could trace the path he had taken from the front door to exactly where he’d stopped by the trail of keys, wallet, jacket, shoes, a spare glove, or phone all dropped casually as he went. Brody did eventually pick up and organize at some part of his day but admitted a little sheepishly that when he worked long hours for multiple days in a row, he didn’t give a damn about any of it until he got some down time. When Cassie pointed out how he could just put it all away the first time, then his days off could be spent doing more things he enjoyed, Brody shook his head and said he’d try to work on it but since he was closing in on thirty-five, Cassie shouldn’t hold out much hope for change. She supposed their differences were what made their relationship interesting.
It was almost sad, she mused as she chopped romaine, how much she was going to miss him. The simple days they had had together had come to mean more than she’d known possible. To be able to share a part of her life with someone in that way was special. Walking with Brody as they held hands, long talks, cooking dinner together, and waking in his arms every morning made her feel content in a new way. They had even trained together one morning in Brody’s gym. One of the things she loved the most though was dancing with him. Having only ever really had Nathan as a dance partner, Cassie adored how Brody would pull her into his arms and move them around the room to whatever was playing. To have a partner to celebrate that movement with was a freedom and joy only few understood.
Whatever Cassie might have thought a couple of weeks ago when she first started seeing Brody, part of her – maybe she had a romantic side after all, now wanted to spend the holiday with him. The logical side of her knew, without a shadow of a doubt, how stupid that would be. Going home to meet the parents and family signified something big. Something they weren’t ready for yet.
Sure, they had joked about it — Brody had even invited her to come with him again — but Cassie had put on the brakes. He’d shrugged it off, but Cassie knew, in some way, she had hurt him. And she had had to put that aside because she wasn’t ready to share them with the rest of the world. There was no way her family would ever understand just how happy he made her. Outside of Nathan and Anna, Cassie hadn’t told a soul she was dating a really wonderful man, who just happened to be a famous actor, and was having mad crazy delicious sex with him every night.
That famous actor slid his arms around her from behind. “Salad you’re making there looks good. Almost done with it?” Sensual kisses worked their way across her cheek to capture her mouth.
“I am. Will that sauce ever be ready? It’s cooked for most of a day. We could have just used a jar,” she teased, knowing it would earn a horror-filled response.
Predictably, Brody fell back on the counter, clutching his chest. “Sacrilege, Cassie, sacrilege. Jars are only to be used in extreme emergencies. We’ll freeze up the leftovers and have them when we need them. Like those long days you and I put in. That’s the point of big batch cooking.”
“Yes, so you said with the soup and chili. We’re stocked up for a war.”
Loving the feel of his arms around her as she worked layering olives and feta cheese on the bed of greens, she pronounced it finished. She may not be able to cook as well as Brody, but Cassie could build a mean salad.
“Come with me. I have a surprise for you.” Taking her hand, he led the way to the living room couch.
“What have you done now? More lingerie?”
Brody had already shredded more than a few of the pieces he’d bought her. The last time he’d tossed her ripped panties over his head with a wicked gleam in his eye, he told her he was researching more colors and options.
“No, come here and sit with me.” Settling Cassie on his lap, he took a small gift-wrapped box off the table. “Merry Christmas.”
Thrown off balance, Cassie stared at the pretty red-and-gold box sealed with a gold satin bow. “I thought we agreed we weren’t going to do anything.”
They had talked about it the other day, and Cassie had been a little relieved by their decision. What on earth did you get a guy who had everything and could buy anything he could think of?
“No, you agreed. I made a noise which may or may not have been noncommittal.” Settling back, Brody gave her a smug grin.
“Dammit, Brody, you are such a rat sometimes. That’s not playing fair.”
“Well, I thought about going for the extravagant piece of jewelry that cost a ridiculous amount of money, but my gut instinct told me you’d get really pissed off about something like that. This is a compromise.” He framed her face with his hands and drew her in to kiss. “Open it. Please?”
“Just a minute.”
Cassie wiggled off his lap, went up to her purse, hesitated a moment, and pulled out a festively wrapped package of her own. She came back chewing on her lip. She’d found something for him the other day but had held off since they’d talked about not exchanging gifts. Giving him such a little thing seemed so silly, and she knew it would no way be close to what Brody probably had for her.
Brody gave her a smile that was slow and easy while he shook his head at her. “So much for agreements, huh?”
“It’s not much. I honestly thought about not even giving it to you… I-I didn’t know really…what you might like. Anyway… sometimes I find things and they just seem right for someone…”
“You gonna let me open it or keep me guessing until New Year’s?” he teased, pulling Cassie back down.
“Yes. All right,” she said, handing the package over. His arms wrapped back around her, and Cassie waited while Brody undid the bow and slowly peeled open the edges. “Oh my God, you’re one of those people who unwraps an inch at a time?” She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him. “Nathan does the same.”
Brody only pulled her closer and stopped to kiss her. “You know, funny thing. People don’t usually give me gifts anymore. They think I have anything I could possibly want. So yes, I’m going to enjoy the moment here, baby.”
