Authors: Nikki Rittenberry
“Jake… Is something
burning
?” she interrupted.
“Damn it!” he shouted. They quickly rushed to the kitchen and Jacob opened the oven door. The pot roast was black and smoldering. He placed the roasting pan down on the counter top and then looked at Cassie. As if on cue, they both began laughing. “I can’t believe I burned our dinner! You don’t by chance like your meat
well-done
, do you?” he asked.
“Well-done, I can handle—but
burnt
…?”
He watched as she covered her mouth and began laughing again. Her laugh was infectious and it warmed his insides. He’d missed hearing it and had to restrain himself from grabbing a hold of her; tickling her so her laughter would continue. “Are you through making fun of me yet?” He asked as he smiled back at her.
“I’m so sorry! It’s just… when you said you make a mean pot roast, I wasn’t expecting
this
!” she exclaimed.
“Me either. I came home later than I’d anticipated and in order to make-up some time, I turned up the temperature a little”, he explained.
“
How high did you set
the temperature?”
He hesitated for a moment, finally realizing his mistake. “Five hundred degrees…”
“I’m sorry; did you say
five hundred degrees
?” She asked in disbelief.
Jacob shook his head, still staring at his blunder. “So… what do you think about Chinese take-out?”
Cassie laughed. “Yeah, that would be great.”
Jacob poured Cassie a glass of champagne and told her to make herself comfortable
while he phoned-in
their order. During his call, she slowly walked around the great room and finally stopped when she approached the large windows overlooking the street below. Her eyes were fixated on a young couple, holding hands as they walked by. She wondered what their story was and then felt a twinge of guilt for wondering what her life would have been like if her relationship with Jacob had never ended.
Jacob hung up the phone and stared at Cassie from across the room. Damn she was beautiful, he thought. Her dark, denim jeans embraced her firm, petite figure and her
royal blue
silk blouse revealed her toned shoulders. Her hair was the way he had remembered it; naturally wavy and it reminded him of the women on those shampoo commercials. He poured himself a glass of champagne and accompanied her by the window.
“May I propose a toast?” He asked. She held up her glass. “To resurrected friendships and future, burnt pot roast dinners together”. Cassie giggled softly. They tapped their glasses together and both took a sip. “The food should be here in a few minutes. The restaurant’s only one block from here and they guarantee delivery in thirty minutes or less.”
“Good—I’m starving!”
While waiting for their food to be delivered, Jacob took Cassie on a proper tour of the loft; making sure to point out some of the improvements he’d made while renovating. As the tour was ending, the food arrived. Jacob placed several throw pillows down on the floor and sat their take-out on the glass-top coffee table. He glanced at her and noticed she seemed to be in a daze.
“I hope this is alright? I just figured we’d be more comfortable eating in here.”
She couldn’t overlook the nostalgia. They’d spent many nights eating take-out on the floor, surrounded by soft pillows and undeniable chemistry. The flashback raised the hair on the back of her neck and prompted a genuine smile. “It’s fine… In fact, it’s
perfect
”, she softly replied.
They began eating, communicating back and forth about what kind of day each of them had had. When they were finished, Jacob poured them both another glass of champagne.
“So, how did you and Landon meet, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Actually, we met at a charity event at the hospital not long after I moved to Chicago. After I began to get familiar with the place, I started noticing that he was hanging out on the sixth floor an awful lot. It began with a simple wave hello while passing each other in the hall and soon we became friends. At that time, my business partner and I were looking for a second location to accommodate our patients who lived in the northern region of the city. He said he knew of a location near his office and offered to take me to dinner to go over the details… We’ve been together for a little over a year now.”
Jacob studied her, his powerful
green eyes boring a hole through her guise.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked.
“I don’t know… I guess it’s just… He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy you would be into.”
“Why—because he’s older?”
“No.”
“Then, what do you mean?” she asked.
Jacob let out a deep sigh and stroked the rough stubble along his jaw. “Well, from what I know… he’s a very nice guy, but he just seems… preoccupied. Running his company ranks pretty high on his priority list.”
“That’s why he’s successful, Jake. He works really hard.”
“I know, it’s just… hell, I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. I hope you didn’t take offense to anything I just said. It must be the champagne talking”, he joked. Jacob raised his glass and took a rather large gulp, as if trying to wash away the words he’d just spoken.
“It’s fine, really”, she responded distractedly.
Cassie thought a moment about what Jacob had said and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, maybe he was partly right. Landon had been really good to her over the past year, but she never felt as though she had his undivided attention. They were always interrupted by important phone calls and unavoidable business trips. Not to mention their age difference; Landon was forty-three years old, she was twenty-seven.
Landon
had been
married and divorced twice and had four children, ranging in ages from seven to nineteen. He had been very open about his wishes, and marriage and more children were not forecasted in his future. She on the other hand, looked forward to marriage, one day, and wanted nothing more in life than to be a mother. They had undeniable differences and she began questioning the very foundation of her relationship with him.
“What about you?”
“What about me?” he asked.
