13 comments/ 25203 views/ 29 favorites Complicated Love Pt. 01 By: crystaltears Cassie sighed and stretched her legs under the table, feeling her muscles protest as she arched her feet to stretch them out. Stifling a yawn, she looked at her watch. It was 9 p.m., definitely time to go home. She began saving all her designs and unfinished work, putting her files away and clearing the clutter on her desk. Once she was done, she picked up her handbag and made her way onto the street to begin her short walk home. It had been a tiring day, in more ways than one. First, she had had a new project dumped on her; to add to it, she had covered for a colleague of hers who was away on vacation. Then, when the work began thinning a little, she had been called to the CEO, Chris Quentin's, office, she where she was told in no uncertain terms that her work quality was slipping. It appeared that she was not putting in appropriate effort on the current project. "Well, if you had more of an interest in what your other employees were doing, we wouldn't be having this conversation," she had remembered thinking, aching to tell him that the only reason her quality of work was 'slipping' was because she was over-worked and doing an amount of work that usually required two, or more, people. Despite her desires to speak her mind, she held her tongue. She knew if she didn't it would have cost her the job. Inwardly, she was seething that a man whose only claim to the CEO's seat so far was that he was incredibly lucky with some deals and that he was the President's son had the gall to tell her what she ought to do. Especially when he spent most of the time with the many beautiful models that seemed perpetually in his pocket, than he spent with his staff. After this conversation with Chris, she felt she had no choice but to stay late and finish her work. Now she was tired, sore and had a splitting head-ache. All she wanted to do was curl up and sleep. Reaching her apartment, she let herself in, only to find her best friend, Gavin, wrapped around her roommate, Melissa. They jumped apart when she entered, a guilty look on both their faces. "Go on," she told them wearily. "Pretend like I'm not wasn't even here. I am not glaring at either of you disapprovingly. So what if you're only out of your old relationships for about a week?" "C'mon Cass," Gavin said, unable to hide his grin at her words. "Lissy and I don't want to start a relationship. This is a nice, friendly ... liaison ... if you will. We just need something to cheer us up." "Yeah," Melissa affirmed. "I promise we won't come running to you for tissues and a shoulder because of each other. Besides, you know we get together often. Don't be so uptight." "Whatever," Cassie said tiredly. "Just don't do it here. I've had a hard day and I need my rest. What I don't need is two hormonal 20-somethings making out in my living room." "It's mine too..." Melissa started to say, but stopped at Cassie's expression. "Aw honey, are you sure you're okay? Do you want us to stay home and curse who ever pissed you off today with big tubs of Chocolate Mocha ice-cream and beer instead?" "No," Cassie said, smiling for the first time since she had come in. "You guys go enjoy yourselves. I just need some sleep, and then I'll be fine." Melissa just nodded and she and Gavin began to leave the apartment. "Hey guys," Cassie said just as they stepped out. Both of them turned to look at her. "I'm just being uptight because you guys are my most favourite people in the world. I don't want to see either of you guys hurt." Gavin's eyes softened as he read the concern and sincerity in Cassie's eyes. "Lissy and I are too alike to ever get together Cass," he said gently. "So we can't ever hurt each other. Or you. Now you go to sleep before we decide to tuck you in." "Don't you dare," Cassie said, looking at Gavin with amusement and a little bit or trepidation. "I still haven't forgotten what happened the last time you tried to do that." "'Bye!" Melissa and Gavin chorused before shutting the door gently behind them and heading to whichever club they had picked to visit tonight. Cassie sighed and rubbed her temples. What a perfect end to her day. Watching the man she had loved for more than a year walk away with her best friend. She walked to her bedroom and fell fully clothed onto the bed silent tears wetting the pillow. Fuckin' perfect. --- Gavin danced drunkenly, pressing himself against Melissa, who was gyrating against him. He knew that Melissa was equally drunk and that they would wake up with hangovers tomorrow, but he was feeling so good right now that he didn't really care. This was a balm, a salve, to soothe the hurt he felt. He had just left a pretty serious relationship, and was feeling awful. He wasn't a mushy guy, but he missed all the little things that came with a relationship. Waking up together, making each other food, making time for each other every day, having wild, passionate sex. After a week of depression, he had decided that he needed to get laid. And that's when Melissa called him, telling him that she needed him too and that they should get together, as friends, and help each other out. She too had broken up with her boyfriend of two years, and he knew she was hurt. So here they were, drowning their sorrows in drink, and later, in sex. He leant down to Melissa and whispered in her ear, "Let's move." Melissa nodded her assent, and whispered back. "But your place this time. Cassie'd be pissed if we went there." Gavin nodded and led her out of the noisy club. Once in his car, they could hardly keep their hands of each other. It was a miracle that Gavin managed to get them to his apartment unscathed. In the elevator, Gavin pushed Melissa up against a corner and began kissing her passionately, tasting her. She responded with equal passion, her hands running through his hair as she pulled his face closer. When the elevator reached his floor, they practically ran to his apartment, fumbled for a moment before opening the lock and slammed the door behind them. They made their way to his bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind them. Melissa got onto the bed and lay down, beckoning to him. Gavin wasted no time in joining her. He quickly slipped on a condom and positioned himself on top of her before sinking into her body. She was so wet that he slid in easily, his entire length coming to rest inside her. Melissa wrapped her legs around his waist and began moving her hips; impatient for the pleasure that she knew would come. Gavin responded by thrusting into her, slowly at first, but faster and harder as she writhed beneath him. His rocked in her, drawing moans of pleasure from her lips. Melissa's hands were busy with her breasts, stroking and pulling gently at her nipples to increase her pleasure. Gavin saw her, and hunched over her so he could take one delicious nipple into his mouth while he stroked in and out of her. Melissa let out a soft scream when his hot mouth engulfed first one of her nipples and then the next, blazing a path of fire between them. Suddenly, Gavin froze above her, and his member swelled within her. She knew he was there, and this knowledge brought her to completion too. When Gavin was spent, he rolled off her and lay down beside her, breathing heavily. "I needed that." Melissa said, trailing her finger along his chest. "Me too." Gavin said, turning on his side so he could hug her to him. "Do we really seem like a couple?" he asked, his voice muffled in Melissa's hair. "Maybe. But both of us know otherwise. We're just great friends and nothing else." Melissa replied. "Cassie's my friend too, and I haven't slept with her." Gavin pointed out. "Cassie hasn't slept with anyone," she snorted, "and I sincerely doubt she would want to sleep with you. She's still waiting for that special someone. Gavin, you and I both know that a relationship between us couldn't work. We're just too alike." "I know." Gavin sighed, closing his eyes. "But I wish we could be together, just to prevent all the heartbreak." "Me too," Melissa said, tilting her head up to look at him. "We'd only hurt each other though if we tried to make this more than it is. Do you want that?" "No." Gavin admitted, opening his eyes to look down into hers. What he saw there confirmed what she said. He only saw lust and friendship, not affection or love. "Oh, let's not discuss this. I'm supposed to be getting over a relationship here, and what better way to do it than to go to bed with a sexy guy?" Melissa said with a little smile. "I'm up for another round." "You know, I just may be able to help you out there," Gavin said as he felt himself swell. He pulled her on top of him now, and the rest of the night was filled with their pleasure filled moans as they each tried to forget, and grieved for something they both know could never be. Unbeknownst to them, Cassie was curled in a foetal position on her bed, coves in disarray around her as she sobbed for the love she would never get, and they love that she wrongly felt was growing between her two friends. --- Chapter Two Chris sighed in pleasure as his blonde secretary knelt before him and skilfully sucked him off. He had his hands buried in her abundant hair and was slowly moving his hips to her rhythm. With a loud groan, he came, emptying himself inside her. The blonde stood up and smiled at him, letting a drop of cum dribble out of her mouth. He watched in fascination as she licked it, her eyes on him. "Thank you Frieda," he said to her, "I needed that." "You poor baby," said Frieda, placing her hand against his cheek. "You're under too much of stress. Why don't you come over to my place tonight and unwind a little?" Chris smiled, and gently refused her offer. He knew where this would lead to. It would lead to a nagging wife, lots of shopping and a steady depletion of his bank account. He was going to stay clear of that. He walked out of his bathroom and into his office, leaving a very disgruntled Frieda clean up after herself. When she