Cassy enjoyed the warm breeze as they drove from the resort to the picturesque capital of Martinique, Fort de France. The Bay of Fort de France, situated at the foothills of Pitons du Carbet, was considered the commercial center of the island. They toured the city, with its narrow streets and elaborate iron work that had always reminded Cassy of New Orleans, and La Savane, the wide public square and park, with its marble statues, brilliant flowers, and open-air market. The Botanical Gallery and Geological Gallery were both high on Cassy’s list of places to revisit.
Adam refused to move another step until they stopped to eat in one of the open-air cafes, sampling the spicy, Indian curry dish called Colombo.
After that, he didn’t complain when she shopped along the rues Antoine Siger, Victor Hugo, and Schoelcher to buy gifts for her family, including a madras-costumed doll for Mandy.
As the car picked up speed, Cassy reached for the silk scarf tied on the strap of her straw tote to cover her hair.
“Want me to close the sun roof?” Adam asked, momentarily taking his eyes from the winding coastal road. He’d chosen to take the scenic route back to the hotel.
“No, thanks. The air is refreshing. Last night’s rain cooled things off nicely.”
“Have fun today?”
“No doubt about it. And you?” She smiled, leaning back into the deep cushions.
“It was the bomb!” He laughed.
Cassy preferred not to recall the last time she toured Fort de France, because she had been with Gordan. Determined not to let thoughts of him spoil her day, she focused on the passing scenery.
“Cassy...”
“Sorry, did you say something?”
“Dinner tonight?”
Cassy hesitated. She’d genuinely enjoyed Adam’s undemanding companionship. But she didn’t want to rush into anything. Nor did she want to raise Adam’s expectations while she was so unsure of herself.
“Not tonight. I’ve taken enough of your time for one day.”
“I disagree.”
“Another time,” she said, evasively.
She looked away from his probing gaze. She’d always been one to follow her instincts. She wouldn’t allow herself to be rushed or pushed into a new relationship. It was too soon for her. Plus, she did not believe in toying with anyone’s feelings. Adam was a good man. He deserved more than she could comfortably give.
They were both quiet until they reached the hotel. For once, she made no protest when he walked with her to her room. At the door, he took both her hands into his.
“Thanks for sharing the day with me.”
Her smile was engaging when she looked up at him and said, “I enjoyed myself. About tonight...”
He shook his head. “No explanation necessary. I apologize for rushing you. If you’re up to tennis tomorrow, give me a call.” He leaned forward to brush his mouth against her cheek. “Bye.”
“Bye.” Cassy watched as he walked away before inserting her keycard into the lock.
Was she making a mistake by not encouraging his pursuit? What if Adam was the man she’d been waiting for? What if she were pushing away the one man who understood the word commitment? What if...
She stopped on the threshold, her gaze on a beautiful crystal vase filled with a lovely arrangement of pink roses, lavender tulips, and her personal favorite, lilacs. They were simply exquisite, filling the room with their heady fragrance.
Cassy did not remember closing the door or placing her things in the empty chair near the bed or even walking to the dresser. Her fingers were shaking when she lifted the small white envelope tucked among the blooms.
She sank down onto the bed, needing the support as she stared at the sealed envelope. The name of the hotel’s florist was clearly printed on the envelope.
Taking a long, fortifying breath, she slid a nail beneath the seal, then slowly eased the card out. She would have known his bold script anywhere.
“Cassy, please can we sit together and talk? Have dinner with me tonight. Seven, the penthouse...Gordan.”
“Oooh!” Gordan knew better than anyone on earth how to get to her. He knew she loved flowers and especially adored lilacs. He also knew purple was her color in all its glorious shades, just as he had memorized the most sensitive areas of her body.
What he refused to give her was what she needed to be happy. For Cassy, there was no substitute for marriage and a family. So what was he trying to do?
She ripped the card into tiny pieces. “How dare you decide to talk now! What about all those times when I wanted to talk? What about them, Gordan Kramer? You were always too busy. Well, it’s too late now.”
Now that he finally recognized she meant business, he was willing to talk. Well, fine! He was welcome to talk to himself, she decided, as she wiped at angry tears.
Was she more angry at herself for still caring about him or just plain furious with him for causing her to shed even more tears? She promised herself when she boarded the plane that she was through with crying.
There was nothing left to decide. Gordan could wait until hell had frozen over before she shared so much as a crumb with him.
She had decided after weeks of torment that she had made the only decision open to her. He did not need her. Jillian was somewhere lurking in the shadows, utterly thrilled by their breakup. Now was her chance. Cassy grumbled to herself.
