Chapter Sixteen
Cash was picking her up at six, although their reservation at Interlude wasn’t until seven. She buzzed around her kitchen, nerves fluttering wildly in her belly, making sure the cake was perfect and ready to be transported to the restaurant. It was different than other ones she’d done, so she hoped Cash liked it. More importantly, she hoped his mom liked it.
It was a tall cylinder of cake, frosted in shades of pink that started with a deep rose at the bottom, ending in a pale blush at the top, and adorned with three big pink flowers, a few smaller ones that cascaded down the side, and topped with a sugar butterfly in pastel shades of pink, blue, and mauve.
She clasped her hands together as she studied it and scrunched her face up with excitement.
Okay. She needed to get herself ready, too. She still hadn’t decided on a dress, although she was all showered, shaved, and silky with her favorite body lotion, her hair blown out smooth. She ran upstairs on bare feet and hopped from foot to foot in front of her closet, where she’d hung two dresses—the black halter-style dress and the red one with the shoulder cutouts. She pursed her lips. Black was safe. You could never go wrong with black. The red was gorgeous, but tonight was definitely a little black dress night, a sophisticated fade-into-the-background night as opposed to a stand-out night, since she didn’t know anybody who was going to be at this party other than Cash.
She shrugged out of her robe and slipped on a sheer black thong and black strapless bra, then shimmied the dress down over her head. She reached for the zipper and got it halfway up her back when it stuck. Well crap. She tugged at it in vain and finally gave up. She’d have to get Cash to help her when he got there.
He was always helping her.
She’d thought she was helping him by making this cake, but she wasn’t entirely sure he wasn’t helping her by hiring her to do it. She was just starting out in her business. Although she’d had a few orders right away those first weeks, last week she’d had not a single one, and she was starting to worry that maybe her initial confidence had been misplaced.
She grabbed a pair of strappy black sandals and a pashmina for later, in case it was cool when they came home, and ran lightly back down the stairs. She was halfway down when the doorbell rang. Pausing, one hand on the rail, she sucked in a breath at the way her heart leaped in her chest, then continued down at a slower pace.
She opened the door to see Cash wearing a pair of narrow black dress pants and a fitted charcoal striped shirt with the cuffs turned back. Dark stubble shadowed his jaw. He looked so stylish and sexy, she wanted to whimper. “Hi, come on in,” she chirped, trying to sound casual and together.
“Wow,” he said. “You look amazing.”
Her heart quivered. “Why, thank you. You look good yourself.”
His hot gaze swept up and down her body, and her skin heated. “Would it be inappropriate to tell you how fuckable you look?”
Her girl parts squeezed. “Um. It might be. But since there’s nobody here but us, I’ll tell you that you look pretty fuckable, too.”
His smile went dirty. “Excellent.”
And she knew what he was thinking.
When she’d left his place that night after their Daredevil binge, they’d both wanted sex. She’d been hyperaware of him beside her on the couch the entire evening, and the sexual tension shimmering between them had been undeniable. But she’d made herself walk out, because they couldn’t go there.
Tonight might not end like that. And she had to admit her panties were getting damp already thinking about it.
“I, uh, have a little problem.”
“So do I,” he muttered, glancing down. “Only it’s not so little.”
She blinked, her belly doing a flip. A surprised laugh burst from her lips.
“What’s your problem, darlin’?”
“My zipper is stuck.” She pivoted to show him her back.
He sucked in an audible breath. “Jesus.” He stepped closer, and she felt his body heat, then rough fingers brushed her skin as he worked at the zipper. Awareness slid over her skin. A sharp tug had the zipper free, and he slid it up.
“Thank you.”
He cleared his throat. “You’re welcome. So where’s the cake?”
“Right here.” She led the way to the kitchen and gestured.
“Damn. Mama’s gonna love that.”
“You think?”
“Oh yeah. Where’s your bill for it?”
“I’ll PayPal it to you.”
“Aren’t you all professional.” His eyes held a teasing glint, and the corners of his mouth lifted.
“Yes I am.” She tossed her hair back, not wanting to admit the doubts that had started to invade her psyche about what she was doing.
They arrived at Interlude early, Cash carrying the cake. The hostess showed them to the private room on the second floor. A young man and woman were already there, the woman adjusting a floral arrangement on the long table for twelve. She looked up and smiled. “Hey, you’re here. Wow! Is that the birthday cake?”
“No, it’s a hat,” Cash deadpanned.
The girl made a face but grinned, hurrying over to look more closely. “That’s gorgeous!” She turned to Callie. “You must be Callie. I’m Ginnie Hale.”
They shook hands. “Nice to meet you, Ginnie.”
“And this is my boyfriend, Kevin.”
