The blanket was fucking hideous and I was melting under it but I didn’t budge. Cassidy’s show was on, a couple of married ladies were arguing about a company that sells dog high heels, and she was so into it that she’d sunk into my side and let me put my arm around her without making a fuss. She was so fucking cute in her bear pajamas and messy hair that I almost felt sorry for Cash and West because they couldn’t see her. I’d caught her in her private time when she wasn’t struggling to keep her head up against all the bullshit being thrown her way.
“Oh, my god. The shoe idea was Beth’s! There’s video evidence! Does Candace not understand that she’s being filmed for a TV show? Moron. She can’t just say it was her idea and steal the company from Beth.” Cassidy pulled her feet under her and leaned even heavier into me. “This isn’t the first time Beth’s had an idea stolen from her. Last season she had an idea for a pilates party and Sara stole it. But this shit with Candace is next level.The other women are also talking about how they think she slept with Beth’s husband, too.”
I fought a smile and shook my head. “Damn. Beth needs to kick her ass.”
“I know!” She waved the remote around while she spoke, so animated that I took an elbow to the ribs more than once. “I heard a rumor that later in this season she invites Candace on a desert vacation with all the women but gave her the wrong dates so she arrived and there was no one there.”
“Good for Beth.” I watched her as she spoke and grinned when her cheeks flushed as she worked herself up talking about the show. She was even breathing faster as she spoke.
“Then there’s this other show I watch. The last episode I watched ended on a huge cliffhanger. This couple who were getting married showed up at the altar and the guy just stared the girl right in the eye and said that he knows what she did. Then it just cut and I’ve had to wait a whole week to find out what the hell she did. I should’ve started that one first but I like to get the less dramatic ones out of the way first.”
“Thisis a less dramatic one?”
She grabbed my hand and nodded. “You have no idea. Let’s finish this episode and then I’ll show you the other one. Or… I’m sorry. You don’t want to watch this, do you? It’s dumb. I know it’s dumb. We could watch something else. There’s probably-”
I kissed her. Just long enough to shut her up. “It’s not dumb. I’m having a good time. Push play.”
Her eyes flicked back and forth between mine and then dropped to my mouth. “You kissed me.”
I took the remote from her and hit play. “Watch the show, sweetheart.”
She sighed but sank back into me. “I should kick you in the dick every time you call me that. Or baby. OrStrawberry.”
“You don’t like it?”
“I didn’t say that.” She reached up and grabbed my hand that was resting over her shoulder before resting her head on my chest and sighing again. That time it sounded happier, though. “You’re lucky you’re comfortable.”
I felt lucky. I didn’t understand what the fuck I was doing but I’d found some sort of freedom in knowing that Cash hadn’t stopped himself from giving into his desire for her. It wasn’t like me to allow myself something just because one of my brothers had, because most of the time that would end in disaster, but I didn’t want to stick to the rules when it came to Cassidy. Maybe it would still end in disaster but that was another day’s problem.
She watched a few minutes of the show and then tipped her head back to look up at me. “Why’d you really come over, Hayes?”
I kept my gaze on the TV and worked my jaw back and forth as I thought about what I wanted to tell her. Finally I looked down and met her gaze. From that close I could see the freckles across her nose. “Honestly?”
She sat up, breaking our contact, and nodded. “Always.”
“Cash didn’t say anything but West and I figured out that something happened between you two.” I saw her face darken and could read the anger in her eyes when she thought she knew where I was going. “I didn’t come over here because I thought it was open season, Strawberry. I just accepted that the boundaries have changed and if I want to see you, I should just come see you.”
She blinked a few times and then rolled her lips between her teeth as she thought. “You didn’t come over because you thought I was easy and would just fuck you?”
“No.” I was starting to feel embarrassed by what I was saying and it made my answer sharper than I meant it to be.
“You don’t want to fuck me?” She tilted her head to the side just the slightest bit and chewed on her bottom lip as she studied my face.
I took a deep breath to calm down. I didn’t overreact or act at all without thinking typically. “I didn’t say that. I’m just saying that I didn’t come over here tonight with that in mind.”
“So youdowant to fuck me? Just not tonight.”
“Cassidy, I-” I saw the twitch of her lips and scowled at her. “You’re fucking with me.”
She grinned and cuddled into me again like she hadn’t just left me sweating and hard. “Can you rewind the show? We missed a bit.”
“You’re a little shit, you know that?” I dragged her onto my lap and wrapped my arms around her. “I really did just want to see you, Cassidy. As much as I love my asshole brothers, it’s nice to get you to myself.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck and ran her fingers over the tense muscles she found. “Even though there aren’t any cameras around to see?”
I nodded once. It was all I could give her. I wasn’t ready to admit to myself much more than that I just wanted to spend time with her.
She cupped my face in both hands and held my gaze as she nodded. “Same.”
