Before I can answer, my mother chimes in. "Really, Cassie, you have to ask? Have you met my son? He eats dessert every chance he gets. If he could get away with it, he'd have it three meals a day for the rest of his life. The boy is insatiable."
Cassie blushes and smiles to herself. "I've noticed." When Mom goes back to her Elissa discussion, Cassie whispers, "And that's why your son is the hottest man on the planet."
Her fingers are now dangerously close to the painful hardness in my crotch, and it's all I can do to stop myself from grabbing her hand and pressing it against me. I clench my jaw while trying to think of something else. Anything but how incredible it would feel right now to tear off her panties and slide myself inside her tight, warm –"
"Earth to Ethan."
"Huh?" I look over to see Elissa staring at me.
"I asked if you and Cassie have had a chance to look at that list of reception venues I sent. If we want to lock down a good place, we'll have to book ASAP. Most of them are snapped up twelve months in advance."
I wipe my mouth with my napkin, in case of accidental drool, and shift in my chair. "Ah, yeah. We've seen a few. We like The Roof Garden the best so far. Spectacular views, and the menu seems great."
"Cool. Well, let me know as soon as you've decided, and I'll adjust my to-do list."
I almost laugh. I've seen her to-do list. It's a three-ring binder as thick as a telephone book, with more color-coded tabs than I care to count. Knowing Elissa, this will be the most efficiently managed wedding in the history of ever.
We chat more about the wedding as we finish our dinner, and even though Mom keeps it together, I notice her go quiet and blink a lot. I'm not surprised. This is a woman who bawls her eyes out watching the finale of The Bachelor, for God's sake. I can only imagine how intense her reaction will be when she witnesses her first-born marrying his one true love. Maybe I should warn St. Patrick's to have some life preservers on hand in case her tears flood the church.
"Everyone had enough to eat?" she asks as she swipes her cheeks with her napkin. "There's plenty of turkey left if you want seconds."
Josh leans back in his chair and rubs his stomach. "Maggie, if I eat one more mouthful, you'll be finding pieces of me all over the dining room. But thanks for an awesome meal. Your daughter hasn't cooked for me in weeks."
"I cooked for you last night," Elissa says. "You licked your plate and made a crack about not having to wash up, remember? Then I punched you in the arm for being gross and made you wash up."
"Oh, yeah," Josh says. "How could I forget such a sexually charged exchange?" He whispers to Dad, "It's kind of embarrassing how much she wants me, right? It must make you uncomfortable to have her flirt so brazenly right under your nose."
Dad claps him on the shoulder. "I'm mortified. Now, who wants some more wine before we tackle dessert?" Everyone puts up their hands. Thank God we all took cabs.
My phone buzzes with a text. I ignore it. Then it buzzes a second time, and a third.
With a sigh, I grab my phone and subtly check it beneath the table.
<Seeing you again was amazing. Couldn't believe our old chemistry is still as strong as ever. I know you feel it, too. Saw how you looked at me at lunch. Like you want me.>
There was another message, followed by a picture.
Jesus.
<Just so you know what you're missing out on. Call me if you want a real woman for a change. You know I can be discreet.>
I take my time to tap out a long and extensive reply, and when I look up, I notice Cassie's frowning at me.
"Marco again?"
"Uh ... yeah. He gets so needy at this time of year."
She nods and goes back to the conversation, but I can see she's tense. She suspects something.
I make a mental note to level with her as soon as we get home. It's only a matter of time before she sees right through me anyway. I guess I'll have to 'fess up and face the music, even if it's something she doesn't want to hear.
FOUR
Cassie
Over and over, Ethan runs his fingers up into my hair, then down to where the back of my dress sits between my shoulder blades. His touch always makes me instantly aroused, but tonight my mind can't shake this feeling of unease. Ever since our run-in with Vanessa, he's been off. Then there was that phone call he doesn't know I overheard. "Can I see you this week?" And now he's texting someone he's pretending is Marco, when I know damn well Marco can't stand texting.
So that leads me to believe there's something going on with Vanessa, and the thought of him having any communication with that hell beast drives me insane. Is he making plans with her? And if so, I hope he has a valid funeral plan, because I'm going to freaking kill him.
I can feel my blood pressure increasing, and I realize I have to stop. I'm making a lot of assumptions with zero facts, and that's never worked out well for us in the past.
I need to get to the bottom of this, and fast.