Page 51 of Cash

"You know?—"

"Evie. So, help me god if you tell me I don't need to do those things I'm going to take you somewhere a little more private and spank you until you stop telling me what to do."

She stopped and just sat there, her mouth gaping wide open. "You would not!"

"Oh, baby girl, you don't know me very well yet. I would do all that and more."

That shouldn’t have made her wet, but here she was sitting in damp underwear.

"Now, the email. What would you like to discuss?" he said.

"I know you don't want me to say you don't have to go, and I won't,” she said with her hands up. “But I don't even want to go."

"Okay, so just let me go and be with you then. I'll make it fun for you."

Now this did make her smile. The thought of having him there with her as a buffer didn't sound like a terrible idea.

"If you're sure. I'll be there for all of it except the golf game. I’ll be at the spa and we’re meeting up after that."

"Golf at the country club without you? Can I choose the spa instead?"

"You don't –"

"You really do want me to spank that perfect ass don't you," he said with a wicked grin.

She huffed and looked at him. "N-no I mean maybe…” She shook her head. He sure had her flustered. “I just mean golf with my family is not expected by me. My mother can just deal with it."

His face softened and he took her hand. "Evie, I’ll find a way to survive golf with your family. I know you’re still fooling yourself into thinking I'm not one hundred percent in this trying to make you mine, but you need to stop. I'm going to be there schmoozing it up with the best of them and then taking home the prettiest girl there."

"You're serious?" she asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yes."

"You are really interested in seeing where this goes?" Just saying those words out loud made her feel vulnerable. The idea of someone like Cash Hawthorn would consider settling down with her was unbelievable.

"Yes, I've been serious about all of it since that first night together. I thought it would just be a normal one-night thing, but nothing I feel about you has felt normal. And while I really fucking wish I wasn't professing my intentions in a food court, it’s all true. I am in this, Evie. I want to see where this goes and just so you don't fool yourself into not believing me, I'm saying right here right now, I hope it goes all the way."

"We've gone all the way a time or two," she said, trying to make him laugh.

"That we have, and we are about to do it again," he said, tracing his finger on the back of her hand. "But we both know that's not what I'm talking about. I'm going to make you my girl."

He held her gaze and the air between them was electric.

"Cash," a voice called from behind them pulling them both out of the moment. She turned to see his nephew walking towards them with another kid who looked about his age. "This is Mateo, we met in the music store. I was wondering if I could take him back to your place and show him the music room."

“Hi Mr. Hawthorn, I think you know my uncle. He owns the music store.”

Cash stuck his hand out and shook his hand. “Please, call me Cash. Yeah, I know Diego, he sold me a guitar a few months back. How is he?”

“He’s good. I work for him at the store.”

“Can we go?” River asked again.

"Fine by me," he said coolly.

"Alright. We’re gonna head out then,” River said as he turned to leave.

“Tell your uncle I said hello,” Cash said to Mateo.

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