Most of me wanted to jump off the bed, do a fist bump into the air, and shout for joy. She agreed to stay and give our relationship a chance because that’s what she said in more or less words. She planned to give us a chance.
But I didn’t do any of those things, because I had her right where I wanted her. “Good,” I said and placed another quick kiss on her neck. “Now take off your pants and present your ass.”
“Riley,” she said before her mouth fell open in shock.
What did she expect?
“Hurry, babe,” I said when she didn’t make a move. “The longer you take, the longer it is until I can fuck you.”
She bobbed her head back and forth as if she had to consider whether she’d do it or not, but we both knew she would. I ran my finger down her chest, right between her breasts and pulled it away before reaching her belly button.
Her hands fell, and she undid the top button of her shorts with another one of her earth-shattering smiles.
I helped fold back the jean material to get a look at the top of her lacy underwear. “You’re going to love this part, babe. Now take them off.”
She flipped around and lowered her pants, giving me a view of her ass inch by inch. “I better.”
Three beeps with a solid one of the end signified an urgent message from headquarters. Without taking my eyes from Cassandra’s ass. I slipped my phone from my back pocket and held it in front of me. Bennett’s name flashed across the screen.
I held the button on the side of the phone and shut it off, tossing in the to the floor behind me. Figuring out the next part of my relationship with Cassandra was important, and we needed a few days to hammer out the details.
Whatever happened in Pelican Bay could wait.
EPILOGUE
CASSANDRA
About a year later
“I don’t understandwhy you’re being such a jerk, Riley Jefferson,” I said and crossed my arms.
The man had been a jerk to me all day. He criticized everything I did. That morning I left a piece of egg in the microwave and a shoe in front of the door. I put the seat too far up in the car when I had to borrow it to run to the bakery. If he didn’t lay off me soon, we’d have problems. One more critical comment and I’d lose my cool and tell him off.
“It’s not my fault you can’t live up to my standards,” Riley sneered and looked at me as if I just didn’t hold snuff.
That’s it. Now things were on. I stood up from the beach towel, kicking sand on his toes and glared. “Are you kidding me? You did not say that to me right now. Did you?”
If he had half a brain, he’d back away, apologize, and get me an ice cream cone.
Except Riley didn’t do any of those things.
No.
Not when he’s the irritating Jefferson. Rather than apologize and recognize he was a fucking moron, he stood up and matched my posture. His gaze dropped to my body as if he stood there appraising me.
And found me less than acceptable. Then, because he lacked a sense of danger, Riley tilted his head to the side and made the worst insult of all. “How many cookies did you eat at the bakery?”
My mouth fell open but snapped shut. “Did you just imply I’m fat?”
I’d tried hard to leave the violent past of my childhood behind me, but the man deserved death, and I was pretty sure I could win in a court of law. You put one woman on that jury and I’d walk.
“That’s it, Riley. You and I are done.”
I moved to Pelican Bay for the man and set up a life here, but that did not mean I’d stick around in a shitty relationship while he questioned how many cookies I ate. I had rights, standards, and self-esteem. Riley could shove cookies up his ass.
I turned to storm away and froze when a boisterous laugh left him.
You didn’t get broken up with by me and then laugh about it. I whipped around, ready to give him more pieces of my mind, but I didn’t have time because one second I stood on two feet and in the next Riley scooped me up into his arms and made a run for the ocean.