“Is there a woman in your life?” Jacob hesitated for a moment and she let go of a breath that she wasn’t aware she’d been holding.
“No, I don’t have time for anything serious. My occupations as an architect, personal tour guide, mind reader and professional chef keep me pretty busy these days”, he teasingly proclaimed.
Sensing his sarcasm, Cassie instinctively swatted the back of her hand toward his body and struck him on his left side. Jacob let out a loud grunt and then collapsed backward onto one of the throw pillows. Cassie suddenly remembered that his broken ribs were still
healing and instantaneously
sprung toward him. She hovered over him and apologized profusely. They were closer than they had been in years, barely any space between them. Jacob caught his breath and stared into her alluring, hazel eyes.
“I’m so sorry”, she said softly, staring back into his.
“It’s funny… all of a sudden, I don’t feel any more pain”, he whispered back.
Jacob swept a strand of hair from her face, raised his head from the pillow and then licked his suddenly dry lips. He pressed them against hers and they tingled in response. Her lips parted, enticing
him to continue. His
body temperature rose with every sweep of her tongue and he angled his head slightly to deepen the sensation. Her taste awakened a hunger within him, stimulating him emotionally as well as physically. She ran her fingers through his hair; her touch gentle, soothing, and sentimental. His heart swelled in his chest and at that moment, he realized he was still in love with her.
His hot hands seared her skin as they caressed the side of her neck and grazed her collarbone. Desire swept through her body in response to his touch and when he hooked his finger around the thin strap to her blouse in an attempt to nudge it off of her shoulder, she finally came to her senses. She pulled away in absolute bewilderment and placed her fingertips on her swollen lips, almost as if it was a protection mechanism. She’d acted on impulse and silently cursed herself for losing her self-control.
Realizing that he’d overstepped his boundaries, Jacob did his best to sit up. “Cass, I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have done that.”
Cassie looked away, her hands still covering her mouth. “No, Jake, I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’ve obviously led you on, and that was in no way, my intention at all. I think, maybe I should go.”
Cassie got up and adjusted her blouse. She walked to the kitchen counter and grabbed her clutch. Jacob followed her, dumbfounded as to what to do or say next. Everything had happened so fast and the only thing he did know for sure is that he’d let his feelings for her get in the way of his better judgment.
“Cass, please don’t go. I’m so sorry. Please come back and sit down.” He gestured toward the coffee table. “We can finish our champagne and I swear to you that will never happen again.”
Cassie glanced at the floor; the floor they’d just laid on; the floor,
where they’d just kissed.
“It’s getting late… I really need to go. I’ve got another long day ahead of me tomorrow. Thanks again for dinner.” She walked to the door, dislodged her jacket from the hook and then put it on. She removed her long hair from under her coat and adjusted the collar before finally turning to face him.
“I think you’re charming and you are going to make one lucky lady out there very happy someday…”
“Cass, wait…” She walked into the hallway and looked back one last time.
“It was really nice to see you again, Jake. Take care.”
Jacob watched her exit down the stairs and then closed the door. He moved toward the massive loft window and stared at her as she hailed a taxi and drove away. He was disappointed in his behavior. How could he have let this happen? They were having such a wonderful time and in an instant, everything had changed. He sat down on the floor by the coffee table where he and Cassie had been moments earlier. He replayed their kiss in his head, over and over again, and felt a sudden ache reside deep within him. He could no longer deny to himself that he was still in love with her and even though she was presently involved with another man, Jacob couldn’t help but wonder if Cassie had felt anything for him.
* * *
It was a long and lonely ride back to the hotel. Once Cassie was safely hidden behind the walls of her room, she dissolved into tears. She closely examined the evening; everything had been so perfect, up until their kiss. He’d looked at her with those hypnotic, green eyes and she knew she should’ve pulled away right then. He’d closed the distance between them and as soon as she’d felt his warm breath against her lips, she’d lost control. She’d given in to the urge and the worst part was—she’d thoroughly enjoyed it.
The kiss was an accident, she told herself…
or was it?
She inventoried the events that led up to it. She was in his apartment—
alone.
His attempt to cook her dinner—
ruined.
His back-up plan of Chinese take-out and picnicking on the floor was—
nostalgic.
And the playful swat to his broken ribs, causing her to hover over him was—
nothing more than pure luck.
As she organized the individual elements that made up their evening, the spur-of-the-moment kiss no longer seemed
innocent
. She let out a soft chuckle, although she didn’t find her conclusion amusing.
You, Cassie Warner, have been played…
Dozens of emotions cluttered her exhausted mind: Shame, worry, guilt, regret… How on earth could she have been so foolish, she wondered? Was she just another random girl Jacob was trying to lure into bed—a challenge? Or was there more to it? And then, of course, there was Landon. He was not only her boyfriend, but he would be working closely with Jacob for at least the next
year or so. How was she going to confess to him about what happened, or should she refrain from saying anything at all? She had so many questions plaguing her and sadly, she had no answers. She was angry with herself for letting her guard down and was determined that it would never happen again
.