Arrested Pleasure (19 page)

The sudden rattle of the door garnered her attention. A stranger pushed his way through. Surprised and immediately on alert, since the hour was late and strangers rarely showed up this time of the day at Casa de Massage without an appointment, she slid the bank bag into the drawer before she rose to her feet.

"Can I help you?"

The man stood about the same height as Cassie, with dark hair and a ruddy complexion. His eyes darted around, as if nervous, and a twinge of nervousness spurted through her.

"I, uh, hoped you might fit me in for a massage," he finally said after a moment.

He stared down the hallway, as if looking for someone.

"I'm sorry, but technically we're closed."

"Your door was unlocked."

"We still have a customer on the premises and once they leave, I'll be shutting up for the night." Gabe was coming over in an hour and bringing Italian food from a popular restaurant. Cassie didn't have any exotic plans for tonight, but she did want to take a quick shower and rub on some silky lotion she'd picked up at
Bath and Bodyworks
earlier today.

The stranger frowned and glanced around again. "Well, can't you squeeze me in?" He was a persistent man—and beginning to get on her nerves.

The rain had stopped earlier, but the air remained thick with humidity from the heat that built once the sun came out. Despite this, Cassie shivered. Though it wasn't from the cold. The stranger left her feeling uneasy.

"No. I can't. It's late."

"Oh, come on lady, just a simple—"

They both paused as a noise from the back interrupted his words. Lola banged the laundry room door shut, and Cassie turned to check if she was returning. She'd ask Lola to make an appointment for this man and send him on his way. For once glad she wasn't alone.

Lola stepped into the room and smiled at Cassie. "There, you're all ready for tomorrow."

"Thanks a lot, Lola. Before you go, would you schedule this gentleman for a massage? He wanted to be seen tonight, but I explained to him we're closing."

Lola's mouth dropped open as she stared at Cassie. "What man?"

Cassie whipped back around. The strange man had left. Where did he go? She hadn't heard him leave, and obviously he'd made a quick exit before Lola reappeared.

Her already tense nerve endings buzzed. What the hell was going on?

The Columbia River's magnificent view provided a show as they drove along Upper Columbia Drive. Traffic was heavy. The sunny, warm weather today had brought the Portlanders out in droves.

"You've only been given a brief escape." Cassie turned her head to smile at Gabe.

They'd arrived for Junie's wedding right as the vows began, and they sat in the back.

She spotted her mother frantically looking around until Nola finally caught sight of her.

It didn't take Nola long to check out Gabe before a satisfied smile crossed her face and she turned her attention back on the wedding. The ceremony now over, everyone headed to the Northern Lights restaurant for the reception.

"Wait until the reception, and I bet she gang tackles you and starts asking you questions."

While stopped at a light, Gabe grabbed one of her hands with his, keeping his free hand on the steering wheel. He smiled and kissed her fingers lightly. "I bet she's protective of her only daughter and would shoot me down if I hurt you. I see you've inherited her dark looks."

"Her Filipino heritage is the only thing I inherited from her. I'm taller than most of my relatives in the Philippines." Cassie dropped her hand down to his thigh and rubbed gently back and forth. She felt his immediate response and wished they didn't have to attend the reception. She'd rather spend the rest of the day with Gabe.
Alone.

"Yes, and your father is a tall man. Obviously you inherited that from him and not your mother's petite frame." He glanced at her long legs. "To tell you the truth, your legs were the first thing that caught my attention. Almost from the start, I wondered what it'd be like to them wrapped around me so tightly I'd explode."

Cassie stretched them out and lifted one slightly, giving him a pleased look. "No wonder you had fun doing it against the wall last night."

He chuckled and grinned at her, but didn't respond. They'd settled into an easy relationship, spending most nights together. She'd learned he originally came from California and loved to hike in the mountains when he had time off work. They'd even discussed a weekend trip to Mount Hood sometime later this summer.

She sighed and leaned her head against the headrest. "Mother is protective, but Daddy is worse and will grill you to make sure you're good enough for his daughter. I hope you're well prepared." They'd escaped as soon as the wedding vows ended and the happy newlyweds headed to the front to greet the well-wishers. With the large crowd jostling around the couple, it wasn't possible to catch up with her parents.

"Not a problem. I put on my toughest armor today."

They both laughed, and she continued to watch the scenery as the miles sped by.

The restaurant was about fifteen miles from the church, but with the traffic heavy, the trip would take longer. Cassie didn't know why Junie's family picked the venues so far apart, but the drive had been pleasant with Gabe at her side. A slight breeze gave the air a crispness and freshness that made Cassie glad she lived in Portland. She loved big cities and had even flown to Los Angeles several years ago to visit a friend. Yet after a week in smog-infested L.A., she was glad to return to Portland.

"Turn at the next light. The restaurant is on the left," Cassie instructed Gabe.

After finding a parking spot nearby, Gabe grabbed the foil-wrapped present with a bright violet bow from the backseat and led Cassie into the glass-walled restaurant.

She hoped the happy couple liked the
Year of Wishes Candle
set she'd bought.

They paused at the entrance. The restaurant inside was beautiful. Except for one side, every wall of the Northern Lights main restaurant was made of heavy plated glass, affording it a spectacular view of the river, with the cities of Portland and Vancouver off in the distance.

"Nice," Gabe commented as he glanced around. Usually on a Saturday night, the place was packed wall to wall with dinner patrons, but Junie's parents had rented the whole place for the evening. Waiters bustled around serving drinks and canapés.

"Yes, my aunt and uncle will do anything for Junie," Cassie replied as she handed the present to an attendant. "I wouldn't expect anything less than the best for the reception."

"Mmm . . . I guess." He caught the eye of a passing waiter, snagged two glasses of champagne, and handed one to Cassie. "Where do you want to head to now?"

Cassie glanced around the festively decorated room. Her parents hadn't arrived yet, but she spied her brother Tim and his wife Annie standing a few yards away looking out at the water. Tim's thinning, gray hair reminded her that her family was growing older.

Annie turned and immediately spotted her and waved. "Cassie! Over here." Her sister-in-law was one of her favorite people, with her warm blue eyes and always-smart advice.

They exchanged hugs. "Annie, good to see you. Where are the kids today?"

"They didn't want to get dressed in their church going clothes and stand around at a stuffy wedding. Or so they told me." Annie chuckled as her gaze zeroed in on Gabe.

"I heard you planned to bring a date to the ball. So, Cinderella, who's this handsome man here?"

"Yes, sis, we want to meet the guy who's caught your eye . . . and I assume much more." Amusement laced Tim's voice.

Cassie blushed. She grabbed Gabe's arm, hugging him close to her body, reassuring them both. "Tim and Annie, this is Gabe Banks. We're just friends, so don't get any ideas."

"Ah, sis, you slay me." Tim put a hand to his chest and pretended to be hurt.

"Why should we get any ideas, considering you rarely bring your dates around to meet us?" But Tim's broad smile indicated his approval. "Nice to meet you, Gabe," he said, as he held out his hand.

"Same here." Gabe returned the handshake and then lifted an amused eyebrow at Cassie. "I bet tonight will be interesting."

"Cassie loves to shock us, that's for sure," Tim replied.

She punched her brother in the arm. "Knock it off, or I'll make you pay. Like tell Gabe about our childhood, how you once played doctor with Annie and got interrupted when our parents came home."

Brother and sister glared at each other for a long moment. She loved Tim, but he had been known to mercilessly tease her on many an occasion.

"Oh, dear, this is serious," Annie commented, her face turning a bright pink.

"Come on, let's go sit at a table and visit while we wait for Patrick and Nola to arrive."

"Sounds good to me." Gabe pulled out a chair for Cassie, while Tim did the same for Annie. A waiter brought them a plate loaded with goodies to snack on. The appetizers were only a preliminary, with a full course meal and dancing on the agenda.

Meanwhile, the restaurant rapidly filled with guests.

"So, what do you do, Gabe? I don't think Cassie mentioned it."

Cassie tensed. She knew her brother meant well, but she didn't want Gabe to be uncomfortable. She sometimes got the impression Gabe didn't like to talk about his work. Not that she blamed him. She understood how one wanted to leave your job at work.

"I'm a police detective here in Portland. Been here about nine months after moving from San Francisco."

"What brought you up here?" Annie took a sip of her drink, a curious expression on her face. "You know someone in Portland or have family?"

Gabe shook his head. "I needed a change of scenery and a friend suggested Portland. My friend lives in Clackamas. I've met a few people, including Gavin"—he sent a quick look to Cassie—"I'd checked with the department in Portland to find out if they had any openings and, luckily for me, they did."

"Gavin? Wasn't he—" Tim started to say before he stopped, a pained expression crossed his face. He glared at his wife.

Cassie realized Annie must have kicked his foot underneath the table, but her sweet smile belied what she had done. She still hadn't called up Gavin to ask about Gabe. They had rarely spoken his name between them. After all, Gavin was a part of the past and best left there. Everyone had moved on.

"Your family didn't mind your moving to a new city?" Tim's relentless questions embarrassed her. He acted almost like her father, and Cassie suspected things would get worse when her parents arrived.

She needed to put a stop to their interrogation. "Can't we move on to another subject?"

"I don't mind. Not a problem," Gabe interrupted, putting his hand on Cassie's. "I have nothing to hide."

Cassie opened her mouth to say something more, but stopped. He was right.

They weren't engaged or anything even remotely close. Besides, her brother asked questions she had to admit she wanted to know the answers to also.

"I don't have a family anymore. My mother died when I was sixteen, and the man who more or less raised me died a year ago after a long battle with cancer. I had nothing to hold me in San Francisco." Gabe shrugged. "Portland sounded good to me, and here I am."

Tim and Annie murmured sympathy at the loss of Gabe's mentor while Cassie pondered his words. He didn't mention his father. But she knew in this day and age a lot of children didn't have fathers in their lives. She thought herself lucky to have both parents still alive and in her life, even with a bossy father and an interfering mother.

"There you all are." Her father's booming voice broke into her thoughts. Speak of the devil. Her parents had arrived.

"The way you took off in a hurry, Cassie, I thought maybe you didn't want us to meet your young man." Patrick's gaze slid to Gabe, who rose to greet him. Behind him, her mother just rolled her eyes, but Cassie caught the glimmer of a smile in them.

"Hello, mom and dad." She rose and gave them both an affectionate kiss, as did Annie. Tim stood and helped his mother off with her shawl before he handed it to an attendant.

"A lot of people were at the church, and I wanted us to get a good table," Tim said, pointing to the beautiful view outside. Boats and jet skis raced through the water while people walked along the shoreline. "I swear everyone is taking advantage of the fair weather."

"Sure, sure. Nice day for a wedding." Patrick nodded approvingly. "We should've all rode together instead of separate cars. The area has changed so much anyway. I almost got lost coming here."

"Well, you're here now. Sit down." Cassie motioned her parents to the chairs across from her. "I guess now is a good time as any to introduce you to Gabe." She quickly made the introductions.

"Oh, how wonderful to finally meet one of Cassie's young men," her mother gushed.

Cassie rolled her eyes. Her mother acted as if she kept her dating life a secret. Of course, the truth was she rarely introduced her parents to guys.

Gabe grinned at Nola, who fluttered her eyelashes. Even at age sixty-seven, her mother loved to charm men. Of course, most of the time the ploy worked. Who wouldn't be charmed by her mother—still slim and hadn't nary a gray strand in her dark hair.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Nichols. Cassie's talked a lot about her parents, and I looked forward to meeting you both."

"Oh, call me Nola," her mother admonished him. "No one ever calls me Mrs.

Nichols and never will." She leaned forward. "Cassie should bring you over to the coast one weekend, and we'll go kite flying on the beach."

"Mother!" Nola had just been introduced to Gabe and already she was planning weekend visits. Next thing Cassie knew, her mother would be organizing a wedding.

Her father saved her by clearing his throat. "Now Nola, as much as you like being the social planner of the coast, we should wait until Cassie and Gabe want to come. Don't force them."

Cassie gave him a grateful smile. The one person who could control her mother was her dad. Of course, most times it was the other way around.