Real Challenge (Atlanta #2) (21 page)

The tension finally eased from Cassie’s forehead. “Really you,” she whispered with a small smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you. It’s just that when I have the real you, things are beyond beautiful. I don’t want that to stop.”

“Me neither.”

“Am I allowed to ask for those proper kisses again?”

Scott smiled. “Always.”

“Start here,” Cassie smiled as she touched her lips.

Scott leaned in and breathed deliberately over her mouth. “Then where?”

“My wrist…”

Cassie woke up long before Scott did Sunday morning. She smiled at his peaceful, beautiful face resting on her pillow. The player in him was truly gone, and the real Scott was hers. Her heart skipped a beat knowing that.
 

Since she had extra time, she pulled her stretch cotton quietly out of a drawer and went straight to her yoga room. A short workout was in order for the day since a peaceful mindset had already settled into her body. She could feel Scott’s kisses coursing through her blood stream still.
 

Through her stretching and Enya music, Cassie’s peaceful mood morphed into complete bliss. Truthfully, she loved that Scott called her out. So often she felt like she had life figured out. Look what she conquered! She took her dreadful childhood and turned it into a bright, joyful existence. Sometimes she felt infallible. She could read every person and every situation. But last night, Scott proved her completely wrong. Talk about a challenge. Only a hell of a man could do that. Only Scott.

Since Scott was still sleeping, Cassie took her cell phone out to the front step to call Marcus. She didn’t want to wake her sleeping beauty. She laughed at the thought. Sometimes he looked like such a pretty-boy, though he was nothing of the sort. Her musings were interrupted when Marcus answered the phone with a tight hello.

“Sore from the fight?” she laughed.

“You could say that. Plus I’m tired. I didn’t get home until almost four. God, Luke can be a pain sometimes.”

“Yeah, just like you were. Bill was a saint for putting up with you. What goes around….”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s enough out of you.”

Cassie could hear the smile in his voice. “You were great last night, Marc. How cool that you were the featured fight. You kicked the best of all asses.”

Marcus laughed at her take on his win. She certainly had a unique way of thinking of things. He appreciated her so much because of it.

“Did Scott have fun?”

“Ha! Yes, but he’s more terrified of you than he was before.”

“Good.”

“Oh, stop it. I keep trying to tell him you’re just a big softie. Last night didn’t help my case, though, that’s for sure. And I’ll keep telling
you
, Scott’s a good guy, not a shoe rack. So how’d it go with Luke?”

 
Marcus told her all about Luke’s fit. Luke was furious that the decision went to Devlin and he raged on and on about why he should have won. Then he raged about everything else. Once he came back around to why he was so much better than Devlin, Marcus told Cassie how he had to knock him down a peg or two.

“Yeah,” Marcus said. “He was all high on himself, walking around the mat like an arrogant lunatic. His ego learned its lesson about two seconds after I knocked him down and pinned him solid. Then we had a
real
talk.”

“Do I get to hear any more about what his deal is?”

“I wish I could, but he’s tight enough with the details as it is. If he ever thought I was blabbing, the entire process would stop. I’d lose a good fighter and he’d lose any chance to pull his shit together, and he needs to. The reason is pretty damn important.”

“Ok. I get it. But I worry about him.”

“Me too. But now it’s more ice packs for me. Plus my gorgeous woman is making me lunch.”

“Give Erin a hug for me.”

“I will. Bye, Cass. Behave.”

“Probably not,” she grinned and hit the end button before Marcus could harass her.

She quietly opened her front door and tiptoed into her living room, only to see Scott relaxing on her couch. “Oh, guess I don’t have to be so quiet,” she smiled. “Good morning.”

Scott handed her a cup of coffee and sipped from his own blue mug. “Hey, sexy.”

“You made me coffee? I could get used to that,” she smiled as she curled up in her favorite chair, tucking her legs up under herself. “How did you sleep?”

“Apart from the nightmare where your brother dragged me into a cage? Great,” he smiled.

“Oh, shut up,” she said laughing. “What do you want to do this afternoon?”

