Page 21 of Blade's Boo

The sense of relief that swept through me when I saw Cassia with them was immense. I drank in the sight of her. She looked tired and a bit sad. She was talking earnestly to the other two. They were nodding their heads.

“What do you want to do? She’s here. Obviously she wanted to talk to them alone, or else Neriah would have told us they were meeting her. If you bust in there, it might do more harm than good. You said you pushed her last night,” Tiger warned me.

“I did. She was upset. That’s why she up and vanished in the middle of the damn night. I should’ve known she would. I was too messed up to think straight.”

“Was that before you got drunk? What the hell happened?” Thorn asked.

“I went to tell her to give me her answer. Things got a little heated, and I needed to get out of there. I didn’t want to force her into something she doesn’t want.”

“So, something sexual happened and then you left. Shit, no wonder she took off. If she let you get past first base and you put on the brakes, you’re an idiot,” Tiger hissed.

“Fuck you. I’m not going to back her into making a decision she isn’t sure of because she feels she has to. I need her to be sure and I’m dreading what her answer will be. If she tells me we can’t be together, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“Other than moon over her and stalk her every move for the rest of her life? What if she was going to say she wanted to be with you before you took off? You probably confused her. What if she’s changed her mind and says no now? I can’t see that going well for her future happiness. Not with you warning off any man who looks at her twice and killing any man who gets close to her. You say you’ll watch over her if she doesn’t want you. Could you stand to see her with another man?” Thorn asked, sounding innocent, although the smirk on his face ruined that innocence. A growl erupted out of me.

His smirk grew. “Just what I thought. There’s no way you’ll be able to stay away from her and you know it. So, whatever bullshit was going through your head last night, get rid of it. Do everything in your power to help her see she’s the one for you and you’re the only one for her.”

“Say she was going to be with me. What if I push her too far, too fast, and then she gets scared and changes her mind or feels guilty and stays out of guilt? I don’t want that. I don’t want to ever force her to stay in a life she doesn’t want,” I growl back at Thorn.

“We get that, but you can just as easily be pushing her away from the life she wants. She’s never had a choice, Blade. Let her make one and be confident in herself. What I saw the other day wasn’t someone who hated you. She’s attracted and maybe even falling in love with you,” Tiger added.

Gathering my courage, I nodded then headed for the door. They were right on my heels. I whipped open the door and strolled in like I didn’t have a care in the world. Neriah was the first to spot us. Her eyes grew wide. Her expression caught the other two women’s attention, and they turned to look over their shoulders. Shock flashed across Cassia’s face. I didn’t slow down until I got to their table.

Leaning down, I placed a kiss on her mouth. It was one that gave her a taste of the passion and love I felt for her. It was like the kisses we shared last night, only acceptable for public viewing.

“Blade, what are you doing here? How did you find us?” she whispered after I was done.

“I knew something was up when they left so suddenly after your call. That doesn’t matter though. What does, is I need to talk to you about last night and to apologize. Come with me. We need to talk and we don’t need an audience,” I whispered back.

She didn’t look as if she was sure what to do. I waited. She was exchanging looks with the ladies. They were giving her nods and speaking looks. Finally, after what felt like forever, she spoke again.

“Alright. We were done here anyway. Bry, Neriah, thank you so much for coming and helping me sort things out. I think it’s time I talk to Blade and let him know what I’ve decided. I’ll see you later, yeah?”

Both women got up, hugged her, and told her they were there any time she needed them. Thorn and Tiger escorted them out with a wave. I watched Cassia.

“Where do you want to do this? I don’t think this is the best place. Do you want to go back to your place in Dublin Falls? Or we can go to the compound,” I suggested.

“I don’t think your room at the compound is the place. It didn’t strike me as being that private with so many people around.”

She was right. The walls were thin. Until now, it hadn’t mattered to me. It was where I laid my head and sometimes where I had sex, before sending the woman off. Although the latter hadn’t happened in a while. Those kinds of women had begun to lose my interest a while ago. I’d been hooking up less and less at the club and in town over the past year. Now, I knew the reason for that was all the happy couples around me and my deep yearning to have the same thing.

“There are a couple of more private places at the compound. You didn’t get a chance to be shown all around the other day. We have a guesthouse as well as an apartment on the second floor of the clubhouse. They’re empty. We could go there if you want. It’s up to you. I just want you to be comfortable and feel safe.”

“Blade, I’m not worried about my safety. I’d like to see the guesthouse and apartment. I had no idea you had those, but I think we should have this talk at my apartment. If you still want to show them to me when we get done, then we’ll do that.”

My gut churned hearing her say that. What did she mean? Was she going to suggest we be friends and nothing more? Or did she want to pursue her friendship with Neriah and Bryony but not me? Could I stand to see her around with them and not be with her? I didn’t think I could. If that was her suggestion, Hunters Creek might be the place for me. Except, it wasn’t far enough away. Gastonia or Louisville might be better.

“Are you ready?” she asked with a frown. I knew she was waiting for me to move.

“Sure, let’s go.”

I laid my hand on her lower back as we walked out. She didn’t move away from me, which made me happy. I resisted kissing her when I assisted her into her car. We made good time back to Dublin Falls even if it felt longer. Parking at her place, I tried not to let her increased tension affect me.

Inside, she tried to play hostess, but I couldn’t do it. “Babe, I don’t need anything other than for you to tell me what is going on. I know when I left last night, I probably hurt you and confused the hell out of you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do any of that. You taking off in the middle of the night tells me that. Talk to me.”

We were sitting on her couch again. I fought not to remember having her stretched out on it with herself mostly bare to me last night.

“You’re right, I was upset. I put myself out there and you gave me something I’ve never experienced before. Then you did a one-eighty on me and practically ran out of here. What was I supposed to think? It was obvious. You changed your mind about me. What we did disgusted you and you were trying to let me down easy, by not telling me that. Well, it didn’t work. You made it worse than if you’d been a man and just told me. I can take rejection, Blade. I’ve lived with it all my life.”

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