Chapter Two – Ghosts in the Morning

Cassia’s Pov

“You play like you’re in pain.”

The Ritz’s ballroom was gilded and vast, the chandeliers dripping in crystal. Cassia drew her bow across the violin, the strings steady where her nerves were not. Music had always been her escape and the one thing that belonged entirely to her.

The voice came from beside her as the ensemble packed up. She glanced over. David Reed leaned casually against the edge of the stage, his cello case strapped to his back.

“I’m not,” she answered, tucking the violin into its case.

“You sure?” His smile was crooked and charming in that messy, boy-next-door way. His sandy hair fell into his eyes as he leaned closer. “Because that sounded like heartbreak, and I think you’re too occupied for a heartbreak that deep.”

Cassia smirked despite herself. “Maybe it’s just the music.You always have a way with words.”

“Or maybe you need a drink.” He slung the case higher on his back. “Come on, let me walk you home.”

She hesitated. David wasn’t a stranger, infact he was the head of her department. They’d shared rehearsal rooms, late-night takeout during long sets, but he was bolder than usual tonight. 

And after last night, after Elena’s warning and the gnawing anxiety she left behind, Cassia wanted to feel normal again, and honestly she didn’t want to go home alone. “Fine,” she said softly. “Just one drink, and then you can drop me off at home.”

They stopped at a wine shop on the way back, David insisting on picking the bottle. By the time they reached her apartment, she had laughed more than she expected. Cassia wondered how time had gone so fast. One minute, she’d been playing her heart out that morning, and the next she was spending the afternoon with David, and now, she was inviting him into her house, as the sky grew dark.

Her apartment was still and dim when she opened the door, the scarf still lying exactly where she’d left it. She shoved it into a drawer before David noticed.

“Cute place,” he said, setting the wine on the counter. “Not enough chairs, though.”

“I don’t entertain often.” She reached for glasses, suddenly all too aware of his eyes on her.

“Guess I’m lucky then.” His voice dropped a note lower, his eyes fixed on her as she poured.

They drank, their conversation weaving from music to city life to the way the Ritz’s chandeliers made everyone feel like an imposter. David leaned closer each time he spoke until his knee brushed hers.

“You’re different tonight,” he murmured.

“How?” She asked, feeling satisfyingly lightheaded. The wine was getting to her.

“Like you’re trying to prove something.” His smile was teasing, but his brown eyes searched her face too intently, like he was peeling back layers she didn’t want exposed.

She swallowed. “Maybe I am.”

Before she could second-guess it, she leaned in, and brushed her lips against his. He stiffened, then let go.

Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was loneliness. Maybe it was the memory of Elena’s world pressing at the edges of hers and the desperate need to cling to something normal. Whatever it was, Cassia kissed him back.

The kiss deepened, his hands sliding into her hair, pulling her closer.

David’s hands held her waist, pulling her into his lap, the wine glass forgotten on the table. Cassia gasped when his tongue slid past her lips. She clung to his shoulders, surprised at how much she wanted this.

He lifted her easily, carrying her toward the bedroom, his lips never leaving hers. When her back hit the mattress, she laughed breathlessly, she was both nervous and horny.

“Still just one drink?” he teased, his mouth already trailing down her neck.

“Shut up,” she whispered, tugging at his shirt until he pulled it over his head. Her hands spread across his chest, feeling the heat of his skin, the way his muscles reacted under her touch.

David kissed her again before sliding lower, kissing down her throat, over her collarbone, and further until his lips reached the edge of her dress. He pushed the fabric up, exposing her thighs, his hands spreading them apart.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he muttered, pressing hot kisses up the inside of her legs. Cassia forgot how to breathe when his mouth hovered where she wanted him most.

“David—” she began, but her voice became a cry when his tongue brushed over her clit. The shock of it made her hips jolt, and her fingers dug into the sheets.

He smiled against her, then licked her again, firmer this time, circling her clit with slow, steady strokes. Her moans filled the room, her thighs trembling as he buried his face deeper between them. His tongue worked her with precision, sucking gently, then pressing harder until she was gasping, pulling his hair, grinding against his mouth without even realizing it.

“Don’t stop,” she begged.

He didn’t. He licked and sucked until she was crying out, her whole body arching off the bed as the orgasm tore through her. 

Before she had time to recover, David kissed up her body again, his mouth hot on hers, his cock hard against her thigh. She reached down, fumbling with his pants, desperate to feel him inside her. It had been so long since she felt a man inside her.

He groaned when she wrapped her hand around his dick, stroking him. “Fuck, Cassia,” he groaned, biting his lower lip.

He pushed her dress higher, shoving her underwear aside, and in one swift thrust, he was inside her. She cried out at the sudden fullness, her nails digging into his back as he drove into her.

The rhythm built fast, with his hips slamming against hers as her moans rose louder. He kissed her, swallowing her cries. Each thrust hit deeper, until she was shaking, her orgasm building again.

When it crashed, she screamed his name, her pussy walls clenching tight around him. That was all it took for David to groan, his body jerking as he came inside her.

Cassia glanced at the alarm clock on the dresser. It was only twelve am. David slipped from the bed, pulling on his shirt, and his phone buzzed on the nightstand. He grabbed it quickly, his shoulders tensing as he read the screen.

“What is it?” she asked, resting her weight on her elbow.

“Nothing.” He shoved the phone in his pocket. His smile was quick. “I should go. We have early rehearsals tomorrow, you know.”

Cassia frowned, watching him lace his shoes in a rush. “At midnight?”

He leaned down and kissed her cheek, the press of his lips against her skin, perfunctory. “You’ll understand when you’re older.” He teased her with a wink.

Her stomach flew to her throat, because it wasn’t the kind of joke David usually made. And when he slipped out the door without looking back, she screamed into her pillow. Was she bad at bed? It had been months since she had sex, but then again, she knew men didn’t usually bolt out of the door right after she’d had sex with them.

Oh God… She muttered out loud. How was she going to look at him at work in the morning? Cassia was sure she was going to die from embarrassment.

She dragged herself to the window, clutching the sheet around her body, and peered through the blinds. 

The city street below glowed under yellow lamps, the occasional cab rushing past. But parked directly across from her building was a sleek black car, its headlights weren’t off. They were on, and trained on her window.

But Cassia didn’t notice the car, she was too wrapped up in her thoughts too.