Page 59 of Because of Her

“What exactly would she be up to?” I smirk at the way she grits her teeth.

“I told her we were friends.”

Cassidy pulls the sleeves of her tight tee up and reaches for a pair of gardening gloves on the cast iron table.

“Is that what we are, Rogue? Friends?” Taking a step towards her, I reach for the second pair of gloves, intentionally brushing the tips of my fingers against hers.

She jerks her hand away to pull on the gloves.

Somehow, I manage to rein myself in while we repot the tree. Cassidy remains mostly silent, only speaking up to give me instructions.

Once the tree is standing tall in its new, contrasting pot, I step back. Cassidy looks up at me from her spot beside the trees.

The way she looks on her knees is excruciating. All the other things she could be doing from down there flash through my mind, causing an ache in my cock. I turn my back on her to hide my swelling length, pretending to admire the view of the buildings. It’s not much, but the neighbouring buildings are all only two stories, so I can see the park, and beyond it, the taller buildings of the city.

Cassidy moves to stand next to me, leaning her elbows on the railing as she gazes into the sky.

“I love them.”

I follow her line of sight to where the hot air balloons drift.

“Have you ever been on one?”

Shaking her head, she turns to look at me. A small “no” escapes her lips. She coughs. “I’m scared of heights, but it would be cool.”

“Remember the last time you said that to me?”

“When we were at the fair and you made me go on the Ferris Wheel?” She pokes me with a firm finger. “Yeah, I remember worrying for my safety.”

I can still picture her, frozen as we tried to step into the chair. With a little coaxing, and a lot of nudging, she finally stepped on. It wasn’t until we reached the top that she finally opened her eyes. And she loved it.

“You enjoyed it,” I reminisce, and she nods as she takes a tiny step towards me.

“I did.” Her voice is a whisper that floats between us, urging me to close the gap.

I step forward, towering over her tiny frame. I stare down at her, my hands rubbing her shoulders. With every rise and fall of her chest, her breaths start to hitch. I don’t care that we are on our neighbours balcony. All I can think about is kissing her, and never letting go. I drag one hand along her neck to cup her cheek.

“Are we friends, Rogue?” I repeat the question from earlier, the one she never answered.

A blush rises from her neck, coating her cheeks in a pink glow. Her mouth drops open a fraction, and she brushes her tongue over her lower lip. My thumb follows its path.

My heart stops. Cassidy does her best to control her breathing, filling her lungs as she draws in a long, unsteady breath.

I lean down to whisper the words in her ear. “Because this feels like something more. And I’ve never made a friend come with my tongue before.”

Turning her head towards mine, she steps closer until I can feel her body pressed against mine. Goosebumps spread up my arms and across the back of my head, and she shivers as she trails her fingers along them.

“I feel like it’s something more, too.”

She speaks directly into my soul and fireworks explode around us, between us, through us. I run my hand around her neck, fisting her hair as I pull her mouth to mine. She tastes like coffee, but her kiss wakes me up more than a latte ever could. Her tongue explores my mouth and my hands explore her back. I run them down her spine, pausing briefly before I drop them to grab at her behind. Hoisting her up, I lift herbody into mine. She wraps her legs around my waist, and I push her down against my growing erection.

“I need you, Cass.” I moan the words directly into her mouth, never breaking the kiss.

She bites my lip, grinding her core against me.

A firm cough sounds from inside, and I drop Cassidy to her feet.

Her eyes widen briefly and she steps back, turning to face the tree. Regret floods through me.

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