21: He wants exclusivity

Cassie POV

The exact moment Joshua opened his phone to show me the picture of his son, I was curious to see… After all, I obviously wanted to know more about him and his family, and I had my doubts.

Would his son like me too? God, I was so curious—his son must be as handsome as his father. Would he be okay with the idea of his dad dating a younger woman?

Well, Joshua and I weren’t exactly dating, just spending a weekend together, but I couldn’t deny that I wanted this to go a bit further. In that process, I’d feel more comfortable if his son liked me too.

But I never got to see the photo because, just as Joshua was about to show me his son’s face, the man piloting the yacht caught our attention by shouting from the helm.

“Look, dolphins!” he yelled excitedly, pointing out to the sea. And there they were—dolphins leaping through the water and diving in perfect unison.

“My God! Dolphins, Josh!” I jumped up, thrilled. I’d never seen dolphins up close; I’d never been out on the open sea before. I ran happily to the edge of the yacht, gripping the railing to watch the dolphins’ show up close.

“Look how amazing! We’re so lucky,” Joshua celebrated, using his phone to take pictures and record the moment. I laughed, completely enchanted by the dolphins.

“I’ve only seen dolphins on TV. I can’t believe I’m seeing them in person,” I said, a bit emotional about it.

Joshua hugged me from behind as we savored that unique, magical moment. The dolphins played with each other, leaping through the water and making sounds with their mouths. They didn’t seem afraid of us—it felt like they enjoyed our admiration.

“Josh, did you know dolphins are smarter than us humans? Their brains are huge, and they have incredible reasoning abilities,” I told the man still comfortably holding me from behind.

“Really? Wow, I didn’t know that!” He seemed genuinely surprised.

“They can save dogs and even humans. They’re truly our protectors,” I said, thinking about it.

“Ugh, I want dolphin protection,” he joked, and we both laughed.

I looked at him. “You don’t need dolphin protection. I’m here to protect you,” I said, caressing his face.

“Hm, a woman with backbone. I adore you,” he said, giving me a quick peck.

“I adore you too,” I replied.

We kissed, and the moment turned incredibly romantic. The way I felt so close to him was magical. I wanted to etch that moment into my memory forever, to always remember it. These two days I spent with him were the happiest of my life.

Joshua didn’t leave my side once during the entire weekend. I also noticed he barely touched his phone, showing that, despite being a busy man, he’d chosen to dedicate this weekend to me. That made me so happy—I felt special with all his attention. So, I was sad when it was time to go home.

“Ugh, no. Do I really have to go back home?” I whined with a pout, hugging him. We’d returned from the boat ride, and our things were already in the car that would take us to his private jet to head back to Chicago. It was almost evening. Joshua laughed, keeping his arms wrapped around my waist.

“Did you forget you have classes tomorrow?” he scolded, and I mumbled something inaudible. Tomorrow was Monday, and I had to go to college, just like he had his commitments.

“But I don’t want to go. I want to stay with you,” I said, still looking at him with a pout.

Joshua kissed my lips and said, “We’ll see each other again as soon as I can, I promise.” Those words made me so happy.

When we got back to Chicago, he dropped me off at my building’s entrance, just as he promised. It was nighttime, and I arrived home safe and sound.

“Try not to disappear, okay?” I said, giving him one last kiss of the night.

“No reason to do that, my beautiful,” he smiled, returning my kiss. Then I got out of the car, saying goodbye.

I forced myself to enter my building and take the elevator before I got the urge to stay with him even longer. As soon as I opened my apartment door, I was greeted by my pet’s barks, as usual.

“Hi, my darling. Mommy’s home,” I said, picking up my little pet and showering her with kisses, petting her fur. The puppy wagged her fluffy tail, showing her happiness.

“Look who’s back,” I heard my best friend’s voice coming toward me from the kitchen. I smiled, still fussing over my pet, and greeted her, flopping heavily onto the couch. “Wow, how sad. I’m human, your best friend for so long, and you don’t even give me a hug or a kiss, but for that little dog, you’re all affectionate,” she complained, making me laugh.

“Stop being jealous, you grump,” I teased, stroking my baby’s fur.

“I’m super jealous,” she said, plopping onto the couch with a dish towel slung over her shoulder, indicating she was cooking dinner.

“You decided to cook today?” I looked at her, curious. Beckie never cooked.

“I made fondue for us so you can tell me about your romantic weekend with Joshua Carter,” she smirked mischievously.

I threw my head back on the couch and smiled, remembering the things I experienced with Joshua during that unforgettable weekend. “Oh, girl… It was magical. That man is zero flaws,” I said, playing with the pendant on my necklace, a goofy smile on my face.

Beckie leaned closer with a grin. “Wow, it must’ve been really interesting,” she speculated.

“And it was. He was such a gentleman, took great care of me, and always let me do whatever I wanted,” I said, my head in the clouds thinking about him. “Joshua Carter is one of a kind!”

“Hm, sounds like it was a lot of fun,” she smiled, excited too.

“It was, girl. I experienced things I’d never done before,” I replied. The images of us together were still fresh in my mind.

“Wow, look at you all smitten. Is he *that* good in bed?” she asked, laughing at me.

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, he’s good. But I’m not just talking about sex. The sex is just a bonus. Like, every moment in his company was beautiful,” I explained to this perverted girl who only thought about sex.

“What a gentleman, I love it,” she grinned widely. “Next time he calls you, let’s go together. I want in too. I mean, two is great, but three’s better, right?” she said, mischievous.

At that moment, my smile faded, and I looked at her, feeling a bit uncomfortable with what she said. I shook my head. “No. I don’t think Joshua would call you,” I said, feeling something bad inside me. Why would Joshua invite someone else on our weekend trip?

“Hey, why not? Look, I’m pretty. Guys are always into me,” she shrugged, carefree, “and besides, with the luxury escort contract I’m going to sign, I’ll officially be Joshua’s consort, so I’ll end up going to your dates too if Joshua wants.”

I swallowed hard at what she said, not liking the idea. Something inside me hated the thought of Joshua being with other girls. I shifted on the couch, a bit uneasy. “Look, he’s not going to call,” I said again. “Joshua said he wants exclusivity, and besides, I don’t think he needs another woman while I’m available for him.” Now I really wanted to change the subject.

“Seriously?” Beckie reacted.

“Seriously,” I replied. She already had other guys—why did she still want Joshua?

“Wow!” She looked at me with slightly raised eyebrows and a confused expression. “Why are you acting like this, girl?”

“Like what?”

“You got mad all of a sudden,” she said. “You even seem jealous! I’m shocked… Are you into Josh, Cassie? Are you falling for him?”