Page 6 of Unsure in Love

The men beside me whispered and snickered amongst themselves as Cassandra made her way toward us. I resisted rolling my eyes. It was like we were in junior high and a pretty girl was approaching. They were all older than thirty-five and seeing them reduced to nervous, giggling boys by a pretty face was hilarious.

You’d think it was their first time seeing an attractive woman. All they talked about since we hit the bar were the “hot” women they encountered in Oakland. Nic’s sisters-in-law were at the top of the list. The Bennet sisters caught the eyes of Nic’s cop friends. However, they’d all kept their comments... and dicks to themselves because Nic probably had a bullet reserved for anyone who messed with the Bennet girls. Although, I’d risk getting shot to get a taste of the one who’d captured and held my attention.

Cassandra Bennet.

Since Nic introduced us, she’d been blatantly giving me interesting looks. I returned every one of those heated stares, but I stayed on my best behavior. Why act on my attraction to her? I’d head back home in a matter of days. One of Nic’s sisters-in-law was the last woman I wanted to string along. For all I knew, Cassandra entertained the idea of long-term and fairytales, so I played it safe and avoided her. It wasn’t easy. Now, it was impossible because she was walking right over.

I was bound to get into trouble tonight…. the kind I’d been fantasizing about getting into with Cassandra. If she walked right into my hands, what was I supposed to do? Send her on her way? I never claimed to be a saint.

“Look at that. She’s coming over. She’s into you, man!” Benny said excitedly.

“How do you know he’s the lucky bastard? She could be coming to chat me up,” Callen said.

“Get over yourselves. Obviously, she’s into me,” Clive muttered. He was sitting back and folding his arms over his chest to look suave, I guess. It wasn’t working for him at all.

My three drinking buddies weren’t really my friends. I recently met them through Nic. I was probably the only groomsman who wasn’t a part of Nic’s cop fraternity. My friend’s detective buddies were all very entertaining characters, especially his former partner, Benny. The man sounded like the king of all womanizers. He told me he was in the middle of his third divorce. That said a lot. Who got married three times? I’d quit after the first one fell apart but to each his own.

“Seriously, how old are you guys?” I asked my new acquaintances.

“Alright, new guy,” Benny scoffed.

I felt a spark of amusement at the title. He’d been calling me the new guy since we met.

“Since you’re Mr. Cool, let’s see how you handle this. That one looks like she’s got the attitude to hand you, your ass, and your balls.”

My lips twitched. And that was precisely the appeal of Cassandra Bennet. I had been avoiding her but that didn’t mean I hadn’t been observing her keenly. She seemed daring and hilariously sarcastic. I overheard a few of her comical remarks. She was bold and beautiful.

I didn’t really have a type—what was the point when I had no desire for more than a little fun? But if I did, Cassandra would be it. She seemed the type to not be intimidated by my sometimes surly demeanor. It wasn’t that I deliberately tried to look that way, it sort of just happened. I appreciated women who could hold their own in my company.

“That one has a name,” I murmured, annoyed.

“Hey, Nic introduced us to four of his hot sisters-in-law. It’s hard to keep the names straight when your brain is frazzled by the sight of so much beauty,” Clive said. “I mean, there are five Bennet sisters, and they’re all gorgeous. My head spun when I met them.” He took a swig from his bottle. “No wonder Nic ditched us in Brooklyn and ran back to Oakland.”

Benny and Callen chuckled. Clive wasn’t wrong. Any man’s brain would turn to mush at the sight of a bunch of gorgeous women and all sisters at that. The Bennet gene pool was impressive.

“I guess,” I said, eyes still on the approaching Cassandra.

The four of us weren’t the only ones watching. Heads turned as she passed. Curious and hungry gazes swept her from head to toe. Some were leers from drunk men, and I felt a twinge of irritation. What was she doing in this bar alone anyway?

For about the twentieth time since I saw her sitting at the bar, I gave her a thorough once over. The dress she wore hugged her flared hips like a fitted glove. She was taller than her sisters and moved with a kind of confidence that bordered on arrogance and not giving a shit.

That thought sent a surge of amusement through me. I liked her style too. She had a rocker chick look going for her. The studs in one of her eyebrows and nose suited her. I bet she had a few tattoos hidden somewhere. I’d love to explore her body to find them.

She threw her black hair, streaked with burgundy, over one shoulder as if annoyed by the silky tresses that hung in spiral curls around her face. The closer she got, I admired her oval face and high cheekbones. Cassandra was gorgeous—the kind where she either wasn’t aware of it or she didn’t care.

I was good at reading people. My line of work demanded I be hyper-observant. So, I’d picked up on Cassandra’s tough-girl exterior being just one layer of the multidimensional woman. I bet few saw beneath the facade she presented to the world.

Surprisingly, I was interested in seeing the hidden layers. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been interested in getting to know a woman inside and out. Sticking to brief flings made that unnecessary. I shook my head as if to bring back my senses. Getting to know Cassandra would not happen. I’d be back on the other side of the country by tomorrow.

“Gentlemen.” Cassandra stopped and assessed each of us. “Fancy seeing all of you here after the earlier festivities. Here to pick up a few small-town babes before heading back to the big city?”

The others had gone quiet and were gawking at her like idiots, probably not sure how to address the fact that she’d called them out with accuracy. I wasn’t a part of the scoping for babes committee. I just came along because the guys invited me, and I didn’t want to be rude. Swallowing my smile, I remained quiet.

“Uh...er…” Clive stammered. “Hi... Nic’s sister-in-law.” His face was a little flushed, and I felt bad for the guy. He looked like he wanted to kick himself in the ass for his lame greeting.

Cassandra lifted one eyebrow when she glanced at Clive. “Hi, Nic’s friend.”

Benny and Callen snickered but said nothing. Since no one else tried their luck with a proper greeting, I said, “Hi, Cassandra.”

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