came out a few minutes later, not a hair out of place, he was immersed in his computer, going over a new deal. She just shook her head and went to do her work. She had tried her best. She sighed and continued doing her work. She knew that no matter what, Chris would always come to her when he needed someone. That was cold comfort. When he was sure she had gone, Chris looked up from his laptop and sighed. He was tired. So very, very tired of doing this. But one bad relationship had been enough. Never again was he going to put himself through that torture. He had to learn to content himself with these meaningless flings, though he was angry with himself for getting together with his secretary. If he wanted to avoid complications, this was not the way to do it. His phone rang then, pulling him out of his reverie. "Chris Quentin here," he said into the receiver and smiled when he heard Dr. Morley's grizzled voice on the other end. "How are you?" Chris asked. Before the doctor answered that question, he said something that wiped the smile from Chris's face. "It's your father, Chris. I need you to come right now." Chris murmured a hasty affirmative and rushed out of his office, not bothering to inform his secretary where he was going. After a thirty-minute drive to his father's house, Chris found himself standing in front of Dr. Morley, listening to his prognosis of his father's illness. "He's dying Chris, and there's nothing we can do about it. The leukaemia is well advanced, and further therapy will just weaken him. Now it's just a matter of counting the days." Chris just stood there, impassive; the only sign of emotion was a lone tear sliding down his cheek. "Does Dad know?" he asked, his voice cracking. "Yes, but he's refusing to believe it. He wants to talk to you though; you should go in and see him." Chris nodded and went into his father's bedroom. The man lying on the bed was barely recognizable as Chris' father. Chris always remembered his father as being larger than life, with his tall frame and booming voice. Even during the months of chemotherapy that had followed his diagnosis, his father's personality had managed to dominate the room, even if his body was confined to a bed. But now, with that sparkle in his eyes dimmed, the frail man lying on the bed now was nothing like him. "Come here Chris," his father called, his voice laced with pain. Chris made his way to his father's bedside and knelt down, taking his father's hand in his. "I'm dying," his father said, "No way to hide it. It's the truth and I'll have to accept it. I just wish I could live until I see you happy..." He trailed off, and closed his eyes. It was a great effort to talk. "I am happy dad." Chris said gently, stroking his father's hand. "No you're not," his father retorted, "and don't you deny it. You haven't been happy since Rosie left you. I just wish I could see you with someone else before I go, so I know there will always be someone to watch over you..." Again, he trailed off, his voice raspy. "Oh dad," Chris said, swallowing convulsively, trying to keep the tears from flowing down his cheeks. He waited till his father drifted off to sleep and then quietly made his way out of the room. He found Dr. Morley waiting outside for him. "So, what are you going to do?" he asked, meeting Chris gaze. Chris looked right back at him and said, "I'm going to get married." --- Chris went straight home after his visit with his father. It left him emotionally drained. He could still picture a rugged, healthy man who had loved nothing better than to go fishing or camping with his son. Now, all that was left of that man was a frail body, one that was not strong enough to hold on to life anymore. His father could die anytime and Chris wanted him to die happy. It was the least he could do. That night, he sat down with a bottle of whisky at his balcony, drowning his sorrows and bringing memories back. There were so many good memories. He thought of his first day at kindergarten, when he'd refused to go unless his father dropped him and picked him up. His father had done that without complaining for nearly half a year, until Chris was comfortable enough to go on his own. He then thought of graduation, his father's proud smile as he watched his son graduate with honours from Harvard. He had said that it was the proudest moment of his life, watching his son graduate from one of the best universities in the world. His father had been there with him throughout, from university to his first job, and finally, as an executive in the company, where he had worked his way up, with no help, although people thought otherwise. He poured himself glass after glass as all the memories engulfed him. His father meant everything to him, and knowing that he was dying was difficult and painful. That is why he wanted to get married. A platonic marriage, a marriage of pretence. He wondered who would agree to such a marriage. It would have to be a friend, or maybe even an acquaintance, but the fact that the marriage was temporary and not real must be made very clear. By the time he went to bed that night, he had already called all his friends, and almost all of them told him that he was out of his mind. His closest friend, Georgia, would have been willing but he didn't want to ask her as he knew for a fact that she was a week away from getting proposed to by someone else. With a troubled heart, he went to sleep. When he woke up the next morning, he looked like hell warmed over. He felt awful too. The whiskey had left a bad taste in his mouth, which he couldn't get rid of, his eyes had dark shadows under them and he had sore muscles from twisting and turning too much through the night. When he walked into work the next morning, the last thing he wanted to see was Cassandra Stevens sitting in his office with what looked like a truck-load of design specs. For a moment, he wondered why she was here. She was a good designer and did not need to get his approval; but then he remembered what he had said to her yesterday and blasted himself. He had just been letting off steam then, but now he could see that he had injured her pride. He didn't know much about her, except the fact that his father had hired her part-time in her third year of college, before graduation, in order to hold on to her after she had graduated. It was a good decision, Chris knew. She was one of the best. However, that also meant she had pride, and Chris had made a mistake the day before by pricking it. "Well, that'll teach you to not take your anger out on the employees." He told himself grimly as he walked into his office with a smile, more a grimace, on his face. "Good morning Ms. Stevens." Chris said as he seated himself behind his desk. "Good morning sir," Cassie said, barely able to hide her shock at Chris' appearance. Usually, he was very well groomed, not a hair out of place. Standing before her now, he looked like he had not slept for days. "Here are the design specs you asked for," Cassandra said, pushing a few rolls across the table. "I haven't made the fair ones yet. As soon as you approve these, I'll get the others done, too." Chris opened a spec half-heartedly and looked at it. After about a minute of pointless staring, he put the spec down and laid his head on the desk. Cassie stared at him, shocked and slightly worried. He may not be the best boss, but he also never showed any emotion, or shared his personal life, with his employees. This sign of vulnerability only meant that something was very, very wrong with his world. "Are you okay?" she asked tentatively. "No, I'm bloody well not," Chris replied, his voice muffled against the hard surface of the desk. Cassie stared at him. He looked worn out, tired. She felt empathy well up in her. "Want to talk about it?" she asked, surprised that she had dared to ask him such a question. She didn't really want to know, but she was a nurturer, and nurturers did things like that. Helped people. She sighed inwardly. One of these days, that was going to land her in a big pot of trouble. "My father's dying and I need to get married within the next week," Chris replied, his voice still muffled. For a moment, Cassie thought she had misheard. "Your father is dying and...what?" "My father is dying and his last wish is to see me settled with a woman. So I need to get married soon so that he can die happy." Cassie listened to all this with shock. Was the man mad? "Listen, Mr. Quentin, I'm sorry about your father. Really, I am. But isn't getting married taking things a bit too far? I mean, it is not a business contract with terms and conditions. It's a relationship two people have to make work," Cassie said, still reeling from shock. The man was crazy. The last thing the his father needed was to see his son embroiled in a false relationship. She didn't know Chris's father very well, but the man who had convinced her to work for this firm would have been hurt by what Chris proposed to do, not happy. While Cassie pondered the stupidity of this scheme, Chris's mind was going off on another tangent. As Chris listened to Cassie, an idea began to form in his head. A business contract. A business marriage. It was perfect. He had considered a platonic marriage, but this would be even better. This meant that whomever he decided to marry, on a temporary basis, would have to adhere to specified rules and regulations. Also, if he provided an ample allowance, then he knew that any woman would be willing to pretend as though she and Chris shared the greatest relationship in the world. It was worth a try. He wondered who would actually agree to this. Suddenly, something struck him. He pushed his head of the table and leaned back in his chair to study the woman sitting before him. She was attractive, he decided. Bright, laughing green eyes, a chubby face, small nose and a generous mouth. She was a trifle overweight, but it suited her. However, what appealed to him most was the sincerity in those eyes. He made his decision. Complicated Love Pt. 01 "Ms. Stevens," he