What a Woman Gets (19 page)

“But, Mrs. Manley—”

“I said no
but
s. I won't take no for an answer. And neither will my, um, friend.”

Friend
. One word said so much. How could Cassidy refuse?

“But I don't have the budget for it.” That's how she could refuse, and it sucked that she had to. This would be the perfect opportunity to get out of Liam's way so he didn't come to resent helping her.

“He won't hear of it, my dear. You trust me on this. If you really feel the need, you could make him a matching table and call it even.”

Cassidy resisted looking heavenward, but someone up there was on her side. “If you're sure he won't mind . . .”

“I know he won't. Matter of fact—” Mrs. Manley rummaged around in her purse. “Ah. Here it is.” She held up a shiny key. “He gave me my very own key to the place. I think we should go over and take a look right now. If you have a few smaller pieces, we could even take them with us and you could have your own studio by tonight.”

The offer was tempting. And Mrs. Manley looked as if she'd be heartbroken if Cassidy turned her down.

“Okay, you're on. Let's go take a look. I just hope your, um, friend won't mind me moving in.”

“Not to worry, my dear. He might be a stubborn coot, but he's not stupid.”

L
IAM
got out of the work van in his driveway and enjoyed the sounds of his pond in the front yard for a few minutes. He hadn't had the chance to enjoy it for a while, always working, then hitting the sheets once he got home—more to ward off temptation than exhaustion.

Because with Cassidy in the next room, his exhaustion disappeared.

It took everything he had not to knock on her door. That kiss might have started out as a
thank you
kiss, but it could have so easily gone in another direction, and he was finding himself more and more curious about seeing where it could lead.

Maybe he ought to rethink sleeping at home tonight.

Sighing, Liam rubbed his lower back. He wasn't twenty anymore and a couple of nights on a bed made of drop cloths were his limit.

He tapped the side of the truck and headed toward the door to the garage. Had she left another pile of clothes there?

And what would he do if she had?

What he found, however, was nothing.

Nothing.

Well, nothing of hers.

Liam took a few more steps inside, triggering the automatic light.

His truck was there, but there was no pile of clothing, and even more importantly, her furniture was gone.

Did that mean she was?

Liam opened the mudroom door. No little paw prints on the floor and no pile of sawdust-laden clothing to trip over.

He didn't like this. She'd cleared out? How? With what? His truck was still here—

Her father. He must have come for her. Maybe the guy had had a change of heart after seeing the piece in the
Herald
and was planning to parade Cassidy around like her prized show dog to tell the world the report was wrong. It'd be just like the man to use his daughter to do damage control.

Liam couldn't say if it was the thought of Cassidy being used that way or the fact that she'd left without a goodbye that hit him the hardest.

It was over.

What
it
are you talking about?

He rubbed the back of his neck. There was no
it
. There was nothing. One kiss didn't change anything. She was still Cassidy Davenport, socialite extraordinaire.

Who, as it turned out, just so happened to have a real person inside the fancy packaging.

Mind off the packaging, Manley. That ship has sailed.

Except . . . it hadn't.

He nudged open her bedroom door and there, in the moonlight spilling in through the curtains, was Cassidy, sound asleep in her bed.

Where she belonged.

Her
bed, Manley. Not yours. Remember that and get the hell out of here. This isn't a good idea.

It wasn't. He knew that. But it didn't stop him.

But when the fur-ball raised her sleepy little top-knot-and-bowed head, her little pink tongue sneaking out to lick her nose, that stopped him. He didn't need a repeat of the other night when Titania woke her.

Actually, he wouldn't mind a repeat of the other night. With a mix of that kiss tossed in.

Which was exactly why he needed to get out of there. Did he really want to start something? Sure, she was turning out to be different than what he'd thought, but she was still a Davenport. Had still been raised in that lifestyle. How long would it be until she missed it? Until she wanted it again? And he wouldn't be able to give it to her because there was no way in hell he was worshipping at the altar of Mitchell Davenport.

He backed away.

But then the dog licked her bare arm and Cassidy let out a long, drawn-out breathy, “Hmmmmmm,” and Liam's good intention dissolved. He could imagine her moaning like that while he licked other parts of her.

