Dream Wedding(160)

“All right, I’ll think about it,” she told him, because that was what he wanted to hear. She didn’t have to think. She already knew. But it would probably look better if she waited a couple of days before she walked into his room, ripped off her clothes and begged him to take her.

Then, when her month was up, she would walk away. Because if she couldn’t have Ryan, she would have the next best thing—a life of her own.

* * *

RYAN POURED A drink for himself, then for Arizona. Chloe was out in the kitchen with her sister, and Sasha was down for the night. This was the second time he and Cassie had had someone from her family over for dinner, with Cassie’s Aunt Charity being the first. He found he liked being the host and had looked forward to the evening. Unfortunately now that it was here, he couldn’t concentrate on what Arizona was saying.

“I’ve gotten boring in my old age,” Arizona said as he sat on the couch and sipped his Scotch.

“Not at all.” Ryan took the wing chair opposite the sofa. “I apologize for not paying attention. I have a lot on my mind these days. I’m still putting my late brother’s affairs in order. Then there’s Sasha. She’s a handful. I also have to decide if I’m going to stay here in Bradley or go back to San Jose.”

Time was ticking away. Already a week of Cassie’s month was gone. If he stayed here, he would have to relocate his business. If he left… He shook his head. He couldn’t think about leaving. Not yet. Bradley was the only place he’d ever felt he belonged. Besides, if he left he would never see Cassie again. He had to see her. She was— He swore silently. He didn’t know what she was to him, but he couldn’t imagine living without her.

“That’s not all,” Arizona told him. “There’s also the issue of Cassie.”

Ryan thought about denying it, but figured there was no point. “There is that,” he admitted.

He didn’t understand what was going on. For one thing, she was handling their relationship a lot better than he was. For the past four nights, she’d stayed in his room. They’d made love until dawn, then she’d quietly crept away. He told himself he had it all—great day care for his niece and an incredible lover in his bed. What man was lucky enough to find a woman as special as Cassie, who would be with him, then at the end of a month, walk away without a second thought?

At first he’d thought she was kidding about her offer, but she was keeping to it with no apparent problem. Not once had she hinted about taking their relationship to the next level. She seemed very content to take care of Sasha during the day and him at night. She’d never once mentioned emotional entanglement.

Ryan took a swallow of his drink. He was a first-class jerk. He didn’t deserve Cassie, and if he had any kind of moral character, he would break things off with her instantly. Except he couldn’t imagine a world without her. Not that he was falling for her. He didn’t know how to love anyone, nor did he want to learn. Love meant being vulnerable. He didn’t trust emotion. Now hard work he could depend on.

“You’ve got it bad,” Arizona said. “I recognize that fierce look.”

Ryan glanced up. He’d completely forgotten the other man was in the room. “I don’t have anything,” he said quickly. “Cassie and I work together.”

“Sure you do. And Chloe was just some reporter doing an interview.” He leaned back in the sofa and rested one ankle on the opposite knee. “I’d spent my whole life going from place to place, never spending more than a few weeks under any one roof. I couldn’t imagine settling down, having children. Roots didn’t matter to me. Then I met Chloe and everything changed. I couldn’t see it at first. All I knew was that I felt different around her. Suddenly it wasn’t so easy to imagine my life the way it had been before we’d met. I told myself I didn’t believe in love, and that happily-ever-after only happened in books and movies.”

Arizona looked up. Ryan heard the light footsteps, too. Chloe came in with a tray of dip and crackers. “This is to keep your strength up until dinner is ready.”

She placed the food on the coffee table, flashed her husband a quick smile and left.

Ryan stared after her. At nearly seven months pregnant, she glowed. “You make her very happy,” he told the other man.

“She does the same for me. I never had anyone I could depend on in my life. It took me a while to realize that’s what I’d been searching for all along. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize the truth.”

“I’m not in love with Cassie,” Ryan said flatly. “If that’s what you and Chloe want, I’m sorry. It’s not going to happen.”