We were only away from each other for less than twenty-four hours and it felt like eternity. So, after Nate telling me he was going to be away on business for the next few days, we couldn't keep our hands off of each other. The ways his hands caressed my body, it felt like I was on fire, and I would gladly feel that kind of heat anytime especially when it comes to him.
I never knew that love could be this strong and potent. I always fantasized about what it would be like once I fell in love, but never in my wildest dreams it would feel like this. We just mold together perfectly. When my fingers trace over his face like I have done a million times before he closes his eyes with a content smile on his face.
"I thought I would never get to feel this again." I lift my head up off his chest and smile at him while he runs his fingers through my hair. "The way your fingers glide against my face, I just don't know how to describe the feeling. I thought once you got your sight that I would never feel you like that again. It always felt...intimate."
"You were a work of art back then as you are now." I quietly respond as I feel my cheeks heat up. With his other hand he lifts it to my face and starts tracing every aspect of it and I close my eyes to understand what he meant.
"So damn beautiful Cass." He whispers and I bring my face closer to his as our lips brush one another's. "As much as I would love to have you stay in my arms like this forever, I promised you a date." He says as we pull apart from the kiss, and I sigh because I was enjoying it just being us. As if reading my mind, he strokes my cheek with the back of his hand, and I look into his eyes that leave me breathless as he smiles. "I promise it will be worth it. I have had it planned since I knew I was coming to see you."
Reluctantly I get up wrapping the sheet around my body and I hear a chuckle from Nate. "Baby, I have seen that gorgeous body more than once naked." My cheeks heat up again as he gets out of bed in all his naked glory, and I can't help but let my eyes roam all over. This man is mine. I shake my head because I still can't believe it sometimes. "I love that you are modest even when you don't need to be." He cups my cheeks with his hands, and I look into his eyes. I always wonder what he thinks about, but I can see it clear as day when he looks into my eyes. "I love you Cassandra Logan, more than you will ever know."
I feel a tear slip out of my eye and down my cheek. "I love you too Nate, so damn much." I throw my arms around his neck and the sheet forgotten as it falls from my body, as I kiss him with everything that I have in my being. We break apart when we both desperately need air, and he leans his forehead against mine. "I promised to wine and dine you Cass, but you are making it very tempting to just stay in this room and never leave." I let out a giggle as I step away and walk towards the bathroom. I look at him over my shoulder and smile. "I wouldn't want to let you down Mr. Miller....wine and dine me baby." With that I walk into the bathroom and try to steady my breathing as I hear him groan. I feel my cheeks and they are so warm as I go to turn on the shower and step inside.
"Nathan Miller, what are you doing to me?"
"I could ask you the same thing Cassandra."
My whole-body shivers as he wraps his arms around me. Let's just say that we did not make it out of that shower without going another round. I have become addicted to his touch and when he is buried deep inside me it's an indescribable feeling. This time unlike last was more animalistic and although I love the soft side of Nate when we are intimate, I really love his wild side as well. Twenty minutes later after the shower starts to run cold, we get out and get dress.
As I'm getting ready for our date, I think back to my first date with him. It might have been out of pity back then, or maybe he really wanted to take me, but it didn't matter because I got to go with him.
"I'm telling you that I am not going Lil, so just drop it please." I roll my eyes as my best friend gives me a sad puppy dog look. It's not going to work; it's not going to work. Do-not-give-in.
"It's a once and a lifetime opportunity. You know in twenty years you will look back and think damn I should have really gone to my prom."
"Well, I can't look back on anything now, can I?" I know I am being a total bitch, but how can I not. I will not enjoy it because I will have to have everyone explain to me what it looks like, and I really hate that.
"It'll be memorable Cass, I promise, and I know that there will be someone out there that would die to go with you."
"Name one person Lil." I feel my eyes starting to tear up and I hate being vulnerable like this. I am already enough of a burden to people. I sucked in a harsh breath willing them to go away. "High school has not been kind to me since my accident. The only reason I have survived is because of you and Nate."
I feel Lily's hands on my face and the tenderness behind the touch. "You are beautiful babes. If you were not so standoffish because of your disability." I cringe and try to move away but Lil is never one to beat around the bush. It's a blessing and a curse all rolled into one. "You would know that there are some guys who are definitely into you." I scoff as I step out of her hold, hoping I do not bump into anything.
"That's hard to believe."