She jumped when the telephone suddenly rang. There was not a doubt in her mind who was on the other end. She jerked the receiver off the hook. “What?” she shouted.
“Wow! Did I call at a bad time?”
“Sis. Sorry, I’m a bit jumpy. How’s everyone?”
“Couldn’t be better. Mandy is standing right beside me. If I don’t let her talk, neither one of us will be allowed to have a conversation without interruption. Hold on.”
“Auntie?” Mandy Dean Rogers cheerfully gushed. “Are you there?”
“Hi, baby. I miss you.”
“Me too. I miss you sooo much, Auntie. When are you coming home?”
“Soon. What have you been doing with yourself?”
“Riding my pony with Granddaddy whenever I can. And helping Granny with baby Kurt.” She sighed. “Auntie, I’m really trying to keep out of trouble so Granny can work. And we made oatmeal pecan cookies.” She said in a loud whisper, “They aren’t as good as yours, Auntie.”
Cassy laughed, settling back against the pillows and enjoying her great-niece’s chatter. Mandy had been through so much, losing her mother at birth, yet she was part of a warm and loving family.
“Granny says I have to get off now. Love you, Auntie.”
“Love you too, baby doll. Be good.”
Sarah came back on the line. “Hold on, Sis. Let me get Mandy busy in another room.”
Cassy frowned, knowing her sister would want details and was making sure they were not overheard.
“Is Gordan in Martinique? Is that why you sounded so angry when you answered?”
“Yes—he followed me,” she admitted, then said, “Don’t say it!”
“What—I told you so? No point. But, I’m not surprised and you shouldn’t be either. He loves you, little sister. And what’s more, you’re still in love with him. Maybe, just maybe, you two can work this out.”
“I don’t want to talk about him. I don’t want to even think about him,” she whispered, fighting back tears. “He just makes me so mad!”
“What happened, honey? You sound so upset,” Sarah insisted.
Cassy sighed. She could hear the worry in her sister’s voice. The last thing she wanted was to upset her. “Look, don’t pay me any mind. I’m okay. I spent a pleasant morning sightseeing and shopping in town with a nice man I met here, Adam Foster. He’s from San Diego. And I returned to find a huge bouquet of roses and tulips and lilacs from Gordan.” She massaged her aching temples as a headache threatened. “I ran into him at lunch yesterday. A lunch, I might add, that I was sharing with Adam.”
“Oh no! I bet he was surprised.”
“To say the least,” she said, dryly. “We went to his suite to talk—or should I say to fight it out. Guess who walked right into the middle of it—Jillian, naturally. He is so concerned about our breakup, but when he follows me he brings along his drop-dead gorgeous assistant. Give me a break! Doesn’t sound to me like he’s serious about anything but work.”
“Jillian isn’t your problem. He came after you, remember?”
“Yeah, right. And she is waiting to sink her claws into him.”
“So what? I thought you decided you don’t want the man anymore. Isn’t that what you told me?”
Cassy frowned. “So? Why doesn’t he leave me alone? I told him quite clearly how I feel and what I want. And what does he do? He leaves a note tucked into the flowers— a dinner invitation for tonight in his suite. Honestly, Sis, I’d rather starve.”
“I take it the answer is no?”
“I can’t. I’m not going to let him play with my emotions. I made my decision. I won’t change my mind. Sarah, I need more. I deserve more.” Cassy ended on a emotional sob.
“You do,” Sarah agreed, then sighed, “I don’t know what to say.”
“There is nothing to say. It’s finished between us.”
“Tell me about this new guy. Are you looking for trouble or have you just plain lost your mind?”
“No! You know me better than that. I was certainly not looking for a new man—not while I am still trying to get over Gordan. Please, give me some credit for common sense. It just happened.”
“I suppose it shouldn’t matter. But, I can just imagine Kurt’s reactions in a similar situation. He would be livid.” Sarah giggled.
Cassy couldn’t help a giggle. “It’s really not funny.”
“Are you kidding?! It’s hilarious. I would give anything to have seen Gordan’s face.”
“I don’t know who was more surprised; him at finding me with another man or me at seeing him in Martinique. What a mess.”
Sarah sobered. “It doesn’t have to be. If only you and Gordan would sit down and talk this out. Perhaps, you’ll both find...”
“No.”
“Cassandra Mosley, you have never talked to the man about your feelings. You’ve yelled it at him. You gave him an ultimatum and walked out on him. But have you two really talked it out?”