“Truthfully, I want to just crash. We can put in a movie, make popcorn, and I can get all handsy with you. Sound good?”

“Yep, especially the handsy part,” she smiled. “Let’s start a new tradition. Sunday Topless Matinee. I want to see those abs, hottie.”

Scott nodded with an arrogant grin and pulled his t-shirt off. “That sounds like a great tradition.”
 

“Ok, you get lunch and popcorn, and I’ll take a shower before our newly-standing date. Deal?”

“Sure,” he said. “But don’t take too long. I don’t want to be topless alone over here.”
 

Cassie shook her head as she walked to her bathroom, and Scott was still grinning wickedly as he walked toward the kitchen.

Chapter Eleven

By the middle of May the two had a pretty steady routine going. Cassie spent her weeks working and studying for her nursing boards. She finished her medical assisting classes the summer before, and was now on a 6-part home study. The first three exams were done and Cassie was breezing through the study schedule.
 

Scott, on the other hand, spent his weeks swimming and working. The text-war continued with at least one ridiculous comment or joke every day. They needed something fun to keep in touch until they could spend the entire weekend together. Every Friday was a passionate reunion, every Saturday was dedicated to fun, and every Sunday they continued their topless matinee tradition. Cassie always laughed that they never managed to finish a movie.
 

The last Friday in May, Scott texted Cassie a dinner invitation.

Swanky night out, I’m picking you up at 6

I thought you weren’t going to try and impress me anymore

I’m not. Wear a blindfold.

Blindfold? Did you say swanky or kinky?

I’ll see you at 6.

Cassie grinned ear to ear. Her shift at the clinic ended at two. She had plenty of time to get herself all dolled up for her night with Scott. Funny, no matter how much time she spent around Scott, she only wanted more. She wasn’t the least bit bored with him. If anything, the deeper she got lost in him, the more complex and fun she realized he was.
 

She loved the moment when he admitted he was prom king in high school. Of
course
he was. Even more fantastic was when he laughed about how at the time the title seemed the best possible thing ever. Ah, the naiveté of youth. The thought made her wonder what she was being naive about in her life now.

Thoughts of Scott tumbled through her mind all morning, of course, and when she got home a little after two, she went straight for the yoga room. A good hour of stretching peacefully invigorated her before heading to the bathtub to soften her skin. She broke out her favorite bubble bath scented with poppies and jasmine and soaked for over an hour in the fragrant water, adding more hot water as it cooled.
 

She spent copious amounts of time shaving
every
surface completely smooth for him. She didn’t often have this much time to prep for a swanky/kinky evening. The text conversation brought a giggle out while she was in the tub. Scott had never shown even the slightest interest in any kink and she could only picture the look on his face when she texted the word. She wasn’t into the kink scene either, but her imagination enjoyed getting a little more playful with Scott.

When she got out of her tub, she rubbed a matching poppy-and-jasmine lotion on her skin and spent time putting her hair up into rollers. Her straight hair didn’t hold curls very well, but with some styling product and a lot of luck, she could pull off waves. She put on some subtle make up while she listened to her favorite alternative music from her mp3 player.
 

Her closet was the target of her scrutiny while while the rollers cooled in her hair. What to do about swanky? She looked through her skirts and picked out the smoky-teal mid-thigh number that was the color inspiration for her living room walls. the floaty little skirt played around her legs when she walked; Scott would enjoy the look of that, she was sure.
 

She put on her knee-high black boots and the tight black top she wore the time Scott had his way with her on his office desk those months ago. Some tasteful jewelry and a neck scarf toned down the sexy-factor. Plus, that scarf would work well as a blindfold when she needed one.
 

She went back to the bathroom to finish her hair. She pulled the rollers out and spritzed all off her hair with some spray-gel. She let it dry completely while she double checked her makeup. She gently wiggled her fingers through her hair to soften up the curls and into waves along her shoulders. She smiled at her reflection just in time to hear her doorbell.
 

She walked to the door and saw Scott in a classic pair of tan pants and ice-blue golf shirt that brightened his eyes into a shimmering, crystal blue. She was blown away again by how gorgeous he was. The look on his face indicated the same feeling about her.

