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Before she could completely melt into a puddle at his feet over his raw, heartfelt words, Ian’s hand slid down her side and cupped her bottom beneath his T-shirt.
“This shirt never looked this sexy on me,” he growled into her ear. “So unless you want to end up back in bed, you better go get some clothes on.”
Shivers of arousal swept through her. Would she ever get enough of him? More so, would he get enough of her?
Tipping her head back, she stared up into his eyes. Desire and, dare she say, love stared back at her. No, she didn’t think they’d get enough of each other, which meant whatever they were building wouldn’t come crumbling down when he left Virginia after the film was done shooting. But how they would manage was a whole other hurdle to jump.
Extracting herself from his side, Cassie pulled Emily from his arms. “How about we spend the day on the beach?” she suggested.
Emily’s little hand went into Cassie’s hair, and she started winding the strands around her baby fingers.
“You in a suit?” Ian’s gaze raked over her once more. “I’d never say no to that.”
With this being their last day of complete relaxation, Cassie wanted to live for the moment, this day, and not worry about what obstacles they faced tomorrow or even next week. She was completely in love with Ian. He wasn’t a rebound; he wasn’t a filler or a stepping-stone until the next chapter of her life.
Ian Shaffer was the next chapter of her life.
Seventeen
“I just need someone who’s good with advertising,” Cassie muttered as she stared down at the new plans for her riding school for handicapped children.
“How about that hunky agent you’re shacking up with?”
Cassie threw a glare across the room at her sister. Tessa silently volleyed back a wicked grin.
“We’re not shacking up.” Not technically, anyway. “And that’s not his job.”
“Maybe not,” Tessa replied, coming to her feet. “But he’d know more about it than we would, and I guarantee he’d do anything to help you.”
More than likely, but Cassie wasn’t going to ask. Venturing into personal favors would imply something...something they’d yet to identify in their relationship.
Yes, they’d admitted they had strong feelings for each other, but after the giant leap into intimacy, they’d pulled back the emotional roller coaster and examined where they were going.
And they still didn’t know.
Cassie spoon-fed another bite of squash and rice to Emily. Right now she needed to focus on the final race of the season, getting her school properly advertised and caring for her daughter. Ian, unfortunately, would have to fall in line behind all of that and she highly doubted he would want to. What man would? He deserved more than waiting on her leftover time.
“You’re scowling.” Tessa came to stand beside the high chair and leaned against the wall. “What’s really bothering you?”
Sisters. They always knew when to dig deeper and pull the truth from the depths of hell just to make you say the words aloud.
“Ian is out to dinner with Lily.”
A quirk of a smile danced around Tessa’s mouth. “You’re jealous? Honey, the man is absolutely crazy about you. All you’d have to do is see how he looks at you when you aren’t paying attention.”
The idea that he studied her enough to show emotion on his face for others to see made her way more thrilled than she should be. She wanted to tell him she’d fallen for him—she wanted to tell everybody. But there was that annoying little voice that kept telling her this was too good to be true and that she needed to come back to reality before she ended up hurt.
“He’s not like Derek,” Tessa informed her as if she were reading her mind. “Ian may be younger, but he’s all man and he’s only got eyes for you.”
Cassie smiled with a nod and scooped up the last bite, shoving it into Emily’s waiting mouth. “I know. There’s just that thread of doubt that gets to me, and I know it’s not Ian’s fault. He can’t help the mess that is my life.”
Laying a hand over Cassie’s arm, Tessa squeezed. “Your life is beautiful. You have a precious baby, an awesome career and the best sister anyone could ever ask for. What more could a girl want?”
To be loved. The words remained in her head, in her heart.
“So where’s your guy tonight?” Cassie asked, wiping off the orange, messy mouth, hoping to unearth her daughter. “You two aren’t normally separated for more than an hour at a time.”
With a smile that could only be equated to love, Tessa positively beamed. “He’s going over some things with Bronson and Anthony. I’m pretty sure Dad weaseled his way into that meeting, as well.”
