Juice: The O'Malleys Book 1, contemporary Adult Romance (10 page)

“Oh. It must be liberating to be able to buy anything you want like that,” said Cassidy clicking her fingers. She was angry and not sure why. Who the hell did he think he was?  Buying whatever he wanted like it was dinner in a fancy restaurant, instead of a piece she had worked on for six months? She was not a fan of limitless wealth and had seen how it could corrupt people. Her ex-boyfriend Jonathan had been a hell of a lot nicer before he had sold his first movie script and made his first million. Suddenly, the people who surrounded him acquiesced to his every whim. His ego had flared, as had his temper.

He had only hit her once. A full force punch in the face when she had refused to have sex with him one night, when he was off his head on coke. It was enough for Cassidy. There were no second chances where violence was concerned. Cassidy had grown up with a father who adored and loved his wife and a brother who had treated her like a princess. Her father treated her mother as an equal, a precious gift. Cassidy knew he was one in a million. There was no violence in their home. There would be none in hers either. A fractured jaw and a broken heart were enough of a lesson learned. Love hurts and she would avoid future pain at all costs.

Rory stood up and stepped forward until he was inches from her face, he spoke softly.

“I work very hard for my money Miss Evans, I spend it as I wish. I will not apologise for my wealth. It affords me the luxury of choice and the ability to help those less fortunate than myself, if and when I so desire.”

So we are back to Miss Evans
, Cassidy thought. Fair enough. She raised her eyes until they were locked with his in a battle of wills to see who would break contact first. She looked away when she couldn’t stand it any longer. Being that close to him, made her want to reach up and rub her hand down the front of his chest.

“I meant no disrespect Rory,” she smiled sweetly. He nodded at her not returning her smile.

“Would you like a tour of the current collection?”

“No. I think I would prefer to discuss all further requirements over dinner tonight.”

“Over dinner?”

“Yes. I assume you do entertain clients, Cassidy. I like to be entertained; I’ll send a car for you. Your place, say eight o’clock?”

“You know where I live?”

“Of course. I had you checked out, discreetly of course. My work involves some very powerful men and women. Protecting my interests and theirs, is paramount. This is my personal card; call me if there is any change of plan.”

He was smiling at her again and leaned in close. The scent of vanilla floated on the air and accosted her nostrils. He smelled so good. Damn it to hell, did this man have no visible flaws?!

Cassidy remained silent as she took the business card from his outstretched hand. Her fingers touched his briefly and she felt his index stroke hers lightly. The intimacy of their connection had her eyes clashing with his. Her mouth was so dry that she couldn’t open it.

His face was serious as he dipped his head and turned his back on her. She stared after him and watched as Rory made a point of finding Marie and giving her a goodbye handshake. She heard them laughing and snorted rolling her eyes to heaven.

The card weighed heavy in her hand and she turned it over. The card was black with only the word ‘
Rory’
embossed in gold across the middle. And a personal mobile phone number. How many other women had held these cards? She wondered. She folded her arms and watched him as he left without a backward glance. She shook her head. That damn bossy man, was going to be hard work!

“Whoa, Cass. You may be slightly over your head there. He is hotter than hell.”

Marie was staring at her with her mouth open.

“Did you see the way he was looking at you? Holy hell! He was eye-fucking you right there. Oooh, I feel so dirty.”

“Jesus Marie, will you stop? This is a professional relationship, nothing more.”

Marie snorted at her. “Cass we have known each other since we were four! I know when you are hot for someone. We have shared everything from our first shitty dates to losing our virginity. I still can’t believe you let Michael Livingston touch your vag, by the way. Don’t try to tell me you aren’t wet for Rory O’ Malley! Lie to yourself all you want kiddo, but I know you.” Cass scrunched up her face and made a puking face at Marie.

“I’m going to stop you right there, Mar. Firstly, we swore we would never mention Michael and his micro-penis ever again. Secondly, I am not “wet” for Rory O’Malley. He is a client, nothing more.” Cass made air quotes simply because she knew they pissed Marie off.

“He’s lovely, Cassidy. What the hell is wrong with you? And why didn’t you tell me earlier he was Irish? Nice accent isn’t it. Soft.”

“Soft in the head more like! There’s nothing wrong with me Marie. I just don’t see the attraction.”

Marie spent the rest of the day talking about Rory, until Cass finally forbade any further mention of the O’Malleys.

(Cass)

Honey is sweet,

But don’t lick it from a briar.

Irish proverb.

B
y the end of the day Cass was wrecked tired and more than ready to go home and shower before her meeting with Rory. She rolled her eyes when Marie insisted on coming to her flat to help her dress for the occasion. She was still ignoring Marie’s sexual innuendos and general annoying banter as she started to get ready.

“I hope you are dressing to wow the crap out of him,” Marie said as she flicked through a magazine, crunching on some celery and peanut butter she had scavenged from Cass’ fridge.

“I am not looking to wow him, by the way. I just don’t see the attraction,” Cassidy yelled back into the kitchen from halfway into her closet. Why was there nothing to wear for Christ sake?! Everything was too tight, or too revealing, or too safe, or too aghhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Marie’s head popped around the corner, a stick of celery hanging from her mouth.

