Chapter 24
He returned moments later with their glasses refilled, handing one to her before settling beside her on the couch.
“I still can’t believe you’re spending the night here,” Cas said, sipping his wine, eyes flicking to her face.
Vee shrugged lightly. “I miss Valentina. And well… you’re the next best thing p>
He scoffed. “Ooh. I’m flattered. Second favorite. I’ll take it p>
She laughed. “That’s not a fair measurement. It should be a male female thing. You’re my favorite man p>
“And you’re my favorite girl p>
He reached for her glass, fingers brushing hers as he took it from her hand and set it aside. The kiss that followed was meant to be light. A punctuation mark. A reminder of affection without complication.
But she grabbed his shirt.
She pulled him closer, and whatever careful boundary he’d been holding onto slipped through his fingers.
The couch suddenly felt too small.
Vee leaned back, drawing him with her, her hair spilling against the cushions as Cassidy braced himself over her. His lips found her neck. He kissed the place just below her jaw, then lower, to the edge of her collarbone, to the soft skin at the top of her chest.
The TV kept playing, laugh track rolling on.
He looked at her briefly, breathing uneven. “Vee,” he murmured. “If we’re going to stop, we should stop now p>
“Don’t stop, please. I want you,” Vee moaned.
Cassidy’s brain did a ridiculous, little dance. “Fuck yeah,” he said, breathless, a crooked chuckle escaping him.
She laughed softly as she pulled her dress over her head, tossing it aside. The fabric landed somewhere near the coffee table, forgotten. She lay beneath him in just her underwear, hair fanned out, cheeks flushed, eyes dark with want.
“Fuck,” Cas swore.
He pressed his cock against her, the contact stealing the air from his lungs. His hand cupped her breast instinctively, and he kissed her again.
Then he pulled back just long enough to peel his shirt over his head, tossing it aside with a careless flick. He was painfully hard, desire coiled tight in his body, sharp with how long it had been since he’d let himself want someone like this.
They shifted, tangled, laughter bubbling up as gravity betrayed them and they tumbled off the couch together. The impact was clumsy, ridiculous.
Vee pulled him closer.
She grabbed his hair, fingers threading through it, guiding him to her chest. Cassidy groaned. He tugged the material of her bra down just enough to free her breast, kissing and worshiping her skin. He took his time, his lips closing around a nipple.
Vee arched beneath him, pleasure rippling through her body, her breath turning uneven.
Cassidy shifted, his fingers sliding between her thighs, tracing her pussy back and forth slowly, teasingly.
His fingers slowed, pulling her underwear aside, then slipped his fingers inside her, learning her reactions the way a musician learns an instrument by ear. Every hitch of her breath, every involuntary movement, he catalogued without thinking, his body responding faster than his mind could keep up.
“Cas,” she breathed. Her hands slid up his arms, fingers digging in.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured. He kissed her jaw, her cheek, her temple, her breasts as he pushed his fingers deeper inside her. “Just breathe. Stay with me p>
Vee gave soft, broken sounds she didn’t even seem aware she was making. Her body arched toward him instinctively, chasing sensation, trusting him completely.
He kept his movements unhurried. The tension built slowly, beautifully. Every second stretched.
Then she gasped, her body tightening, the sound of his name breaking apart on her lips. Her fingers clenched in his hair as the wave finally crested, pleasure rolling through her in a way that stole her breath entirely. She wasn’t aware of anything but warmth and release.
“Wow,” she whispered after a moment.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “You look divine p>
He lifted himself and began to work on his shorts when a knock came at the door.
Cassidy’s brows furrowed as he lifted his phone from the coffee table, the screen lighting his face in a pale blue glow. Past midnight.
“That’s odd,” he muttered.
He crossed the living room and leaned into the door to peer through the peephole. His shoulders tightened. He straightened slowly, then turned back to Vee with a look that sat somewhere between curiosity and caution.
“Something tells me he’s here for you p>
“What?” Vee gasped.
“I met him once. At the pizza parlour p>
“What?” She scrambled upright. She grabbed Cassidy’s abandoned shirt from the armrest and tugged it on. “What’s he doing here p>
Cassidy shrugged. “You want me to open it, or tell him to get lost p>
Vee stood there, heart beating loud enough she was sure both men could hear it. There was no safe answer. She had known he kept eyes on her, shadows that reported back, but following her here, to Cassidy’s apartment, crossed a line.
“Open it,” she said finally.
Cassidy nodded once and pulled the door open. “Hi,” he said.
Luca stood there, blue eyes sharp. Behind him hovered the man who had been watching Veronica.
Luca stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. His gaze found Vee instantly and lingered. He took in the shirt, the bare legs, the way her hair spilled messily over her shoulders, the dress abandoned on the floor.
Luca dipped his hands into his pockets, posture loose, voice deceptively calm. “Get over here p>
“Excuse me,” Cassidy began, instinctively stepping forward, righteous anger rising faster than common sense.
“I’ll get to you in a minute.” Luca’s mouth curved into a lazy smirk as he flicked a glance at Cassidy, then his attention snapped back to Vee with frightening focus. “Come here p>
“What are you doing here?” Vee asked, forcing the tremor out of her voice.
Luca stepped forward.
Cassidy reacted on instinct, grabbing Luca’s arm. He barely had time to register the mistake. The man beside Luca moved brutally, catching Cassidy’s wrist, twisting it behind his back in one smooth motion. Cassidy cried out as he was forced down to one knee, breath knocked from him, pride following shortly after.