"Oh, for the love of God talk some since into her." I can hear the frustration in her voice. For a moment I thought she was talking to my aunt, but I freeze up when I hear his voice.
"You shouldn't miss your prom Cass."
"I'm not going, and shouldn't you be at college, oh I don't know studying." He lets out a chuckle and pulls me into a hug and I gladly accept it because I have missed him so much. "I love your sass." He says against my ear, and I swear my knees feel like they are going to buckle. I do the only thing I could and try to push him away, but he still laughs. "Cute, Cass." I feel my cheeks threaten to heat up, but I will the blush not to appear on my skin, so I take in a deep breath and act like I'm annoyed. "I finished early so I could take my girl to prom." I do not know why I feel disappointed, but I was hoping it was because of me. I really need to stop with these fantasies.
"You mean Sasha wants to go to a high school prom." He laughs and I feel anger bubble up inside me for being so stupid. "Sasha and I are not together anymore. I wanted to ask you to prom smartass."
"What a way to ask a girl to the prom."
I feel him take my hand; I have a feeling that he is kneeling from the way I don't feel his face close to mine. "Cassandra Logan. Will you go to the prom with me." My heart instantly flutters but then I remember he is most likely doing it out of pity or best friend duty. I agree none the less and it was one of the most memorable moments of my life.
"Cass?...Cass?" I blink as I see Nate wave his hand in front of me and I gently smack it away and he chuckles.
"Where did you go love?"
"I was just thinking about when you asked me to prom." His nose scrunches in a cute way and I never noticed before how adorable it is. He waits patiently for me to explain. "It was our first date." I use air quotations around date, and he rolls his eyes playfully at me. It wasn't our first official date Cass." I go to argue but he continues on before I can. What the heck is he talking about? "I had a great time at prom." He says as he holds out his hand to help me up off the bed after strapping my dress shoes on.
"Which one? Yours or mine?"
He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles. "Ours love." I look at him confused but he just gives me that gorgeous smile. "I never went to my prom. I didn't have anyone special to go with." He rubs the back of his neck, and his cheeks flush a little.
"I just thought..."
"You thought wrong, love." He places a quick kiss on my lips and grabs my hand to hold in his. "Let's go, or we may never leave this room." We both laugh as I grab my handbag and he closed the door behind us.
"How are you even real?" I ask as we stop at his car. "Wait are you even real?" I pinch his arm and he jumps slightly taken off guard by the action.
"Yes, Cass I am real, or you have very vivid sex dreams." He smirks at me, and I slap my hand on his chest which makes him laugh.
"You just seem too good to be true."
He kisses my forehead and opens the door for me, and I get in. Nate leans his forearm on the door and smiles at me. It is the most genuine smile I have ever seen in my life. "No, I am just a man that has been desperately in love with you since I was seventeen." With that he shuts my door, and I am left flabbergasted. "How did I not know?" I say to myself, and once Nate gets in, he starts the engine and takes off.
With the revelation that he just told me I have a question that I need to know the answer to. I turn towards my boyfriend and ask. "If we got together back then, do you think we would be here right now?" He grabs my hand and squeezes it and glances at me for a brief moment before focusing back on the road. "I would like to think so Cass, but back then you needed a friend more than a lover." I feel my skin tingle and burn in a good way as he gently squeezes my thigh.
"I guess you are right."
He chuckles lightly and then pulls over to the side of the road. "What are we doing?" Confusion clearly evident on my face. He pulls a blindfold out of his pocket and dangles it in front of me. "I need you to put this on. I don't want to ruin the surprise." I have a mental freak out because I will be blanketed in darkness, and I hate that feeling. Hell, I hate going to sleep for the fear of waking up and never being able to see again.
"Hey." I hear the gentleness in his tone as he lifts my chin to look at him. "I promise it will not be for long, love." I nod my head and blink back the tears as I take a deep breath and take the blindfold from him. As soon as I start to put it on, I feel his hands helping my shaking hands as it covers my eyes. "I'm right here beautiful." He kisses my lips tenderly and I relax a little. We talk and laugh, the whole way there he is rubbing his hand my leg. "We're here baby, but you cannot take it off just yet." I let out a sigh as I nod my head.
I hear him get out and then he is at my side. I take his hand as he guides me to our destination. "Okay, I am going to take the blindfold off but do not open your eyes until I say so."
