17: Hot And Rich

Cassie POV

After the shower with Josh, he handed me a soft, cozy white robe to wear. The fabric was so comfortable it felt like I was running my hands over feathers. I tied my hair into a loose, messy but elegant bun and walked to the living room, where Josh was already waiting for me. A pleasant aroma of delicious food filled the air.

“I ordered food for us. Come, please,” he called, sitting comfortably on the living room rug. Soft, cozy music played in the background, and I thought it was classy to sit on the floor to enjoy our meal together. I walked over and sat beside him.

“Hmm, food! I’m starving,” I said excitedly, already opening my plate and digging into the fancy, sophisticated dish. The tender meat melted in my mouth with an exotic, delicious flavor.

I didn’t know where Josh had ordered the food from or if he had a private chef in that beachfront mansion, but I knew I needed to meet whoever made this divine dish and thank them for giving me so much pleasure in a single meal.

“Enjoying it? I didn’t know what you liked to eat, so I ordered my favorite dish,” he said, cutting his steak.

“It’s delicious, I swear,” I confessed, bringing the wine glass to my lips and tasting the scarlet liquid. The wine was different too—so delicious it made me close my eyes in pleasure. “You have great taste in food and wine,” I commented. I noticed the wine in my glass and took another sip. “Wow, this is amazing.”

Joshua chuckled at my expression. “The wine comes from my private cellar. It’s produced at our winery,” he said, showing me the bottle and the logo on the label. Written in elegant letters was “Carter’s Wine,” and my eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“You work with wine?” With his last name being Carter and him being so wealthy, I started connecting the dots. Was it his company?

He laughed, a bit embarrassed. “Yes, I work with wine. My great-grandfather knew how to make wine naturally like no one else; he had a small vineyard on his farm, and from there, he fermented grape juice in the barn and sold it at markets on weekends.

But for a quality wine to be ready, it takes a long time; you have to age the drink properly. My great-grandfather was always strict and demanding about quality, combined with his patience and persistence. That’s why his wine was the best in the town he lived in, and that’s how Carter’s Wine was born.”

There were sparks of nostalgia as he spoke about his ancestors; the story was almost inspiring. I was a persistent person too and didn’t mind starting from scratch.

Learning this part of Joshua’s story made me feel inspired and motivated to give my all so that one day I could stand out in the world through my own efforts.

“That’s brilliant. Your great-grandfather must have been an incredible man,” I said with a genuine smile.

“He was, yes,” he said, smiling back.

I picked up my wine glass and raised it, inviting him to a toast. He lifted his glass too, approaching mine with a slightly arched eyebrow, showing both surprise and amusement. “A toast?” he asked, and I nodded. “To what shall we toast?”

“To your great-grandfather and his brilliant idea of creating the best drink I’ve ever tasted,” I said, and he laughed, and I joined him.

In the end, we clinked our glasses and drank. But not everything had to be perfect; I wasn’t there just to go out with him, make love, or talk over wine. I was also there because of the proposition Josh and his friends had made to me and Beckie.

I sighed softly as I set my wine glass on the table and delicately wiped my mouth with a napkin. “So… Is it true that you made a proposition to me and my friend?” He looked at me after hearing this, seeming relaxed and carefree as usual, somehow looking even more attractive like that.

“You’re going to turn it down, aren’t you?” he asked without looking at me, as he poured more wine into his glass.

“You seem to have already figured that out…” I replied, and he gave a slight shrug.

“It’s just that I didn’t think you’d accept it right away. You don’t seem like the kind of woman who’d take an easy life if you weren’t fighting for it yourself. Plus, my friends and I probably seem perverted enough for you to reject our offer.”

I can’t lie—I had thought his friends weren’t exactly the best people. Who goes around offering million-dollar contracts to two girls they barely know? What if they wanted to harm us? Use us as sex slaves or force us to do things we didn’t want to?

There could be a clause in the contract that obligated us to do things against our will, and we’d only realize it after signing. Beckie and I liked to have fun with men, but we didn’t want to be forced either. I wasn’t studying law for nothing. My friend and I had to be very careful not to be deceived.

“I still don’t know what you and your friends’ intentions are,” I said after a moment, and he gave a short laugh.

“My friends just want someone to hang out with. Like they said, we’re usually very busy men, always traveling for work, and we never have time to go home and see our wives,” he explained, resuming his meal.

“And you? Are you too busy to see your wife?” I asked bluntly, unable to deny that I’d considered the possibility he was here with me while his wife waited for him at home.

He looked at me now. “You’re perceptive, you know that? Why don’t you just ask me directly if I’m married or not?” He had an amused look. I stared at the floor so my eyes wouldn’t betray my thoughts.

“Well, to answer your question, maintaining a successful professional life and a successful marriage isn’t easy. Some of us end up getting divorced in the process, like me,” he said.

So he was divorced. I sighed in relief; it would’ve been awkward if he was married.

“And you, Josh? Your friends just want to hang out, but what about you? What do you want from me and Beckie?” I looked at him, probing, but he answered without hesitation.

“Simply put, I want you, not your friend. I want you.” He was direct, speaking with such confidence that I shivered with anticipation.

He leaned closer to me, so close now that I could feel his fresh breath. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you or your body since the first time we met. When I sleep, I dream of you in my arms, and then I wake up with a raging hard-on.

I’m not working properly right now because you’ve taken over my thoughts. I want you, Cassandra. But don’t get me wrong—I’m not looking for a romance with you. I just want you to be there for me whenever I need you, and for that, I can give you anything you want.”