Page 30 of Taking Care of the Target

“No, look…” She lifted the spoon. “I just likemostlychocolate with a little vanilla and strawberry. Why did you think I really invited you up? It’s so that you can even out the other part.”

He leaned forward and stole her bite with all of the chocolate.

“Hey!” She scooped out another spoonful, blocking him when he made like he was going to steal it.

Then he obliged her request to even out the other flavors.

“Looks like we make the perfect team,” she said once it was level. When he waved off her offer of more, she put the ice cream back in the freezer and disappeared down the hallway. She returned with a yellow and blue patchwork blanket. “The ice cream made me cold,” she said as she scooted next to him and draped the quilt over her, offering him part of it.

“Did you make it?” he asked, taking the corner of the blanket even though cold was the last thing he was.

“My mom did. Before I was born.” She hugged it tighter, and he could tell how much it meant to her. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he decided her hair was what always smelled faintly of coconut. Must be her shampoo.

He curled her closer and kissed her forehead, enjoying her happy sigh. After being shot at and having intense discussions—not to mention his thoughts never straying far from the fact that if he failed, some guy named Jackhammer might come after her—a simple movie night cuddling on the couch ended up being the perfect way to unwind.

He’d always done more of ayour place or minething with women, where either he or she left shortly after. Suddenly he understood why people dated.

This is only temporary,he reminded himself. With her future and his in the balance, he knew it couldn’t last forever, and a tip in the wrong direction would be disastrous.

Usually he prided himself on his control, but he’d completely lost it in the park today, and he didn’t care to get it back. Once Carlo backed off, he’d have to find a way to end things, and he hoped he could do it in a way that wouldn’t leave Cassie crushed, even though he had a feeling he’d never be the same again.

Until then, he decided to just enjoy it.

Call him a hypocrite.

He was owning being a complete asshole, too.

But he wasn’t strong enough to stay away anymore.

Chapter Sixteen

Cassie and Vince fell into a routine. He’d pick her up from work every night and stay at her place until late. Not wanting to lose the exercise or chance to enjoy the pretty fall colors and weather, she walked herself to work, and each day she got a little less jumpy about passing cars. She told herself she could walk home alone in the dark if she had to, but she liked that she didn’t have to.

She’d also received an email from Annie, who said she was sorry to hear about her accident and wished her a speedy recovery. According to her former neighbor, Cassie decided on TCNJ because of the scholarship they offered her. Other than that, she said they hadn’t kept up very well, something she apologized for, but she said her job at the rehab center consumed most of her days. So no new information there, but they both promised to keep in better touch.

After a week of spending pretty much every moment either working or hanging out with Vince, Cassie decided it was time to stop putting off the other part of her life she still needed to figure out. She gathered every textbook she had at her disposal, sat on the couch, and flipped through page after page, trying to cram all of the information she’d supposedly already learned into her brain.

In a little over two months, she could retake the college classes she’d only gotten partway through this semester. They’d be higher-level courses covering comprehensive topics she couldn’t remember learning, and the thought of it made her lungs constrict. But she told herself she’d just have to study twice as hard.

Yeah, in all my spare time.Defeat pressed against her, threatening to crush her before she’d even tried. But between work and classes and studying, she wasn’t sure how she’d have any time with Vince.

I’m not seriously considering putting off college for one more semester for a brand new relationship, am I?At this rate, she’d never finish and actually get started on…whatever she decided to be. Yet another question that needed answering.

Plus, she couldn’t be one of those girls who wrapped her entire life up in a guy. Even if it was rather tempting, considering what the guy looked like—and how he kissed. She nearly pinched herself every time he showed up just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

Her phone rang, breaking out of her happy Vince thoughts, and she frowned at the unknown number before answering

“Cassie, it’s Tom Duffy. Just calling to check up on you.”

Cassie told him she had a new job, had settled into her apartment, and was well. The silence on the other line made her nerve endings prick up. “Is there something else?”

At the knock on the apartment door, she said, “Just a second.” Vince was coming by, so she was sure it was him. She nearly opened the door without looking, but last minute peeked through her peephole, just to be safe.

Gah, he’s so damn sexy.She swung open the door, leaned in for a quick kiss, and then pointed at the phone and held up a finger to let him know she was almost done.

“Sorry, what were you saying?” She returned to the couch, pulling one of her textbooks onto her lap to give her hands something to do.

“I…I’d like to meet up and ask you a few follow-up questions about your accident.”

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