"Okay." I say softly as I feel his warm lips brush against mine. I hear some rustling around and then I felt his presence before he spoke. "Open your eyes." I blink my eyes open and sigh in relief when I can still see, but I gasp when I see where we are. It's the lake where we went one time, well I think it is. I remember him describing it to me.
"Nate tell me what it looks like."
"The view is gorgeous Cass. It's the one place I love to come to just forget my worries, you know." I nod my head because I want to find that place where I feel peace, but I realize that it is with him and Lily that I feel that. "The water is crystal clear. There are trees all around the lake and wildflowers scattered everywhere." I try to envision what he is describing to me. "What colors?" I ask and he tells me of the various colors and what the sky looks like. He describes it all to me in so much detail.
"I wish I could see them."
I feel his hand on mine and squeezes it lightly. "You will Cass, I know you will." Then he raises my hand and I feel his lips brush against my hand. "What would be your perfect date?" He lowers my hand but doesn't let go of it.
"Are you trying to distract me."
I can already feel his smile on that face that I have imagined a thousand times to be heartbreaking beautiful and sexy.
"Is it working?" He asks in a teasing tone, and I cannot help but smile, but I shrug my shoulders.
"Maybe, but it doesn't matter because I will never know." I go to stand up, but he holds me in my place. "It does matter Cass, so tell me." I sigh and give in and tell him because he always finds a way to get me to talk. "I guess just something simple. A dinner by a lake, enjoying the serenity of the place, while the sun sets and music playing in the background. Dancing around like fools without a care."
"That sounds really nice."
As nice as it sounds it will never happen for me. This time I stand up and he doesn't stop me but gets up with me and walks with me. "It will never happen Nate, it is all just a fantasy." He stops me dead in my tracks and grabs my shoulders and I know he is starring into my eyes. "Why not?" I can hear the pain in his voice, and I am so glad he is one of my best friends.
I move out of his embrace and grab Blue's leash as he sat beside us the whole time. "Because I will never see any of it, Nate. It's just a pipe's dream."
"One day you will, I promise." I hear him whisper but do not comment back.
I am pulled out of my thoughts as I look around and see what Nate has done. There is a canopy tent with fairy lights around it and I see everything that Nate described to me all those years ago.
"Nate." I whisper, my emotions getting the best of me. He wraps his arms around me, and I cling to him. "Sorry we missed the sunset, we kind of got distracted earlier." I giggle as I step away from him and wipe my eyes as I just felt the wetness on my cheeks. "It's beautiful Nate, thank you." He kisses my lips briefly then leads me to my seat and I am still amazed by all he has done. there were platters already on the table and he lifts the lid to steaming plates of delicious food. I have Chicken piccata with wild rice and Nate has a sirloin steak with roasted potatoes and an assortment of veggies.
Nate explains to me about the conference he has to go to in Chicago. His father is demanding he go to finalize the merger. He wants to make sure that Nate can handle taking over once he retires, but I know deep down that he doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps. I then explain how I decided to sell my share of my parent's company to my uncle because it is not what I want even if my parents wanted me to take over. It is just not for me, and I would feel horrible if I failed at it.
We talked so much while eating and although we knew a lot about each other there was just some things we didn't. I spoke about taking photography classes and wanting to travel to places I have never seen before. Nate promising to support me no matter what. Suddenly Nate gets up and holds his hand out to me.
"Come dance with me, Cass."
I take his hand and then there is music playing and my smile gets bigger.
🎶Don't have to leave this town to see the world. Cause it's something that I got to do.
I don't want to look back in thirty years and wonder who you are married to. 🎶
"I can't believe you remembered what I said my perfect date would be."
He caresses my cheek softly, "I remember everything, love." Then he leans in and kisses me as we sway to the music."
🎶Wanna say it now, wanna make it clear for only you and God to hear
When you love someone, they say you set 'em free But that ain't gonna work for me. 🎶
Nate sings softly as he twirls me and I can't help but laugh as my hands land on his chest as he stares at me and I feel him stare into my soul as we sway to the music.
🎶I don't wanna live without you. I don't wanna even breathe. I don't wanna dream about you. Wanna wake up with you next to me. I don't wanna go down any other road now.
I don't wanna love nobody but you. Looking in your eyes now, if I had to die now I don't wanna love nobody but you. 🎶
He dips me and kisses me deeply and I hold on tight to him, never wanting to let him go.
**********
Song: Nobody but you by Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani