Page 32 of Captivated

“What? No! But he did kiss me, and then asked me out. I told him no, but then we ran into each other and then he asked me out again, so I said yes,” I grimace as I wait for Jess’s reaction, but she just sits there, stunned.

“Wow. Cash Williams asked out a woman not once, but twice? You know, I told you that Cash is not the dating type, but this is abnormal behavior for him, Piper. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s actually serious about you.”

I sit down next to her and lower my voice. “You think? Because I don’t want to get hurt. It’s been years since I’ve been on a date and I’m so nervous, I think I might be sick.”

Jess laughs at me. “I mean, people can change. I’d still say to be careful. Don’t let your guard down too much, but from what I know and have seen, this is definitely new territory for Cash.”

I let out a breath of relief as Jess confirms some doubts I had where Cash is concerned, mainly if this was all an act. I know what I feel when we’re together and the physical connection is obviously off the charts, but part of me was still weary to believe him that this was not just some challenge to him.

“Thank you. I appreciate that. I guess I’m shocked that I’ve been here for about two months and I’m already dating. My last boyfriend and I were together for eight years…” I start to share and then catch myself before I say anything else.

“Wow. Eight years? What happened?”

Think, Pfeiffer. What do you say now? What detail can you give that will appease her and not invite too many more questions?

“Uh, he died,” I say and then instantly regret it—although the absence of Mason from my life because of his lies feels final like death would.

“Oh my gosh, Piper. I’m so sorry. That’s horrible. How long ago?” Jess reaches out to grip my shoulder, rubbing soothing circles.

“A little over a year ago,” I lie, avoiding her eyes.

“Well then, I’d say it’s time to get back out there. If anything, Cash will rock your world in the sack and help heal your broken-hearted vagina.”

“Oh God, Jess. My vagina is fine.”

“Hey, I’m just telling it like it is. You’d better let me know how everything goes, okay? And if Cash hurts you, I will make it my personal responsibility to seek retribution. No one gets to hurt my friends.” Jess reaches for the mouse on the computer, waking up the screen and then scans her ID badge in front of the sensor, logging her in to the system.

Irony hits me as I smile over at my new friend, who in just a few short weeks has shown me loyalty and understanding more than some people I knew for years back home. A wave of contentment washes over me when I realize she is yet another aspect of my new life that has been a blessing, when for months all I’ve been able to focus on is everything I left behind.

“I will. Thank you. So, catch me up to speed,” I declare as Jess fills me in on the cases currently filling up the emergency room and we spend yet another night running the ER.

Three long days, twelve hour shifts that turn into fifteen, and a whole lot of anxiousness about my impending date passes by, bringing me to Thursday finally as I try to kill time before Cash picks me up for our date.

The last time I went on a date I was eighteen. Mason had picked me up from my parent’s house on a Saturday night during the Spring of our senior year and my birthday was just a week before. My parents insisted I wasn’t allowed to date until I turned eighteen, so the minute I did, several boys all jumped at the chance to take me out. But Mason was such a gentleman and from a family we had known for years. We grew up together, we’d known each other while navigating puberty and AP Classes, and he was cute and smart and respectful to girls, unlike some of the other boys my age. So when he asked me on a date, I instantly accepted.

My gut told me he was the right one to choose, and for the most part, I don’t regret that decision. But then time carried on, we grew up and apparently apart, because the man I agreed to marry would never have jeopardized my safety. No, that wasn’t the man I knew. But apparently, I never knew him as well as I thought I did.

As I physically prepare for my date with Cash—showering, applying my make-up, curling my hair, and dressing in a tight fitting pair of dark blue jeans and a cream-colored sweater—I struggle to fight my memories of Mason and the mistakes I made with him, hoping that the same thing won’t happen with this new man that makes my stomach flip. Because although I barely know him, I feel that if Cash were to betray me or hurt me like Mason did, I might not recover. A man like Cash is the type that sinks their touch into your soul, leaving you completely changed by their presence. We haven’t even slept together and I know he could wreck me. He’s the type of man you read about in romance novels—the man who catches you off-guard and tips your world off its axis before you ever realize you’re teetering off balance.

Giving my lips one last coat of gloss, I rub them together and then flash a smile in the mirror, pleased with the reflection staring back at me. My hair is softly curled to perfection, my ass looks great in these jeans, and the butterflies swarming in my stomach tell me that this night is going to change everything. Cash’s aspiration for this date has set the bar high—a limit I’m not sure my mind is letting me fully absorb.

He had sent me a few sweet messages over the past few days, telling me good morning, to have a great day at work, or how much he was looking forward to our date. I thought the gesture was sweet, since it clearly showed he was thinking about me. And I can’t remember if I ever felt like I was a priority in someone else’s mind at the beginning of their day, especially Mason’s.

Looking back, I think I became so complacent with him in our relationship because I didn’t know any better and it was easy. I didn’t have anything to compare it to. The aspects of dating that Mason showed me were the only glimpses of dating I’ve ever experienced.

But now with Cash, I’m seeing the entirely new side of getting to know someone—being pursued relentlessly, desired not just physically, but mentally as well, and stimulated in every way another being could interest someone else.

Five minutes before six, there’s a knock at my door. His text that he was on his way told me to expect him, but just the sound of his arrival has me buzzing with anticipation.

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves, I stand tall before answering the door, greeted with the delectable man that has been clouding my mind since I first laid eyes on him. He’s wearing a dark green Henley that stretches across his broad chest, dark wash denim, and brown leather boots. The man oozes confidence and sex appeal and just the sight of him makes my head swirl and my body heat from head to toe.

“Hi,” I finally say breathlessly, admiring the man picking me up for our date, and begging to be pinched awake from this dream. This man standing before me wantsme—but I’m terrified that I may want him more.

Chapter 13

Cash

Fuck, she’s stunning. Of course, she could probably be wearing a brown paper bag and I’d still want to fuck her. But Piper has the type of beauty that doesn’t just come from her looks. It’s evident in the way she carries herself, her smile that twists my stomach in knots, and the confidence she possesses in each one of her movements. It’s in the way she uses her free time to enrich the lives of the members at the retirement home and how she’s giving me a chance when lord knows I don’t deserve one. Her heart is pure gold, a fact I remind myself of as I muster up the courage to take this woman on a date that means more to me than any other date I’ve been on. This is the first time in my life where I think I’ve defined beauty in terms of qualities that can’t be seen by the naked eye because all of the things that make Piper gorgeous are located way beyond her surface.

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