Guilt sneaked in, since that had been exactly her thought, so Cassie sat quietly while Brody went back to the wrapping paper, revealing at last the journal she had found for him in a boutique store outside of her hotel in Chicago. A silly impulse buy that she felt like cringing over now.
“Wow. Cassie, this is wonderful.” Opening it, Brody flipped through the empty lined pages that waited to be filled, admiring the imprinted leather cover, his long fingers tracing the pattern.
“It’s sacred geometry,” Cassie explained. “Four intertwined circles. They represent the five elements of the universe when they come together: earth, water, sun, air, and fire. The balance of human nature inside us all. Susan could tell you in more detail.”
“I’ve no idea what any of that means, but I love it.” Brody shifted to take her lips again. “How’d you know I journal most every day?”
“You mentioned it once. And I might have seen your book on the bedside table.”
“This is really special, sweetheart. Thank you so much.”
That he seemed so touched by the gift left her ridiculously pleased. “You really like it?” Her fingers traced his handsome face and toyed with the edges of his hair falling every which way, depending on how often he ran a hand through it.
“I do. It’s perfect. I’ve journaled pretty much every day since high school. So yes, I love this. You couldn’t have picked anything more perfect. Your turn. Let’s see if I did just as good. Although I think I’ll get to enjoy your gift a lot longer.” Brody set his present for her back in her hands.
Nerves danced through her stomach again. Hoping he hadn’t gotten her anything too extravagant, Cassie pulled off the bow, lifted the lid, and let out a relieved smile. Lying inside was a framed picture of a gorgeous sun-filled sandy beach. A stunningly designed house sat in the background up on the cliffs. Pure island style. It looked like the perfect place to dream in.
“Thank you. Did you take this picture? What a beautiful place. Where is it? It’ll look great on my wall somewhere.”
Brody loved surprising her. Watching her smile at a gift that she thought was just a picture, Brody couldn’t wait to show her how to dream bigger and better. His fingers crossed on the hope that she would take the rest of the gift just as well.
“It’s in the British Virgin Islands. A friend owns the property. It’s a great place to relax and get away from it all.”
A smile played on Cassie’s lips as she glanced at him. “It really is lovely. Your friend is a very lucky guy.”
“It’s available over the week through and after New Year, right after Christmas. Anytime we want to go.” Brody had the supreme pleasure of watching Cassie’s expression turn to shock as her hazel eyes went wide.
“What?”
“I want you to think about going away with me.”
“I-I can’t… I mean… you can’t just…”
“And here you’re some sort of professional seminar spokesperson.” Snuggling her in closer, Brody tipped her face up to his. “I wanna take you away somewhere special. A week of just you and me. Sun and sand.” He could tell she was struggling with it from the way she was worrying her bottom lip again, and he brought her hand to his lips. “Don’t make it about the money, Cassie, ’cause I know that’s where your brain is trying to go. Let me do this. What do you say?”
Her mind was stuck at the idea of a trip, racing between Brody whisking her off somewhere and guilt over wanting exactly that. To let him do it just so she could spend the time with him before the insanity of her schedule took off again after the start of the new year. That war coupled with how she was going to swing her work schedule if she did, and more guilt over the cost of the trip. Cassie struggled with it. Truly she did. How could she turn down a man who was trying to give her something so special though? All about drowning you with the look in his eyes when he asked you.
“Brody.” Laying her lips on his softly, Cassie whispered, “This is so much. You make it so hard to say no.”
“Then don’t. Say yes and come with me.”
Her gaze fell on the picture again. An idyllic getaway. One she had thought about treating herself to a few weeks back, and here it was — the perfect gift waiting to be enjoyed. Nathan and Anna had suggested she let the money thing go and enjoy whatever Brody threw out, since there was no way she could compete anyway. They insisted she could find other ways to thank him for caring enough, so she should enjoy the fact that someone wanted to pamper her for a change, from all the little things Brody did to even the wild, outlandish ones.
And sometimes it was the gifts offered so freely which were the hardest ones to accept. Unless you took a leap, trusted, and gave in. One of the things Cassie was trying to teach herself right now was gratitude. She needed to learn how to be grateful for what life had given her in this man who was slowly and steadily capturing her heart. Sneaking around all her walls, or if that didn’t work, Brody simply climbed over or kicked them down.
Cassie slid her arms around his neck. “All right. Take me away to this beautiful place. I’d love to go with you.”
His eyebrow rose. “I thought it would be harder to talk you into it.”
“I probably should fight you about it, and part of me really wants to, but instead I’ll be sweet and grateful that I have such an amazing, thoughtful guy who wants to sweep me away somewhere.” Fiddling with his collar, Cassie met his eyes. “See? I’m getting better with you being my hero. Can I buy the plane tickets at least?”
Brody only grinned at her and closed the distance to celebrate with a heated kiss. “Not a chance, baby. Being swept away means you let me do it my way. Merry Christmas, Cassie.”
“Merry Christmas, Brody.”
It was a very long time before they got back to dinner that night.