Page 44 of Tangled Desires

I felt a blush rise to my cheeks and turned away to hide it, busying myself with gathering herbs for the sauce. Cass’s hand brushed mine as we reached for the salt at the same time.

“Sorry,” he murmured, though his eyes didn’t quite match his apologetic tone.

“It’s fine,” I said quickly, too aware of how close we were standing.

We continued in silence for a few moments before he spoke up again. “Mila, do you think… after all this is over… we could make this a regular thing?”

I glanced at him, trying to read his expression. “Cooking dinner together?”

“Yeah,” he said softly. “It’s simple but… it feels right.”

The words hung between us as we finished up the sauce and set the table. Rachel and Chad bounded into the kitchen just as we were about to call them for dinner.

“Wow!” Rachel exclaimed. “Did you make all this?”

Cass ruffled her hair affectionately. “Your sister is an excellent teacher.”

They beamed up at him and took their seats as I dished out plates for everyone. Sitting down together felt like a snapshot of something yet to come—a possibility that both scared and excited me.

Later, as we sat around the dinner table laden with simple fare, my father wheeled in from his room. Cass stood immediately, offering his hand. “Mr. Johnson, it’s an honor to meet you.”

Dad shook his hand with a strength that belied his frailty. “Call me Theo,” he said with a grin.

We ate and talked about everything from Chad’s soccer team to Rachel’s science project—ordinary things that felt extraordinary because Cass was here, sharing them with us.

After dinner, while Rachel and Chad tackled their homework in the living room with Dad watching over them fondly, Cass helped me clean up without being asked. He dried dishes as I washed them, our movements synchronized in a dance we were still learning.

“Cass,” I started hesitantly, unsure how to express what was on my mind.

“Mila?” He looked at me attentively.

“This feels good,” I admitted quietly. “Having you here—it feels like you’re part of us now.”

He smiled warmly, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I hope that’s okay with you because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Thank you for inviting me into your home.”

“It’s where I come from,” I replied quietly. “You should know all of me.”

The night ended with Cass helping Dad back to his room and promising Chad another soccer game soon. As he left, he pulled me aside by the front door.

“Mila,” he said earnestly, “your family… they’re amazing.”

“And complicated,” I added with a small laugh.

“But worth every moment.” His gaze held mine before he stepped out into the night air.

Closing the door behind him felt like closing it on any remaining doubts about where we stood—in this together, no matter what awaited us outside these walls.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Mila

The next day he offered me to come over and I just couldn’t say no.

This time Cass brought me to a different place—he said it was closer to my apartment than his main penthouse and he said it so casually, clearly not trying to impress, that it reminded me of the vast gap of wealth between us… something that I began to forget about lately.

The spacious penthouse, beautifully decorated, and filled with an air of sophistication that left me breathless. Cass led me to a plush living room furnished with leather sofas and armchairs, where he poured us both glasses of wine.

We sat down opposite each other at the bar that separated the living room from the kitchen, sipping our drinks in comfortable silence as we took in the breathtaking view of the city skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows. The stresses of my day seemed to melt away as I allowed myself to be swept up in this moment of pure indulgence.

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