Beyond the Breaking Point (54 page)

“He wants to deal, but right now, all the terms he’s offered have been to his advantage. I have a few demands of my own. Ones I think will not only level the playing field, but get me what I want.”

She sounded confident. He was still wary. “Which is?”

“A no-hassle divorce with no custody battle or fight over property,” she said simply.

Curious, he turned. “You have a plan.”

“Yes.”

He slid his hands in his pants, unconsciously assuming his lawyer pose. “What is it?”

“Phillip wants there to be no contact between you and me. If I have to give you up, he has to give up porn. I think he’s addicted to it. My addiction for his,” she said, and he almost smiled at being called her addiction.

“What else?”

“I’ll agree to the counseling, but it has to be a counselor of my choosing, and Phillip has to do individual counseling, separate from me. He told the courts he would. I’m holding him to it,” Cassidy said, shoulders squared and mouth firmed.

That was good, Max thought, his analytical mind taking over. No doubt Phillip had some serious issues. Therapy might actually do him some good. “Is that it?”

She smiled grimly. “Oh no, I’m just getting started. I continue to live here. I’m not going to cohabit with him and start the separation clock over again.”

“What about sex?” he asked, voice hard. The thought of Phillip touching Cassidy made him want to break something, preferably Phillip.

“No! Definitely not,” she said adamantly.

Max crowded into her personal space, knowing he was being aggressive and not caring. “And if he pushes, which he will?”

“The last time we’d been in counseling for over six months before Phillip and the counselor convinced me to let him touch me, and that was just a kiss. It took another few months before I allowed him into my bed. I’ll add no sex as a stipulation. In six months the baby will be born. Without his porn and with no sex from me, Phillip won’t be able to stay celibate long.”

“And the minute he breaks, you win. If you catch him, that is,” Max mused, thinking her plan over.

He asked more questions. From her answers, Cassidy seemed to have all the angles covered.

“One year?” he clarified.

“Maximum. I won’t agree to any longer,” she said.

He touched her then, putting his hands on her hips, drawing her in until their lower bodies met. “I’ll wait for you.”

“Max, you—”

“No, Cassidy. This is my choice. I’m willing to wait however long it takes for us to be together. I’d rather spend that time with you than apart from you, but I understand why you feel you need to do this. It bites, but I agree. We’ll both be in a better place when this is over.”

Looking troubled, she said, “Max, I can’t ask you to put your life on hold for me.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist. “You didn’t ask. I volunteered. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to raise this baby together and have babies of our own. One year isn’t too big a price to pay when forever is my reward. Now, since I have a long drought ahead of me, I plan to gorge while I can.” Max lowered his head.

Cassidy placed her fingers on his lips, temporarily halting him. “If, at any time, you change your mind or meet someone else, I won’t hold it against you. I have no right to.”

“For me, there is no one else,” he assured her. “And if you change your mind and decide to stay with Phillip, I
will
hold it bitterly against you,” he promised.

“I won’t.”

“I’m holding you to it.” Max picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. “How long do we have before…”

“A week.”

As he lowered Cassidy to her feet, she kept her arms around his neck. She ran her hands through his hair and gazing into his eyes, repeated, “I love you. So much it scares me, Max.”

He undressed her, and then removed the rest of his clothing. Placing one hand on her waist and the other at her nape, he backed her up and followed her down onto the mattress. Their lovemaking was slow and tender the first time, full of gentle caresses and loving words. The second time was a firestorm of intensity with an underlying sense of time running out.

As promised, Max gorged, storing up memories he hoped would sustain him for the year to come.

One week later…

Max held Cassidy to him, his grip tight as he struggled to find the strength to let her go. He couldn’t. No yet.

“Remember if you change your mind, I won’t hold it against you. I want you to be happy,” she whispered in his ear, her damp cheeks wetting his own. She’d tried to be strong, be confident, but when he’d made love to her for the last time—
No, not the last time, damn it
!—she’d begun to cry.