“You don’t see the attraction Cassidy? I take it your temporary blindness is curable? You sure are going to a lot of effort for someone who you don’t give a shit about impressing.” Marie cleaned some peanut butter from her gums and plopped herself belly down on Cassidy’s bed, putting her hands on either side of her chin.

Cassidy stood with her hands on her hips, black balcony bra teddy on and nothing else. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.

“I will not give him anything to say, Marie,” she said stiffly.

“I am a professional woman and he is a client. I will dress to impress, even if I’m not! Impressed, I mean.”

Marie raised one eyebrow.

“Hhmmmkay. Again, you sure are going to a lot of trouble for someone who is unimpressive. And that underwear.
Very
not sexy, Cass. I think you have succeeded in carrying off the business-like look you were aiming for.”

Cass grunted and kept rifling through her clothes which were looking more and more like a small mountain in the middle of her floor. Marie jumped off the bed and went to the back of the closet. She rummaged about for a bit and then poked her head out holding a dress.

“What about this one? I love this one. It’s sexy, vintage and most definitely you.”

Cassidy tilted her head to one side, as Marie held up a beautiful 1950’s Ava Gardner style green silk dress. It was still in the original wrapping. Cassidy had bought it on a whim, but had put it in the back of the wardrobe when she had tried it on. It was busty and tight, but elegant too. Not too in your face sexy.

Perfect! Let’s give mister money bags something to think about.
It would be good for him to realise that not everything comes with a price tag.

Because as much as he made her wet as hell, she was not on the market for the millionaire playboy type.
Liar.

“Perfect,” she said and nodded at Marie.

One hour and much fluffing later, Cassidy stood at the door of her apartment building feeling like a total fool. She knew she looked good, hell maybe even beautiful but, she felt so naked and exposed somehow. A group of men walked passed full of the joys of spring. One of the crowd shouted over to her and the rest of his Neanderthal buddies jeered and jostled their friend. “Oi sexy. Any chance of a kiss? Oi red. Nice tits!”

Cass gave them the middle finger and then jumped when a voice beside her startled her.

“That’s quite an impression you have made there, Miss Evans. I would have come up for you. You shouldn’t be out here all on your own. It’s not safe for you.”

His eyes were trained on the group of men as they moved on.

Cassidy turned around and found herself looking inches away from the broadest chest she had ever seen
. Oh nice. He heard them.

“Rory.”

She instinctively stepped backwards and craned her head to look at him. He was so handsome that her breath caught in her throat. Dressed in a long black cashmere coat, he looked like a model fresh from a shoot. His jet-black hair was slicked back and his brown eyes bore into hers and then dropped suddenly, as they focused on her mouth.  He looked angry. At her or the men?  She rubbed her lips together and parted them slightly darting her tongue out to moisten them.

“I’m fine thank you Rory. Well able to look after myself.”

“You look beautiful Cassidy. I love your style. It’s so unique, so very you. You take my breath away.”

Was he teasing her? She assumed he was used to rake thin model types, who frowned upon girls like her. Girls with some extra meat on their bones, and healthy appetites. Thirty five pounds, Jonathan had told her. She was just thirty five pounds away from being perfect. Cassidy had refused point blank to lose weight at his request. She was happy with herself and liked her curves. There was no way she would ever change herself for a man, or anyone else. She was good enough as she was, that was all that mattered in the long run. By the end of their eight month relationship, Jonathan had become more and more vicious. On that final night, the night he had hit her, he had called her a fat, frigid bitch. The fact that Cass was never able to orgasm during sex had really become an issue for him too. He said that all his friends thought she was fat, and that he wouldn’t be seen dead with her at Hollywood parties. After months together, she found that she didn’t know him at all. So much wasted time. His words had hurt her and knocked her confidence. The harshness of it had stung nearly as much as the punch in the jaw, which had left her with a fracture and three days in the hospital. No one knew about that, not her parents and not her friends. Except for Marie and Mark, of course. They had taken her into their home and listened to her as she alternated between outbursts of rage and devastation. Both of them begged her to press charges, but she hadn’t been able to do it. She regretted that the most, she should have nailed his ass to the wall. Instead, she had just wanted it all to go away. But it hadn’t, she had suffered long after the bruises had healed. For months she woke up at night screaming for him to leave her alone. The nightmares had faded over time, only resurfacing in times of great stress especially around her birthday. Cass hated her birthday now. A day she had loved as a child was now permanently marred with memories of Harry and the accident. Jonathan the chicken shit had taken the first plane to L.A anyway. Pity he hadn’t hung around long enough to see her lose ten pounds she thought bitterly. She could only eat baby food for a month after the assault but, being the typical coward abuser he had run as far away from her as he possibly could. She hadn’t seen him since that night. Sometimes she followed his career, inadvertently, through the movies he had written. The majority of them bombed at the box office and there were whispers of drug use that followed his name in the gossip columns. She had raised a wry eyebrow at the parade of bored looking leggy blondes that were always pictured draped across his arm at any event. It seemed he had finally got what he was looking for in the end.

“Cassidy?” Rory was looking at her with concern etched on his face.

“Thank you,” she replied stiffly.

“I like the clothes I wear and would never change myself for anyone.” He looked confused and she started to walk on ahead of him. She felt a sweat moustache coming above her lip and wiped it off with her finger.
Why the hell did I say that?
He must think her a crazy, over dramatic nut job! He caught up with her easily and walked beside her.