23750932750

“I can’t think of anyone else but you for the job,” he added, taking a step closer to me.
“Does Tracina know?”
“I haven’t run it past her yet, no. Cassie, we’re not … we’re not partners. Not like it would have
been with … you.”
We both felt the weight of his words fill the unfinished room. I reached forward, caressing his
forearm with my fingers, electrifying us both. I meant it as a thank-you gesture, to punctuate this great
opportunity he had just offered me, one that I would still need time to think about. But then my hand
started to move, almost of its own accord, traveling up his arm, under the sleeve of his T-shirt where
a new muscle had formed, the one that twitched when he punched in numbers at the cash register or
rolled a layer of paint on a wall. My hand moved slowly over his chest, lingering above his heart,
which sped up beneath my touch, sending a vibration through my arm. He grabbed me by the elbow
and tugged me against him, placing a hand under my chin to tilt my face up so I was staring into his
eyes.
“Do you understand how much I want you?” His voice was strained, hoarse.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but the words were stuck in my throat. And then I
felt it, his mouth on the base of my neck, kissing me there. When our lips met, it was like they had
missed each other for ages.
“Cassie …” He said my name between kisses, biting, nibbling my lips, one arm around my back,
holding me against him, his other hand diving under my T-shirt, cupping my breasts lovingly, greedily.
I felt him stiffen as I buried my head in his shoulder and shut my eyes. I wanted to freeze this moment
with the only man I really wanted, holding me, wanting me …
“I won’t stop, unless you tell me to stop,” he whispered, his hand sliding down the back of my
jeans, squeezing.
I didn’t want him to stop, and if I hadn’t spotted my flushed, guilty face in the mirror over the bar, I
wouldn’t have made him stop.
“We can’t,” I said, prying myself out of his embrace and taking a step back. He recoiled too, not
from me, but from his own actions.
“We were friends for years, Will,” I said. “Good friends.”
“I don’t want another friend. I want you.”
“Believe me. In a few months, you’re gonna need friends,” I said, tucking my T-shirt back into my
jeans and straightening my apron.
“I’m sorry, Cassie. It’s actually pretty shitty of me to offer you a promotion and then turn around
and fall all over you like that.”
“I won’t lodge a complaint … if you promise not to do it again.”
“I’m not making any more promises I can’t keep. But can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“Will you think about my job offer?”
“I will.”
“Will you be here tomorrow?”
“First thing.”
“And the next day?”
“And the day after that.”
“I guess that’s gotta be good enough. For now.”
I smiled. How could I not? I turned and headed out of the room and down the hall to the stairs.
“Cassie, just so you know …”