think
I'm not good with this touchy feely stuff but I've changed.” He leaned in
closer to her. “So tell me what’s happening with the kid. I promise I will
listen.”
“His name is Kevin,” Cassidy
reminded him peevishly. Okay, she was still having a hard time getting her mind
around John Risk taking such an enthusiastic interest in her problems, her
family or even in her life.
John ignored her and gestured with
his hand for her to talk.
“You wouldn't care if I told you,”
she countered. Honestly, it wasn't worth it to tell John about her heartache.
The last time she told him her feelings, he fell
asleep on the couch and didn’t wake up until eight the next morning.
“I've changed,” John argued gently.
“After you left L.A., I started watching
reruns of Oprah in the afternoons while my leg healed.” He blew out air between
his teeth. “That woman is all about validating and listening.”
Did every man in her life watch
Oprah? Along with Logan and Caleb, John could start a men's Oprah club. “You're
enlightened,” Cassidy commented dryly.
“I wouldn't call myself the Dalai Lama,”
he replied putting his hands up. “But I'm slightly enlightened.” He grinned. “Come
on,” he encouraged her, “spill the beans.”
“Okay,” Cassidy conceded. She took
a breath. Honestly, she didn't have anything to lose. If he shut her down, they
wouldn't have to go through this exercise again. “I'm a horrible mother,” she
told him.
“No, you’re not horrible mother,”
he shot right back.
Right, that was the other
possibility. He'd say something stupid thinking he was being helpful. She
shouldn't have brought up any of this with him. Forget her purse. There wasn't
much money in it and she'd get it from him another time. She stood to leave,
John reached for her arm.
“Okay, okay,” he panted. “I didn't
handle that very well. I'm supposed to say…” he scratched his head as he
muttered under his breath, “Holy cow arresting a resisting drug dealer is much
easier than listening to someone you love talk about their problems.”
What? Did he just say love? Cassidy could feel her face contort into something not very attractive. But she
needed to be given a break because the word love expressed by John Risk was
never something she thought she'd hear, even in passing. John loved finding the
bad guys and throwing them in jail, not another person.
“What?” she whispered. She needed
to clarify because he didn't mean it the way he said it. He was just playing
with her. After all the man was a master at deceit.
“Love,” he said firmly. “Yes, I
love you, I'll own up to it.” He pulled her over to the bed and made her sit
down. “What the hell do you think I’m doing here dressed like this and acting
like an idiot?” He gestured toward his chest. “I wanted to be near you, I
wanted to find you.”
Near her? Find her? Cassidy didn’t know how to interpret his words. Plus, the bed smelled
like him which wasn’t helping with her ability to think clearly. Feeling
overwhelmed Cassidy knew she needed a moment so she turned to the wall.
As she looked at a long crack in
the plaster she decided his words were probably a pitiful attempt on his part
at being a human being. He didn't mean he loved, loved her, he was just saying
it to keep her in his room and get naked with her.
John reached for her hands. “Can
you give me a break here?” he pleaded, “I'm trying.” He wrapped his fingers
around her chin and turned her toward him.
Cassidy looked at her lap. If she
gazed into his blue eyes, all would be lost. With a shake of her head she
reminded herself that she didn’t want to sleep with him because their
relationship never had an emotional connection, it wasn’t one of friendship and
compassion. It was a means to an end both professionally and personally and she
wasn’t looking for that anymore.
“When you said you were a terrible
mother?” he asked. He climbed off the bed and got on his
I'm not good with this touchy feely stuff but I've changed.” He leaned in
closer to her. “So tell me what’s happening with the kid. I promise I will
listen.”
“His name is Kevin,” Cassidy
reminded him peevishly. Okay, she was still having a hard time getting her mind
around John Risk taking such an enthusiastic interest in her problems, her
family or even in her life.
John ignored her and gestured with
his hand for her to talk.
“You wouldn't care if I told you,”
she countered. Honestly, it wasn't worth it to tell John about her heartache.
The last time she told him her feelings, he fell
asleep on the couch and didn’t wake up until eight the next morning.
“I've changed,” John argued gently.
“After you left L.A., I started watching
reruns of Oprah in the afternoons while my leg healed.” He blew out air between
his teeth. “That woman is all about validating and listening.”
Did every man in her life watch
Oprah? Along with Logan and Caleb, John could start a men's Oprah club. “You're
enlightened,” Cassidy commented dryly.
“I wouldn't call myself the Dalai Lama,”
he replied putting his hands up. “But I'm slightly enlightened.” He grinned. “Come
on,” he encouraged her, “spill the beans.”
“Okay,” Cassidy conceded. She took
a breath. Honestly, she didn't have anything to lose. If he shut her down, they
wouldn't have to go through this exercise again. “I'm a horrible mother,” she
told him.
“No, you’re not horrible mother,”
he shot right back.
Right, that was the other
possibility. He'd say something stupid thinking he was being helpful. She
shouldn't have brought up any of this with him. Forget her purse. There wasn't
much money in it and she'd get it from him another time. She stood to leave,
John reached for her arm.
“Okay, okay,” he panted. “I didn't
handle that very well. I'm supposed to say…” he scratched his head as he
muttered under his breath, “Holy cow arresting a resisting drug dealer is much
easier than listening to someone you love talk about their problems.”
What? Did he just say love? Cassidy could feel her face contort into something not very attractive. But she
needed to be given a break because the word love expressed by John Risk was
never something she thought she'd hear, even in passing. John loved finding the
bad guys and throwing them in jail, not another person.
“What?” she whispered. She needed
to clarify because he didn't mean it the way he said it. He was just playing
with her. After all the man was a master at deceit.
“Love,” he said firmly. “Yes, I
love you, I'll own up to it.” He pulled her over to the bed and made her sit
down. “What the hell do you think I’m doing here dressed like this and acting
like an idiot?” He gestured toward his chest. “I wanted to be near you, I
wanted to find you.”
Near her? Find her? Cassidy didn’t know how to interpret his words. Plus, the bed smelled
like him which wasn’t helping with her ability to think clearly. Feeling
overwhelmed Cassidy knew she needed a moment so she turned to the wall.
As she looked at a long crack in
the plaster she decided his words were probably a pitiful attempt on his part
at being a human being. He didn't mean he loved, loved her, he was just saying
it to keep her in his room and get naked with her.
John reached for her hands. “Can
you give me a break here?” he pleaded, “I'm trying.” He wrapped his fingers
around her chin and turned her toward him.
Cassidy looked at her lap. If she
gazed into his blue eyes, all would be lost. With a shake of her head she
reminded herself that she didn’t want to sleep with him because their
relationship never had an emotional connection, it wasn’t one of friendship and
compassion. It was a means to an end both professionally and personally and she
wasn’t looking for that anymore.
“When you said you were a terrible
mother?” he asked. He climbed off the bed and got on his
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