He loosened his hold long enough to draw back so she could see his face. “I love you, Cassidy Brannon. Only you. What I feel isn’t temporary. I’ll wait until hell freezes over if that’s what it takes. Count on it.”

She bit her lower lip, her deep-brown eyes showing her uncertainty. “All right.”

“If something happens, you call me,” he ordered, knowing she’d balk.

She shook her head. “No contact, remember? That’s one of the conditions. I can’t nail Phillip for breaking our deal if I’m doing the same.”

He cursed under his breath, both loving and hating her sense of fair play. “Fine, call Nicco. He’ll get a message to me. I put his contact information in your phone. Don’t delete it or let Phillip delete it. And, I’m keeping your apartment key,” he added. She’d already given him his.

Cassidy draped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. “It’s wrong, but part of me feels good knowing you’ll have it.” She squeezed him. “I don’t want to let you go.”

They stood embracing in front of her front door. He was dressed for work. Cassidy was still in her thigh-length black satin robe. Underneath her skin was bare and rosy from their recent lovemaking.

“If he gives you any trouble…” he said again.

“I’ll call Nicco,” she promised.

“And text him when the baby is born. I want pictures.”

“I will. I promise.”

He needed to get to work, still neither one moved. Cassidy slowly released her hold on him and stepped away. Max reluctantly dropped his hands to his sides.

“The sooner I get started, the sooner the year will be over,” she said.

Max bent to retrieve his briefcase. For a moment he felt a flash of fear. What if she’s wrong? What if Phillip proves to be too persuasive? What if she changed her mind for the sake of the baby and decided to give her marriage another chance, a real one? What if therapy caused Phillip to change for the better and Cassidy fell in love with him again? So much could go wrong.

“I love you,” he said, knowing he sounded desperate.

Cassidy pressed her hands to her heart like she was holding the words close. “I love you too. Don’t give up on me, Max, please,” she begged suddenly, like she’d been entertaining fears of her own.

“I won’t,” he promised fervently.

Wanting to touch her again but knowing he couldn’t, Max forced himself to leave. When he stopped at the elevator, he glanced back. Cassidy stood in the doorway, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“One year,” he promised, making it a vow.

“One year,” she echoed.

Their gazes held until the elevator doors closed, cutting off the sight of her.

Eight hours later, Phillip parked his car on the street and walked up the stairs to his and Cassidy’s house. The door was locked, but the alarm was off when he entered. Cassidy had texted him saying they needed to talk, and that she’d meet him here after work. He hoped that meant she was agreeing to the deal he’d proposed.

He considered it likely she would. Judging from Max’s recent behavior, there was a good chance that’s what this conversation was about. Something had finally knocked the smug grin off that bastard’s face.

“Cassidy! Baby, where are you?” he called out as he set his attaché case, a present from Cassidy when he passed the Bar, by the door and shrugged out of his suit jacket.

“In the dining room,” she answered.

Wondering why she hadn’t gone into the living room, he loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. Negotiating was what he excelled at. He was counting on his skills to win him his wife. Phillip entered the dining room and came to a halt, shocked to his core. “Mom?”

“Hello, son,” his mother greeted him warmly.

Seated to his mother’s right, Cassidy said, “Phillip, this is my divorce attorney, Chris. I don’t believe you two ever met.” Cassidy gestured to an Asian-looking woman, seated on her right with an opened laptop in front of her. “Chris, this is my husband, Phillip. And of course, you’ve already met my mother-in-law, Nell.”

“Sit down, Phillip. I’ll get you something to drink,” his mother said. “Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee,” he responded absently. “Cassidy, what the hell is going on here?”

Turning to him, Cassidy folded her hands on the table and stared him dead in the eyes.  “You wanted to deal? Let’s deal.”

Keep reading for an exciting sneak peak of the dramatic conclusion to Beyond the Breaking Point…

About the Author

Zena Wynn is a multi-published romance author of erotic and sensual romance. She writes in multiple subgenres: Interracial, Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and Inspirational. To learn more about her, visit her website,
www.zenawynn.com
.

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