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I slid onto the bed next to her, and she laid her head on my chest.
“Do you have to run off right away?” Cassie asked me.
“Not immediately,” I said. “I told your sister I would be back to the house by one, so that gives me another hour and a half before I have to be there.”
“I wish you could stay the rest of the night,” Cassie said.
“I do, too, but I didn’t tell her what I was doing, and I don’t have reason to just extend the time I’m gone from the house,” I said. “She knew that you and I were going to talk about Lucy, but I had painted it as having to talk to the person who made most of the choices with the business rather than there being something that you and I should clear up.”
“That was smart,” Cassie said. “I love my sisters, but I’m not sure how I’m going to address this with them.”
“Is there reason to?” I asked. “I mean, I don’t tend to kiss and tell. Is this something you have to run over and tell them?”
“I mean, I’m not going to announce that I hooked up with the client,” Cassie said with a laugh. “But I’m sure if this were to continue, they are going to have questions.”
She lifted her head and looked at me. “I guess I’m assuming that it’s going to continue, anyway.”
“I think you and I are something special,” I said. “And because of that, I think we need to keep an open mind on what’s going on here. I don’t want to just jump into a relationship. Not with my daughter and knowing that I have to put her needs first, but I also don’t want you to feel that this wasn’t anything.”
“Of course, and I don’t feel that way at all,” Cassie said. “I know you have to care for Lucy first and foremost. And I want to do this the right way by her, too. Not to mention, with all that I have going on in my life, I’m not sure that right now is the best time to jump into a real relationship.”
“Hush now,” I told her. “I’ve found the best way to ruin a good thing like tonight is to get too hung up on the details. We had a great night, and we had great sex. Now I think it’s time that we settle in for some good sleep on top of it.”
I wasn’t sure how much of what I’d said Cassie heard, as she was clearly falling asleep the entire time I was talking. But I was okay with that. I didn’t want her to feel like I was avoiding talking about what this meant or what we were doing now, but I also didn’t want to talk about such things tonight.
It had been a risk I had taken with sleeping with her in the first place, and I worried that it was going to change things for Lucy. The whole reason I had come to take her to dinner was to make sure she was going to come back to care for Lucy, but then we had wound up in bed together.
I knew that wasn’t the best way to keep the relationship professional, and if she had been leaving before because of the incident not being professional, this was likely to ruin that, too. But at the same time, this just felt so right, I had been happy to just go with it in the moment. And even as I lay next to Cassie, I had no regrets for anything we had done.
My phone chirped, and I realized it was getting a lot closer to the time when I said I was going to be back at the house. I briefly considered texting Angela and letting her know I wasn’t going to make it back that night, but I wasn’t sure what she had going on in her life or if she would be free to watch Lucy for the rest of the night herself.
It wasn’t fair to her to suddenly add on that much time, so I had to get going. Even if I wanted more than anything to stay in bed with Cassie in my arms, I had to think of Lucy, and that meant I had to get going.
I carefully slid out of bed, taking all the time I could to make sure I didn’t wake Cassie as I did. I didn’t want her to see me leaving. I wanted her to sleep with the idea I was in bed next to her, and when she got up in the morning, this would all be wonderful memories of what we had done together.
I grabbed my clothes and got dressed out in the living room; then, I crept out the door as quickly and quietly as possible. I made sure to lock the doorknob itself before leaving so she would be safe in her home alone overnight. Then, I headed to my car.
I had to admit, I still lingered for a moment in the parking lot before I pulled away. There was a strong pull on my heart to go back into the house and fall back into bed with her. I knew there was no way I could do it in my head, but my emotions had a mind of their own.
Still, I forced myself to drive home, knowing Lucy would be waiting for me when I got there. Of course, she would be sleeping herself, but she needed me to be home when she woke up in the morning, and I would be there for her.
I already knew when I climbed into bed myself that it would be a sleepless night. All I could think about was the way Cassie looked and felt beneath me. She was so incredible. She was everything I had ever wanted in a woman.
And I was already counting down the hours until I could see her again.
Chapter Thirteen
Cassie
Iwoke up the next morning alone in my bed.
At first, there was a wave of disappointment that washed over me, but I quickly reminded myself I was being silly. Of course, he wasn’t going to stay the night. He had to get home to Lucy, and I really didn’t want it to slip out to my sisters that I had spent the night with him.
I checked my phone, then I got out of bed and showered.
I knew it was going to be awkward moving forward in a professional relationship, and without the glass of wine buzzing in the back of my brain and telling me it wasn’t going to be a thing, I was starting to dread Monday morning. Lucy would not know that I had planned to drop by on Saturday, so I decided to skip it. Hopefully, Alex would understand.
I was grateful I had the whole weekend to figure it out.