said, watching her squirm under his scrutiny. "Will you marry me?" Cassie nearly jumped off her chair. "What?" "I asked, will you marry me?" Chris calmly repeated. "What you said just now makes a lot of sense. All I have to do to make my father happy is get married. And, I can get married on a purely professional basis. A contract with certain stipulated conditions should be enough. You will be given a generous allowance; and the only thing you have to do is pretend that both of us are very happy in front of my father." Cassie rose from her chair and looked down at him. She was torn between incredulity at such an absurd idea and admiration for the love he had for his father. "No," she said firmly. "Oh, please Ms. Stevens. Won't you help me make the last days of a man happy?" "It is not going to make him happy, it will hurt him! Mr. Quentin, what if he finds out? You're crazy. No way am I doing this," Cassie retorted, getting on her feet, hands placed on her hips, looking at Chris with real anger in her eyes. Chris looked up at her, suddenly struck by how amazingly pretty she was. He shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking of how amazingly pretty she was. Now was the time to get her to agree with his proposal. Quietly, Chris considered what would make a woman like Cassie agree to his proposal. Money wouldn't work. She actually had some integrity. The only thing that would work, Chris decided, was appealing to her emotions. "It will hurt him if he finds out. And he won't. Ms. Stevens, I'm going to go through with this idea of mine whether you agree of not. If you're the one I marry, at least you will make sure he never finds out. If I marry some other woman, are you sure he won't get hurt?" He was manipulating her, he knew, in the worst place. Cassie would be unable to back away now, but he refused to feel any guilt. Nothing was good enough for his father. As he looked at her furiously working features, he knew that he had her. She would agree. He felt some of the tightness in his chest loosen up. She would help him, he just knew it. "You manipulative bastard," Cassie whispered. Chris resisted the urge to flinch. She began pacing the room. A few minutes later, she started firing questions and demands at him. "It will be a contract." "Yes." "It has to be platonic." "Definitely." Cassie stopped, and turned to look at him, still unable to believe what was going on. "Anything else?" Chris inquired, brows raised. He thought his father would like her. "You will not pay me for this." Cassie said, looking straight into Chris' eyes. "But..." Chris said, but Cassie held up her hand. "Take it or leave it." "Fine. I have a few conditions of my own, too." Chris said. He did not know how she would react to his demands. "Shoot." Cassie said, her back to him. "You must not tell anybody about this arrangement." "Not even my friends?" "No." "Okay then, what's next?" "You need to stop working." Chris held his breath as he said this, knowing that this was where Cassie would object, and object strongly. He had a good reason for saying this though. He figured that the more time Cassie spent with his father, the more time she would have to convince him that they had a good marriage. "No way in hell," Cassie said, speaking these words quietly, without turning around. Chris sighed. This, he knew, was going to be very, very hard. "Ms. Stevens, I have my reasons. The more time you're with my father, the more time you'll have to convince him that our marriage is brilliant. Besides, my father is staying in my house outside city limits. Even I would be working from home." "I'll work from the house then. I'm not quitting." Cassie said, finally turning around. One look at her face and Chris was convinced that this was the best he would get out of the deal. "Fine. The marriage will take place the day after tomorrow." Chris felt strange saying this. It was too soon, but right now, he did not have much time. Cassie opened her mouth to argue, but she shut it again. "Anything else?" she asked instead, cocking a brow. "Nothing. I'll speak to some people and get the documents drawn up so you can take a look at them by tomorrow. Now will you please sit down? I don't think that carpet can take any more of your pacing." Cassie sat down, and pulled some of the specs towards her to unroll them. "If we are going to get married, you might as well call me Cassie." With that, she pushed the specs to him, and they worked on it for the next hour and a half --- When she got home that night, Cassie still couldn't believe what she had just agreed to do. It was the most ridiculous, hare-brained scheme in the world. She had just agreed to get married to a man to help him pretend that he was happy so that his father could die in peace. And yes, that she would be putting her career on hold for an indefinite amount of time and would instead be a glorified nurse. She shook her head mentally at the last thought; it was unkind. She truly wished to see the old man happy, even if she had only briefly met him. It was this urge in her, the urge to see everyone happy, that made her do the funniest, silliest, most ridiculous and the kindest things sometimes. She recalled the conversation they had had in his office after reviewing the specs. He had told her that his sister would also be coming to stay there, so she would not be starved for company. He also mentioned that the house had a small stable, which housed three horses. It would be a holiday, he had said, but she could see that it was everything but to him. For the first time, she had felt sorry for him, thought him almost human. His father was dying, and it was obvious to her that he loved his father a lot. She sighed went to bed, sad for Chris and his family. That night too, she shed a few tears, but this time, they were for someone else, someone who did not have the luxury of crying. --- Chris spent a sleepless night again, but this time thinking about Cassie. This morning, when he had asked her, he had never expected her to say yes. When she had, she had completely startled him. But he had regained his composure and made a deal with her. A deal which he now began to regret. He had asked her to do many things, most of them unreasonable, but she had agreed to all with little objection. What surprised him most was the fact that she had refused the money. Every other woman he knew would have jumped at it. He owed her a great deal, and he wondered whether he would ever be able to pay her back. He had called the firm's legal head, Mr. Weller, and had asked him to prepare the papers. Mr. Weller was a grizzled old man, a great friend of Chris's father. He had guessed immediately where this was going. "Christopher, are you sure you want to do this? It is a great step. What will you do after Andrew passes away?" "I'll get the marriage annulled," Chris had replied, willing Mr. Weller to just draw up the papers as he wanted and ask no more questions. He had known Mr. Weller, or Uncle Rowan, from childhood, and found it extremely hard to hide things from him. "If that is what you wish," Rowan replied, and walked out of the office. Chris had been assured that the papers would be on his desk the next morning when he walked into work. Chris closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. Only now was the magnanimity of the situation striking him. He tried to picture the happiness on his father's face when he saw Cassie, and that instantly soothed all his fears. He turned over with a determined look on his face. He was going to make this work, no matter what. --- The next morning, both Cassie and Chris walked into the office looking haggard and worn from a sleepless night. Chris looked a little worse, for he had had two of them to rival Cassie's one. They met in the lobby and made their way to his office, each preoccupied with their own thoughts. Cassie was wondering if she was doing the right thing. Then, when she recalled that expression on Chris' face and how his eyes had filled with tears when he had talked of his father, she decided that what she was doing was indeed the right thing to do. Chris was wondering how Cassie had agreed to all this in such a short time. Anyone else would have taken much longer to make a decision, but she had made hers seemingly instantly, just like that. He wondered whether she would agree with the terms and conditions on the agreement. Well, that was yet to be seen. They entered his office together, and sure enough, there were the promised documents on his desk. Rowan was sitting there, waiting for them. Chris nodded towards the document, and Cassie walked forward and picked it up. She sank into a chair as she began to read. Everything was as they had discussed, except for one thing. "Chris, it states here that I'll be receiving an allowance, and also that my salary wouldn't be reduced even if I work from home." "Yes, it does." Chris replied, bracing himself. "But I don't want it!" Cassie said. "I've told you before and I'm telling you this now. I'm not mercenary. I don't want your money." Rowan looked at the Cassie with veiled admiration with his eyes. He knew that most would have demanded for more. It would have been understandable if she had been Chris's friend, but she had only known him for two years, as a boss, and from what he knew of office gossip, not a particularly likable boss. "Cassie," Chris said quietly. "I know you're doing me a favour, and I need to repay that. No, don't say anything, hear me out." He said when he saw her open her mouth to retort. "I don't care what you do with the money. You can invest it, or donate it if you want, but you will receive that money. As for your salary, technically, you're working for me, so it should remain the same." Cassie sighed, knowing that she could not refuse the money now. "Can I take these home so I can study them a bit more?" she asked, looking from Rowan to Chris. "I'll bring them back tomorrow morning." Chris nodded, but Rowan said, "Won't that be cutting things a bit too thin? You're