The Bound Bride (12 page)

Chapter Eighteen

Cassandra awoke in the master bedroom. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was, and her first thought was of Oliver. She reached for him only to find the other side of the bed empty. She sat up and grabbed a floral robe. As she cinched it around her waist, her phone buzzed.

Iris.

Cassandra was quick to answer the call.

“Hi!” Cassandra said.

There was only silence on the other end of the line.

“Iris?”

A low breath came through the phone. Cassandra thought she heard Iris sniffle.

Something was wrong.

“Iris? You okay?”

“What me? Fine, Cass. Excellent. So… how’s it going with the rich boy?”

Iris sounded more like herself, and Cassandra slipped back against the bed.

“He’s… complicated.”

That didn’t even scratch the surface of what was going on. Cassandra had gone from a bank account that was every shade of red to life in a castle. She was doing things. She was letting him do things that she’d blush at if he was anyone
else. But he was in command of her every waking moment. He was even infiltrating her dreams. After he’d made love to her again, after the pool, she was faced with only his image as she walked down unfamiliar streets.

“Complicated? Elaborate, Cass.”

It was a fantasy. And it was real. He was gentle. But
something
wasn’t adding up

“Cass?”

She needed a distraction.

“It’s just complicated, Iris. But I’m fine. What’s going on with you?”

Iris sniffled again.

“Same old,” Iris said.

“How’s…” Cassandra struggled to remember his name.

“Adam?” Iris interjected.

“Yeah. Is he complicated?”

Iris nervously laughed.

“No! Of course not!”

Iris sounded too eager to strip Adam of the description.

“So… what then?”

Cassandra waited through Iris’ silence.

“Adam,” Iris finally said, “is just great. Really.”

Cassandra barely believed her.

“What’s the catch, Iris?”

“No catch. I… I just miss you, Cass.”

The feeling was mutual. With all that she now had, Cassandra still longed for her best friend.

“Then come for a visit. Like you said.”

She didn’t know if that was allowed. Should she have run the invitation by Oliver before extending the offer? But he said he wanted her to be happy. He implied that she could have anything that she wanted.

That could include Iris.

“I don’t know, Cass.”

“Come on! Town’s called Stephens’ Point.”

She had gleaned that much from her trip to the house with Jeff.

“It’s like less than an hour from the city. Bring what’s-his-name along for the ride. It’ll be fun.”

Cassandra heard a door open on the other end of the phone.

“Sure. Maybe. I’ll call you, Cass.”

“Okay. Love—”

And the call ended. Iris had sounded strange. Something was up. But maybe Cassandra was simply under the influence of Oliver and this house, and she could no longer comprehend the Iris’ shifting moods. Permission or none, Cassandra hoped that Iris would come for a visit and bring a small part of Cassandra back to herself.

She heard Oliver’s laughter ring out from below and made her way to the top of the stairs.

He was sitting in the great room, rattling off numbers and appointment locations into his phone. The soft highlights in his brown hair glistening under the rays of sun that poured into the room. A part of her wanted to rush down the steps and press him into the strongest embrace imaginable. But after the pool, after he had carried her to the bedroom, dried every part of her, and guided her down to the bed where he pleasured her again until they slipped into sleep, a dark thought was nagging at her brain.

Whether it was the exclusive shopping spree bought and paid for or the refusal to agree to a return to the city, two
things were clear.

He desired her. And he desired her constant presence within these walls.

She leaned against the railing as he concluded his call. Oliver sipped a mimosa and turned his head to where she stood. He raised the glass to her.

“Morning!”

She smiled but couldn’t make a move. Oliver was on his feet in a crisp green shirt and perfectly pressed khakis. He beckoned for her to join him on the first floor.

“Cassie? You okay?”

She nodded and drew her hand through her ruffled hair.

“Fine. I… I slept well.”

“Good. I want you to keep your strength up.”

He laughed and moved to the foot of the stairs. Cassandra grasped the railing tighter. She wanted and feared his ascent. As he had been from nearly the start, Oliver was in sync and stopped where he stood.

