Elvie
After we finished breakfast, Cassian and I left the house. I slid into the passenger seat, dropping my bag onto my lap while Cassian got into the driver’s side.
Before starting the engine, he reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a small bottle of water and a pill foil. "I got them yesterday and left them in the car," he said, handing them over to me. "Take it now."
I took it from him looking at the small white tablet. It was the morning-after pill. After everything we had done last night, getting pregnant was the last thing I’d want to happen to me at the moment. I popped the pill into my mouth and washed it down with a long gulp of water, dropping the bottle on the cup holder.
Cassian started the engine, and we took off down the road. We drove for nearly forty minutes until the town gave way to open sky and the fresh smell of the sea. Cassian pulled into a private marina lined with docks and luxury boats, making me wonder why on earth we were picking up art frames near the ocean.
As soon as we stepped out of the car, a cool sea breeze brushed against my face, blowing my hair back. I closed my eyes for a second, breathing in the damp, salty air. I can’t remember the last time I had been near the coast. The only memory that came to mind was three years back when Asher’s mother was invited to an exclusive yatch party, and I had to rush over just to deliver a pair of shoes she had forgotten at home.
"Stay close," Cassian said, placing a firm hand on the small of my back as we walked down the wooden dock.
A man in dirty overalls stepped out from one of the maintenance sheds and smiled when he saw Cassian. "Mr. Cassian! Good to see you," the man said, wiping his hands on a blue towel as he walked over.
"How’s everything coming along, Jacob?" Cassian asked, his grip on my back staying steady.
"We just finished up with the interior work,"
Jacob replied, gesturing toward a massive, yatch docked further down the water.
"Everything is set. Though I have to ask, a few members from the club were asking if the vessel would be available for private lease next month, but I told them you don’t usually let anyone else touch her."
My brows furrowed in confusion. Private lease? The yatch?
I glanced from Jacob to the giant, beautiful boat bobbing on the water, my mind trying to connect the dots.
Before I could ask anything, a smaller motorboat pulled up to the side of the dock. Two workers climbed out, carefully carrying several large, frames wrapped in thick protective padding and bubble wrap.
Cassian turned to them, giving a nod. "Put those straight into the back of my car," he ordered, tossing them the keys. "Make sure they’re secured."
"Right away, sir," one of the men said, heading toward the parking lot with the heavy load.
Cassian turned back to Jacob, giving him a quick nod. "Thanks for the update. I’ll call you later about the schedule."
"Sounds good, Mr. Cassian. Have a good one."
As Jacob walked away, I turned to Cassian, lifting a curious brow. "You own a yacht?"
Cassian didn’t answer. He simply pulled me closer by the small of my back, guiding us back toward the parking area where the workers were finishing up loading the frames into his trunk.
"I do," he finally answered casually, as if owning a multi-million-dollar vessel was as ordinary as owning a bicycle. "Though I rarely take her out these days."
"A yacht..." I repeated under my breath, shaking my head slightly. The sheer contrast between his world and mine never failed to strike me.
Cassian locked the trunk after the workers handed back his keys, tipping them each with a folded bill before turning his attention back to me. His dark gaze swept over my face, taking in my stunned expression with quiet satisfaction.
"Is it really that hard to believe, Elvie?" he asked, leaning against the side of the car and pulling me into the space between his legs. His hands settled heavily on my hips, pulling me flush against him right there in the open parking lot.
"It’s just..." I swallowed, resting my hands against his chest, suppressing myself from moaning out from his touch. "....you’re full of surprises. First the studio, now a yacht. What else are you hiding from me?"
A dangerous smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He leaned down, his lips brushing against the sensitive shell of my ear, making a shiver run down my spine despite the warm coastal breeze.
"Nothing you need to worry about," he murmured, his voice commandingly smooth. "All you need to know is that everything I have is locked tight under my control. And right now, my focus is on you."
He stepped back and opened the passenger door for me. "Now, onto our next destination."
He guided me inside, his hand lingering on my waist for a second before he closed the door behind me. As he walked around to the driver’s side, I leaned back against the headrests, warmth pooling at the pit of my stomach.
Just how much more was there to this man that I had yet to find out?
**
When Cassian said we were going to our next destination, I thought it would be to pick up another frame or something, only to see myself standing in front of a clothing store.
I looked through the large glass display windows showing off rows of designer dresses, my eyebrows pulling together in confusion.
"Why are we here?"
Cassian unbuckled his seatbelt and looked over at me, completely unbothered. "What does it look like, Elvie? We’re here to get you some dresses."
"Cassian, I don’t need them," I said, turning fully in my seat to face him. "I have enough clothes—"
"Just do as I said," he said cutting me off, his voice leaving zero room for argument.