She shook hands with Kevin, too, a young man with dark-gold hair, funky glasses, and nice shoulders.
“You’re so talented,” Ginnie said. “This cake is a work of art. I can’t believe we’re going to eat it.”
Callie smiled. “Thank you.”
A server from the restaurant appeared. “Hi there. I’m Nahla, and I’ll be looking after you this evening. Would you like us to keep the cake in the kitchen until you’re ready to eat it?”
Callie glanced at Ginnie and Cash. Cash shrugged. “Why not keep it out here? It’s too pretty to hide.”
“We can all drool over it while we’re having dinner,” Ginnie said.
“Absolutely,” Nahla said. “We can set it over here.”
The private dining area upstairs was lovely, with reclaimed wood floors, taupe walls with white-painted woodwork, and subtle lighting. Nahla took drink orders.
More guests arrived, hugs and kisses were exchanged, and introductions were made. Then Mrs. Hale arrived with her friend Barb and Barb’s husband, Tom. Callie wasn’t sure why she was so nervous to meet Cash’s mom, a pretty lady who didn’t look fifty, with soft brown hair in a layered, shoulder-length style and subtle makeup. She was tall, a good five inches taller than Callie, and wore a simple pink sleeveless dress.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Callie,” Mrs. Hale said. “I can’t wait to see this cake Cash has been going on about.”
Cash rolled his eyes but extended a hand. “Come have a look.”
Mrs. Hale exclaimed over the cake along with the other guests, and pride warmed Callie’s chest. She met Cash’s eyes, and they shared a smile. “Thank you,” he mouthed across the room.
Nahla handed Mrs. Hale an empty flute. “We have a bottle of Cristal for y’all.”
Mrs. Hale’s eyes widened. Callie was glad Cash had suggested that. Nahla popped the cork and poured some into Mrs. Hale’s glass, then served everyone else the sparkling wine.
“You two have gone to too much trouble,” Mrs. Hale told her son and daughter.
They just waved a hand.
“I hardly did anything,” Ginnie said. “Cash and Callie did it all.”
Mrs. Hale shot Callie a smile that held a hint of curiosity. “Well, thank you. This is lovely.”
Guests mingled as they sipped their champagne.
“So, it’s cool to finally meet you,” Ginnie said to Callie. “I’ve heard Cash mention you, of course.”
Callie smiled. What was Ginnie thinking? This was potentially awkward. “Cash has been a good friend since my divorce,” she said, putting it out there. “Other friends kind of disappeared.” She made a face.
“That sucks.”
“It does. But it’s okay. Obviously, they’re not going to invite me and my ex to parties and such.”
“I suppose that could be uncomfortable.”
“Well, Beau and I aren’t screaming mad at each other. But yeah. And since I’ve been living in the house, Cash has been really helpful when I need something fixed. Which happens way too often.”
“He’s used to looking after people.” Ginnie rolled her eyes. “Whether we want him to or not.”
Callie smiled and sipped some champagne. “Overprotective big brother?”
“Oh yeah.” She made a face. “But he looks after Mama, which is good since I’m not around right now. And honestly, I can’t really complain, since he’s putting me through school.”
Callie blinked. “He is? Oh wow. I didn’t know that.”
“Mama wouldn’t have been able to afford it. I mean, she’s comfortable now, with her admin assistant job, and since Cash bought her the new condo, she’s okay. And she would have helped me, but Cash stepped up. Of course, I work summer jobs to help pay for things.” She paused. “I need to get on that for this year.”
He bought his mother a condo. And paid for his sister’s college education. While he lived in a modest place of his own and drove a Ford pickup.
Kevin joined them then, and Callie tuned out their affectionate banter as she let this knowledge sink in. She watched Cash on the other side of the room, talking to his mom’s lady friends, charming them with his bright smile and gleaming eyes, leaning in to listen to something Barb said, then laughing. She observed the pride on his mom’s face as she looked at him.
Oh God. Callie’s ribs squeezed tight. She gulped some champagne, finishing her glass.
“More champagne?” Nahla appeared with a bottle.
“Thank you.”
She’d liked Cash for a long time. As Beau’s friend. And then as her friend. But now…this huge, swelling feeling inside her felt like…a lot more than friendship.
Everything around her faded away into blurred darkness and muted noise, and she stood alone, contemplating what was happening inside her. This immense feeling…how much she cared about him. How much she admired him. How he did so much for others, and how much they obviously loved him, too. How he made her feel so good about herself, and how she wanted to give that back to him.
She couldn’t be falling in love with Cash. Sweet loving Lord, that would be so bad. Not only was he off-limits, she was on a mission to prove that she could be an independent woman and accomplish something of value.