getting married tomorrow." Chris replied for her. "No, its okay. Let her take her time. I've not been fair to her at all; I just sprang this on her yesterday. She needs the time." Rowan nodded and smiled. Cassie took the papers and, after excusing herself, made her way back to her cubicle. "You know Chris, I still think what you're doing is extremely foolish, not to mention risky, but if anyone can help you pull it off, it's her. You're lucky." Chris just grinned. Rowan could be exceedingly blunt sometimes. He thought that if only every woman in the world was like her, then life would be so much better. --- Cassie looked over her papers again in her cubicle. Taking a deep breath, she made her decision. She rang Melissa. "Lissy?" she said when Melissa picked up the phone. "Yeah hon?" Melissa asked, a bit worried because she could sense the anxiety and confusion in her friend's voice, "Lissy," Cassie repeated, and took a deep breath. "Tomorrow, I'm getting married." Complicated Love Pt. 02 Chapter 3 Cassie sipped her champagne, and tried to compose herself. She had agreed to a marriage, not a reception. Yet, here she was, standing in a large room filled with the richest, snobbiest people in the planet, all of whom seemed to be focusing their attention on the bride. On her. She forgot all about sipping, and went right ahead and gulped her champagne down. She looked at the crowded room again, and reassessed the people there. Well, snobbiest wasn't right, there were some nice people here, like Chris's sister, his father and a few of his friends. There was a large bevy of girls, especially a beautiful blonde, who kept shooting her dirty looks and this made Cassie uncomfortable. Chris came up to her then, and asked. "How're you holding up?" "Not too well. Large parties are not my thing," Cassie said wryly, stiffening up almost immediately when someone came by to wish her well. She managed a stilted smile and a strange hand spasm that Chris took to be the beginning of a hand shake. "You're good with clients," Chris remarked. "And they can be hard asses. Why does this room filled with people who do not want to push your asking price to something below the legal minimum wage make you nervous?" "I'm at home with the people who play hardball," Cassie said nervously, looking around almost wildly for another champagne glass. "I'm just nervous around the kind that actually go to balls. In fact, I'm so nervous, I'm punning. Punning." Her voice rose at the last word, and she looked at him, her eyes half wild. Chris couldn't help it. He grinned and picked up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and pushed it into her nerveless fingers. "I'm just nervous," she murmured, "Yeah," Chris grinned, "I can see that." Cassie glared at him. "I said yes to a paper marriage, not this. If I had known this would happen, I would have torn that contract up into tiny pieces and stuffed it into Clove's litter box." Cassie said vehemently, narrowing her eyes at Chris when he laughed silently. He slid a friendly arm around her waist and gave her a brief hug. Cassie stiffened. Chris sighed and said, "Just a little while longer. This had to be done for the sake of appearances. I'm not a fan of big do's either. But just look at dad. He's in his element." A grin softened the harsh lines on his face when he spoke of his father, and Cassie felt herself relenting. She supposed he was right. "You know, your dad is one great person. You're really lucky." Cassie said softly, looking at Chris's father as he sat at one of the tables, with a group of people around him. "I know." "How did he react to the whole wedding thing though? I mean, you guys are pretty close and he didn't think it was strange that we was meeting his son's fiancée on his son's wedding day?" "I told him we were keeping it quiet because of the office, and that I wanted to keep you all to myself for a while," Chris replied. "After that though, I resorted to the truth. I said that his condition made me realize that life's too short for secret relationships, and that I proposed impulsively and you accepted." "And decided to get married a few days later, instead of waiting for a wedding," Cassie said, the incredulity clear in her tone. "Well, you decided that it would be lovely to get married as quickly as possible, borne on the tide of my whole 'life's too short' wave, and we decided to impulsively go down to the courthouse and do the deed. Oh, and then, for appearances, we had the reception," Chris informed her. "I did think this out, you know." Cassie sighed. The story had too many holes in for her taste, but if Chris's father bought it, well, that all that mattered. "Look at him," Chris murmured. "He wouldn't be so cheerful if he thought we were pulling something like a fake wedding." Cassie supposed that he had a point. "You'd better stop him from tiring himself though." Cassie warned. The man seemed slightly tired. "It's like trying to stop a demolition squad." Chris said, with a slight grimace. "Why don't you try? When he saw you this morning, he acted as though you were his long lost daughter. Heck, he doesn't pile so much affection on anyone, even me." "Are you jealous?" she asked archly, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. "Of course not...." Christ started to say, but then trailed off, suddenly finding that green eyes peering up at him from under thick lashes were very sexy. Cassie looked to him, waiting for him to finish his sentence, but when no answer was forthcoming, she rolled her eyes and made her way to Chris's father, no, James, as he'd asked Cassie to call him, to gently extract him from the party and get him into bed. She could see that he was tired. "Cassie!" James exclaimed as she got nearer, and got up unsteadily to pull her into the group. Cassie quickly stepped beside him to support him in case he fell. He leaned against her slightly. "Here, let me introduce you to everyone." Cassie made him sit down and resigned herself to a round of introductions. She knew he would never consent to leave until he had made her known to everyone present. "These," he said indicating a kindly couple on his left, "are the Meyers. And that lovely couple there," he said indicating to his right, "those are the Franks." Cassie smiled and acknowledged them. In this way, James introduced her to several other couples, a few young people and some others. He had just finished his introductions when a silky voice interrupted. "Won't you introduce me, James?" the woman who had been glaring at Cassie all evening asked. She was perfection, right from her silvery blonde hair to her ice blue eyes. She radiated a cold, icy beauty that most women would kill for. "Ah yes..." James said, clearing his throat and looking at the woman with disapproval. "Cassie, this is Rosalie Peters..." Rosalie thrust a delicate hand forward. "Oh, you can call me Rosie." Although she was friendly, Cassie sensed a subtle challenge in her tone. "Chris's ex-fiancé. I'm sure Chris has told you about me." Cassie did not like the woman. And she didn't back down from the challenge thrown her way either. "I'm Cassandra Quentin. And I'm sorry Rosie; Chris hasn't mentioned you even once." Ignoring the pure venom in Rosie's eyes, Cassie excused herself and led James away to his room. Rosalie was one woman that Cassie would have to be careful of. Very careful of indeed. --- After Cassie had made James get into bed, she wandered back towards the party. She hesitated at the door; she did not want to go in yet. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she smiled as she saw Chris's younger sister, Ann. "That was excellent." Ann said, grinning mischievously. "What was excellent?" Cassie asked, puzzled. She had forgotten all about Rosalie. "The way you handled Rosalie. I haven't seen her so furious before. I wish I had had the guts to do that to her sometime." Cassie tried to look stern, but a giggle escaped. "She was getting on my nerves, is all. I do hope I haven't alienated anyone." "Only those who already hated you before they came are alienated, and they don't matter." Ann said, squeezing her arm reassuringly. "Let's go in shall we?" "Honestly, I'm kind of apprehensive about going back in there." Cassie admitted. "Such big social dos aren't my thing." "They aren't ours either." Ann grinned, "But it has to be done. C'mon, Chris has been there un-defended long enough. Let's go rescue him." This remark made Cassie chuckle and they both entered the room, only to spot Chris knee deep in a group of women. His eyes met theirs, and they could clearly see what was written in them. Although he was uncomfortable, he did not let it show and handled them smoothly. Ann and Cassie made their way to the group. Cassie sidled up to Chris, earning a few glares from the women around her. "I'm a bit tired," she said, her voice clear and loud enough for people close to her to hear. Some people took the hint and began to leave, and dragged the people who didn't get the hint with them. Within the hour, everyone had gone. Chris was standing at the doorway, saying his last goodbyes when Cassie pulled him away. Ann took over and sent everyone off. "I'm so tired, I could curl up on the floor and sleep." She told him as she dragged him away. Chris chuckled, but she could see that he was equally tired. "C'mon, show me my room so I can get some sleep." Chris nodded and led her upstairs. The room he showed her into was huge, with a bed that dominated one side and a wardrobe and a desk that occupied the other. It was obviously a man's room; Chris' room. "But...this is your room." Cassie said when Chris told her that this was where she would be sleeping. "Yes it is, and being my wife, you should be sharing it." Chris replied. Cassie felt herself blushing, and stammered. "Why can't I have another room? This is platonic, I want another room." Chris looked at her, tiredly, and said firmly. "You will sleep here." Cassie glared at him, her cheeks still red and said, "No." Chris sighed, and said, "Cassie, we