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“I appreciate that.” Just as he’d told Ravi earlier. He knew men whose exes fought to limit the time they spent with their children, using them as weapons. And here Cassie had sat at a coffee shop instead of coming to her own home so he could have quality time with his daughter. Was it any wonder he was half in love with her?
Cassie sat back, resting her head against the couch cushions and closing her eyes. She inhaled deeply, her breasts straining the buttons of her dress. Then she exhaled, and her entire body sagged. For the first time, Ryan realized Cassie didn’t just seem tired. Her body movements screamed exhaustion. Defeat.
He dropped to the couch beside her. “Talk to me.” Over the years, some of their most important conversations had started with those three words.
She rolled her head toward him. When she looked at him, her eyes glistened. Every muscle in his body tightened. If Levi Livingston had made her cry, he’d kill the asshole.
“Tell me.” Slipping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her closer.
Cassie tucked her feet under her, then rested her head on his chest. She still fit perfectly. After all these years of keeping her distance, she still slid right into place next to him. To his surprise her head didn’t vibrate with the wild beating of his heart.
“I’m just not cut out for dating, not anymore,” she whispered, sliding her arm across his stomach.
Not true. But he didn’t argue. He didn’t want her dating someone else, having sex with someone else, or falling in love with someone else. He rubbed his hand down her back, massaging the tense muscles as he went.
She moaned against his chest. Ryan shifted, settling back to reach more of her. He shouldn’t stay here, but he couldn’t make himself move.
“Are all guys such asses?” She didn’t wait for an answer before she continued. “I haven’t had a lot of experience, but didn’t Levi used to be nice?”
Maybe to get what he wanted from Cassie when they were together, but the asshole had cheated on her. Nice guys didn’t ask a woman to marry them, then screw their co-workers.
“What did he do?”
“He went on and on about how much money he makes, belittling my job, then—” her voice cracked.
Ryan stiffened, his hand fisting in her dress.
She took a shuddering breath, her body shaking against his, then continued, “Then he apologized.”
Apologized? That didn’t sound terrible. Although the asshole shouldn’t have waited five years, Ryan still had to give the mansomecredit for growing a pair. Though he hated to point this out, he told Cassie, “I don’t understand how apologizing for cheating makes him an ass.”
“He didn’t apologize for cheating. He apologized because his poor choices drove me to make the mistake of sleeping with you and getting pregnant.”
Ryan’s vision turned red. “What did you say?” He knew what he thought he’d heard, but he had to make sure, so he’d know exactly what he’d be spending life in prison for.
Cassie pushed herself up, her body still half sprawled across his chest. Her blue eyes were wide, and if he wasn’t mistaken, slightly frightened. “Nothing,” She shook her head.
He took her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze with her tear-filled eyes. “What did he say to you?” he bit out.
“He said sleeping with you, having Ellie . . .” She shook her head instead of continuing.
It was official, he had to kill the motherfucker. Ellie wasn’t a mistake. The pregnancy had been a shock, but his daughter was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Ellis was a tiny little gift that loved him unconditionally and made him strive to be a better man.
“Ryan?” Cassie looked away before pulling her gaze back to his. “Do you think . . .Youdon’t think Ellie was a mistake, do you?”
Gritting his teeth to keep from yelling, he reminded himself she was upset. That bastard made her doubt things she knew in her heart. “Cassie,” he growled. “I’m not going to answer that question, because you know the answer.”
Without speaking, she dropped her head back to his chest, squeezing him with the arm wrapped around his waist. “I’m sorry.” She wiped her eyes on his t-shirt.
“Don’t apologize.” He ran his hands through her hair, watching the dark strands slip through his fingers.
Cassie’s breaths deepened, her breasts pressing and retreating against his ribs. “You love her, don’t you?” Her voice grew quiet. Distant.
Although she couldn’t see him, he nodded, and watched the side of her face as her lids fluttered. “Yeah. I sure do,” he whispered, as his heart swelled with the truth of his answer.
* * *
Cassie’s head fell back, exposing her throat to Ryan’s hungry lips. She liked this dream. But tonight she wanted something different. She slid her leg over his hip, rolling herself over to straddle him. His erection pressed against the bundle of nerves between her thighs, and she rocked back and forth, working herself up. Sometimes in this dream, she stripped out of her clothes and took him inside her, but tonight she could probably get off just by rubbing against the hard length of him. He lifted his head and bit at her neck, sucking away the sting of his teeth. Her nipples tightened, begging for attention, and she pressed them against him, searching for friction.