Move, Manley.

He didn't.

Now.

He should but he didn't because her fingers curled into the dog's fur and he felt that touch as if she were doing it to him.

God, he wanted her.

He'd wanted Rachel, too, and that hadn't worked out for him. Was he out of his mind? He needed to back away. Now.

Cassidy snuggled into her pillow and slid her leg to the edge of the bed, her toes peeking out. The blue toes. He couldn't see the color in the moonlight, but he remembered it. He didn't know why he was so entranced with blue toenail polish, but on Cassidy, it seemed to say something. Make a statement. As if she'd had them tattooed on in defiance of the image her father wanted her to present to the world.

He smiled. It was a small act of defiance, but he suspected she hadn't had many chances to do so over the years. Or if she had, she'd never been brave enough to take them.

Maybe he could take a chance with her. Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't turn out to be another Rachel.

He resisted the urge to tuck her toes beneath the sheet because the minute he touched her, all bets would be off. Cassidy was beautiful, but it wasn't just her looks that had a hold on him. And it was those other things that did that worried him.

She wasn't who he'd thought she was.

She was better.

And he didn't have a defense against that.

“
Woof
.”

Liam held up his hand as if the little dog was smart enough to understand him. Of course she wasn't, so she wiggled out from Cassidy's hold, jumped off the bed, and made a beeline straight for him, the little tail going a mile a minute.

He caught her as she jumped into his arms.

Just like her owner had . . .

What would have happened if he hadn't ended the kiss? The possibilities had been bugging him ever since.

“Titania?”

Those possibilities reared their head with Cassidy's tousled hair and sleep-laden voice. And the peach nightie hanging off one shoulder.

Get out! Get out! Get out!

“Liam? Is everything okay? What are you doing with Titania?”

“She must have heard me get home and came to investigate.”

Liar!

“I was just bringing her back.”

Going to hell, dude. Going to hell.

He was already there.

“Oh. Well thank you.” She patted her mattress. “Come here, you little heathen.”

She's not
talking to you, Manley.

Yeah, he got that.

Titania squirmed in Liam's arms and he debated whether to take her over to Cassidy or set her down to go back on her own.

“Could you put her on the bed? She doesn't like to jump up this high.”

Of course she didn't. Why would she? Why
wouldn't
the universe set this up . . .

Not the universe. You made this happen all by yourself. Makes me think you wanted it to.

Yeah, he did.

There. He was honest with himself. He'd been cursing himself since he'd backed out of that kiss.

“Liam?”

“Sorry. Here.” He set Titania on the edge of the bed. He might want to act on his desire, but ultimately, it couldn't be a good idea. There would come a point when the newness of working for herself wore off and she'd take that easy-in back to the high life. He didn't know if he could invest emotion in her only to lose out in the end. Again.

“Thanks.” Cassidy brushed the hair back off her forehead. “And Liam?”

“Hmm?” God she was gorgeous with the moonlight spilling over her skin and making her eyes sparkle, her lips puffy.

“That opposite sides thing?”

He wanted to taste those lips. “Mmhm?”

“You're breaking it.” She nodded toward her door. “This is my side.”

“Oh. Right. But your dog—”

“Heard you come in. I get that. But she also knows where she sleeps. She would've come back on her own.” Cassidy sat up and
didn't
catch the sheet that slipped from her chest to her lap. “You didn't have to bring her in. So why did you?”

Holy hell. She was stunning and sexy and he got hard just thinking about—

Get the fuck out NOW, Manley!

Yeah, he got
that
.

He turned around. “Pardon me for doing something nice like returning your dog. Won't happen again. Good night.”

He stopped short of slamming her door, but he damn well did pull it shut behind him.

Then he leaned back against it and took half a dozen deep breaths. Jesus. That'd been close. For a second he'd been so tempted to go to her, slide a hand beneath her neck and pull her up to him, kissing her so she'd never ask senseless questions again. They both knew why he'd returned the dog, and what the hell was her point taunting him with it? She had to know he wanted her.

So what was he going to do about it?

He knew what he wanted to do about it. He just had to decide how much he was willing to risk.

C
ASSIDY
,
about last night.” Liam walked into the kitchen the next morning, scrubbing his hair with a towel.

Thank God he'd put clothes on after his shower instead of just a towel. Not that they did anything to mitigate his effect on her, but at least she didn't have to look at that eight-pack.

But she could imagine it. Like she had for the rest of last night.

“Thank you for bringing Titania back.” Cassidy didn't want to talk about last night. He hadn't “returned” Titania; the dog had jumped off the bed because he'd been in her room. The question was
why
?

And why had he turned away? Again.

“You're welcome, but, I broke our rule. It's just that I came home and your furniture was gone and I didn't know if you were, too, so I peeked in. Titania saw me and jumped off the bed, and well, that's what happened.”

“Oh.” So it hadn't been a burning desire for her that had brought him to her room? Boy, was
she
reading the signs wrong.

At least it made her decision for her. She could get the idea of having any kind of relationship with Liam off the table. He might want her, but not enough to do anything about it. And if there was one thing she knew about herself, one thing she was sure of, it was that she'd never beg for anyone's affection.

She toed Titania's food bowl, hoping the little dog would stop prancing behind Liam and finish her breakfast so they could get out of here sooner rather than later.

Of course Titania didn't. The dog had taken to Liam in a way she hadn't to any of the men Cassidy had dated. And she flat-out hadn't liked Dad.

Liam gave Titania a quick scratch behind the ears, then went to work making his breakfast. “So where's all the furniture?”

Cassidy finished off her toast. “Gone.”

Liam poked his head out from the fridge. “Gone where?”

She picked up her plate and juice glass and headed to the sink. “I, um, found a place and moved it there.”

“You moved
all
of it? By yourself? How?”

“The portable tailgate lift in your garage and the dolly. I went online to see how to use it and I paid attention in school when we learned about fulcrums and levers. It wasn't difficult.”

“But what about the rent? How are you affording that?”

She grimaced. This was the part she didn't want to get into because she had no idea how he felt about his grandmother dating. It wasn't as if she could just come out and ask him if he didn't have an inkling that Mrs. Manley was. And it wasn't her place to spill the beans. So she gilded the lily a bit. “I'm bartering for the space.”

He arched his eyebrow. “Bartering?”

“You gave me the idea. This space needs work, so I figured why not? The owner is fine with it.” Mrs. Manley had said it was okay, that the owner wouldn't pass up free decorating services when he wasn't even expecting rent.

“So when do you plan to do all of this, Cassidy? You have a lot on your plate.”

“The extra space will allow me to work more efficiently and on more pieces at once. It's easier to keep sanding if I have all the pieces out and prepped. Then I can paint and finish them like an assembly-line. This way, I'll be more efficient, more productive, and have more product to sell faster than if I have to clean up between each stage on individual pieces. Economy of scale. Which means I can, hopefully, sell a lot and pay you back quickly.” She picked up Titania's half-eaten bowl and dumped the contents into the trash, then cleaned the bowl in the sink. “And obviously I'll still clean this place and work on the office. That shouldn't take me very long. And then I can get out of your hair so you can get back to living your life.”

He didn't want her out of his hair. He wanted her hands in it and holding on while he thrust into her—

Cassidy wanted to get out of his life. Here he was, finally ready to give her the benefit of the doubt and maybe, possibly, see if it could go anywhere, and she'd been looking for a way to move on.

He hadn't seen that coming.

He ought to be thankful for it. It saved him the heartache of finding out when he was already invested.

Too late.

Shut up.

“You're going to need my truck more, then. Good thing I have Mac's van.”

“Oh. I hadn't thought about that. I guess we can add it to my tab?” She gathered her hair into a ponytail and twisted the rubber band around it, tugging some hair free that'd gotten caught on her earring. “Or, I can just pawn these. No one's made any offers online, and at this point, I'd rather have the money.”

She really was trying to get away from him.

He should let her. She could take what Vito gave her and start her own life, allowing his to go back to normal.

Normal was good. It wasn't an emotional roller coaster and it wasn't this up-all-night wanting.

“Okay, let's do it. Let's go see Vito.”

Unfortunately, Vito had a nasty surprise for them.