are supposed to be man and wife. If we don't share a room, the staff will start talking. And do you want my dad to ask us why we are supposedly happy yet we never share a room?" Cassie saw the wisdom in this, but she was still uncomfortable. "But where will I sleep?" "On the bed dummy," Chris said. Then, noting her expression, "Oh Cassie, that bed is huge. Ten people could sleep in it and not notice the other person. I promise I won't do anything improper." Cassie looked at him, sighed, and nodded. Chris then said, "I need to get some work done," and left. "The staff will start talking," Cassie muttered to herself as she surveyed the room. She didn't realize that people still had 'staff' in their houses. Although, this house was huge, and with James requiring a full time nurse, a staff with a chauffeur, maids and a housekeeper seemed prudent. It still seemed pretentious, but it was understandable. Cassie decided that sleeping on the bed with Chris was not the best of ideas, even if he promised to do nothing. She opened the wardrobe, only to find all her clothes neatly hung up by one of the maids. At the bottom, she spied a change of bedclothes. She pulled these out, an idea forming in her head. An hour later, Cassie was fast asleep. --- Chris walked down after leaving Cassie in his room to tell Mrs. Potts, the housekeeper, to hold the cleaning until tomorrow. He didn't want the maids to stay up late, it wasn't fair to them after the last minute party they had had to prepare for. They had families and lives to get back to, and Chris didn't want them staying behind just to finish up. He found her in the hall, and after telling her and bidding goodnight to Ann, he made his way to his study. Once in there, he finally had time to think and reflect on the day's happenings. Now, when he looked back, it all seemed so unreal. That morning, true to her word, Cassie had shown up with a friend of hers, Melissa, at the court. After signing the necessary papers, they were pronounced man and wife. Then, sending Melissa and his friend off, they had gone to the office where Rowan was waiting with the finalized agreement. Cassie signed it and went off to work as though it was any other business day. At around 12:30, Chris had called her and told her about the reception in the evening. At first, she had flatly refused, but after telling her why it had to be done, she had relented. After that, he took her home. They had to stop by at her apartment first, to pick up her things and her kitten, Clove. That done, they had driven to the estate where Cassie and Clove were welcomed whole-heartedly into the Quentin household. His father had been ecstatic when he met Cassie, and she had taken to him remarkably well. Clove fitted in too. His father had been charmed by the kitten, and she now resided in his room. Ann had also warmed to Cassie quickly. Usually, she was reserved, but she talked to Cassie with no inhibitions. When he saw his family's reaction, as well as that of the staff, he congratulated himself on his good taste. As he had predicted, Cassie had been an instant hit with everyone. Including him, although he didn't admit it. That evening, when she had come down for the reception, she had been a vision. Ann had lent her some of her looser clothes, and these fit her like a glove. She wore an off-the-shoulder green gown, and with her long, chestnut hair down from its usual bun and tumbling down her back in lustrous waves, she looked like an earth Goddess. Chris had told her so, and had had the pleasure of seeing her blush prettily at the compliment. It was at this moment that he began to feel attracted to her. Her character was unlike anyone else's, and her quiet beauty had more lure than the obvious charms of the other women at the party. Although she was uncomfortable, she had never let it show, interacting with everyone. But what Chris really liked was the way she handled Rosalie. When he had heard her, he had almost applauded, only held in check by Ann who had nudged him quite hard when he smiled. He also liked the way she handled his father, quietly and firmly. All in all, he liked her quite a lot. "It's dangerous," he reminded himself. "Remember what happened the last time." "But Cassie isn't like that." A small part of him whispered. "All women are like that. Besides, this is a paper marriage. Complication is not necessary." His reasoning retorted. Chris sighed and went upstairs to bed. When he entered the room, he was surprised to find the bed empty. For a minute, he thought that she had found another room, but then he spotted the bundle of blankets on the floor. Chuckling, he picked her up and deposited her on the far side of the bed, and after changing, slid under the bedcovers himself. Sleep claimed him instantly, and he slept un-interrupted till the morning. Chapter 4 When Cassie woke the next morning, she was disoriented. For a minute, she couldn't figure out where she was. Then she remembered. She was in Chris' house. And in his bed. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright. How had she gotten into the bed? Had she climbed in unconsciously during the night? Or had Chris carried her? Her cheeks reddened, and she glanced at the man sleeping in the other side of the bed. His chest was bare, and he had turned to one side, the covers at his waist. He slept peacefully, not aware of her wakefulness. He looked like a little child. Quietly, so as to not wake him, she slipped out of bed and went to clean up. After a bath, she made her way downstairs for breakfast. She found Ann in the kitchen, having a cup of coffee. Ann smiled at her and offered her a cup. Cassie took it gratefully and sat down opposite her at the kitchen table. "So," Ann said, "You and Chris have a paper marriage huh?" Cassie looked up. "Did Chris tell you?" "No. Uncle Rowan did." Cassie nodded and took a sip from her cup. "Are you angry?" "No, I'm pleased, especially because Chris found you. I think it's great that you agreed to do this." "I'm just helping out because I want to. That's all." Cassie said, warmed by Ann's compliment. "Yeah, and you're doing it without a price." Cassie smiled and sipped. She had now realized why Chris had been so surprised when she had refused the money. From what she gathered last night, the people he knew revolved around money. "So, tell me about Cassandra Stevens." Ann said, smiling across the table at Cassie. Cassie took another sip of the hot brew and answered. "Nothing special really. Just a small town girl who worked her butt off to get a scholarship into NYU. Then I landed this job and never looked back." "What about your personal life? Any boyfriends?" Cassie shook her head. "Seriously?" Ann asked, incredulity on her face. "But still, did you like someone?" Cassie blushed, and cursed herself for blushing so easily. "Yeah. Well, it's complicated. See, Gavin is my best friend and..." "Gavin," Ann said, "Oh, you mean that guy who came with Melissa and left sort of early? He came off as grumpy and surly to me." Cassie was quick to rush to his defence. "No, he isn't usually like that. It's just..." "The people." Ann supplied. Cassie nodded. "Well, unfortunately, these people are something we must tolerate. Chris and I don't like it, Dad can handle it, because he only sees the best in people, and everyone else I know fawns over them. With the exception of you and your friends." "I'll take that as a compliment." "It was a compliment. So, do you have any plans for the day?" "No," Cassie said, "Other than having some designs I need to finish, I don't have anything planned. Why do you ask?" "Well, Nurse Sarah has said that it'd be okay for Dad to go out today. So I thought we could go out for a picnic. The grounds here are large, and the weather is very nice. A day out would do him good." Ann said, draining her cup. "Yeah, that would be nice. I am up for it. Just tell me if you need any help." Ann flashed her a grin. "Actually, I do need help. Jessica, the lady who cooks here hasn't come in yet. I need to make sandwiches for us to take, but my food tends to cause instant food-poisoning." Cassie laughed softly and finished her cup too so she could begin helping Ann. "You can't cause food-poisoning with sandwiches," she informed Ann as she took out ingredients from the fridge. "How about you learn, and next time, you can make them on your own?" Ann groaned, but nodded. With that, the two women set about making sandwiches, neither realizing that this companionship they shared would lead to a firm and loyal friendship. Nor that Chris had been outside, eavesdropping on their oh-so-interesting conversation. --- Gavin stretched his legs out and yawned. He switched off the TV, no longer interested in the game he was watching. No, he was much more interested in Cassie. Her marriage had been a shock, and her choice of groom even more so. Cassie just was not the type to fall for Christopher Quentin and he certainly was not the type to fall for Cassie. He just knew that something was drastically wrong here, and remained convinced, although Melissa had told him otherwise. Both she and Cassie had told him that things had been going on for a few months, and Cassie was just too shy. When Chris proposed, she had said yes. Because of Chris's father's situation, they had decided to get married quickly. And before the ceremony, Cassie had let her friends know. It sounded like a perfect romance, but Gavin wasn't so sure. The fact that Cassie had kept this under wraps irked him. She wasn't the kind to keep something this monumental from her friends. Or maybe it was the way they looked at each other, they way they behaved. There was nothing faintly possessive about the way they viewed their partner, and nothing in their embrace and their eyes than mere friendliness and affection. Gavin closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. He remembered going to their reception, sceptical, and having an awful time. Sure, there were many women there who caught his eye, but his eyes were only