Cassy rolled her eyes. “Don’t start with the Cassandra stuff. It’s too late for talking. All the words have already been said. More words won’t change his attitude. A more stubborn man has never lived.”
Sarah laughed. “No, I’m afraid my dear husband has that distinction. Cassy, just think about it. Isn’t he entitled to one evening after all the two of you have shared? One evening.”
Cassy released a sigh, “I can’t...”
“Just think about it. Now, tell me about Adam. Is he attractive?”
“Very. Six one or so. Coffee-tone skin. Forty, single, down to earth. I met him in the airport. We shared a cab to the resort. You’d like him.”
“Cassy, be careful. Don’t rush into a new relationship.”
“I’m being careful. Adam is a friend. He knows that’s all I’m willing to consider at this time.”
“Good. I’m not surprised you were up front with him. A Mosley trait. We both suffer from it. Must be growing up in Grandmother’s house.”
“How is she? Have you spoken to her?”
“She’s well. I think she and Aunt Rose are planning a visit in the fall. I sure hope so. If not, when you get back we are going to have to fly down for a visit. She still has only seen pictures of the baby.”
“What a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, we both can’t go. One of us has to oversee the inn. Too bad we didn’t think of that earlier.”
Both sisters laughed.
“About dinner...”
Cassy sighed heavily. “I’m not making any promises. How’s the little man?”
“He’s such a sweet baby. He is getting so big. You won’t believe how much he has grown just in the short time you’ve been away. Listen, I better get off of this phone.”
“Thanks for calling. Give everyone a big hug and kiss for me.”
“I will. You take care of yourself.”
“You, too. Bye.” Cassy slowly replaced the receiver.
Nothing had been resolved, but at least she was not still so angry that she couldn’t see straight, let alone think. She decided that two aspirins and the comfort of a hot bath might not be a cure, but would go a long way toward easing her troubles.
It was not long before Cassy lay back in the tub, her head cushioned by a rolled bath towel. With her eyes closed, she let her thoughts drift—let herself daydream.
She saw herself cradling the sweetest baby. Her baby girl was dressed in pink ruffles and cooed at her. Cassy smiled, for the two of them were in a lovely garden near the beach.
She could almost smell the sea in the distance, almost feel the strength of a man’s arms around them. Their baby girl had soft, amber-tone skin and thick, silky-black curls. She could almost smell the baby’s fresh powder scent. Suddenly, a tear slipped beneath her lashes. Pressing a hand to trembling lips, Cassy’s heart ached from sorrow and disappointment. She had been imagining the baby girl that had Gordan’s square-cut chin, his velvet-brown eyes, and long, thick black lashes.
Cassy furiously wiped her eyes with wet soapy hands. “Oh, no!” she wailed. Her eyes stung from the scented soap. Sitting up quickly, she reached blindly for a towel. Her eyes were still red by the time she finished in the bathroom and wrapped herself into a robe.
She was putting drops into her eyes when the telephone rang. She picked up on the third ring. “Hello?”
“How are you?”
The smooth as silk, deep male voice nearly caused her to drop the phone, as awareness raced down her back. She said, “I’m fine, Gordan,” as she struggled to slow her heart rate. She could not stop her response to the seductiveness in his tone. He wanted her. He didn’t have to say it—she could feel it.
Her gaze automatically went to the flowers on the dresser. She refused to dwell on the quickening of her breathing or the way her nipples had hardened against the terry cloth covering them; even her feminine passage had tightened in anticipation—all because of the longing in his voice. Cassy was suddenly furious. It was not fair.
“I hope you enjoy the flowers.”
“They’re beautiful,” she acknowledged, refusing to thank him for something designed to weaken her resolve.
“Can you join me tonight?”
She inhaled sharply. “That’s not a good idea.”
“I disagree. We must talk.”
“I said all I have to say.”
There was a noteworthy pause before Gordan said, “Please—this is important to me.”
There was a roughness in his voice that had nothing to do with anger. But, what? Why was this so important to him? Surely, he knew she would not change her mind no matter what he had to say.
Why couldn’t he just accept that they had simply grown apart, and leave it at that? There was nothing left to salvage, not even the shattered bits of her pitiful dreams. It had ended in Atlanta on her birthday.
“Baby...” His voice was deep with unmistakable longing.
She shut her eyes in an effort to block out the husky appeal of the endearment and the resulting memories. They had shared so much. There had been a time when she would not have believed it was possible to love a man as much as she loved Gordan.
For she had given him everything she had to offer, yet it still could not change the facts. They wanted two different things from life. Nothing could change that.
“What difference can one dinner make?”
“All the difference in the world to me. Please, give me that much.”
Reluctantly, she said, “Okay. I’ll see you at seven.”
***
Gordan was nervous, more so than he had been when he had asked a girl out for the first date as an untried boy. He had cut himself grooming his beard, and it had taken nearly fifteen minutes to choose a tie, then he decided not to wear one at the last minute. He had not been this anxious when he negotiated the real estate deal for his first hotel. He would be in a position of losing a lot more than money tonight.
Money had not always come easily. He had started out with nothing. He’d come up the hard way. No one was there to watch his back; there was no one to tell him if he was doing the wrong things while raising his little brother, Will.
He accepted the weight of responsibility as a young man and it kept him working long hours, studying whenever and wherever he could in order to finish college and keep food on the table and clothes on their backs.
Their only safety net had been that they did not have to worry about the roof above their heads. Because of their parents’ hard work, their family home had been left to him. Scholarships and student loans had paid for his classes. Determined to set an example for his impressionable younger brother, plus honor his promise to his mother, along with being too stubborn to quit, Gordon had gotten through.
Once he started making money, it was as if he’d jumped on a roller coaster. It had been a rough ride straight to the top. He had grown up along the way. He had also fallen in love for the first time in his life.
He’d been drawn to Evie Sanders first by her beauty, then later by her sexy refusals. He had wanted her and he had gotten her through marriage. Unfortunately, they had married for the wrong reasons. It hadn’t lasted; as a result, it had cost him his self-respect and nearly his son’s love.
After years of being unable to trust, he met Cassy. She wasn’t like any of the women who made a habit of chasing him down, drawn primarily because of his bank balance. From the beginning he sensed how grounded Cassy was—how real. She had no patience for pretense. The only thing she was willing to impress him with was her cooking.
At last, he had found a woman he could trust, first with his thoughts and then gradually with his heart. She was not interested in the things he could give her or what he could do for her career. She had offered friendship, and eventually, her sweet love. They cared deeply for each other. For a very long time, that had been enough.
He glanced at his watch. Six-fifty. He impatiently drummed his fingers against the iron railing encircling the balcony. He had given her two weeks—as much time as he could stand—before he came after her. He had to put an end to this nonsense—end it before he lost his blasted mind. He was not about to sit back and lose the only woman he cared about. He swore beneath his breath.
“Did you say something?” Ben Bradford asked. He was putting the finishing touches on the linen-covered dining table in one corner of the wide balcony. Thick vanilla-scented candles encased in crystal hurricane lanterns were lit on every available surface, as well as centered between an array of violets on the table.
“No,” Gordan mumbled. It took all his concentration not to pace the length of the plant-rimmed enclosure. A cooling breeze brushed his throat and bearded cheeks. He took deep, calming breaths. He refused to look yet again at the thin, gold watch on his left wrist. “Everything all set?”
“Yes. Marian has everything under control in the kitchen. May I get anything for you before I uncork the wine?”
“Thank you, no.”
Bradford and his wife, Marian, had worked for and traveled with him for close to fifteen years. Ben acted as chauffeur, bodyguard, manservant—whatever needed to be done, he did it.
Gordan walked inside over to the glass-top, behind-the-sofa table where a wet bar had been set up. He fingered one of the crystal decanters while eyeing the array of crystal glasses without interest. Moving restlessly to the mantel, he stared down into the candlelit grate. He was surrounded by opulence, but he was no longer sure if he had what he valued most—Cassy’s love.
Was that the real problem? Had she simply stopped loving him? Acid churned in his stomach as he mulled over the distinct possibility.
How could she promise to never let anything come between them and then suddenly break her word? Was her love gone? Everything else had changed between them. Why not that? None of what was said or promised seem to matter to her. No! She had to still care for him. She had to...
Only Cassy could make him believe that she no longer cared. And she had failed to do so thus far. He knew her. They had shared everything. They had no secrets.
She knew his body as intimately as he knew hers. So why hadn’t he seen this coming? He had no idea something was drastically wrong between them. And how did this guy Adam Foster fit into the equation?
When she confronted him in Atlanta she had certainly said nothing about another man. Cassy had won his faith in her long ago. She had never given him reason to doubt her word—that was another woman. No, he had no reason to doubt that she had met Foster here on the island. Her complaints centered around her resentment of his cramped schedule, in addition to his decision not to ever remarry.
The melodious tones of the doorbell chimed through the apartment and brought his head up sharply.