A
Bride for Brodie has a lot of really fun, sexy scenes between Brodie
and Cassandra, because they don't immediately hop into bed. She has a
lot of issues, not the least of which is her ex-fiance was a total
jerk. The first part took place the night they met. This scene takes
place the following day.
Brodie
made kind of an ass of himself the night before. He didn't mean to,
but Cassandra sent very mixed messages and he couldn't really be
responsible for picking up on the more obvious, I want you ones,
because that's what he wants too.
The
next morning I was a little disappointed to find that the elevator
not only arrived on time, but it didn't have Cassandra Tillerman in
it. As angry as she'd made me the day before, she'd more than made up
for it last night. I couldn't help wondering how I was going to look
her in the eye the next time I saw her, because I was going to be
really distracted by the warm, sensual memories of our encounter in
my living room.
My
curiosity was satisfied about five minutes later when she walked into
my office. Dressed in a pink designer suit that reminded me of Jackie
Kennedy, she strutted through the door looking soft, cuddly and
desirable with another pair of those sexy pumps on her feet. These
were black and matched her purse and the trim on her suit.
Saige,
my assistant, called me from my office, exchanging a long look with
me behind Cassandra's back. She and I are good friends and up until
about a week ago, I had more than a little crush on her before she
hooked up with a good friend of mine. Cassandra looked uncomfortable,
nervous and slightly flushed. Saige sat at her desk trying to pretend
she wasn't listening to us. I led Cassandra into my office.
"My
mother sent me over with the pictures and blueprints," she
showed me a portfolio case and a long, cardboard tube.
"Oh,
yes, she told me she was going to do that. I assumed she'd send a
courier."
I
gestured for her to sit down, but she stood just inside the doorway,
wielding the photos and blueprints like a weapon or charms to ward
off evil.
"She
was going to, but I walked in at just the right time to be given the
job instead. She thinks we need to chat." She half smiled, not
moving.
"Do
we?"
I
chuckled, glancing around the offices nervously. Everyone looked
extraordinarily busy, but I knew they were all trying to eavesdrop. I
led Cassandra into my office, offering her a seat. This time she sat,
crossing her legs as I shut the door.
I
couldn't do anything about the front window that overlooks Ches'
office, because it has no blind, but the other walls I could cover. I
closed the blinds on the sides so we had the illusion of privacy. I
had never felt so on display in all my life. Part of me wanted to go
primal and make love to her on my desk for all to see. But I held
that part in check and sat behind my desk with as much aplomb as I
could muster. My brain was battling itself, but my face, I hope,
showed none of this.
"This
is going to be awkward, isn't it?" She blushed prettily,
igniting yet another fire inside me.
Making
the pretense of taking out the pictures to show me, she handed them
across the desk. Every movement belied what she was saying. The girl
could go on Broadway. Nothing she said matched her actions.
"I
hope not."
I
looked over the pictures calmly while the inside of my head exploded.
Oh, please don't say you want this to be a professional relationship
or I'll run into traffic and pray for a bus with bad brakes to cream
me.
"I've
never been so attracted to any man in all my life as I am you."
She pointed to two of the pictures, smiling as if telling me
something witty.
I
grinned, nodding and feeling like a fool. I was doing the same damn
thing she was, and was nearly as good at it. She handed me the
blueprints and I laid the tube on the drafting table next to my desk.
She stood beside me, our arms not quite touching.
"Then
what's the problem?"
"I'm
scared out of my mind." Her smile seemed rather strained, her
lips twitching spasmodically.
"Of
me?" I couldn't help glancing up at her, wide eyed.
Giggling
happily, she took the blueprints out of the tube, spreading them on
my drafting table. "No. Of myself. Of what I might do given half
a chance."
I
leaned over her shoulder, examining the blueprints with a practiced
skill. Even if I was only pretending to look, I was appraising the
plans, making mental notes of what to examine more closely later. I
automatically noted the interior weight bearing walls, coming up one
short. Another glance found it.
"What
might you do?"
My
hand brushed her waist, a simple, meaningless gesture to anyone
watching. My touch made her jump toward me, setting me on fire. She
shivered, shifting away from me slightly.
"Lose
all self-control," the blush softened, working its way down to
the bodice of her suit.
"Why's
that a bad thing? Sometimes giving in to our baser instincts has its
advantages."
I
spoke with studied calm even though I wanted to lick her neck from
base to earlobe. My breath was hot on her skin. I could feel her
body's heat burning me.
"Don't,
please, Brodie."
Clearing
my throat, I frowned, bending over the plans, closely examining them
pretending to locate that other wall I'd already spotted. Jotting
down a note or two, I kept looking, smoothing the paper out flat.
"Don't
what? What am I doing but being honest? I'm hot for you, you seem hot
for me, but you won't let your barriers down enough to let me in. I'm
talking emotionally, not physically. You've got a handle on the
physical barriers." I spoke more sharply than I'd intended to.
Her eyes started to tear up and I knew I'd put my foot in it.
"I'm
sorry," I said softly, trying to touch her hand.
Cassandra
jerked her fingers away from mine, suddenly chilly. "You can see
that the dimensions are different on the east side from what they are
on the west. Dad and I wondered if that caused a problem."
"How
much difference in square footage?" I turned on the
professionalism. About time, huh?
"Overall,
about ten square feet per proposed unit."
"Charge
more for the bigger side. There's really no need to compensate,"
I meant the apartments, but left the statement open to
interpretation.
"I'm
not compensating," she picked up the double meaning.
"Then
what are you doing? Because I'd really like to know, Cassandra. Is it
wrong for me to want to know where this relationship is going? Is it
wrong for me to ask you what you want from me?"
I
leaned closer to the paper, right over her shoulder. I whispered, my
lips brushing her ear. "Is it wrong for me to want to feel your
body wrapped around mine in passion? Don't you want to know what it's
like to have me inside you? I'll set you on fire and then put out the
flames. If that's wrong, I want to be wrong with you every moment for
the rest of my life."
Cassandra
stiffened, jerking away from me abruptly, nearly knocking me in the
teeth with her shoulder. "I think I'd better be going, Mr.
Brodie. Mother said she'd meet you at the restaurant at one. Don't be
late, she doesn't like to be kept waiting."
"Nor
do I. I'm a fairly patient man, Cassandra, but I only wait so long
before I'm gone."
"I
see," she said without much conviction. "I'll leave you to
the plans then." She scuttled out sideways like a crab.
©
Dellani Oakes
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