for Chris and Cassie. The way Cassie had been dressed had blown his wits to the four winds, the sight of Chris sliding a companionable arm around her waist had blown them back. He remembered the two questions that had sprung to his mind at that moment. When did Cassie begin to look so good and why didn't her marriage seem genuine? He went home alone, without Melissa, trying to figure out why it all felt so overwhelmingly wrong. He sighed, and sat upright. He was not going to achieve anything sitting at home like this. He needed to ask Cassie. With enough drilling, she would tell him. Complicated Love Pt. 02 Decision made, he got up to take a quick shower and then drive down to Chris' place. Gavin needed answers, and he needed them soon. --- Cassie giggled when she saw James drag Ann, protesting, into the shallow creek with him. Even though he was sick, he was more energetic than all of them put together. Ann stood in the cold water, supporting her excited father and shuddering as the cold water ran over her legs. Sarah, his nurse, was screaming at them to come back, and James was jovially telling her to loosen up and join them. She leaned back against a tree and surveyed the scene in front of her. Despite the loud complaints, laughter and concerned shouts, Cassie found it peaceful. She had not felt so peaceful in years. Smiling, she got up to join them, and relieve Ann. James joyfully put his arm around her, and allowed a disgruntled Ann to escape to the picnic blanket to get a cup of coffee and a sandwich. "Isn't this refreshing?" James asked Cassie, wiggling his toes in the water. "Yes, it is." She replied, smiling up at the man leaning on her. She felt so comfortable around him, and wanted to take care of him. He constantly teased her, laughed with her and treated like a daughter should be treated. It saddened her to think that he had very little time left, but she pushed those dark thoughts to the back of her mind and just enjoyed her day with him. She was glad she had agreed to do this. So very glad. --- Chris looked out the window, in the direction Ann, Cassie and his father had left in the morning. He had been invited too, but he declined. He turned his head back to his laptop and sorted through his correspondence, approving documents and checking specs. A knock on the door interrupted him. Mrs. Potts pushed her head in through the door and announced, "A Mr. Gavin Lester here to see Mrs. Quentin." A puzzled frown appeared on Chris's face. He was not overly fond of the guy, and after listening to Cassie this morning, even less so. It escaped him as to how a guy could spend years with Cassie and not realize how special she was. Of course, Chris told himself, he was just being brotherly when he said this. Cassie deserved better. "What should I say, sir?" Mrs. Potts asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Tell him I'll be down in a minute." Chris said, as he closed his inbox and made to go downstairs. Gavin was waiting in the living room, and gave Chris a small smile when he walked in. "I came to see Cassie," Gavin said, wishing Chris would go away. He didn't like the guy one bit. "Well, Cassie's out, so you might tell me. I'll pass the message on," Chris replied, watching the other man stiffen at the suggestion. "Its personal," Gavin said shortly, not wanting to tell Chris anything. "I'm her husband. You can tell me anything." That did it. Gavin burst out, "I don't think you and Cassie have a real marriage." Chris just sat there for a minute, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. How did Gavin find out? "Our marriage is as real as they come." Chris said quietly, his eyes intent on Gavin's face. "No it isn't, and don't you deny it. Cassie just doesn't behave like she's married to you. You two act like you're friends. Cassie always had this spark in her eye when she talked about the one guy whom she dreamed of settling down with, and that spark just isn't there when she talks about you or when she looks at you. I know Cassie, she would never settle for anything less than what she had dreamed of. That's why I'm so sure." Gavin was surprised at the words that came out. Yet, they were all true. The expression on Chris' face just confirmed it. "Come to my office." Chris said finally, "We can talk there." Gavin nodded unwillingly and followed Chris up the stairs. Once inside his office. Chris closed the door and sat down behind his desk. "What do you want?" he asked tiredly. He wasn't sure he wanted Gavin knowing anything about this. "The truth," Gavin said, looking Chris in the eye. "My father is dying. He wanted to see me get married. Cassie got to know. I proposed, a purely platonic, business marriage and Cassie accepted," Chris said, not mincing words. Gavin leaned back as he took it all in. "So you and Cassie are just friends?" he asked after a long time. "Yes," Chris replied. "Good." And with that, Gavin left the study, the house and drove back to his apartment, satisfied and oddly elated. Cassie wasn't attached in any way that mattered. Strangely, that made him happy, and excited. Chris, on the other hand, sat there worried. He had a feeling that things had just taken a turn for the worse. --- The next two months were the most tiring, and probably the most enjoyable two weeks in Cassie's life. She spent every day with James and Ann, and James never ceased to amaze her. She discovered that he played Latin guitar, sketched and wrote poetry. How one man could have so much zest for life, she could not understand. Even the bady days weren't so bad. Surrounded as he was sometimes by IV tubes, almost dwarfed in his large bed, he still managed to smile and joke around. Chris, on the other hand, had been quiet and supportive, attentive but distant. She wished he would come and spend time with them, she felt sure that it would do him good to spend time with James. Chris abstained from doing so, or at least while she was around, and this worried Cassie. The only time Chris spent with his father was about two hours in the evening, when he shooed everyone out and talked to his father alone. Cassie did not know what they talked about, but she did know that James was sad at the end of it and she had even caught Chris quietly crying sometimes. She wished she could help them, but she couldn't. Ann tried too, but she was unsuccessful. However, the rest of the day was spent having fun, doing childish things and finding a lost, innocent joy in them. Cassie had never smiled so much. This way, the days melded into weeks, and the weeks melded into a month. Strangely enough, Gavin had begun to talk to her quite often, and came down every weekend without fail. He had never been this attentive before she got married. Cassie supposed that he missed the friendship more that she was away. She took an almost guilty pleasure in this. Guilty because she was happy that Gavin was calling; guilty that she welcomed his attention although she was married. She told herself that this was merely a charade, but that didn't help. She still felt guilty. The animosity between Chris and Gavin didn't help either. They were friendly enough, but there was something in the air when they spoke or met that hinted at wariness. Cassie, being the sensitive person she was felt this and wished that it didn't happen. Melissa had gone to France for a three month assignment after the wedding, so apart from emails, they couldn't keep in touch much. One day, when Cassie came down, she found Ann in the kitchen with Jessica, baking. Ann and baking was a very strange combination, and Cassie went to investigate. "It's Chris' birthday today." Ann explained as she tried to mix the batter, a smudge of flour across one cheek. "We usually don't celebrate it, because he's always so busy, but this time, because he's at home, I thought a cake would be nice." "I would be," Cassie agreed, "But let's keep it a surprise. And let me mix, you're getting more batter out of the bowl than in it." Ann sheepishly surrendered the mixing bowl and said that the surprise idea was an excellent one. They were just thinking how they could get Chris out of the house for a while when he came down, fully dressed, to go to the office. Cassie and Ann looked at him in surprise. "Why are you going today?" Cassie asked. She knew there wasn't any pressing business. "Just a deal that needs to be wrapped up," Chris said while eating his breakfast which was on the table. "I'll be home by the evening." "Okay." Cassie and Ann said. Their problem of getting Chris out to make the arrangements was now solved. The women giggled computationally when Chris left the room. It certainly was going to be an interesting evening. --- Chris sighed and ran his hands through his hair. It had been a trying day. He had wrapped up two deals and was working on the intricacies of the third one and he was tired. He wished he were back at home, where now he would be talking to his father. He groaned quietly and got back to work. