Real Challenge (Atlanta #2) (3 page)

“Athens, 2004. It was kind of cool being in Greece, where it all started, you know?”

“How old were you? Still in college?”

“Yeah. I had seen the swimming events at the games here in Atlanta in ’96 when I was a kid. I was already swimming and my dad took me to see the best of the best. I saw Josh Davis wear so much metal around his neck and I was blown away. I wanted it. So, I pushed myself for years. When I was swimming at Georgetown I tried out for the U.S. Team. I made it through the Olympic try outs and ended up with a spot. I was 19 at the time. I swam four events. I got one gold and two silver medals between the individual and relay events. It was beyond what I could even describe.”

“I can’t even imagine what that would have been like. Was it a lot of pressure?”

“Yeah, like you wouldn’t believe. But I thrive on it. The more you throw at me, the more likely I am to succeed. At that time, I had a lot to prove, I suppose.” He was surprised at his own honesty. She had him talking freely about these things and again he was caught off guard by his own willingness to talk to someone like this. Cassie was certainly multi-dimensional.

“What did you have to prove? Trying to overcome some adversity or something?”

“Nah, nothing that dramatic. Just attitude of youth, I guess.”

“Huh. How’s that attitude now? Still out to prove anything?”

“Right now? Just that I can give a girl a decent goodnight kiss on a first date.”
 

He threw that out there in hopes of another chance to prove himself, and he liked the smile she gave at his comment. She laced her fingers through his across his chest. “I guess you can try again. Last night was a little weak, but passable. We’ll see how you do after our date tonight. Maybe you need the whole dinner/date experience to warm you up properly.”

“We’re going out tonight?”

“Yes, you’re picking me up at 6:30.”

“I am?” Scott just laughed at Cassie and her bulldozer force. She wants it, she goes after it. Her take-no-prisoners approach to life was a refreshing change from the half-manipulative chick-drama he was used to.
 

“Yep, and you’re taking me somewhere casual, so don’t dress up too much. Jeans are fine.”

“And what shoes am I supposed to wear?”

Cassie giggled. “Brown ones.”

Scott just laughed and was ready to conquer the task. She was an absolute riot and he was sure not to be bored when they went out. If she was this playful in conversation, he wondered just how playful she might be in other areas, as well.
 

“Then I will see you at your place tonight at 6:30. Will you text me your address?”

Cassie nodded and Scott released his arm out from under her. He sat up and reached for his shoes. He felt Cassie’s hand rest on his lower back as he pulled his shoes on. He was surprised that her casual touch felt nice. There was no romance or teasing in her fingers, but rather a comfortable sensation. A touch like that should be a familiar one, like they had been together for a long time. She was a force of nature. No matter what she did, she had him constantly off his game. He looked forward to their date even more.

Chapter Two

Cassie looked up as Scott stood up and looked down at her on the couch. His 6’2” frame seemed much taller from that angle, and his shoulders looked that much wider. Quite a nice view.

“It really was nice to meet you, Cassie,” he said to her smiling. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“You, too, Scott,” she replied, pulling the blanket around herself again. She watched him walk to the door and just about drooled at the sight of his broad, sexy shoulders. She mouthed “oh my god” to herself at the view of his narrow hips in contrast to them.

“Tell Marcus and Erin I said thanks,” Scott said as he headed out the door.
 

Cassie waved at him with a genuine smile and then kicked her feet just a tiny bit over her date with Scott. She was completely enthralled that someone could match her attitude comment for comment. Instead of shying away at her teasing him about his kissing, he knocked her down and jumped on her like a caveman. She laughed to herself at the thought.
 

And oh, that kiss. He was not trying to impress her in that hot moment. He wasn’t trying to be smooth or seductive. He just wanted to kiss her and he did. Holy cow, he did. His tongue was hot velvet and his breath felt so warm against her skin. He was very skilled at knowing when to move in deeper and when pull back and kiss her lightly.
 

