The Wedding Agreement (16 page)

Tessa nodded, looking a little emotional. “Well,
I'll let you get on with your evening. I'll let you tell Nina about the change of plans.”

“Perfect. Talk to you soon.”

“Bye, Alex.”

The call disconnected, and Alex collapsed against the backrest of his chair.
Did that really just happen?
Tessa had apologized. She was going to let him have Nina for the eight weeks. Cass' plan had actually fucking worked.

But that last thought brought him up short. There had been a niggling flicker of guilt that had resided within Alex since this whole thing began. Guilt that he was lying to Nina, that he was letting her get attached to a woman who was never going to be what he'd promised, that he was convincing Tessa to give him the time by lying to her. As he sat there and examined it, he realized there was now another layer to the guilt.

The past couple of months had all been part of a
plan
. He'd been in a contrived relationship that had an expiration date. Cass was only in it because she was a good friend who wanted to help him. But what he'd done to her was unforgivable. For the girl who was dedicated to her career, who never wanted a husband or a family, he felt guilt too. Because he was fucking falling for her. And he wasn't sure he'd be able to let her go when this was all over.

Objective

Alex put a hand on Nina's shoulder and pulled open the door so she could enter the restaurant. He felt the peanut shells crunch beneath his shoes as he approached the hostess. “Two, please.” He was happy to see that Nina's favorite place to eat wasn't as crowded as it usually was. But he wasn't all that surprised. It was a Tuesday night, and they'd gone on Saturdays before. Not to mention it was only five-thirty. He wanted to make sure that he got Nina back to Tessa's at a reasonable hour, since she had school the next day.

The hostess glanced down at the iPad in front of her and then back up at Alex. “Right this way,” she said. “Do you need a kids' menu?”

Alex looked at Nina. “I think two adult ones will be fine.”

Nina smiled, clearly pleased with Alex's request.

The hostess seated them, and a few minutes later
a waiter came by to bring them some rolls and take their drink orders. Alex ordered an iced tea for himself and a Shirley Temple for Nina, which he knew she loved and got only on special occasions.

“I get to have soda at night?” Nina said, obviously excited.

“Just this once,” Alex replied. “But make sure you go to bed whenever your mom tells you to, okay?”

Nina pulled a roll apart and began buttering it. “Okay.”

For a minute Alex was silent, just wanting to take in the moment: his daughter happy, here with him on a night that wasn't “his.” But the truth was, though he'd been excited to tell Nina that she would be staying with him for the summer, a part of him was worried that she wouldn't share his same enthusiasm. Though Nina knew that her mom and Pete were leaving for the summer, she already thought she'd be staying with her grandparents, whom she loved and didn't get to see very often because they lived a few hours away. It had just now occurred to him that though this was supposed to be a celebratory dinner, it might have a very different tone for Nina. “What are you getting to eat?” he asked, not wanting to share the news just yet.

“Can I get ribs?” she asked, peeking over the top of her menu.

Alex raised his eyebrows. “You know they have bones in them, right? And they're messy?”

Nina gave him a quick nod. “I know. Pete makes them sometimes.”

Alex felt himself wince a bit at the mention of Pete, but he gave her a small smile in an attempt to cover it. “Just making sure you knew. You can get whatever you want.”

A minute or two later, the waiter returned with their drinks and took their orders. Nina sipped on her Shirley Temple and twisted the straw wrapper around her finger. “You ever play that game with these?”

“The one that makes them look like worms?” Alex scrunched up his own wrapper and put a few droplets of water on it until it wiggled and appeared to grow.

Nina laughed. “No, silly. The one where you find out if someone's thinking about you.”

Alex was genuinely confused.

“You tie the wrapper in a knot, and if the knot stays together and the paper doesn't rip, it means the person you love is thinking about you right that second.”

Alex shook his head. “I've never heard of that one.”

Nina's eyes brightened. “Let's play then.”

“Okay. You want to see if Mommy's thinking about you?” He handed the other wrapper to Nina, but she didn't take it.

“It's not for me. It's for you to do with Cass,” she replied simply.

Nina's mention of Cass caused Alex's breathing to falter and his heart to beat a little faster. Alex followed Nina's instructions. But it wasn't until the wrapper broke in half and the knot came apart that he realized how much he'd been wanting it to stay intact.

Nina's smile fell a little, and Alex felt his do the same. Though he wasn't really sure why. It was just a kids' game.

“So what are you gonna get for dessert?” Alex asked, grabbing the small menu of treats from the end of the table so he could change the subject.

“A sundae!” Nina nearly shouted. But a few seconds later, she gave him a curious look. “Wait—soda
and
dessert? How come you're letting me have all this stuff?”

Alex shrugged, surprised at how quickly Nina had caught on that something was up. Though he really shouldn't have been. The girl had clearly inherited his keen observation skills. “Can't I just let my daughter have a fun night out?”

Nina looked unconvinced.

Damn, she's smart.
“Okay, okay,” Alex said, moving closer to the table and folding his hands on it. “You caught me. I have exciting news.” He immediately regretted his word choice. If Nina didn't think it was exciting, then he didn't want her to feel obligated to act that way. “I mean,
I'm
excited about it. I'm not sure how you'll feel though, so you'll have to tell me.”

Nina edged closer to him in anticipation. “What is it?”

Alex took a deep breath. “Well, you know how your mom and Pete are going away this summer for work, and she said that you were going to stay with your grandparents in New Jersey?”

Nina nodded and sat up a little taller. “Yeah, they said I could ride a horse.”

Shit.
“Well your mom changed her mind, and she said that you could stay with
me
this summer.” Alex tried to gauge Nina's reaction, but since she didn't immediately reply, it was tough to tell what she was thinking. “What would you think about going horseback riding with me instead?” he added, hoping to soften the blow.

“With you?”

“Yeah, with me. Why do you say it like that? You don't believe I can ride a horse?” he joked.

Nina's expression told him that's exactly what she believed. “Can Cass come?”

“What? I'm not entertaining enough on my own?” Alex held out his arms and grinned widely.

Nina smiled back, a few teeth still missing, which made her cuter than she already was. “No, you're fun, Dad. But I like it when it's all three of us.”

Alex knew the feeling. He reached across the table, grabbed both of Nina's hands in one of his, and gave them a squeeze. “Yeah, baby,” he answered. “Cass can go.”

The two spent the next few minutes talking about what type of horse Nina wanted to ride. Alex told her he didn't know if a white pony with round brown spots would be available, but said he'd do his best to find one. By the time their meals arrived, the conversation had gotten considerably lighter than it had originally felt. Nina was excited that she wouldn't have to leave her friends and that she'd get to go to camp each day. And the more they discussed the summer, the more excited Alex felt about the time they'd have together. It would be a chance to take her to some of the places he never felt like he could squeeze into their weekends.

Nina finished her ribs, and Alex helped her wipe the last of the sauce off her face and hands before her sundae arrived.

“That looks pretty good. Can I have a bite?” Alex asked after the waiter had set the ice cream down in front of her.

Nina's eyes widened at the enormous dessert, and Alex could tell she was contemplating trying to eat the whole thing. “Fine, I guess you can have a bite. Just one though.”

Alex laughed, a spoon already in his hand.

As their time together came to a close, Alex appreciated even more how nice it was going to be to have Nina full-time, to feel like he had a real family again. Not that their little “family” of three was
real
in the traditional sense. But sometimes it couldn't help but feel that way.

Telling Nina about the summer had been a success, and they were both looking forward to their two months together. But as Nina had pointed out, they were a unit—incomplete when one of them wasn't involved. That was what prompted him to call Cass after he dropped off Nina.

“Hey, you,” Cass answered.

The way she said it brought a smile to Alex's face instantaneously. “Hey. I just dropped Nina off.”

“Sooo? How did it go? I've been thinking about you.”

Alex laughed.

“What?”

“It's nothing. Just this game Nina and was playing. Dinner was good. She seemed excited.”

Cass sighed as if she were as relieved as he'd been. Maybe she was. “That's so great. I'm so happy for you guys.”

“Me too.” Alex caught a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror. His eyes shone with a light he hadn't seen in them in years. And he had a feeling it had to do with more than just his dinner with Nina. Almost by habit, he made a left at the end of the street and then a quick right. “What are you up to?” he asked.

Cass laughed. “You're not gonna believe this, but I'm watching
Happy Gilmore
.”

Alex felt his smile grow even wider. “You're right. I don't believe it. I thought you hated Adam Sandler.”

“Yeah, I kind of still do.” He heard Cass blow out
a soft laugh through her nose. “But I guess I've just had the urge to give things a chance lately.”