She shook her head and returned to reality as Cash spoke to the group. “If everyone wants to find their seats, we’re ready to start dinner.”
Callie saw that Ginnie had set out name cards printed on pretty pink stock. Mrs. Hale was seated in the middle of the long table for twelve, with Cash on one side of her and Ginnie on the other. Callie found her seat next to Cash, and he held her chair while she slid into it. “Thank you,” she murmured.
The evening passed quickly, with delicious food, conversation, and laughter. The courses were served family style, platters of chicken with basil and garlic, gnocchi, and a creamy risotto that were passed around so everyone could sample the various dishes. Mrs. Hale had been firm that she wanted no gifts, so once the table had been cleared, the cake was served with coffee and tea. The restaurant cut the cake and plated it, and Callie smiled to see Mrs. Hale’s serving had the biggest flower and the butterfly.
Once more, she was pleased when everyone complimented her on how good the cake was.
After dessert, the guests lingered at the table, some drinking coffee, others finishing the bottles of wine. When things started to wind down, she rose from the table with the others, saying good night to those leaving.
Cash’s mom moved closer to her, away from the rest of the group. “Thank you again for the beautiful cake.”
“You’re very welcome. I’m glad you liked it.”
“Cash talks a lot about you.”
Callie blinked. “He does?”
Mrs. Hale smiled. “He does.”
“Well, we’re, uh, friends.” Even as she said the words, she knew they didn’t sound convincing.
“So he says. You know, Cash has very strong feelings about loyalty and honor.”
Callie gazed at Mrs. Hale. “I know.” What was she getting at?
“But I would hate it if his honor kept him from being happy—he deserves that.”
Speechless, Callie let Mrs. Hale give her a hug, then move on to say good night to other guests.
She wasn’t sure what that had been about, but the love and pride Mrs. Hale felt for her son was evident. That was what a mom should be—loving and supportive. It was also heartwarming watching the private jokes and gentle teasing Cash and Ginnie and their mom shared.
Nahla approached Callie. “I understand you made the birthday cake.”
She turned, still a bit muddled about what Mrs. Hale had said. “Yes, I did.”
“Do you have business cards? And a website?”
“I do.” Thank God. She handed a couple of cards over.
“My boss was crazy over the cake,” Nahla said. “He wants to know if you make other things as well.”
“Yes, I do. Cupcakes, of course, fancy cookies, macarons.”
“We host a lot of private functions here. We’ll definitely keep you in mind for our clients.”
“Thank you so much.”
Well, that was good.
“We’re taking Mom home,” Ginnie said when all the other guests had left. “You ready, Mom?”
“I sure am. That was so much fun.” She gave Cash a hug, then turned to Callie and hugged her, too. “Again, lovely to meet you and get to know you better, Callie.” Her gaze flicked to Cash and then back to Callie’s face, her eyes alight. “Hopefully I’ll see you again soon.”
Uh-oh. Mrs. Hale did think there was something between her and Cash.
And she’d be right. But…
Oh God, that huge “but” was her ex-husband.
Cash drove her home. When he pulled into her driveway, he jumped out as usual to get her door and helped her from the truck. At her front door, they paused. She turned to face him and their eyes met. A muscle twitched in his jaw and heat built between them.
Once again, temptation battled with good sense. Those feelings that had swelled up inside her earlier, so huge and fierce, made her long for him. Only he could ease the ache inside her. She wanted to give in to it even though she was afraid of where this could lead. She didn’t want him to leave. “Coming in?” she asked quietly.
“If I come in, I’m not leaving until tomorrow.”
She licked her bottom lip, and his eyes flickered. “Good.”
“Christ, Callie. Are you sure you’re okay with this? What if your mom comes by again? Or someone else?”
“I don’t care. Do you?”
He groaned. “Apparently not as much as I should.”
She unlocked the door, and he followed her into the dark house.
She didn’t bother pretending they were going to have coffee or a drink. She led the way upstairs, flicking the switch for the light at the top of the stairs, her body buzzing with need for him and her heart full. His steps were heavy behind her, and she sensed his nearness, but he didn’t touch her. Yet.
In her room, she turned on the tall floor lamp in the corner and turned to face him. He was already taking off his clothes, shedding his shirt, then undoing his pants. Her mouth went dry at seeing his bare chest, his pants hanging low on his hips.
“Take your clothes off, darlin’,” he instructed in a low, husky voice that made her panties damp.
“I need help.” She lifted her long hair and held it up as she pivoted to give him her back.
“Ah yeah.” He moved behind her, and his lips brushed the back of her neck while his fingers slowly drew down the zipper. His lips followed the lowering zipper, trailing down the center of her back. She shivered. “This dress is sexy. I love how it shows off your shoulders.”