“You look absolutely amazing,” he said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. “You ready to go? Where’s the blindfold?”

“I wasn’t sure you were serious about that. But I figured I’d just use my scarf if you were.”

“I was absolutely serious,” he said with a wicked grin. “But you don’t have to put it on until we’re in the car.”

Cassie just looked at him, wondering what the heck was up to for the evening. Not that she cared, she loved the game either way. She turned to lock her front door and followed him out to the SUV. He held her door for her and helped her into the car. He leaned in and kissed her deeply while he pulled the scarf from her neck. When he leaned back, he pulled the fabric over her eyes and tied it securely behind her head.
 

“Now I can surprise you with where we’re going,” he said with an ornery voice.
 

Cassie had no idea what kind of destination qualified as swanky but still required a blindfold. They drove for about twenty minutes, carrying on casual conversation about their week as if she weren’t sitting there blindfolded. The whole scenario cracked her up. No wonder she never got bored.
 

She felt the car come to a stop and she reached for the blindfold. Her hands were instantly stopped by his. “Not yet. I’m walking you inside first.”

“Aren’t people going to look at us a little funny? Not that I care, but I thought you might.”

“I promise no one will look at us funny in here.”

“Seriously. What kind of place is this? I was joking about the kink…”

Scott laughed and led her carefully up the sidewalk. She trusted him completely and walked confidently along beside him. She wasn’t going to show him any signs of backing down.
 

Their location remained a complete mystery. Nothing sounded like restaurant noises as he walked her through a series of hallways and doors. Was this some private club or something? Her curiosity was completely piqued.
 

He led her through a final door and pulled her blindfold off. He tossed the scarf to the side. When her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw his apartment and clapped her hands. “You’re cooking for me?! I love it! Thank you,” she leaned up to kiss him. She felt his hands at her waist as he kissed her back.
 

“I decided to make you my family’s secret Italian cuisine, you know from the old country,” he grinned with his blue eyes twinkling.
 

“Yes, I can see your obvious Italian heritage,” she said plucking at his blond hair.

“We have a name for our sauce, and I’ll tell you…but you can’t share our secret. We call it
Prego
,” he said conspiratorially. “But tonight, no pasta. I’m going for
la cucina gustoso
.”

“Sounds impressive. And don’t worry, your family’s secret will be safe with me,” she said as she sat at the countertop bar that separated his kitchen from the living room area of the apartment. He didn’t have a table either. They were a perfect fit.
 

“So what are you actually making me?”

“An excellent assortment of delights,” he said with an air of sophistication.
 

“Oh, there you go trying to impress me again. I thought we got over that,” she said still smiling. That smile turned into a full-blown laugh when he pulled out a pizza from the freezer and bagged salad from his fridge.

“Yep, I’m really working hard at impressing you. You like pepperoni?”

“Pepperoni is great,” she said, still smiling so genuinely at the dinner he was preparing. “This is the perfect meal.
Gratzie
.”

Scott popped the pizza in the oven and dropped the salad unceremoniously into two bowls. He grabbed a half bottle of ranch dressing from the fridge and offered it to her like a waiter bringing a bottle of fine wine. She giggled again. “It’s a lovely vintage, thank you.”

Before they could dress their salads, Scott walked around to her side of the bar and smiled when he pulled her off her stool. His hands wrapped around her waist, and he offered her the smallest hint of a smile before he kissed her. He spent a long, soft moment on her lips before he whispered in her ear.

“You smell so good,” he breathed. “And you look absolutely beautiful tonight.”
 

He kissed her gently again but then pulled her in closer and moved his tongue along her lips. Her mouth opened for him and she kissed him back as fully as she could. The electronic beep of the oven broke the moment.

“Damn timer,” Cassie giggled.

Scott laughed and pulled the pizza out to slice it. Cassie loved that they could have a great time just relaxing together. Scott’s carefree self seemed almost unreal to her. Gone was the drama and strut. She had the real him, all the time, and she loved every ounce. Even his frame was relaxed instead of that wide-shouldered posture he frequently held when she first met him.