*   *   *

Cass pulled at the soft cotton of her oversized T-shirt, thinking about how she was already ready for bed and it was only eight thirty. She wasn't sure when she'd stopped catching up on extra work at night or when she'd stopped feeling the need to fill her social calendar. She just knew she liked it.

“Well, there is
one
thing that makes an Adam Sandler movie better every time,” Alex said.

“Oh yeah? What's that?”

Alex was silent for a moment before he answered her. “Company.”

Cass felt her lip turn up into a half smile. “That would definitely make it better. How far away are you?”

“Uh . . . this probably sounds creepy, especially coming from someone who locks up weirdos for a living.” Alex hesitated. “But I'm standing outside your apartment building.”

Cass pulled the phone away from her ear and hung up. She hadn't even thought to buzz him in. Her desire to see him had her throwing down the phone and making her way downstairs.

She could see Alex through the glass door, still holding the phone. He put it into his pocket when he saw her. For a moment as she approached him, she caught a glimpse of her reflection. Though it was only in glass and not sharp enough to make out the details, she saw herself just as clearly as she'd seen herself in the bridal shop. It didn't matter that she wasn't in a fancy gown. The woman she saw staring back at her was the same. And standing right next to her—more clearly than she'd ever seen him—was Alex.

Cass pushed open the door so Alex could enter. And when he did, his proximity alone caused a warmth to rush through her body.

They didn't speak on the way up the stairs. They didn't need to. Once inside Cass' apartment, the two went to the couch. Alex sat first, gently gripping her arm and prompting her to rest her head on his lap so he could stroke her hair. “You're right,” she said after about ten minutes. “This movie
is
better with company.”

“Told you,” he said.

And that's how they stayed until the movie ended—Cass lying on Alex like she belonged there.

She was pretty sure she did.

Once she finally felt like moving, Cass stood up and began walking to the kitchen. “I'm gonna get a drink. Do you want anything?” she asked, already pulling a bottle of water from the fridge and taking a few gulps. She put the bottle on the counter and was turning around to ask Alex again, since he hadn't answered. But as she spun, she realized Alex was right behind her. She jumped, startled, but recovered quickly.

Alex rubbed his hands along her biceps and pulled her close. “Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.”

Cass didn't answer with words, letting her body respond for her instead. She leaned into Alex, pressing her breasts against his solid chest, her nipples hardening under her shirt. Already she felt so ready. She wanted this man. And it didn't feel only sexual. The way he wrapped his arms around her, breathed softly against her neck, made Cass melt into him.

Alex's hands roamed her body as if they were exploring her for the first time, his fingers tracing delicate paths up and down her sides that made her flesh tingle. She let out a low moan and pulled him harder
against her. Cass' back arched over the countertop as Alex held her in place with his body. She could feel his erection pressing into her, and she wanted to move against him.

He groaned into her mouth as he kissed her, his tongue a perfect combination of sensual and wild. Her mind blurred with desire as she ground shamelessly against him. And as if he sensed her need, he asked, “What do you want?”

It was a simple question. But one that sent the synapses of Cass' brain firing in all directions. For years she thought she knew what she wanted. But she'd been wrong. What she'd accomplished made her feel proud. But what it didn't make her feel was fulfilled.

But this right here—this made her feel all those things and more. “You,” she answered. “This. I want all of it.”

With that, Alex pulled her away from the counter, spinning her so he could walk her backward toward her bedroom without letting her go. His mouth disconnected from hers just long enough for him to mutter a soft, “Me too,” before he picked her up and carried her to her bed.

The moment her back hit the mattress, Alex was removing clothing from the two of them until they were both naked, exposed in the soft streetlight streaming in through Cass' partially open curtains. He lay beside her, suddenly in no rush. Propping up his elbow on the bed, he supported his head with his hand and used the other to skate lightly over Cass' skin.

Her breath hitched at his touch as his fingertips grazed over the soft flesh of her neck and then down to her nipples, which were peaked with desire. Cass wanted his fingers lower, rubbing over her throbbing clit and deep inside her.

But she also wanted this moment. Alex's muscles flexed as his hands explored every inch of her, discovered places on her that she didn't know could make the ache between her thighs grow stronger. She wanted to touch him back, feel the soft hair on his muscular chest, his sculpted abs, how stiff his cock was. She'd touched him so many times before, and it had always been so easy, so . . . comfortable. And though this time was both those things, it also felt different somehow. Less rushed, maybe. More special.