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could get out of here. Just as he was finishing up, Frieda walked in with a sheaf of papers in her hand. Chris barely looked up as he told her to leave them on his desk. He heard the click of the office door, and assumed she had let herself out. Which was why he gave a start when he felt soft hands on his shoulders, kneading his tired muscles? "Frieda," Chris said, leaning back against her, "thank you so much. I needed that." Frieda chuckled and continued kneading, soothing his shoulder muscles that had cramped up from him typing too much on his computer. When she felt Chris began to relax, Frieda subtly altered her touch. It was now a sensual caress, and Chris began to feel the stirrings of lust. He had not had any relief since he had gotten married, and now, he needed the release that he knew Frieda could give him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a small voice whispered, 'You're married now, it isn't right,' but he firmly pushed it away. It wasn't a real marriage anyhow. He spun around in his chair so that he faced her. He slowly pressed kisses to her stomach, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath the cloth of her shirt. Frieda smiled knowingly and began to undress slowly, each article of clothing sliding off to reveal more and more of her beautiful body. She removed her shirt first, to release her breasts encased in a lacy bra. Her skirt came off next and revealed her naked sex. Frieda never liked wearing panties. Leaving her shoes on, she bent down between Chris' legs and slowly unzipped him. He was warm and hard beneath his trousers. Nimble hands released him and a warm mouth engulfed him. Chris sighed in pleasure and gripped Frieda's head, setting a rhythm. Oh, she was good. Chris could feel her wicked tongue work magic on his aching hardness, sucking and licking with abandon. Before he could lose himself and gain his release, he pulled her off him. He wanted to prolong the pleasure. He stood and undressed quickly, and led her to the large couch in one corner of his office. He sat down, and leant back while Frieda straddled him, settling herself atop him and slowly engulfing him into her soft warmth. It started slowly, softly, but soon built into a storm, hard and rough, violent and passionate. At last, they both reached their peak and climaxed together, Frieda slumping against him as she felt him spending himself inside her. "We forgot the condom," Chris whispered into her ear, his voice a rasp. "I'm on birth control." Frieda told him, stroking his hair back and nibbling on his shoulders. "Now, why don't we go to my apartment? I am offering dinner and more sex. Or just more sex." Chris chuckled and replied, "Dinner and more sex sounds good, but I won't stay the night." Frieda smiled and untangled herself from his body. Grabbing some tissues from a drawer, she quickly cleaned both of them up and slipped into her clothes. As Chris dressed himself, she whispered, "You never do," and only she heard the wistfulness and regret in her voice. --- Cassie, Ann and James spent the day in a flurry of activity. The living room was decorated with streamers and balloons, unearthed from a musty carton in the attic. Cassie and Jessica made a large birthday cake with 'Happy Birthday Chris' written on top in chocolate lettering. A special dinner was made and presents were bought and wrapped. Everyone chipped in, and finally, Cassie had to forcibly make James sit down before he exhausted himself while making the preparations. When dusk approached, the air was filled with anticipation and everyone was waiting for Chris to come home. But he never came. From 6 it became 7, then 8 then 9. The hours passed and still no sign. Cassie was worried that maybe he had hurt himself or was in trouble and kept trying to reach his cell but to no avail. He wasn't picking it up. Ann, who had a much better idea as to what her brother might be unto sighed and tried to get Cassie to stop worrying. Finally, at half past nine, James and Ann had dinner, looking dejected, but Cassie refused, saying that she would wait for Chris. Ann tried to reason with her, but Cassie was stubborn. At half past ten, Cassie made James go to bed, with a half-hearted promise to wake him when Chris returned. Ann went to her room, storming about her brother and Cassie settled in the dining room to wait. Two hours later, when Ann came down for a glass of milk, Cassie was fast asleep on the table, with two empty plates and dishes of food around her. Ann shook her head and went up to call her brother and give him a piece of her mind. He still was not picking up his phone. Disgusted, Ann went to bed, thinking about a hundred different ways to kill her brother. And she meant to make it painful. Very painful indeed. --- Chris woke up to find Frieda draped over him, snoring gently. Blinking his eyes rapidly to focus, he gently pushed her off him. He looked at his watch. It was four in the morning. Shit. He was supposed to have been home hours ago. He quickly got up and after a fast wash, he got himself dressed and out of the apartment. Frieda, sated, slept through the whole thing. At this time, the roads were empty, so he was able to make it home faster than he would have been able to had it been a little earlier. When he pulled up in the driveway, he found Ann at the door, waiting for him. He gulped when he saw the expression on her face. When she was angry, his sister could be very dangerous. He parked the car and was hardly out the door before Ann dragged him inside none to gently. She shut the door behind him and dragged him to the dining room. He wondered why she was taking him there, and why she was not yelling at him yet when he saw what was inside. The room was decorated with streamers and balloons; the table was set for an elaborate dinner and a large cake which read 'happy Birthday Chris' dominated the centre of the table. But he saw all this only momentarily. From the moment he entered, his gaze was fixed on the woman who was sleeping on the table, her head cushioned in her arms. "She's not even had dinner yet," Ann hissed at him. "The least you could have done was call. Dad and I are used to you doing this, but she is not. You should have seen her today. She was really looking forward to this. And after all she did, you don't turn up." "But I didn't know," Chris said, in an urgent whisper so as to not wake Cassie. "You guys never do this. Usually it is just me eating one of your inedible cakes for breakfast. Heck, even my presents are mailed." "Yeah, so we wanted to act like a family today, what's so wrong about that?" Ann retorted furiously. "Anyway, I don't want to hear anything else from you. I do not want to know where you have been or what you did. I just want you to wake Cassie up, feed her and get her to sleep in a proper bed. She refused to go up when I tried to take her." And with that, Ann stalked out of the room, leaving Chris behind in the dining room feeling guilty. Now that he saw all this, he wished he had not stayed over at Frieda's. He wished he had not ever met Frieda. What made him feel awful was the fact that Cassie had foregone food just so she could eat with him. Sighing, Chris went over to the table to wake Cassie. He shook her gently, shushing her when she woke up, startled. "Sh, it's only me," he said as he pushed her back into the chair. "You didn't have to wait for me you know." "It was your birthday. It's no fun if you spend it alone." Cassie smiled at him sleepily. "Have you eaten yet?" "Yeah..." Chris started to say, but thought better of it. "No actually. So let's heat this stuff up and have something to eat, okay?" Cassie nodded and rose to help but Chris pushed her back into the chair again. "I'll heat everything, you just sit down," he said. Cassie was so tired that she just nodded and put her head down on the table again. Chris heated everything up and they had their food. The food was excellent, and he told her so. "Jess and I made it, and Ann made the salad." Cassie said, blushing when he delivered the compliment. Chris's eyebrows rose, "Ann made it?" "Yeah," Cassie said a small grin on her face. Suddenly, she yawned. Seeing that, Chris ate fast and made her do the same. He made her sit down while he put away the dishes and then practically carried her up the stairs. He made her undress and get into bed before he changed himself. When he came out of the bathroom after changing, he found her curled up on the bed with the blankets tucked around her. She looked like a small child. She looked adorable. Smiling at the picture she made, he got into the bed and turned lay on his back. After a few minutes, he was surprised to find that she had rolled over to him in her sleep, and was now sleeping with her head pillowed on his shoulders. It felt nice. She was not like Frieda, all angles and bones. She was soft, like a teddy bear. He turned gently to avoid waking her up and put his arms around her, pulling her close. Before sleep overtook him, there were only two thoughts in his head. One, that this was probably one of the best birthdays that he had ever had and the other that Cassie, was a very special woman, who didn't deserve to wait for anyone. Anyone at all. Especially him. --- Cassie woke up the next morning in a warm embrace. Chris' embrace. For a moment, Cassie just wanted to stay there; it felt so comfortable and safe, but that moment passed quickly enough. She scrambled out of bed, waking Chris up in the process. "Morning," Chris mumbled sleepily, before turning to his other side and going right back to sleep. Cassie heaved a sigh of relief. A dark blush covered her cheeks and she did not want Chris to see her like this. Composing herself, she quickly dressed and made her way down. To her surprise, no one was there. When she checked her watch, she knew why. It was nearly nine in the morning. Jess would just have come in now, and Ann and James would be out on their walk. She spied two covered plates on the table, and a pot of coffee. She sat down to a breakfast of toast, the only thing Ann claimed she could make, while she tried to figure out what was happening to her. Yes, what was happening to her. Ever since she had started staying here, he had noticed a side to Chris that she hadn't ever seen before. The fun and highly caring side. A side that she very much liked and felt attracted to. She was confused. She was supposed to like Gavin, but here she was, fantasizing about Chris. It just didn't make any sense to her at all. "Why do I always get attracted to the men I can never have?" she thought to herself as she bit into her piece of toast. For both Gavin and Chris were people she couldn't have. Both of them would never look twice at someone like her, and while they might be her friends, they would be nothing more. She groaned and stopped chewing on her mouthful of food. Waking up today in Chris's arms had felt so good, so right, and she wanted to wake up in his arms every day. And therein lay her folly, wishing for things she could never get. She swallowed