He did all that without any pretense or practiced show. He just moved with her and let her move with him. That’s how she liked her intimate moments: honest. She wanted more. She knew she’d have a hard time holding back from him if he stayed real like that.
 

Most men were rarely
real
. She had only known Scott for about fourteen hours, and half of those were spent sleeping. Nevertheless, she already experienced two moments of true Scott-ness: the way he kissed her on the couch and the awe in which he spoke about Greece. Talking about the Olympics was much different that morning than at the party. He wasn’t trying to brag or impress her. He was talking about the experience with reverence. She could tell being there meant something to him. That was the impressive part as far as Cassie was concerned.
 

Shortly after Scott left, Marcus came downstairs in his sweats and an old hole-ridden tee shirt.
 

“You always dress up like that for your woman?” Cassie asked.

“She wouldn’t have me any other way,” Marcus said, grinning. “You have a good sleep?”

“Yep. Couch was a bit cramped with Scott on it, but it was ok.” She was waiting for the look he was going to give her…and there it was.
 

Marcus stopped and his eyebrows went up. “Do I need to kick his ass?”

Cassie just laughed at her over-protective brother. “No, he was a perfect gentleman. He just didn’t want to sleep on the floor. And we have a date tonight.”

Marcus just grinned again. He nodded like the news didn’t surprise him. “I’m making coffee. You want some?”

“No, I have to go home so my brother can call me,” she said sarcastically. “Of course I want some! But seriously, how are you doing? Been moved in about two weeks, now, right?” She walked over to sit with him at the table.

“Yeah, it’s been great. I know this was her apartment first, but it really feels like home for me.” He said that with more emotion than he meant to, but Cassie understood him completely. The concept of “home” was something they each dreamed about but never really had after their mother died when they were eight. Their abusive father took away any happiness they had, and their house was only a place of fear. But now, Marcus had found a true home with Erin.

“I’m happy for you, Marc. Oh hey — how’s Luke doing? How long have you been training him now?”

“A few months. He’s a fast learner. Most of his blocks go by instinct already and he’s anxious to learn more. He’s already one of the best sparring partners for the strongest fighters at the gym.”

“That’s awesome. He’s got you to thank for it.”

“I guess. He still flies off the handle at every turn, though.”

“Gee…that reminds me of someone,” Cassie said sarcastically. “Do you know why yet?”

“All I know so far is that its got something to do with his Army days. He’s still completely tight-lipped about it.”

“God. I hope he can get it worked out. You need to find him an Erin.”

“Wish I could, but she’s one of a kind,” he said with a shy smile that suddenly turned into a brotherly grin. “So what about Scott? You let him sleep on the couch with you?”

“Yeah, but only after he threw me down and kissed me,” she said with a deliberate smirk.
 

“God, don’t say stuff like that, Cass.” Marcus was shaking his head at her sister, still smiling, though.

“Sorry, I keep forgetting how delicate you are. You just remember the ‘perfect gentleman’ part.”

“Deal. Here’s your coffee. I’ll be right back. I’m going to take a mug up to Erin.”

“My God, she does have you whipped!”

“No, I’m just a romantic fool. Ok, maybe I’m a little whipped, but it’s not so bad.” Marcus grinned and Cassie could see that he was truly happy here with Erin. Seeing him with that look in his eye made her want to cry tears of joy for her brother. He deserved every bit of that happiness.
 

She herself hadn’t found that kind of love yet. Maybe she never would, but she was determined to squeeze every drop of awesomeness out of life regardless. She spent too many childhood years scared and sad to dwell on anything less than joy at this point. She knew toying with Scott on their date would be fun, too. She loved the gauntlet thrown down by his attitude.

After Marcus came back downstairs, he and Cassie chatted for a while longer about her work and school, and then about Marcus’s training. They caught up every Sunday morning, but usually over the phone. When they talked themselves out, Cassie gave him a hug goodbye with instructions to pass that hug along to Erin.
 

“Tell her I’ll call her about my date. You don’t need the details, Marc,” she said with a wicked grin.

