water, her legs tingling as she stepped into his arms. She could feel his chest moving with slow, deep breaths as he held her with an intimacy more sensual than seductive.
He sat on the molded side, bringing her with him so she rested on his lap. The tub was deep enough that the swirling water came almost to her shoulders, and Cassie relaxed into the soothing tranquility of it, resting her head on his shoulder. "This is the life," she said.
He caressed her forehead and her cheeks with his lips. "I've wanted to do this."
She wondered vaguely if he meant he had wanted to do it with her or with any woman. Probably the latter, but she didn't want to think about that. She wanted to savor the rare luxury of being held, of the warmth of another human body close to her own.
But time was passing. She must have been there more than an hour by now. She stirred in his arms. "I should get back."
"Not yet." He nuzzled her hair.
She didn't know how to read his tone; it wasn't a command yet somehow not a request either. "A few minutes, then."
He didn't move, seeming content to remain where they were indefinitely. She might have been, too, except for her concern about Erin. "Is Scott going to break up with Erin once she goes back to Duke?"
His hand slid down to her thigh as he considered the question. "I don't know. He's attached to her, but he doesn't like long-distance relationships."
Poor Erin. "Nobody does, I suppose."
"He doesn't usually have to wait for what he wants."
She imagined the same applied to Calder. Perhaps he was trying to warn her not to expect anything from him, which she supposed was thoughtful in a way, even if completely unnecessary. She had no illusions that he would even remember her name in a year or two.
The embrace that had felt so comforting a few minutes earlier suddenly became claustrophobic. She rose to her feet, the cool air raising goosebumps on her wet skin. "I really should go. She's probably upset."
He said nothing, only followed her out of the tub and draped an oversized, fluffy spa towel over her shoulders before donning a white terrycloth bathrobe.
She wondered what he was thinking of her. Feeling uncomfortably exposed, she wrapped the towel around herself and went downstairs with him to find their clothes. She stepped into her sundress and reached around to raise the zipper, but Calder forestalled her by doing it for her. It made it easier, whatever the strange feeling was that came over her whenever he touched her. But the moment his hands left her back, reality returned again and the embarrassing moment before her.
She smoothed her hair with her fingers and noticed his eyes were fixed on her again. "Why do you always watch me like that?"
He looked puzzled at the question. "Because I like to."
She wondered if that was the explanation for this encounter as well, but she wasn't about to ask. Instead, she tried to pretend a confidence she didn't feel and sauntered over to him to kiss him. "Bye."
He put his arms around her. She rested her head on the thick terrycloth of his bathrobe, feeling lassitude slip over her again. If someone ever discovered a way to bottle essence of Calder Westing, she would be an addict. Carefully, she stepped away.
"Bye," he echoed.
She knew better than to expect more than one word. Somehow she found the reserve to smile impudently before she opened the door and walked out of his life.
She didn't look back, not when she reached the car, and not when she pulled out of the driveway and left Penzance Point for the final time. Next year there would be a new guard who wouldn't wave her through. But that was all right. She didn't belong on Penzance Point anyway. Million-dollar houses and sunken bathtubs for two had nothing to do with her.
The MBL lot was full, so she took the excuse to drive back to the cabin. She could bike to the
He sat on the molded side, bringing her with him so she rested on his lap. The tub was deep enough that the swirling water came almost to her shoulders, and Cassie relaxed into the soothing tranquility of it, resting her head on his shoulder. "This is the life," she said.
He caressed her forehead and her cheeks with his lips. "I've wanted to do this."
She wondered vaguely if he meant he had wanted to do it with her or with any woman. Probably the latter, but she didn't want to think about that. She wanted to savor the rare luxury of being held, of the warmth of another human body close to her own.
But time was passing. She must have been there more than an hour by now. She stirred in his arms. "I should get back."
"Not yet." He nuzzled her hair.
She didn't know how to read his tone; it wasn't a command yet somehow not a request either. "A few minutes, then."
He didn't move, seeming content to remain where they were indefinitely. She might have been, too, except for her concern about Erin. "Is Scott going to break up with Erin once she goes back to Duke?"
His hand slid down to her thigh as he considered the question. "I don't know. He's attached to her, but he doesn't like long-distance relationships."
Poor Erin. "Nobody does, I suppose."
"He doesn't usually have to wait for what he wants."
She imagined the same applied to Calder. Perhaps he was trying to warn her not to expect anything from him, which she supposed was thoughtful in a way, even if completely unnecessary. She had no illusions that he would even remember her name in a year or two.
The embrace that had felt so comforting a few minutes earlier suddenly became claustrophobic. She rose to her feet, the cool air raising goosebumps on her wet skin. "I really should go. She's probably upset."
He said nothing, only followed her out of the tub and draped an oversized, fluffy spa towel over her shoulders before donning a white terrycloth bathrobe.
She wondered what he was thinking of her. Feeling uncomfortably exposed, she wrapped the towel around herself and went downstairs with him to find their clothes. She stepped into her sundress and reached around to raise the zipper, but Calder forestalled her by doing it for her. It made it easier, whatever the strange feeling was that came over her whenever he touched her. But the moment his hands left her back, reality returned again and the embarrassing moment before her.
She smoothed her hair with her fingers and noticed his eyes were fixed on her again. "Why do you always watch me like that?"
He looked puzzled at the question. "Because I like to."
She wondered if that was the explanation for this encounter as well, but she wasn't about to ask. Instead, she tried to pretend a confidence she didn't feel and sauntered over to him to kiss him. "Bye."
He put his arms around her. She rested her head on the thick terrycloth of his bathrobe, feeling lassitude slip over her again. If someone ever discovered a way to bottle essence of Calder Westing, she would be an addict. Carefully, she stepped away.
"Bye," he echoed.
She knew better than to expect more than one word. Somehow she found the reserve to smile impudently before she opened the door and walked out of his life.
She didn't look back, not when she reached the car, and not when she pulled out of the driveway and left Penzance Point for the final time. Next year there would be a new guard who wouldn't wave her through. But that was all right. She didn't belong on Penzance Point anyway. Million-dollar houses and sunken bathtubs for two had nothing to do with her.
The MBL lot was full, so she took the excuse to drive back to the cabin. She could bike to the
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