He crouched behind her and opened his mouth on the small of her back in a long kiss, then rubbed his stubbled jaw there. An insistent ache built between her thighs. She pushed the dress down her arms, and Cash helped it all the way down to her feet. She went to turn, but he stopped her, his hands on her hips, his mouth feathering kisses over her low back, then even lower, below the string of her thong panties. He cupped her ass, nibbled and kissed. His fingertips teased the crease where cheek met thigh. A moan leaked from her lips as his touch had heat washing through her body.
A dreamy, floaty feeling made her knees wobble. She let out a soft sigh of pleasure as he continued to stroke her, fingertips dipping between her thighs, so close to where she ached to be touched. Then he rose slowly, kissing his way back up. When he placed his lips on top of her shoulder, he unfastened her strapless bra, then reached around her to pluck it away and toss it aside. His hands cupped her breasts from behind.
“Such pretty tits.” He gave a gentle squeeze. “Soft.” He massaged them.
She leaned her head against him and arched her back, tingles spreading over her skin. He pinched her nipples, pulled them out, and gently rolled them. Liquid heat settled low inside her. His tongue ran up the side of her neck, and he caught her earlobe in his lips and tugged. Ripples of exquisite pleasure ran through her.
“So hot, darlin’. So pretty. And you smell amazing.” He took a deep breath, squeezing her breasts again.
She could hardly breathe, her heart was beating so fast, her body electrified. “You’re good at this,” she managed to say.
“Mmm. I like this.” One hand slid down her abdomen, excruciatingly slowly, fingertips lingering at her belly button, then going lower, cupping her through her sheer lace panties. “Hot.” He rubbed over the lace. “I can feel how wet you are right through your panties.” His voice had gone dark and thick.
Her eyes closed, and her pelvis pushed into his touch. His body was hard against her back, including his cock.
“You want my hand between your legs?”
“Mmm.”
“I thought so.” He sucked the skin on the side of her neck and slid his fingers between her thighs.
She pulsed against his hand as he stimulated her with gentle pressure. His arms tightened as her body began to shake, her hips moving, hot pinpoints of sensation building inside her. God…she didn’t want to come already, but she couldn’t stop it. She went over, shuddering in his arms, a cry spilling from her lips as pleasure ripped through her. “Oh God, Cash.”
He kissed her shoulder again, holding her tight, her legs so weak and shaky she likely would have fallen if not for him. “Beautiful, darlin’.”
He picked her up and carried her over to the bed, then laid her down on it carefully. She was trembling and limp as she watched him get rid of his pants, boxers, and socks with quick movements.
When he kneeled on the bed beside her, she reached for him, curling her fingers around his jutting cock. He groaned.
She watched herself slide her hand up and down. “God, you’re beautiful,” she whispered. “Thick. Pulsing in my hand.” She brushed her thumb over the wet tip. “I want to suck you.”
“Ah, Christ.” He moved closer on his knees, reaching for her face. She turned her head and drew his cock to her mouth. She licked over the smooth head, swirled her tongue around and around, lower and lower. Her hand slicked up the moisture from her mouth and continued to jack him as she opened her mouth wider and took him inside.
One hand tightened in her hair, and he braced the other hand on the headboard. His hips moved as he gently pushed into her mouth. “Christ, that feels good…your hot little mouth on my dick…and watching you…” She lifted her gaze to meet his, his eyes blazing and focused, his jaw tight, his lips firm. The intimacy of locking eyes while she sucked him had more heat sliding between her thighs. God, she could come again, just from this.
“Okay, darlin’…we have to stop…”
She gave a little shake of her head, not releasing him, continuing to slide her lips up and down.
“Callie…Christ…is that what you want? Me coming in your mouth?”
Her answer was a small movement of her chin and a flutter of her eyelashes. She reached between his thighs for his balls and cupped them. Their round fullness filled her palm, and she gently squeezed.
“Ah fuck.” His balls contracted, his thighs shook, and he let out a long, low groan as he spilled liquid onto her tongue. She took it all, swallowing, sucking, and when he went still, tenderly licking.
“Fuck me,” he gasped. “Callie. Beautiful girl. Hot fucking girl. You’re amazing.”
Still holding him in her hand, she pulled back and smiled, her lips tight and her jaw aching. But she loved it. Warmth spread from her chest through her body as Cash collapsed on the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms.
This was…she had no words. She’d never experienced things this intensely with any other man. This was something special.
Yes, there were things keeping them apart. In her delicious languor and satisfaction, she started to hope that maybe there was some way they could be together…not just for a night (or several) of hot sex…but for more. Because she was falling in love with Cash.