How Cassie Got Her Grind Back (40 page)

Ivan stroked her back and said, “His loss and our gain.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I want all of it,” she said, and then her focus drifted across the club to the entryway, and she smiled and waved at a group that had just come in.

He could envision her so easily between him and Ivan. She was strong and could take them both, even though his knee twinged as if he needed the reminder he wasn’t as flexible as he used to be. Cassie had been true to what she’d said about looking into yoga classes and planned to join a group in Divine after the new year started, and he thought he might possibly join her.

Cassie looked up at him, her brow furrowed as if she was endeavoring to read his mind, and then a grin that was part seductive and part evil bowed her lips. Under the table, she slowly slid her hand up his thigh, stopping short of his tingling shaft. “I love knowing you’re protective of me. I know you’ll take good care of me, and I’ll put all the control in your capable hands.” She patted Ivan’s hand to let him know she meant him, too. “When
you
think I’m ready.”

The temptress. She knew he was already thinking about, orchestrating the beginning, middle, and outcome. He nodded and then kissed her.

“Thank you for not making me beg for it,” she said, her eyes sparkling.

Ivan took one look at him and curved his fingers over his lips to hide his grin.

Samson smoothed a curl back from her cheek. “Oh, you’ll be begging if I have my way.”

To her credit, she didn’t act alarmed. She just laughed. “Why is it that doesn’t surprise or worry me?” Then she leaned forward, love glowing in her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him hard.

He denied the urge to pull her into his lap, unsure of how sturdy the tall night club chairs were and unwilling to take her out of Ivan’s reach at the moment. His slid his fingertips across her throat and kissed her until her pulse was racing beneath his fingers. When he released her, he murmured, “I think Ivan would like a dance with you.”

Ivan nodded as he got up from his chair, giving his cock a subtle adjustment. “Not that watching you two together isn’t plenty of fun.” The fact that Ivan had been turned on by watching them without getting jealous was to his credit. There were times when Samson grew impatient for her attention when she focused on Ivan, but he’d known going in that there would be adjustments made by all three of them and didn’t begrudge Ivan the time with her in his arms. He’d been turned on watching Ivan make love to her the night before, and that said everything. It was about give and take.

* * * *

Ivan chuckled when “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton started to play as they reached the dance floor.

“Your favorite, right?”

Cassie grinned and nodded as he pulled her close, so close she would be able to tell just how much he’d enjoyed watching her ask for what she wanted. His mind had filled with images of her lodged between them as they both made love to her.

“Can I ask you something?” At his nod, she said, “Did it bother you that I was asking Samson for those things? Sometimes I feel as if I’m at a tennis match, dividing my attention between two sides. I hope you weren’t offended that I wasn’t speaking directly to you when I was asking for a threesome. That’s the way the question was intended, you know.”

“Baby, stop worrying. It’s natural for him to take charge, just as I’m wired to more or less go with the flow, and it’s been that way practically since we were babies. You remember how it was years ago, right? Samson has always been one to take the driver’s seat, and barring a few disasters in our youth, he’s a good leader, so I’ve learned to trust in him. That’s not to say I always agree with him, but he’s learned to value my input, so there’s balance there as well.”

“I needed to make sure. The trust and respect is there for both of you. Would you mind if I invited a few friends to join us at the table? I think you’d like them.”

“Of course not.” He and Samson had discussed the future but had decided to wait until they had more loose ends tied up to lay it all out for her. She had the ability to loosen his boundaries, and if they’d talked much longer, he would’ve told her everything before they were ready.

A few minutes later, they were joined at their table by two women, Leah Elder and Presley Ann McCulloch, who turned out to be sisters. Leah’s men, James and Vincent Elder, were both city police officers, and Presley Ann’s men, Jared and Kendry McCulloch, were with the Divine Fire Department. They’d hit it off with Samson instantly when James and Vincent recognized him from his days on the Morehead police force. Presley Ann and Ivan had found common ground when she’d mentioned that she had another chef friend, Lydia Carlisle, whom Ivan remembered from the class reunion.

Ivan looked over at Cassie, who had been relatively quiet, and when he leaned close to her, she kissed him and said, “I’m enjoying watching my friends talk to the two of you.”

“Is that all?” he asked, noting the way her eyes had grown shiny.

She shrugged, and her cheeks grew rosy. “Just thinking how much I love you.”

His heart lurched in his chest. “That’s the first time you’ve ever said that to me out loud.”

“It is?”

“Yeah.”

She slid her hand into his and squeezed. “It was always there. Always implied…I’m sorry.”

“Why? The words didn’t need to be said out loud for me to feel it. I love you and always have.”

Biting her lip, she swiped under one eye with the side of her hand and then nodded. “I think I always knew, too.” He kissed her again and could feel the heat from her warm cheek. She caressed the nape of his neck, sending waves of sensation up and down his spine, making him harder by the moment.

They both looked over to find Samson watching them with tenderness in his eyes and rapt expressions on the other’s faces.

Presley Ann giggled and said, “Y’all are too cute for words. I sense another Divine happily ever after in the works.”

The fast dance number that had been playing ended, and the simple piano chords of a slow dance song by George Strait started.

Leah looked surprised and said, “Did one of you request this song?”

Choruses of “no” came in reply, but Ivan thought Presley Ann smiled wider, although she didn’t say why. Leah grinned at her sister. “Would you mind if I borrowed one of your men for a dance, sis?”

“Of course not,” Presley Ann replied without hesitation. “You don’t even need to ask.”

Cassie made a soft sound, so quiet only he heard her as Kendry got up from his chair and held a hand out to the dance floor. “After you, Leah.” Leah’s smile was wide, but her eyes were shiny as she walked away from the table in his company.