“Cassie? You sure everything’s alright?”

If she didn’t make a move, he’d
know
why
she was worrying. She released the railing and descended to his side. Oliver took her in his arms before she hit the last step and pulled her into a kiss of orange flavored champagne. He pulled away and stroked her cheek.

“So you slept well? Was that
the highlight of your evening?”

Hardly. She could still feel his hands and the rest of him in all the places that he had touched. She had never known anything like him. And she was certain that when and if it ended, there would be no one
else who could hold a candle to his skill. If she was accustomed to this kind of thing, if he wasn’t her first
client, she would probably just delight in the prize and strip off her robe so he could mount her against the banister.

But she was green enough to still ask questions.

She moved past him and seized the other mimosa that seemed to be waiting for her mouth. She drank it down in one gulp and felt him at her side again.

“If you tell me that, I won’t believe you,” he said.

His nearness was too much to resist.

Cassandra reached for his face and kissed him again. He held her close as his lips left her mouth and grazed the surface of her hair.

“This I believe.”

He took her hand and kissed each finger. She followed with her lips on his palms and wound her body around his. She was afraid to meet her eyes if she was going to say what had to come next.

“Oliver?”

He stroked her back.

“Oliver, can we… can we just talk for a minute?”

She felt him stiffen as he lifted his head. His eyes were suddenly cold as he nodded and left her side. Cassandra slowly sat at his side and reached for his hand.

“I… I just want to say…”

This was harder than she had imagined. His hands at her back seemed to make it easier. But when their eyes met again, she was at the point of losing all of her resolve.

“I…”

“Let’s have it, Cassie.”

His voice didn’t hint at the anger that lurked behind his eyes.

“I… I’m getting the feeling that you don’t really need me.”

His eyes softened. He laughed again and pulled her close.

“How can you even think that?”

She inhaled his scent and struggled forward.

“Because… I mean… I’m obviously not here to see to the house.”

His hold tightened around her. Cassandra didn’t dare look up.

“Then why do you think you’re here?”

“I don’t know. But you seem to want to
keep
me here. And—“

He made a move and lifted her face to his.

“And
what
?”

She took a deep breath before she spoke again.

“And I’m… kind of scared.”

She saw her words slice though him, and he quickly collected her back into his embrace.

“No, no, no. I don’t want that. Cassie?
Cassie
?”

She lifted her head and found him full of kindness, the way she liked him best.

“Cassie, don’t be afraid. This is all so you won’t ever be afraid. It’s for us. I need to know that you’re here, and you need to know that I’m
always
coming back to you.”

It sounded perfectly straightforward. He walked and she waited and they would make love in every room until they reached the end of the line and had to
re
christen each room. But Cassandra couldn’t help feeling like a caged bird only waiting for his return with treats in the way of lavish gifts.

She still had the yellow diamond about her neck.

“I… I understand, Oliver. And I promise. I’ll always come back to you, too.”

He shifted in his seat and stretched to his feet. He bypassed another mimosa and poured himself a scotch, neat, from the bar. He drank it quickly and returned to her eyes.

“But where do you have to go? Everything you could ever need is here.”

“Oliver—”

“And if something, if anything’s
missing, name your poison. I’ll have it here like that.”

He snapped his fingers, and she could feel him wanting her to just believe and get on with the act of breakfast. But Cassandra had more questions. And if she didn’t ask them now, she feared that she’d never have another chance.

She slowly stood.

“Of course. I know. But when you… proposed this, I thought we’d be… you know.”

He took a step towards her.

“I don’t. Enlighten me, Cassandra.”

Now she had the feeling that she was in real trouble. She had to talk fast.

“You know. Doing
things together. I mean… I’ll go back to the opera if you want. I loved
the sound of the music.”

He smiled and reached for his phone. Did he finally understand what she was trying to say in the pool and about to give her yet another aspect of her heart’s desire?

Oliver keyed in the number and held the phone to her face.

“So send it, Cassie. I’ll have a string quartet here before you can blink.”

He wasn’t getting any of it.

“Oliver, I can stay in bed. I have. And… and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”