for dinner.” She walked to the door, dislodged her jacket from the hook and then put it on. She removed her long hair from under her coat and adjusted the collar before finally turning to face him.
“I think you’re charming and you are going to make one lucky lady out there very happy someday…”
“Cass, wait…” She walked into the hallway and looked back one last time.
“It was really nice to see you again, Jake. Take care.”
Jacob watched her exit down the stairs and then closed the door. He moved toward the massive loft window and stared at her as she hailed a taxi and drove away. He was disappointed in his behavior. How could he have let this happen? They were having such a wonderful time and in an instant, everything had changed. He sat down on the floor by the coffee table where he and Cassie had been moments earlier. He replayed their kiss in his head, over and over again, and felt a sudden ache reside deep within him. He could no longer deny to himself that he was still in love with her and even though she was presently involved with another man, Jacob couldn’t help but wonder if Cassie had felt anything for him.
* * *
It was a long and lonely ride back to the hotel. Once Cassie was safely hidden behind the walls of her room, she dissolved into tears. She closely examined the evening; everything had been so perfect, up until their kiss. He’d looked at her with those hypnotic, green eyes and she knew she should’ve pulled away right then. He’d closed the distance between them and as soon as she’d felt his warm breath against her lips, she’d lost control. She’d given in to the urge and the worst part was—she’d thoroughly enjoyed it.
The kiss was an accident, she told herself… or was it? She inventoried the events that led up to it. She was in his apartment— alone. His attempt to cook her dinner— ruined. His back-up plan of Chinese take-out and picnicking on the floor was— nostalgic. And the playful swat to his broken ribs, causing her to hover over him was— nothing more than pure luck. As she organized the individual elements that made up their evening, the spur-of-the-moment kiss no longer seemed innocent . She let out a soft chuckle, although she didn’t find her conclusion amusing. You, Cassie Warner, have been played…
Dozens of emotions cluttered her exhausted mind: Shame, worry, guilt, regret… How on earth could she have been so foolish, she wondered? Was she just another random girl Jacob was trying to lure into bed—a challenge? Or was there more to it? And then, of course, there was Landon. He was not only her boyfriend, but he would be working closely with Jacob for at least the next year or so. How was she going to confess to him about what happened, or should she refrain from saying anything at all? She had so many questions plaguing her and sadly, she had no answers. She was angry with herself for letting her guard down and was determined that it would never happen again .
CHAPTER SEVEN
The blackened pot roast was still visible on the counter as Jacob approached the kitchen, along with the dozen red tulips she’d left behind during her sudden departure the previous evening. After haphazardly preparing a cup of coffee he ambled toward the over-sized window. Gazing over the fast paced streets below had always revived his weary mind, although he acknowledged that it was going to take more than that to comfort him today.
He walked to his bathroom vanity and quickly splashed cold water on his face before settling in front of the mirror. His reflection was disturbing, he thought; his eyes were bloodshot and sunken, his skin was pale, and his dark hair was disheveled. He acknowledged he looked terrible, but he felt much worse.
The physical pain he felt was intense. His broken ribs were tender and he was unsure whether it was from Cassie’s playful swat, or from falling asleep on his stiff leather couch. Leftover