“So, he whisked you in his arms and you set the sheets on fire,” Tammy added breathlessly.
“You’re getting ahead of me.”
Her eyes flew wide in eagerness and surprise. “Sorry. Go on.”
“While I stood there drooling, he walked around me to the food.”
“Huh?” Tammy’s dazed expression was comical, making it difficult for Cassie to keep a straight face.
“I threw together something to eat and had it on the table. He strolled by me as if he had no interest in me. As if he paraded in a towel around women every day.”
“With nothing but a towel,” Tammy said dubiously.
“Yep,” Cassie answered, remembering the image of the towel drawn tight around his buns.
“Maybe he wears a towel often. Or goes around butt naked. Bet all those fire guys do.
Taking a sip of coffee, Cassie gazed over the top of her cup. Tammy looked like a hungry puppy with a bone dangling just out of reach.
“Was anything peeking out?”
“I have large towels.” Cassie lowered her mug and leaned forward as if about to whisper a dark secret. “But he’s a large man.”
“Oh God, I’ve died and gone to heaven.” Tammy dramatically flung her arm over her forehead and slumped in her chair. A short moment passed before she suddenly jumped. “You had to imagine his—you know—on the wood. No way the towel covered his buns.”
“Tammy!”
“Well,” she said with indignation, then took a deliberate sip of her coffee. “So, you fixed him food, ate. Then what?” She placed her elbow on the table and propped her chin in the palm of her hand.
“He asked for a blanket.” At Tammy’s raised brows, Cassie hurried to explain, but Tammy held up her hand.
“Cassie. This story is not as exciting as I anticipated. Please tell me it did get good at some point.”
“You wanted details.”
“Juicy details.”
Cassie giggled. “Okay. He mentioned he needed something bigger for covering, so I sprinted for a blanket. By the time I got back, he’d moved to the living room on the couch.”
“Butt naked,” Tammy said hopefully.
“He had the towel concealing the important part.”
“What is wrong with you?” Tammy exclaimed slamming her hands down on the wood. “The man has a body like an immortal God and you bring him a blanket? Girl, you definitely have to get back in the game. You’ve been without a man too long.”
“And what about you? In the two years you and Steve have been divorced, you haven’t even dated.”
“I have two boys. We’re not talking about me. Besides, you’ve had the same dry spell.’
“By my choice.” Cassie had made the mistake of dating guys who only wanted to take her out because of her ample chest. In her heart, she craved a strong pair of arms to hold her each and every night. One man for the rest of her life. A man who wanted only one woman. Who would want her for herself. Who looked deeper than her physical assets. After last night, she hoped she’d found him.
Mike had touched something within her that she didn’t even know was there. The most profound feeling she’d ever experienced with a man. He’d claimed a part of her soul.
Hopefully Mike was a one-woman man. Not like his buddy, Jared. Anyone could see that guy was a born philanderer. Her gut told her Mike would be so much more. She desperately wanted to find out.
“Earth to Cassie.” Tammy’s voice brought Cassie from her musings. She studied her friend, knowing Tammy was no more promiscuous than Cassie. Tammy liked to joke and tease, but most of her experience had been with her husband. Look how that turned out. Naturally, she wanted to hear anything sensational in someone else’s private life.
“He, uh, patted the couch beside him. So, I joined him and we talked.” Cassie glared, daring Tammy to pounce since she’d used the word talk again. After a moment, she continued. “He put his arm around me and the electricity surged. From there on, use your imagination, ’cause that’s all the specifics you’re gonna get.”