Engaging (Alluring Book 2) (14 page)

"I'll be your dream girl, Gage!"  Someone in the audience shouted.

Gage walked closer to the edge of the stage and looked up at the dais, his eyes locking on Cassie's.  "But, just recently, I found her again.  So instead of singing
Love Lost
, I'm going to sing a song I recently wrote, that's a continuation of
Love Lost
and that I hope better portrays how things stand.  I call it
Second Chances
."

The crowd went wild as Gage strummed out the chords.  He started singing, and Cassie strained to hear every word. 

Sitting in the sunlight, I see her once again

Her golden hair is glowing, and so is her creamy skin

She looks at me, I look at her, and the years just melt away...

What I wouldn't give for second chances

you pressed against me

Is it time for longing glances

you're all that I see

I NEED YOU

I WANT YOU

Please say you want me...

because you're what I need

Looking back I know I've made mistakes, and she paid the price

I lived a life of carefree, and she sacrificed

She sees me, I see her, but I can't bring back yesterday...

What I wouldn't give for second chances

you pressed against me

Is it time for longing glances

you're all that I see

I NEED YOU

I WANT YOU

Please say you want me...

because you're what I need

Because you're all I need

Because you're my world to me

Tears ran down Cassie's cheeks by the time Gage was done.  She quickly excused herself and made her way to the restroom.  She stepped inside the farthest, unoccupied stall and cried gut wrenching sobs.  She cried for all the years they lost.  She cried for all her heartache and loneliness, and she cried for the future of them that would never be.

She left the stall and splashed cold water on her face, then patted it with a paper towel.  She was a wreck.  Her face was splotchy, and she had raccoon eyes.  She wet the paper towel and took care of the mascara then rummaged in her purse for her lip gloss. 

She left the bathroom and almost ran straight into Alexis.  "Are you alright?"  She asked, grabbing Cassie's arms to steady her.

Cassie nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"If you ever want to talk, you can always call me."

Cassie nodded again not knowing what to say.  Her emotions were too chaotic at the moment.

"Come on, we'd better get back before Jack freaks out."

That made Cassie giggle.  "Yeah, the last thing I want to do is deal with Caveman Gage if he finds out," Cassie placed her hand over her heart and gasped, "I went to the bathroom alone."  Cassie shook her head.  "Honestly, I don't know how I survived to the ripe old age of twenty-four without him."

Alexis agreed.  "I've often wondered the same thing."

They arrived back at the dais incident free, and Cassie decided she needed another glass of wine.  One hour and three more glasses of wine later, she was twisted.

Chapter Eleven

After the show, Jack escorted Cassie backstage to meet Gage.  She giggled the whole way there.  At some point along the way, she stopped to remove her shoes.  Her feet were killing her.  Looking glamorous was not easy
at all
.  She swung her sexy, red (but uncomfortable), high-heeled sandals in her hand as she hummed a tune, off-key.
             

"What the hell happened to her?"  Gage asked, walking toward them (very sexily she might add).

"She might have had too much wine."  Jack gave her a lip twitch.  She gave him a full-blown smile.

Gage grunted and pulled her to his side.  "Come on, Sunshine, time to take you home."

She looked up at him and smiled.  "You were fab-u-lous," She said, enunciating each syllable.

Gage gave her a smile and a quick forehead kiss before turning back to Jack.  "We're out of here, man."  He held out his hand.  "Thanks again for everything.  I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything."  Jack shook his hand.  "It went to a good cause."

"I can feed my puppies for weeks and weeks with the money we made tonight."  Cassie gushed.

Jack and Gage both laughed.  "I think you can do a bit more than that, Sunshine."  Gage led her to a chair.  "Let's put your shoes back on then we can go."

Cassie pouted.  "But my feet hurt."

"Well, I can't carry you in that dress, not without flashing everyone from here to the car, so you have to wear your shoes."  He strapped on one shoe before starting on the other.  "You can take them off again when we get in the car."  

"Okay."

* * * * *

Gage took her hand and helped her to her feet.  She was a bit unsteady, so he wrapped his arm around her waist.  He led her through the hotel and out the front doors.  He handed the valet his ticket and took a twenty for him out of his pocket, all the while, holding on to Cassie so she didn't fall.

"That was the best concert ever," Cassie said, giving Gage more of her weight.

He gave her a squeeze.  "Even better than Rascal Flats?  I know how much you loved that concert."

"Even better than that.  And do you know why?"  She looked up at him and smiled.

He smiled back, then kissed her forehead.  He couldn't help it, she was adorable.  "No, why?"

Cassie sighed, "Because I got to stare at you the whole time."  She kept talking not realizing what she just revealed to him.  "I really liked your song even though it made me cry."

"My song made you cry?"

Her head rested against his chest.  He felt her nod.  "Your T-shirt is really soft," she said, rubbing her cheek against his chest some more.

Gage wanted to stay on topic.  "Why did my song make you cry, Sunshine?" 

"Because it will never come true."

"Explain that to me."  He really wanted to hear her answer.  People tended to be more sharing and truthful when drunk.

"I'll never be able to give you a second chance and that makes me sad."

"Why can't you give me a second chance, Sunshine?"

Cassie picked her head up and looked at him.  She had tears in her eyes and seeing them made his heart hurt. 

"Because you'll end up hurting me again.  I'll never be enough for you and in time, when you figure that out, you'll be gone again, breaking my heart all over again."  Cassie giggled.  "I said the word
again
a lot of times."

Gage wanted to keep her on track.  "What do you mean, you'll never be enough for me?"

But before she could answer, the valet pulled up in his Escalade.  He put Cassie in the passenger seat and buckled her in before handing the valet the twenty and getting in himself.  He buckled his seat belt and looked over at her. 

Her head rested against the side window, but her eyes were trained on him.  She smiled.  "You really are the most handsome man in the world.  I'm glad Logan looks just like you."

The car behind them honked their horn.  He put the truck in drive and pulled out, whispering, "I want a little girl that looks just like you."

Cassie stumbled on the stairs twice before Gage scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way to his bedroom.  She giggled the whole time.  "You should've taken me home.  I've never been away from Logan all night before."

"He'll be fine.  I called Laurie and told her we would be there in the morning."

Cassie tipped her head back and looked up.  "Your ceiling is really high.  I wonder how they painted it."

Gage chuckled.  "Tall ladders, I would assume."

Cassie laughed.  "That makes sense."  She kept talking.  "I really like your bathtub.  Can I take a bath with the jets."

"I don't think that's a good idea, I'm worried you'll drown."

"You can hold me up."

"That's really not a good idea."

They made it to the bedroom, and he set her on her feet.  "Why?"

"Touching you while you're naked would be hard on my self-control."

Cassie pouted.  "Well, I can't wear my dress.  I'll ruin it."

Gage smiled.  "Now,
that's
a good idea."

Cassie gave him a dirty look.  "I like my dress."

"I'd like it in shreds," Gage said, under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Why do you need self-control, anyway?"  Cassie walked to him and placed her hands on his chest.

Gage held on to her wrists to keep her hands from roaming.  "I already told you, I won't fuck you, I'll only make love to you."

"What's the difference?"

"There's a considerable difference, and you know it."

She pressed closer to him.  "Please, I miss you."

"Do you miss me or the sex?"  He asked, grabbing her hair and tilting her head back.

"I miss you.  I miss the way you feel, your power and strength.  I miss the way you smell, your scent on my skin, in my hair,"  she tipped her head back farther rubbing her chest against his, "between my legs."

Gage growled, "You're making this hard, Sunshine."

Cassie pushed against him with her stomach.  "I like you hard, Gage."

Gage pulled her ridiculous scrap of a dress over her head.  Her tits were on full display.  He closed his eyes, but the damage was already done.  The sight implanted in his brain.  He led her to the side of the bed and sat her down so he could remove her shoes.  "I don't want there to be any regrets in the morning."  He laid her down and tucked the covers around her, kissing her on the forehead.  "Go to sleep, Sunshine."

"Gage."  She grabbed his arm before he could move away.  "Sometimes what you think is a regret, ends up being something wonderful."

"Are you talking about Logan, baby?"

"No," she closed her eyes and snuggled her head into the pillow, "I was talking about you."

He watched her until her breathing evened out, and he knew she fell asleep.  She had just admitted, in a round-about way, that she didn't regret their time together.  Did that mean he was getting to her?  Was he breaking through?   

Gage walked into his closet and stripped off his clothes.  He took a long, cold shower, dried off, and pulled on a pair of boxer briefs before climbing into his bed and pulling Cassie into his arms.  She snuggled close, muttering something in her sleep and his arms around her tightened.  He refused to give up.  He refused to let go.  He would show her his love every damn day, until her head and her heart were so full, there would be no way for her to deny how much he loved her.  And then she would be his.

* * * * *

Cassie awoke wrapped around a warm, hard, male body.  Gage.  Last night was fuzzy, but she remembered everything that had happened or should she say, didn't happen.  Guess that dress didn't give her superpowers after all. 

She gave her body a little stretch, and Gage's arms came around her.  "Good morning, baby," he whispered groggily, then kissed the top of her head. 

God, he sounded sexy in the morning.  Their movements must have alerted Max and Sunny of their wakefulness because two canine heads popped up at the side of the bed.  "I think the pups need to go out."  Cassie reached her arm out and gave each head a scratch.

Gage's arms got tighter.  "In a minute.  I'm comfortable."

Cassie giggled.  "I'll do it."

If possible, Gage's arms got even tighter.  "No, you're what's making me comfortable."

Cassie sighed but didn't move.  Not that she could with his arms squeezed around her.  "I need to get home to Logan.  This is the longest I've ever been away from him."

"I know baby, we'll get up in a minute."

He sounded as though he were falling back to sleep.

Cassie's mind was churning.  She couldn't stop thinking about when they had gotten home last night.  It was embarrassing how she'd thrown herself at him, begging even... and nothing.  Just a kiss on the forehead and a tuck into bed. 

She was here, in his arms, so she knew he was interested.  It's just that he was interested in too much.  More than she wanted to give.  Why?  Why wasn't he happy with keeping things casual?  Wasn't that how most guys operate?  Granted, she didn't have vast experience where guys were concerned, but it's not as if she lived under a rock.  She watched movies and TV, and she knew Gage did not act like the norm. 

The one thing she did know was they couldn't go on like this.  Things were too uncertain for her.  They needed to come to some kind of understanding.  He needed to accept that their relationship would never be what he wanted it to be.  Soon, he'd come to realize, being strapped with a wife and a kid would not be good for his image, and his career would suffer.  Then he'd be thankful to her for sticking firm to her resolve.  And when he did finally realize, her heart wouldn't be broken.  For this time, she would be smart.  This time, she would plan ahead.  This time, she wouldn't let her emotions control her actions.