Page 13 of Session 33

I made a sound—low, soft, somewhere between a sigh and a moan. His hands stilled for half a second, his gaze snapping to mine.

“Angel,” he said, his voice like smoke, curling and settling over me.

I swallowed hard under his gaze.

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes locked on mine, and my chest tightened at the intensity in his expression. “Do you know how badly I want to kiss you right now?”

I didn’t move, didn’t breathe.

“But I won’t,” he said, his voice soft but sure. “Because I want you to be sure about me when I do.”

I exhaled shakily, unsure of how to respond, unsure of what I even wanted to say.

He didn’t say anything either. Just continued rubbing my feet.

We watched the sun sink quietly.

In the dark, Cassius finally spoke again. “You remember when you told me you were so sad you could cry sometimes?”

“Yes, I do,” I said softly.

“I know how that feels. After my parents died, it felt like it would choke me. It’s better now, but it kind of lingers.”

“Have you ever tried to talk to someone about it?” I asked, my eyes fixed on the sky.

“No,” he admitted, his voice raw. “You’re the first person to ever make me think about it long enough to put it into words.”

“You can talk to me anytime about it,” I offered gently. “Maybe we can find a way to heal together.”

He didn’t say anything, so neither did I. The night enveloped us, and the stars came out.

Before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep. The next thing I felt was Cassius rubbing his knuckles gently against my cheek to wake me up. “Come on,” he whispered, helping me to my feet.

We walked back to his SUV in silence, the night air cool against my skin. He drove me home, the ride quiet but not uncomfortable. When we arrived at my condo, he walked me to my door.

“I’ll pick you up and drop you off in the morning since your car is still at the office,” he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

“Thank you,” I whispered, resisting the urge to invite him in.

He smiled, a soft, genuine smile that made my heart flutter. “Goodnight, Angel.”

I opened the door and sank to the floor against it. I liked Cassius. Really liked him. And that was starting to scare me.

Chapter Ten

The heavy bass hit me the second I stepped into the club, the was air thick with sweat, alcohol, and perfume. I rubbed my nose, trying to shake off the overpowering scent.

“I can fuck you all the time…” Lil Wayne rapped.

Jonas was the first person I spotted. Lounging on a black leather sofa in a roped off area, drink in hand, his smile was wide and easy—like a man who had everything he wanted in life. He saw me and stood up, dapping me up.

“Cassius, what’s good, my man?” Jonas asked, leaning back into the sofa like a king reclaiming his throne.

“Appreciate the invite,” I said, settling into the seat beside him. “Good to see you, bro.”

“You've been missing in action, But, you already know you were getting an invite,” he raised his glass before taking a sip.

My gaze shifted to Naomi, who draped herself over his lap as soon as he sat back down.

---