My face flashed hot, a thrill shooting straight down my spine. I bit my lip, swallowed my protest, and stepped out of the car after him.
The moment we walked inside, a young saleswoman walked over, her face lighting up with a bright, overly eager smile. "Welcome, sir! How can I help you today?"
"Get her whatever she wants," Cassian said plainly, gesturing toward me. "She’s picking out a new wardrobe."
As he spoke, the salesgirl tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, her eyes lingering on Cassian a second too long as she gave him a sweet, fluttering smile.
A sudden pang of jealousy hit my chest. Cassian was devastatingly handsome, and the mere thought of another woman looking at him—flirting with him right in front of me made my stomach turn with irritation.
"Right this way, Miss," the saleswoman said, turning her attention to me, though her smile was nowhere near as warm as it had been for Cassian.
She led me deeper into the store, where racks of silk, velvet, and tailored dresses were lined up. My mind went completely blank. I had no idea where to even start.
"Can I have a few minutes?" I asked the woman, pulling out my phone. "I want to look through them properly."
"Sure, take your time," she replied politely.
As she walked away, I immediately dialed Gemma on a video call. She picked up on the second ring, her face popping up on my screen. "Hey! What’s up?" Gemma asked, but before I could answer, her eyes widened as she took in my background.
"Wait, wait. Where are you? Why am I seeing racks of designer dresses?"
I shifted the phone, angling the camera back toward the lounge area near the front entrance.
Cassian was sitting in a plush leather armchair, one leg crossed casually over the other, typing away on his phone. A cup of fresh coffee sat on the small table beside him, and that same salesgirl was hovering nearby, pretending to adjust a display just to stay close to him. Even from across the room, the effortless authority radiating off him made my legs feel weak.
"I’m at a boutique with Cassian," I whispered into the phone, turning the camera back to my face. "He told me to pick whatever I want, but I don’t even know where to start. I need your help picking out some dresses."
"Oh, girl," Gemma gasped, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Say no more. Show me the racks right now."
Calling Gemma turned out to be something I almost instantly regretted. Instead of helping me pick out sensible, everyday outfits, she spent the next ten minutes squealing over the screen, pointing out the shortest, most revealing, and lowest-cut dresses in the entire store.
"That red silk one with the open back! You have to get that!" Gemma squealed, practically pressing her face against her screen. "And that black sheer mesh one—Cassian will literally lose his mind."
"Don’t you dare leave without that red one!"
"I will try them on, and I’ll talk to you later," I said, chuckling as I hung up before she could talk me into anything worse.
The saleswoman approached me a second later, her hands clasped neatly. "Do you need help with something, miss?"
"Yes, please," I replied, gesturing to the stack of dresses we had pulled. "I’d like to try these on."
"Right this way," she said, leading me to a spacious fitting room with curtains and full-length mirrors.
I closed the curtain, and decided to start with a gorgeous black dress that had caught my attention the most. Sliding it up over my hips, the fabric felt like silk against my skin, but as I reached back to pull up the zipper, my fingers brushed against it and slipped.
I stretched my arm further, twisting my shoulders, but I just couldn’t get a good grip on the tab. "Damn it," I cussed under my breath, frustration rising as I wrestled with the back of the dress. "Why is this so hard to reach?"
As I proceeded to get it down completely , a pair of warm, solid hands settled against the exposed skin of my lower back, sending a shiver straight up my spine. The unmistakable, rich scent of Cassian’s strong cologne instantly filled the small fitting room, wrapping around me.
"Allow me," he whispered, his deep, rough voice vibrating right against my ear.
His warm fingers brushed over my spine as he slowly pulled the zipper up, the metal tracking smoothly all the way to the top. My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t move, completely paralyzed by the heat radiating from his chest against my back.
His hands didn’t pull away once the dress was secured. Instead, they slid around to my waist, his long fingers gripping me and pulling my back flush against his broad chest.
My knees felt instantly weak, a sweet ache settling low in my stomach. Without even thinking, I let my head fall back against his shoulder, leaning into his strength and soaking in the overwhelming effect he had on me.
I looked up into the full-length mirror, watching through heavy eyes as Cassian’s gaze locked onto mine in the reflection. His eyes were dark with possessive desire as he took in the way the black fabric clung to my body.
He tilted his head down, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin of my neck, making me gasp softly.
"You look dangerous in this, Elvie," he growled in a low, filthy whisper, his hand sliding slowly down my hip to squeeze the silk-covered curve. "And if you keep leaning into me like this, I’m going to lock this fitting room door and show you exactly what I want to do to you right now."