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CHAPTER 37
CASSIE
After a few hours of sleep, Leo ordered some food from room service. They ate their hamburgers and fries sitting on a blanket spread out on the library floor. It was peaceful here, surrounded by walls of books and a flickering fire in the fireplace. The only sound came from an occasional crackle or shift of a log.
Leo wore his briefs and jeans, and she wore his white button down and panties.
She picked up a French fry. “That was a pretty big punch you gave Owen.”
“He deserved it.” Leo took a few gulps from a bottle of beer.
“How did you learn to hit like that?” she asked, dipping the fry into a puddle of ketchup.
Leo wiped his mouth with a napkin and tossed it aside. “Life in the favela was great most of the time, but I did get into a few fights. The fact I was taller and stronger than most of the other kids meant I didn’t have to do it to prove myself.”
She continued to drag the same fry through the ketchup, considering the next likely subject would be Owen.
“Do you want to talk about him?” Leo asked in a quiet voice. “You don’t have to if you’re not ready.”
“No, it’s okay.” Dropping the fry, she pulled her knees to her chest and stared into the fire. The flickering flames calmed her. “I was in awe of Owen. He came from an old New England family, all academics. He was intelligent and sophisticated. Everyone wanted him, but he chose me. At first, everything was great. I never had a steady boyfriend, and I’d only had sex a couple of times before meeting him. We had an immediate intellectual connection and helped each other with research. To be honest, I was the one who helped him, and eventually, I think he started to resent it. Over time, things changed.” She turned to Leo. His supportive expression helped to dull the pain of those memories. “He made a few less-than-subtle comments about my body.”
“What kind of comments?” Leo’s voice was measured but edged with anger.
Her possessive lion was ready to protect her.
“My boobs are big, and my hips are wide. He even insinuated that I looked too earthy because of my Greek background.” She used her fingers to make air quotes. “I’m proud of my Greek heritage, but I didn’t fit in with his WASP background. Daphne, of course, fits the WASP role to perfection. She’s the daughter of my graduate adviser. Daphne was painfully shy, but we hit it off.”
“What makes Daphne so special?”
“Daphne has a degree, but she’s never worked a day in her life. She doesn’t need to. She’s sitting on a big trust fund from a bachelor uncle.”
“So what if Daphne’s rich? She’s too timid to ever stand up for herself against someone like Owen.”
He was right. Because at some point, when Owen got all he wanted, he would turn on Daphne too.
She nodded. “Anyway, I loved college. My professors praised my work, and I pushed myself harder. I even started to gain some recognition giving papers at symposiums at other universities. Owen didn’t approve. He said I was becoming arrogant and should keep my accomplishments to myself.”
“He’s a jealous prick. You’re an intelligent woman who has every right to be proud of her success.”
“Thanks, Leo.” Cassie gave him a smile. “This is the important thing, and it’s the part that’s tough to talk about.”
He reached out to take her hand. “Take your time.”
She took a deep breath, continuing her story. “Owen was also critical of the clothes I wore. I used to wear short dresses like my friends, but he told me I would never be taken seriously as a scholar.” She turned to Leo. “But now, with some distance from him, I believe he said that because he wasn’t attracted to me. So, what did I do?” she asked with a harsh laugh. “I changed how I dressed for him. Over time, I gave all my power to him. I’ve never been so ashamed of anything in my life. So, meeting you and having our first date on a boat for all-night sex was unlike anything Cassie would ever do.” She had no regrets. She would do it all over again.
“You’re not Cassie, you’re Cassandra. You’re also my deusa, a woman with an unbelievable amount of sensuality.” He cradled her cheeks and kissed her.
She placed her hands over his. “After I left Princeton to work with Beatrice, friends tried to warn me about Owen’s interest in Daphne, but I didn’t want to believe them. Eventually, I confronted Owen, and he asked me to trust him. And I did, but he lied.After he broke up with me, I did some therapy. Owen manipulated me, but I also have to take responsibility for allowing it to continue for so long. I should never have let him have that much control over me.” She shook her head, holding back her tears. “I won’t let anyone ever use me again.”
Leo brushed the apples of her cheeks with his thumbs. “You’re stronger than you think you are.”
“I’m not so sure about that, but I learned a lot. I have my degree and my knowledge. No one can take those away from me.” She lifted her eyes to his. “And I found you. What an unexpected gift you are.”
Leo’s eyes glimmered with tenderness, and her heart expanded as everything fell into place. She was falling in love with him.
He wound his hands through her hair, pulling her close to him. “Deusa,” he murmured with a kiss. “You’re the one who’s a gift to me. I don’t deserve you,” Leo said in a low murmur. “Sometimes this feels like it’s all a dream, and you’ll slip through my fingers one day.”
She placed a hand on his cheek, giving him a reassuring smile. “I won’t let that happen.”
“Owen started the fight, so I doubt I’ll be charged by the police, but there will be a lot of media attention from what happened at the restaurant. With or without Owen’s participation, this story will spread.” His eyes searched hers with concern.
She ran her fingers through his hair, mussing it up. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not interested in that trash.”
Leo took her hand and kissed her palm. “Your parents will find out.”
She wasn’t afraid of their reaction anymore. Her bond with Leo couldn’t be broken, no matter what her father said.
“My parents want me to be happy, and I am. I’d rather not think about their reaction tonight.”
Leo drew her close for a kiss. “That’s a good idea. Let’s go back to bed. It’s late.”
