Indulgence (199 page)

“How so?”

“Um, need I go into the various complications that arise in
relationships? For instance, the last hour we just went through?”

“No.”

I put my arms around his neck as he grabbed me tightly and
stood with me clinging to him. “I won’t break, James. I’m stronger than you
think. I forgive you. You can trust
me
, too.”

He pulled back and looked at me, “I’m starting to see that.
I’ll try harder.”

“Thank you.”

“You should finish getting ready. Anthony and Lena pulled in
just before I came up.”

“Ugh. Ok. I’ll be down shortly.”

“You might want to wear your boots. I’m taking you for a
ride, probably the last one for the season.” It was then I noticed he was in
his worn leather jacket, jeans and boots.

“James?” He turned to look at me, “Kiss me.”

He rushed toward me and attacked my mouth as I clung to his
jacket while his hands cupped my face. He pulled away too soon as I stood there
with my eyes closed catching my breath.

“You ok?”

“Mmm.” With a smile on his face he left the room. I let out
a deep sigh and made quick work of finishing getting ready.

Excessive

~ CASSIDY ~

It wasn’t very long before I was heading downstairs and
followed the chatter coming from the kitchen. Lena and Anthony were drooling
over James who was chitchatting with them and Cal and Jane were nose to nose.
Everything was perfect, almost. Glancing at the picture of Holly on the mantle,
she was the only missing piece, and I wondered how long I would feel her void.

“There she is.” Cal rushed over and swept me into a big hug.
“Everything good?” He set me down, looking concerned, and I slugged him in the
chest. “Ow. What was
that
for?” He was rubbing his chest as I noticed
Jane laughing.

“You know what that was for.” Jane walked over to him and
whispered in his ear.

“Sorry, Cass.”

“I know.” Suddenly I was assailed by Lena and Anthony with
hugs and gift bags. “You guys, you shouldn’t have. Thank you.”

Lena insisted I open her gift first so I did and found two
travel coffee mugs and a box of coffee for my new coffee maker. “I fully expect
you
to bring me coffee from now on!” We both laughed.

Opening Anthony’s gift I grew nervous because of the way he
was looking at me and I suspected that his gift would cause me and everyone
else to blush. I pulled out a box and was greeted with tissue paper once I
opened it. I glimpsed inside and before I could stop him Anthony pulled out a
mass of purple satin.

“Whoa, hey now!” Cal was up in arms and Jane covered his
eyes as they laughed and I knew I was as red as a tomato.

“Anthony!”

“Giiirl please. He likes it!” He was pointing his thumb at
James.

I looked over just in time to see James blush.
He
blushed!
We all started laughing. I snatched the lingerie from Anthony and
shoved it back in the box.

“Here, Cassidy. This is from your brother and me.” Cal
started to object and Jane elbowed him in the side.

“Thank you.” Unwrapping the package, I discovered a new set
of purple king sized sheets with a very high thread count.

“I heard you got a new bed. Hope that’s okay?” She winked at
me and I gave her a quick hug.

“It’s perfect. Thank you.”

Anthony passed around champagne flutes to everyone and
started to make a toast, but James interrupted him.

“May I?” Anthony nodded approval. “To Cassidy. You’ve taught
me more in the last week than I ever anticipated. I look forward to learning
more from you in the years to come. Cheers.”

James didn’t take his eyes off me and I was already melting
when he kissed my cheek. He said ‘in the years to come’
.
I accepted his
kiss and pushed his words aside.

“Let’s go eat!”

“One more thing.” I turned to James who was holding a box of
his own.

“James, you already got me a gift.” Pushing the box into my
hands, he insisted I open it. I pulled out a beautiful purple leather jacket.
“Wow. It’s gorgeous.”

“What’s with all the purple?”

It was a lot of purple gifts and we chalked it up to
coincidence and that it was my favorite color.

“Here, let me.” I turned as James took the jacket from me
and slid it up my arms. It was a perfect fit and I turned to give him another
kiss. “You look great in it; almost as good as you’ll look in Anthony’s gift.
Ouch!” I pinched his nipple and headed for the front door.