“My heart,” Cassie said softly, flapping her hands at her eyes but smiling back at Presley Ann when she looked her way and nodded.

Knowing Leah was bound to James and Vincent, and looked very happy about it, he said, “There’s a story there, I imagine.”

Cassie flapped her hands and looked as if she couldn’t speak as tears dripped from her eyes and Presley Ann said, “You’re gonna make me cry if you don’t stop, Cassie.”

“I know. I can’t help it. Tell them, will you?”

Presley Ann cleared her throat and took a sip of her soda. “James and Vincent had an older brother named Patterson, who was involved in a motorcycle accident…and he wasn’t wearing his helmet.”

“Oh, damn,” Samson muttered and rubbed his face for a second. “I knew him. I remember when that happened. He was a cop, too, right?”

James and Vincent both nodded, and Vincent said, “Should’ve been wearing his helmet.”

Kendry’s brother, Jared, put his arm around her shoulders as Presley Ann continued the story. “Patterson loved Leah, but his death happened before any of them got together. He was an organ donor. He saved lots of lives when they harvested his organs, including Kendry’s.”

Ivan looked out across the dance floor to Kendry. Leah’s head was nestled against his chest as they danced. Her face was a little flushed, but she was smiling as Kendry patted her back. “Oh man.” Now even Ivan’s heart was palpitating with emotion.

Presley Ann nodded. “Patterson’s heart saved Kendry’s life. And this song, “Marina Del Rey” was one of Patterson’s favorites. I asked Ethan to request it for me so they could maybe have a dance and she could listen to Patterson’s heart beating for a few minutes. I think she’s afraid to make Kendry and Jared uncomfortable by coming right out and asking to listen to it under other circumstances, but that’s kind of how we all connected. You see, they got in touch with James and Vincent and requested to meet them. During the visit, Kendry invited Leah to listen, and they formed a bond. Eventually, through that connection, I met them and fell in love with them, and…the rest is history.”

Ivan cleared his throat of the frog that had taken up residency there and said, “So Leah got together with you two afterward?”

James nodded. “Pretty much, but it was touch and go for a while. Vincent and I resembled Patterson in a lot of ways, and it took a while for her to let either of us close enough to tell her how we felt. Losing him broke our hearts, and it damn near shattered hers.”

“Oh, now what are all these gloomy faces over here for?” Leah said with a slightly roughened voice as Kendry pulled her chair out for her and James helped the petite brunette into it.

“Presley Ann filled the guys in on your history,” Cassie said. “Samson knew Patterson through work.”

“You did?” Leah asked, her face brightening up. “He was quite a guy, wasn’t he?”

“He sure was, Leah,” Samson said quietly, sounding as though he had a frog in his throat, too. He glanced at her as if checking that she was okay.

“It’s okay to talk about him, guys. I miss him every day, but life goes on.” She glanced at her sister with a raised eyebrow, and Presley Ann grinned and nodded, so Leah continued. “Matter of fact, we have a little good news to share with you.”

Cassie suddenly sat up and squinted at one woman and then the other, and then her jaw dropped. “You’re both drinking soda. Oh my God! You’re
both
pregnant!”

Ivan and Samson exchanged a bemused look and shrugged as Leah and Presley Ann nodded, and Cassie hopped out of her seat and hugged them both.

“That’s wonderful news!” Cassie said, her face beaming even though she was teary. “And Whit is going to be a big brother and have a little cousin, too!”

Jared said, “How is it women can tell something like that by looking at each other?”

Kendry slapped his brother on the back and said, “At least now we can tell people, too.”

The men looked on with amusement as the ladies talked to each other, conversations and questions overlapping at times. As it turned out, the sisters were both due around the same time, so Cassie insisted they let her throw them both a big baby shower closer to the babies’ arrival. Later in the conversation, Samson mentioned Cassie had been invited to perform live at Rudy’s in the spring and they’d promised to tell all their friends so there would be a good turnout.

The talk flowed until Leah tried to hide a yawn, but not before Presley Ann “caught” it and yawned as well. After they’d made their excuses and said good night, Samson invited Cassie onto the dance floor.

As she got out of her chair, she turned to Ivan and kissed him, then said, “Keep those dancing shoes warmed up. You’re next.”

He knew she meant another dance, but the way her voice went husky as she spoke and then bit her lip had him hardening in a hot second. “Warming as we speak,” he murmured and watched her lush hips sway as she walked away.

* * * *

“I want to ask you a question,” Samson said as he led her in the dance. “Remember that night at Hazelle House when you mentioned you’d like to meet Victoria?”

She perked up but hesitated before nodding. “Yes. Why? Do you need to go to the club right now? Did she call you?” Samson could read the uncertainty in her eyes.

“
Chiquita
,” he said in an admonishing tone. “Do you think I’d leave you on a date night like that?”

She studied his face for a moment. “I think if you knew a friend needed you that you’d do whatever you could.”

With a chuckle, he said, “I suppose you’re right. Fortunately, she doesn’t make demands. I wondered if the interest to meet her still stood, though.”

“Yes, I would. Why do you ask?”

“She walked in while we were talking to Leah, Presley Ann, and their men.”

“She did? Why didn’t she come over?”

Samson shook his head and explained. “Our friendship is limited to the club for privacy’s sake. She came in with a man. I don’t know if he’s a date or a colleague and wouldn’t want to risk causing friction. For the same reasons she hasn’t approached us.”

Cassie scanned the crowded club casually and said, “Where is she?”

“She’s sitting at the bar. The blonde with shoulder-length hair. She’s wearing eyeglasses, and she’s talking to her date.” As they watched, her date checked his phone, and her shoulders slumped as she smiled and nodded.

She tilted her head toward one end of the bar. “The one in the red top? Her date is walking out.”