Page 23 of His Best Friend's Wife
I would have preferred hearing it wasthebest night of her life, but I still gladly took her revelation as a compliment. She had said as much during our night together, but people couldn't be held to statements made during the throes of passion or immediatelyafterwards.
As I pondered it, I couldn't help but wonder what Dirk would think about the fact that my sexual prowess had ranked as one of her best nights, despite the numerous years of nights she had spent with him. My bet was that this tidbit of information would have him fuming with fury. I couldn't deny that the thought made me happy. After all, the man had sent her to me with instructions to seduce me. He deserved to have that plan backfire onhim.
She came to me then. The ocean's breeze was wafting in through the open window, blowing her hair out behind her like a supermodel's. The warmth of her body was mere fractions of an inch from mine. My dick swelled, immediately reacting to hernearness.
Looking deep into my eyes, she admitted, "I enjoyed our night together so much because some deeply buried side of me wanted it to happen,Reed."
My heart soared at this news. My plan had been to clutch my bitterness and anger, but she was making it incredibly challenging to do so. Biting my tongue, I waited for her tocontinue.
"I've always felt a special connection with you. I attempted to convince myself it was just friendship, but now there is no denying that there is a spark of something much more thanthat."
It was exactly what I wanted to hear from her, but I stubbornly refused to speak and let her off the hook that easily. Besides, I was enjoying her admission.Did I dare allow myself to believe her? Was this anothertrick?
That last thought sliced through me and had my stomach revolting in icy panic. If Dirk had sent her back for more of my sperm, I didn't think I could ever forgive either one of them. Voicing my fear, I gave her what had to be a pained expression. "The first insemination didn't take, huh? So, he sent you back for another donation." My voice was almost unrecognizable as it dripped with the stunningaccusation.
I didn't want to believe that my guess was the truth or that they could be so callous, but they had done it to me once. There was a saying about fooling me twice bringing shame on me. Well, I refused to play their fool.Again.
Cassie looked truly taken aback by my accusatory tone. She shook her head, tears pooling in her lower lids and threatening to spill over. "No, that's not it at all," she denied as the first tear blazed a trail down her cheek. "You don't understand," she looked up at me with a gaze that could only be described aspleading.
When she spoke, I couldn't do anything but watch her. She was so lovely, and I so wanted to believe that her words weretrue.
"I realized the night that Dirk sent me to you that I had chosen the wrong man to marry," she revealed. "If I was with you, you would never send me to be with someoneelse."
"Umm, no." If Cassie were mine, I would never let her go––no matter what thecircumstances.
She went on as if I hadn't spoken. "Not only does Dirk cheat on me all the time, but then he sends me to seduce my way into another man's bed!?! Do you have any idea how that makes mefeel?"
As much as I cared about Cassie, I suddenly realized that I had been completely selfish in my reaction to this situation. I had failed to think about it at all from her perspective. She must feel used and abandoned by both Dirk and myself. Guilt simmered in my belly over my part in thisfiasco.
"It makes me feel like a whore, like my body is the only thing that matters, and like I deserved to be taken advantage of," she revealed, looking down at the ground as if she wereashamed.
I lifted her chin. "None of those things are true." I told her adamantly. "I value you as a person. As much as I adore your body, you are so much more than a sexual conquest to me." I tried to inject some of my overflowing feelings for her into my words. I hated the downcast look of shame in her eyes and cursed myself for my part in putting it there.Did she feel like I had taken advantage ofher?
She looked up at me then, a glimmer of hope shimmering in her gaze. "You don't hate me and think I'm a horrible person for agreeing to Dirk'splan?"
I thought about my answer for a moment. I probably should hate her for deceiving me the way she had, but I just didn't have it in me. "No, I could never hate you," I told herhonestly.
"I knew you were the one I should have chosen." She leaned in to press her lips againstmine.
It took every ounce of willpower I could muster, but I lifted a palm to her shoulder and pushed her back. The fear that Dirk had sent her again made me feel queasy as I tried to quell it. I'd been too shocked and hurt by her previous betrayal to ignore the very real possibility that this might be a repeatperformance.
Through gritted teeth I asked her, "Did he send you to seduce me again? Are you just after my semen?" It was agonizing to even utter the questions, but I had toknow.
Cassie looked like I had cut her to the quick. The shock, anger, hurt feelings, and guilt swirled into an almost unrecognizable mask on her face. "No," she blurted out on a sob, a fresh stream of tears falling, before she turned away fromme.
She was facing the window, so I had a hard time understanding her next shocking statement. I knew what I thought I heard, but it wasn't quite computing, so I asked her to repeatit.
This time I was sure I heard her say, "I'm alreadypregnant."
