Page 62 of Cash

"Thank you, I'm a lucky man. The Masterson women are incredible," he said, giving Ellie a small kiss on her cheek.

"That we agree on," he said gazing at Evie.

The rest of the meal was much more pleasant than the golf outing had been. It was mainly the four of them who chatted and much to Cash's surprise he enjoyed Ellie and Allen. Maybe this night wouldn't be that bad after all. It couldn’t be all bad if he got to admire Evie all night and then take her home. Nope. He needed to keep those thoughts at bay, or he would be fighting another inappropriate erection.

Once they were finished up, they all decided to walk to the club that was only a few blocks away. On their way they passed Westside Pub—which is where he spent a lot of nights with the team. And really pubs were more his speed than clubs, but he would gladly go, because the idea of Evie grinding her perfect ass into him on the dance floor was something he was very much looking forward to.

They walked in and the music was already thumping. "Can I get you a drink?" he whispered over the music into Evie's ear.

"Vodka tonic," she answered. He nodded and disappeared.

While he was at the bar he felt a hand on his forearm, "Cash?" He turned to see a blond girl who looked vaguely familiar.

"Casey," she said with a smile, trying to jog his memory.

"Casey, yes. How are you doing?" He still had no clue who she was.

"Doing good. Better now that you're here," she said with flirty eyes, her hand still on his forearm.

He pulled his hand away and ordered the drinks.

"Are you here with anyone?"

"I am. I'm here with my girlfriend," he said, waiting for the drinks.

"Cash Hawthorn has a girlfriend?" the woman asked, clearly taken aback.

"There's a first time for everything," he said to her with a warm smile.

"She's a lucky woman," she said, her eyes raking over him as the bartender set the drinks down.

"No, I'm the lucky one," he said as he laid a big bill on the bar and made his way back to Evie.

As he got back to the table, he put the drink down in front of Evie and stood behind her bar stool and slid his arms around her waist. She leaned back into him and smiled up. "Who were you talking to at the bar?"

"Just an old friend," he said, hoping she would drop it. She knew about his past, but knowing it and seeing it are two different things. While he felt no shame about his previous choices, he didn't want to rub her face in any of it. But sadly, Glendale wasn't that big of a city, it was bound to happen, especially in places like this.

24

EVIE

The night had been pleasant so far. Dinner had been much better than she had expected. Sitting next to her sister and Allen had been a good choice. They seemed to just treat him like he was a normal date. It was good because she knew others wouldn't have been so relaxed about it.

When they had first arrived at the club and he went to get her a drink, she couldn't help the jealousy she felt as the woman at the bar flirted with him. She trusted him to a certain extent, but he had a reputation for a reason, and the idea that he had slept with that woman was an annoying voice in the back of her head. That woman was gorgeous, blond and built the way society expects the body of someone with a professional athlete should be like.

Cash had never once made her feel anything less than beautiful. She knew he found her sexy just the way she was, and she thought she was too, but there was something about looking at one of the girls Cash used to sleep with and how vastly different they were. She tried not to let that bother her, but she couldn't seem to shake it.

Later that night after a few more drinks she was feeling a bit looser and relaxing into the night and enjoying Cash. He was amazing out on the dance floor. Bryan would never dance with her like this, she didn't even think he could. But out on the dance floor with Cash everything else fell away. He fell in behind her and held her hips close to his own and they moved together.

After a while she needed to go to the bathroom. She'd had maybe a bit too much to drink, but it was okay because Cash was there, and she felt nothing but safe with him. But as she made her way back to the tables where the wedding party were sitting, she saw someone who was not in the wedding party. Bryan was here. Why was he here?

"Hey," she said as she approached the table. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just out, and I saw Ellie and Allen, I thought I would stop in and say hi to everyone."

"You just happened to be at the club we are at?" she asked in disbelief.

"I know. What are the odds?"

---