Baby Girl

Get a grip, Cassie! This man is your uncle! Your mom's friend!

I lifted my chin, determined to hold my ground. “Rose? I don't know what you're talking about.”

He took a step forward.

I stepped back.

He took another.

The counter dug into my lower back as I connected with it. No escape route anymore.

Nicholas leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. “You're a terrible liar, baby girl.”

He didn't have to add the baby girl because that line made him sexy as fuck. My lips parted, a sharp inhale slipping through them. His scent was clean, masculine, and far too tempting.

He reached out, his fingers grazing my arm, barely there, but enough to send a shiver down my spine. I hated how my skin tingled at his touch and how I didn't pull away fast enough.

“Still pretending, Cassie?” His voice was velvety, teasing, and knowing. He purposely called my real name this time around.

I swallowed hard. “You're full of yourself.”

His lips twitched, the corner of his mouth lifting into amusement. “You didn't think that last night.”

My breath hitched. He was too close and tempting. I hated that he was right about my thoughts.

For a fleeting second, I considered giving in. I wanted to experience him pushing me against the counter, his large hands grabbing my hair forcefully like last night until it got all tangled.

Just one touch, one kiss. My fingers twitched, itching to grab his shirt and close the gap. But then…

He pulled back, the heat of his body suddenly leaving me cold.

“Get your act together, Cassie.”

His tone shifted to a firm and dismissive one. It was as if I were the one desperate for him, not the other way around.

Anger bubbled inside me, shoving aside the embarrassment. Get my act together? Oh, he's had some nerve. He was the one chasing me, cornering me, and messing with my head. Now, he's acting like he held all the power?

My jaw clenched in anger, my grip tightening around the yogurt. “You're right. I should.” I forced a smirk, tilting my head as I met his gaze. “Guess you weren't that memorable after all.”

His face wrinkled into a frown at my statement, but I didn't wait for a response. I turned on my heel and strutted out of the kitchen, making sure my hips swayed just enough to make a point that he had just missed out on a delicious meal.

Let him think I was unaffected and wonder if last night meant nothing to me, because from now on, I'd make damn sure it didn't.

******

I got to my room, trying to process all that had happened back in the sitting room. My pant was so wet that I got embarrassed with the coldness as I pressed my thighs together. My chest thumped crazily with my hands clenching the food tightly to my chest.

“What a crazily sexy freak!”

It was just the beginning and I was already melting in his approach. If he ends up staying longer, I might be bent over the table every hour, getting fucked in all the right places.

Hell! He was too hot to ignore and he knew it.

My phone jolted me out of my insane thoughts. It was Ryan calling me with all the strange numbers that existed in this world ever since I blocked his line. I didn’t think twice before swiping it off and settling on the bed for dinner.

The continuous ringing of the phone brought back fresh memories of his betrayal and the food turned sour in my throat. My stomach churned with disgust and I ended up throwing everything I had eaten in the toilet.

“What an asshole.” I cried myself to sleep as I tried hard to fight the conflicting memories since I haven’t mourned the relationship yet.

I slept till the evening of the following day, my eyes were puffy with sleep, but my thoughts had been cleared. I walked downstairs for dinner with my chin high.

“Cassie, are you okay? You've been acting strange since yesterday. You didn't even come downstairs since morning.”

I shook my head, forcing a small smile. “I'm fine, Mum. I'm just a little tired.”

She wasn't buying it. “Are you sure? You can always talk to me, you know.”

Before I could scramble for another excuse, Nicholas' deep voice cut in. I didn't even realize he was sitting at the far end of the couch. In fact, I had forgotten we had a guest around.

“Victoria, stop pushing. She'll talk when she's ready. You know how children can be.”

My mother frowned but sighed, giving up for now. I stole a glance at Nicholas, who was calmly sipping his coffee like he hadn't just come to my rescue.

“You don’t need to thank me,” he muttered, making my eyes roll on their own.

“By the way, my house is finally set up. I'll be moving out tomorrow.”

I almost choked on my orange juice. Was he leaving? Finally? Relief washed over me so fast I barely kept from grinning.

“Oh, that's wonderful, Nicholas,” my mother said. “I know you've been looking forward to having your own space.”

I had to hold back from humming in agreement. This was it. The end of whatever this mess between us was.

“It would have been better if you stayed a little longer though, I had been meaning to catch up with you”

We both knew I was blatantly lying through my teeth but I wasn’t prepared for his attack.

“Really? I have been looking forward to catching up with you too. We can actually talk about a thing or two you know”

The lip licking that came with the statement clearly passed his message across. What a cunning man!

“It’s actually a great idea. You can bond together while I go to work,” my innocent mum chuckled, turning to Nicholas. “You can tell her about our university days. A lot happened back then.”

He nodded as he looked up to me, “I am sure she’s willing to listen. I have a lot of stories to tell her.”

I couldn’t bear his flirty remarks and gazes anymore. Immediately, I dropped the cup and rushed out of the sitting room.