We stay like that for a while, wrapped up in each other. When we return to our seats, the air feels charged with a new sensual energy.

We’re both ready to leave. Cass pays the check and then takes my hand, pressing a lingering kiss to the back of it as he leads me to the car.

As we drive home, I watch the lights blur past, feeling a rightness I haven’t felt in years. Cassidy may have planned the checklist, but this romantic evening out is exactly what we both needed.

Back at the house, Cass holds my hand as we approach the front door. The air is thick with an unspoken emotion, a moment hanging in the balance.

“Thank you,” I say softly, turning to face him. “For tonight. It was… nice.”

He reaches out, his hand gently brushing a stray hair from my face. “No, Kendrick. Thank you for the date.” His eyes gleam darkly, “Besides, the night isn’t over.” His voice is barely a whisper, but it holds a world of meaning.

Cass turns the key in the lock and holds the door open for me. We both walk into the house but don’t turn on any of the lights.

“Was there anything else on that list?” Cass asks in a husky murmur.

I turn with a coy look in my eyes. “No, but I don’t think Cassidy would mind if we repeated any of the to-do items.”

Cass gives me a heated look. “Hm… which should we repeat?” I feel his arms go around me as he firmly pulls me toward him. He lifts my chin and whispers softly against my lips, “The… kiss?” Without waiting for my nod, he gives me a kiss that curls my toes and gets all my girly parts tingling. When he lifts his head, a soft whimper escapes my lips.

He kisses me again. This time, the kiss is primal, awakening an urgent hunger in both of us. His hands reach down, cupping my ass as he pulls me firmly against him. Feeling his arousal, I grind helplessly against him. Wanting, needing him inside me, with an urgency that’s startling.

He turns, pushing me back against the front door as his hands find my waist, lifting me slightly. I feel him quickly strip off my panties and throw them over his shoulder with one hand. He anchors me in place with a rough thigh between my legs. As he holds me there, straddling his thigh, I help him unzip his pants. His eager cock springs free.

Lifting me further up the wall, he brings me roughly down until I’m impaled on his rock-hard shaft, filling me fully. A soft moan slips out at the sensation of having him inside me–so hard and stiff. Pausing, he looks into my eyes. I see his desire, and it matches my own. I’m the first to move as I rock my hips, needing more friction–needing him.

Cass responds instantly by gripping my ass cheeks in his broad hands and letting out a low growl. As he surges up, he pulls me down, slamming into me. He sets a grueling rhythm. It’s rough and wild and exactly what we both want and need. My seeking hands find his shoulders, and I hold on for dear life, not wanting to stop or slow the momentum.

At one point, my right hand finds a lock of his hair and pulls on it–hard. He responds by squeezing my ass even harder. I’m aware that his hard grip will leave a mark, but I don’t care as I urgently tug on his hair again. He increases the force of his thrusts, and we hear the sound of our weight as we thud against the closed door.

Neither of us has uttered a single word, but the intensity of our actions is enough. I feel a tremor, and suddenly, my body pulsates as I climax hard in his arms. A low keening sound slipsfrom my lips. Cass suddenly stiffens, and giving a hoarse groan, he follows me, finding his own release.

Once it’s over, Cass slowly loosens his hands, allowing me to slide down the door. His grip steadies me until my wobbly legs can hold my weight. I lean into him as my harsh breathing slows.

“Damn, Kendrick. That was…” his voice trails off, not finding the words.

Lifting my head from his chest. “Intense?”

Cass gives a smug smile. “Yeah. Intense.”

Giving him a playful frown, I say, “I don’t thinkthatwas on the list.”

“Hell no. If that was on the list, I’d need to have a serious talk with our daughter,” Cass says with mock horror.

At my light laughter, he takes my hand and pulls me firmly up the stairs. “Come on,” he murmurs, “we need to get started.”

Giving him a confused look, I ask. “On what?”

Cass turns and gives me a wicked look. “Our own list.”

Twenty-Two

Cass

Another performance, another town. The morning light filters in through the large windows of the penthouse. I walk over to the balcony and slide open the glass door. The hum of the city below serves as a backdrop for my restless thoughts.

I’ve got the balcony all to myself as Kendrick and Cassidy are still asleep. My rambling thoughts have me up and pacing way too early. For a moment, I pretend my life is simple–just us, sharing laughter and moments that don’t feel staged for an audience. I lean against the railing, looking down at the city streets below.

The sound of the door sliding open makes me glance over my shoulder. I see Kendrick, her hair mussed and a sleepy smile on her face. “Couldn’t sleep?” she asks, sliding closer.