It wasn’t some tiny, barely-there smirk or a half-crooked grin either. Archer’s entire mouth had lifted into a smile so big—sowide—it lit up his ruggedly handsome face.
And as she lay on the small wooden landing separating her perfect, shiny staircase, Cassie realized she was staring up at the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. A man she’d trusted with her life.
A man with the power to change her life forever.
In more ways than one.
“I was going to say we shouldn’t be doing thishere.” Archer leaned in for a quick, playful kiss. “You deserve to be in a bed, sweetheart. And here I am, practically attacking you in the middle of the fucking stairs.”
Oh. Well, if that’s all he’s worried about…
“Pretty sure I made the first move, so if anyone’s the attacker in this scenario, it’s me.” She grinned. “And while I appreciate your chivalry, I don’t want to wait long enough to make it up to my bed.” Cassie grabbed the nape of his neck and lifted herself up to nibble his bottom lip. “It’s been too long, Archer. Please.” Another playful bite. “Please don’t make me wait.”
She knew how desperate she sounded. Pathetic even. And there wasn’t even a tiny part of her that cared.
Life was short. A lesson she’d learned all too well this past week. And the hourglass onherlife was losing more and more of its sand with each second that passed.
Most people never had the slightest clue of when their last time doing something was upon them. Lord knows, Cassie never did.
Not until those rare moments where she stopped long enough to put it to conscious thought. Only then—as she looked back on the timeline leading up to whatever moment or event she’d been pondering—did it even hit her that she’d never do…fill in the blank…again.
By then, no matter how much she found herself wishing she could go back to those times and appreciate them in the actual moment they’d happened, it was too late. Those precious moments had come and gone, and there was never any going back.
Until a few days ago, Cassie was still that person. The type who walked through life as if the next five or six decades of her existence were a guarantee.
Then she gave Russ a glass of wine and killed him.
Knowing the wine had been meant for her—knowing how closeshe’dcome to sudden death, and that the person responsible was still out there somewhere—she finally understood just how precious and fleeting life truly was.
That’s why she wanted this. Yes, what she’d told Archer about wanting to forget for a little while was true. But the other truth was simply that she wanted him. And after all she’d been through, from dealing with Russ, his family, and his lawyers all through the divorce to today, Cassie had decided it was her turn for a change.
Her turn to finally take what she wanted. And right now, in this moment, what she wanted more than anything else in the entire freaking world was…
Him.
Archer cupped her cheeks with his warm, calloused hands, his gaze becoming fixed on hers. “You’ve had a helluva week. And after what happened today with the funeral and then the house…” He shook his handsome head. “I don’t want to be someone else you regret.”
Raking her fingers through the soft, thick waves covering the nape of his neck, Cassie locked her gaze with his and said, “I can assure you I’m of sound mind and…body.” She ground her lace-clad hips against his, inwardly smiling when his lids fell shut and his hard, swollen shaft pressed against her heated core. “I know exactly what I’m doing and who I’m doing it with. But I mean…if you’ve changedyourmind?—”
His lips were back on hers before she could even finish the facetious comment. Archer guided her down to the landing’s smooth surface.
This time, when he reached behind her back, there wasn’t the slightest hesitation as his fingers deftly released her bra’s clasp. Nor did he so much as pause before sliding the thin straps down her arms before tossing it over to the side.
Archer’s heated gaze became fixed on her mostly naked form. No longer staring into her eyes, he remained silent as he took his fill. And Cassie, well…
She let him.
Laying perfectly still, she smiled up at him with her hands resting loosely above her head. His focus shifted, first to one breast, and then the other. The lick of his lips that followed came slowly, as if he were imagining himself leaning down and taking a taste.
Cassie’s inner muscles clenched tightly, and she could tell her panties were already soaked. She was surprised at how arousing it was, watching him as his hungry gaze watched her. The man hadn’t even really touched her yet, and she already felt close to the edge.
It’s been over a year since you were with a man. It’s no wonder you’re ready to explode.
It was true, she hadn’t been with a man in well over a year. She and Russ had grown distant even before she discoveredRuss’s most recent affair. Of course, distance might not have happened if her dearly departed would have kept it in his pants.
The affair wasn’t the problem. It was merely a side effect.
Her inner voice was spot on yet again, but Cassie shoved all thoughts of cheating spouses, murders, and vandals out of her mind. Refusing to let her past ruin the present, she leteverythingslip away.