“Let’s go. We have some celebrating to do!”

We all stepped outside, Lena and Anthony decided to carpool
with Cal and Jane while James and I got on his bike.

*****

Dinner was wonderful and full of laughs from everyone. James
insisted on paying the bill and I seemed to be the only one objecting. We
decided to head to a new bar down the street and once inside we found a corner
booth in the back by the dance floor that we could all squeeze into. James and
I ended up in the back with Lena and Anthony to my left, Jane and Cal to
James’s right.

The waitress came and took our drink order. Cal and James
ordered water while the rest of us ordered drinks before Lena and Anthony
headed to the dance floor.

“Are you having fun?” His arm was around my shoulder as he
whispered in my ear.

“I am. You?” I turned to him and ran my hand dangerously
high up his thigh as he nodded.

“Do you want to dance?”

I shook my head and pursed my lips, “I’m good for right now.”
I slid my hand up higher—he didn’t stop me—and soon I pressed my hand against
the bulge in his pants as he bit and sucked on my ear and neck.

“Hey, lovebirds.”

James and Cal struck up some dialogue as Jane moved around
to my side of the table so we could chat. We both rolled our eyes at James and
Cal who were now oblivious to us as we heard mention of bikes, cars, and
trucks.

“They’re meant to be,” I smirked as she laughed even louder.

“I guess so.”

“So, you and Cal?” I had to ask, I couldn’t help it. She
smiled while shrugging her shoulders. “He likes you, I can tell.”

“Feeling is mutual.” We smiled at each other.

Before we were aware of what happened, Lena had pulled Jane
to her feet and Anthony pulled me and led us to the dance floor whether we
wanted to or not. I looked back to Cal and James who just smiled and waved us
on.

A few songs later we were all laughing, jumping and gyrating
to
Pitbull
.
I was turning into a sweaty mess and having a blast, having not let loose like
this in so long, and it felt great. The four of us were being inappropriate
with each other and laughing our asses off.

Blurred Lines
by
Robin Thicke
then came on and you could hear the cheers fill the club. The
crowded dance floor became packed as the four of us were pushed aside, now
dancing right in front of our booth. James and Cal were doing their best to
ignore us so Jane and I upped the ante. We were dirty dancing with one another
and now our men were fully entranced with us. James eyes were hooded as he
watched me sashay my body back and forth. I motioned my finger at him, bidding
him to join me, but he just shook his head and smirked, clearly enjoying the
show I was putting on for him.

As another song ended I looked around, realizing I was alone
and my friends were gone. I looked to the table and saw Anthony and Lena
gulping down water, but I didn’t see James. Before I had a chance to look for him,
I was grasped from behind and I started to pull away when I heard ‘Blackbird’
whispered in my ear.

His hands were on my hips as he pulled my back tight against
him. I leaned my head back to his chest, recognizing his scent.
Sex on Fire
by
Kings of Leon
began playing overhead and I smiled as I let him guide me to
the music. I hadn’t taken him for a dancer, outside of the slow dancing we did
at the masquerade and the auction, but he was good.

I felt the heat of his erection just above my ass and pushed
back against him, raising my arms above my head. I found his neck and rested my
hands there as he ran a hand across the exposed flesh of my belly and I
shuddered.

He dropped his head to my neck as his other hand ran up my
side and just under my breast. I was sure we must have been quite the
spectacle, but so were other couples on the dance floor. He reached up,
grabbing my hand, and spun me out as the tempo picked up and I laughed as he pulled
me back to him. Face to face, he positioned his solid thigh between my legs as
we continued to sway to the beat. I briefly placed my head on his chest while
my hands clutched his biceps as his hands traveled just under the hem of my
sweater and spanned across my lower back and down to the curve of my ass. I
gazed up to him and his lips took mine; the kiss didn’t last nearly long
enough, it never did.

He whispered in my ear, “You’ll be lucky if I don’t drag you
to the bathroom, baby.” Pressing his thigh into my crotch I gasped, “I have a
feeling you wouldn’t object.”

I squeezed his biceps and before I knew it the song was
over. He hauled me back toward the table and everyone was there, but before I
could sit, Jane seized my hand and dragged me to the ladies room. I was
relieved and took the first available stall. When I emerged to wash my hands,
Jane was still standing by the door.

“Everything okay, Jane?”

“Don’t panic.”

“Ok.”

“Dan is here. We have to get Cal and James out of here
before they spot him.”

“Shit, agreed. What is he doing here?”

“I don’t know, but he didn’t seem too happy with the show
the two of you put on out on the dance floor.”

“This doesn’t make any sense. He’s acting more possessive of
me now than he did when we were dating.”

“We’ll figure that out later. Right now we need to get out
of here.”

We rushed out of the bathroom and back to our table. It was
too late; Lena and Anthony were sitting there paralyzed.

“Where are Cal and James?” They simply pointed behind me,
and as Jane and I turned, we cursed in unison.

Cal, God bless him, was trying to hold back James. Dan was
laughing and spitting words back at James.

“We have to get them out of here.”

Anthony and Lena grabbed our purses and jackets and followed
behind us. They had attracted a crowd and a bouncer had made his way over to
them. The bouncer and James shook hands and exchanged some words. The bouncer
then turned to Dan and escorted him out of the bar and Dan didn’t go quietly.

James was visibly angry as Cal patted him on the chest and
they turned to see us making our way over.

“We’re good here. Show’s over.” Cal was talking to the
spectators.

I noticed a few cell phone cameras flashing. How annoying. I
curled up to James and placed my hands on his cheeks. “You okay?”

He pulled my arms down, kissed my forehead before taking my
hand in his and nodded as he pulled me back toward our table. When we got there
our table had already been claimed by other patrons.

“It’s getting late, we can just go.” He was teetering on the
edge, I could tell. “Hey!” That got his attention, “Take me home, James.” I
lifted up to my tip toes and whispered in his ear, “You can take your anger out
on me.” I sucked on his ear briefly before I pulled away.

Chuckling at me, he smiled, “If you insist, lady.”

“I insist.”

We all made our way through the bar and as we stepped
outside the cold autumn air assaulted us. James helped me into my jacket before
taking my hand as we walked toward the parking garage. We only made it another
ten feet from the bar before Dan popped out from an alley.

“Cassidy! You didn’t waste any time, did you? Got yourself
the prized stallion.”

Jesus Christ.
I heard James growl next to me as I
stepped in front of him. I wasn’t sure who I was trying to protect; James or
Dan.

“Dan, get out of here. You’re just asking for trouble.”

He started sniggering and inched closer. James gripped my
shoulders as I noticed Cal stepping up next to us.

I turned to James, “He’s not worth it, James.”

“He can have you. Tramp. You were a lousy lay anyways.”

Cal and James both stepped forward at the same time. Dan
must have had a death wish, and before I could stop it from happening, James’s
fist landed square in the center of Dan’s face. Jane, Lena, Anthony and I all
flinched, though he had it coming.

Dan was knocked to the ground and when he picked his head
back up blood was pouring out his nose. “You broke my nose.”

“You deserved it.” I looked to Jane and smiled at her as she
had simply said what we were all thinking. Dammit. I saw some cops running over
behind her and turned to Cal.

“Cal!”

He was busy holding James off Dan, but when James spotted
the officers he backed off. In the meantime, we had attracted another crowd.
Dan was on the ground cursing as I pulled James to the side and checked his
hand.

“Are you hurt? You could’ve broken your hand. You need to
start punching a bag instead of walls and faces!”

He smiled while rubbing his knuckles and said he was
alright. I looked to see where Cal was and found him holding out his badge and
shaking hands with one of the officers. That officer then made his way over to
James and me.

“Take the lady home. We’ll see to him.” The officer pointed
at Dan, and I thought I recognized the officer, but couldn’t recall his name.

“Thank you.” I dragged James away before anything more could
be said or done. We all had to make our distance from the scene we had caused.
When we reached the parking garage, James turned and apologized to everyone.

“Don’t worry about it. If you hadn’t punched him, I would
have.” Cal shook his head, “They’re taking Dan to the station. He won’t be
pressing charges. You okay to drive?”