Last on the List (Wait With Me #5)(80)

Her brows pinch. “So you can feel superior that you’ve already topped it with a private jet?”

I shake my head slowly. “I know it will take a lot more than this to woo you, Cozy.”

Her eyes flash with intrigue. “Why do you randomly call me Cozy sometimes? You almost always call me Cassandra, but you’ve let Cozy slip a handful of times, and I can’t figure out why.”

I inhale deeply and give it some thought before I answer. “I only use Cozy when I feel really comfortable with you.”

A look of disappointment flits across her face. “So then all the other times, you feel uncomfortable around me?”

I lean forward and slip my hand through the large hole on her knee, my fingers teasing her flesh as I pin her with a serious look. “Yes, Cassandra. You make me uncomfortable nearly every minute of every day since I met you. And I have discovered that I like feeling uncomfortable.”

Her cheeks flush a ruddy color as she pulls her lower lip between her teeth. “Okay then.”

“What about you? Do I make you uncomfortable?” I wait with bated breath because Cassandra hides her cards a lot, and this is the most unarmed I think I’ve ever seen her.

She licks her lips, and a tender smile lightens her face. “Not uncomfortable…just scared.”

“Scared of what?” I ask, frowning.

“For you to be too good to be true.”

She takes a nervous sip of her drink, and if I wasn’t trying to woo this woman, I’d be making her a member of the mile-high club right fucking now to put those fears to bed. But we have a long night ahead of us. And I intend to put those fears to bed in ways other than sexual. At least for now.

We touch down in Aspen, and Cassandra is decidedly more relaxed after the two glasses of champagne during the short flight. I open the door to usher her into the black SUV I rented, and she giggles when I slip into the driver’s seat.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh…just that I’m having an Anastasia Steele moment, and I’m wearing jeans with holes all over them instead of something sleek and sophisticated like Christian Grey’s girlfriend would wear.”

“I like your jeans,” I murmur, leaning across the console to wrap my hand around her thigh. She looks young and casual, and she reminds me that I’m more than just a dad and a boss. It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve considered that concept.

I press a soft kiss to her lips, dragging my nose down to her neck and inhaling that coconut smell of hers like it’s my last breath. She whimpers slightly, and it takes all the strength I have to pull away from her and drive.

“Where are we going now?” she asks with sexy eyes that tell me exactly where she’d like to go.

I smirk. “You’ll see.”

Our sexual tension is palpable as we drive into downtown Aspen, where many high-end luxury shops are located. I don’t spend a lot of time shopping in Aspen. I’m usually here for business or with Everly, and in that case, we do more skiing and hiking than anything else.

Henley is obviously someone I would see when I was here for business only. My visits with her were almost business in nature, which is harsh to admit, I realize. But she seemed happy with that arrangement as well. It’s shocking how quickly I started breaking all my rules for Cassandra.

Once I find a parking spot in front of our destination, I open Cassandra’s door, and her eyes are wide when she sees where we’ve stopped.

“This isn’t where we’re going, is it?” she inquires, pointing at the shop’s sleek storefront.

I nod and smile, grabbing her hand when she’s out of the car. “Yeah, we’re going here.”

She frowns. “I know the designer who owns this shop. Her name is Tatianna Ashley. She works with Dakota’s T-shirt shop.”

“I know,” I reply with a smirk and begin to pull her toward the door.

“How do you know?” Cassandra asks, stopping me with a firm tug on my hand.

I turn and hit her with an easy shrug. “Because I asked Dakota.”

“Asked Dakota what?”

“Where you like to shop.”

Just then, the front door of the shop opens, and a short woman with bright pink hair pops her head out. “This must be Cinderella!”

I smile and nod while having to drag a very reluctant and confused Cassandra toward the door. We step inside the plush showroom with a limited number of items on display. This definitely isn’t a shop-in-the-store type of business. This is a by-appointment-only business…which explains why Dakota had to make some calls for me.

“You must be Cozy!” Tatianna pulls Cassandra in for a hug. “Dakota has told me so much about you. I feel like I know you already with how much she talks about you. I scored one of your charcuterie boards like a month ago from her. I’m obsessed!”

“You did?” Cassandra seems star-struck. It’s adorable.

Tatianna turns toward me with a smile. “Tell me about the event. I know it’s an LGBTQ+ charity, so I’ve pulled some pieces, but it’ll help my girls and me if we know the theme.”

“Actually…can you give us a moment, Tatianna?” I request, feeling anxiety prickle this sexy bubble I’ve been living in for the past hour with Cassandra. “I just need to have a quick chat with Cassandra, and we’ll be right with you.”