“That is absolutely true. Behave tonight.”

“Don’t I always?” She asked innocently as she walked toward the door. “Have a good week, Marc. I’ll call you Sunday.”

Cassie got home that Sunday morning and found herself smiling again from thinking about Scott Merchant. How strange that some accountant could have caught her eye. She always imagined being swept off her feet by some artist type, not sitting in her apartment moony-eyed over a bean counter. Go figure.
 

She looked around her little cottage house and smiled. Scott might run away screaming when he saw her style. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face. She bought this little old house at auction for next to nothing. Between her old waitressing job, her new job at the children’s clinic and help from Marcus at times, she never missed a mortgage payment.
 

Her humble home was in an older neighborhood, but a pleasant one. The people on her block always had a smile or a wave for her. They seemed to like how she took care of the house. She was really proud of her little piece of the American dream. The cottage had been shabby when she first took ownership, but the foundation was solid and the structure was in good shape. The lot needed a clean up and the house needed style. Cassie had work ethic and style to spare.
 

She was imagining Scott’s reaction when he took in the smoky teal walls, and curtains she made from several different bright colors of jangling belly-dancer hip scarves. She had found a whole box of them at a flea market nearly two years earlier and snatched them up instantly. She used the ties at either end of each to connect the fabric together, added a few extra stitches, and voila: exotic curtains. They jingled happily whenever a breeze whispered through them. Cassie loved those curtains just as much as she loved the rest of her stuff. She had an eclectic collection.
 

There was a big wing-back chair that she rescued from a garage sale. She used a staple-gun and an orange fleece blanket to reupholster it poor-man’s style. The back looked awful, but she kept that side against a wall anyway, so who would ever notice?
 

Her couch was a blond suede hand-me-down from one of the doctors she worked for. She had a pillow whose color could only be described by Cassie as “radioactive grape” covering the small spaghetti stain left by the doctor’s family. Her coffee table was her favorite of all, though. It was an old steam trunk, nothing added. The surface was plenty scratched and faded and had water stains, but Cassie loved the rich character. She had several other odd decorations around, as well.
 

Her constant perusing of thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales afforded her the luxury of this mishmash beauty for pennies. She had a fringed lamp, a rectangular purple glass bowl, and several metal machine parts that looked a little steampunk-chic but she had no idea what they were originally intended for. She spray painted them in a variety of colors. The over-all effect was all a style of her own. In spite of the strange combination of furnishings and colors, her place was warm and inviting.
 

Cassie loved her house, but by far her favorite vignette was on a shelf by her front door. She had two mismatched containers there. One was a wide-mouth apothecary jar filled part-way with marbles. The other was an earthy-looking wooden bowl. The jar was tagged “Joy Jar”. She took several marbles out of the bowl and dropped them with a series of loud clinks in honor of her meeting Scott. Whether or not the date led to anything didn’t matter. At the very least, he was challenging and fun, and that certainly brought her joy. She tossed in another marble for good measure.

Scott went home from the party still thinking about the tornado of energy and attitude that was Cassie Walker. He had never been so off his game as he was around her. She never reacted to anything the way he thought she would, but he seemed to like her reactions for that very reason.
 

He also couldn’t remember a time when he had laughed so freely. Usually his only laughing came forced after one of the firm’s partners cracked a joke. Cassie had him rolling at the tame housewarming like it was a night at The Improv.
 

He couldn’t ignore her obvious hotness either. Her hair was long and so soft. It had been smooth and cool against his neck that morning. Her big brown eyes always twinkled with an ornery glint every time she smiled, which was just about all the time.
 

She was 5’8” which was taller than his dates usually were, but he figured her height would make kissing her that much easier. He had certainly liked that part of the evening, too. She had impossibly long legs and was obviously fit. He was so attracted to her, both physically and to her energy…and she had agreed to go out with him. Tonight promised to be exciting.
 

Scott was half way through his lunch when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He laughed when he saw his message was from “Idont Thinkursmooth”.