her food before burying her head in her hands. She needed to get her feelings sorted out, and fast, before she did something she regretted. Before she did something to alienate both Chris and Gavin. Before she lost herself. Complicated Love Pt. 03 Chapter 5 Gavin cursed when he saw the traffic on the interstate leading towards Chris' house. The line seemed never ending. Sighing, he turned the music on and prepared to wait. As he watched the car in front of him, thoughts of Cassie filled his mind. He couldn't quite explain it, but he had suddenly begun to look at her differently. That night, when he had seen her at her reception, something had changed drastically. It was not just the way she looked, Gavin already knew exactly how beautiful she was, but rather the way she carried herself. Cassie had been awkward and stiff while talking to some people, but in the moments that she was with Chris, looking up at him with that wicked glitter in her eyes, smiling at him and just responding to his proximity with animation...all that had caught his attention, and kept it. She seemed free-spirited, and powerful. She had also seemed vulnerable. The strange combination had enthralled Gavin, and he could not quite understand it. He had known Cassie for years, and this was the first time that he noticed these things about her. It seemed as though this social reception was simply a background against which, for the first time, he could see Cassie stand out from in stark relief, and the picture she made was absolutely riveting. Gavin had been aware of the fact that at least half the men in the room were following her with their eyes. There were definitely more beautiful women in the room, but Cassie had glowed. Seeing her standing next to Chris had awakened feelings he had not known he even had; rage, jealousy, possessiveness. She looked so good standing next to him, and Gavin could not help but wish it was him instead of Chris. But now, things were different. Now he knew the truth behind their marriage; there was nothing stopping him from getting her to see him in a new light. He just had to get her to see him differently. His happiness, his entire wellbeing, depended on it. He was shocked out of is reverie when the car behind him honked. He looked in front to see that the cars were moving. Quickly snapping back, he pressed down on the accelerator and moved forward. "Just you wait Cassie," he thought to himself. "I'm coming to get you, whether you like it or not." --- Chris yawned and rolled over, reaching over to hug Cassie to him. Instead of a warm body, he felt warm sheets. He opened his eyes sleepily and groaned. He had so wanted to sleep for a while longer, but it seemed that he would have to get up now. He rubbed his fantasies of curving himself around Cassie's warm little body away from his eyes and tried not to think of the other things that they could possibly do in his vast, comfortable bed. Things that involved much more than the occasional spooning that they did. He sat up, the sheets pooling at his waist, and stretched. He rubbed his eyes and got off the bed, his lean body unfolding gracefully, like a cat's. He had not been this relaxed for a while. He padded to the bathroom to have a quick wash, and after that, he decided that he would talk to Cassie. Last night had shown him just how much she meant to him and that he had been a fool for ignoring the sparks of attraction between them. He was not about to let her go now, and he decided that she would be his, one way or the other. No stranger to empty relationships, Christ instantly recognized substance when he saw it, and the deepest part of him wanted to possess it. Cassie was the thing that had been missing from his life, and he hoped she was the answer, whatever the answer could be. After about fifteen minutes, he had dressed and went to the kitchen to help himself to some breakfast. He saw Cassie at the table, wearing his T-shirt and a pair of old denim shorts that were stretched taut across her thighs. She was frowning into her plate of toast, and he wished he knew what she was thinking about. He realized she was skittish, and he had to tread carefully around her. He knew that with Cassie, flirting wouldn't work, but blatant seduction might. He smiled inwardly and sat down at the table. Cassie raised her big eyes to his when he sat down and lowered them again, but he had been able to see the uncertainty. "Good Morning," he said with a smile as he grabbed toast from the pile that Ann had probably left on the table for them. " G'morning," Cassie mumbled, her hair falling over her face and covering her eyes. Chris had been right. She didn't say much during breakfast, and ate with her head down. Chris tried talking, but was rewarded with monosyllabic answers. "This is going to be harder than I imagined," Chris thought to himself as he watched her. Finally, when they had finished eating, Cassie collected both plates and began to wash them in the sink. Chris came up behind her and slid his hands around her waist, pulling her back against him. He felt her stiffen, but he did not let go. She squirmed in his embrace, but stiffened immediately when his hands shaped the contours of her hips to hold her in place. "You needn't do that," he said, bending his head to whisper in her ear. He watched amused as she almost jumped a mile. "Force of habit." She mumbled and finished washing. She tried to pull away, but he held her tight. "Chris, let go," she said, tugging gently at his arms. "Not until I have my good morning kiss," he whispered into her ear again, and felt her tremble. "What's gotten into you this morning," she grumbled as she turned in his arms to look up into his face, her expression a mix of concern, nervousness and bafflement. "Is wanting a kiss from your wife a crime?" he enquired, raising one sardonic eyebrow. His eyes twinkled with mischief and one other emotion she couldn't decipher. "Let go Chris," Cassie said, annoyance and fright beginning to creep into her voice. Chris sighed, and bent his head to hers. He knew that she would never kiss him now of her own volition. He felt her eyes widen briefly before his mouth claimed hers. Cassie stiffened even more and tried to tug away, but the minute his mouth settled over her, she lost all reasonable thought. He was tender and soft, his hands leaving her hips to softly cup her face. His tongue probed her lips, coaxing them open. Without being aware of what she was doing, Cassie felt herself letting him in, her hands settling around his neck. Chris felt like he was in heaven. He had never felt quite like this before. He had kissed women numerous times, but never a kiss like this. Cassie's warm length against his, the gentle, uncertain way in which she was responding to his kiss and her hands around his neck felt wonderful. He felt her soften beneath him, and open her mouth. He explored the sweet depths of her mouth, tasting the sweetness of the honey she had put on her toast, and a taste that was uniquely Cassie. Cassie didn't know what was happening anymore. She had had very few kisses, and certainly none like this. The heat, the passion and the desire that Chris managed to convey through that kiss made her feel dizzy, and she found her hands involuntarily threading themselves through his thick hair, and pulling his head down to hers in order to deepen the kiss. She had never felt so wanted. She let herself be taken in by that kiss, and let herself enjoy it. Chris pulled her to him even more tightly, until her body was pressed to his. He could feel her soft breasts against his chest, her rounded stomach against his. He buried his hands in her hair, enjoying the way she opened up for him. Although he wanted to prolong the kiss, he pulled back gently and rested his forehead against hers. She had her eyes closed, her hands now entwined around his neck. "Now that was a good morning." He murmured, enjoying the way colour suffused her cheeks as she blushed. A soft sound from the doorway made them both look up. Gavin stood there, with James and Ann standing beside him. Cassie yelped and moved away, and Chris let her go. He could read anger on the other man's face, but he didn't care. He wanted to tell him that Cassie was his, and that Gavin had better keep away. He had never felt particularly possessive over a woman before, but none of the women had ever been Cassie. With her, he felt himself experiencing a primal emotion that he was almost too afraid to label. All he knew was that he wanted her to be his, to hold and keep and protect, and that he could never let any other man have that honour. Cassie was embarrassed, mortified and startled. What an awful morning it had been. First, waking up with Chris, then the kiss, and now Gavin. She wanted to tell him that there was nothing going on between her and Chris, but she couldn't. Forcing a smile to her face, she said, "Hi Gavin. I didn't know you were coming." "Yeah well," he mumbled, still angry. Beside him, James and Ann had identical smiles on their faces. "We saw him on our way back," Ann said, trying to break the awkward silence, "so we just came in with him. Now that he's here, he'd better stay for lunch." She trailed off when she saw the looks her brother was shooting her. A wicked idea began to form in her head. "Yes, please do," James said, ever polite. But Chris thought he saw a gleam of something in his father's eyes, something that looked remarkably like mischief. "In fact," Ann added, "Why don't you spend the weekend with us? The four of us were planning to drive down to the lake this afternoon and stay the night. We'd be back tomorrow evening." Cassie, seeing that this was an excellent opportunity to explain things to Gavin, piped up, "Yeah, that would be good. You don't have anything important planned for the evening, do you?" "Actually, I have," Gavin said, his gaze still on Chris's face, "But I can do it some other time." "No really, you don't need to postpone work for us," Chris said, looking angrily at Gavin. "Oh, it's nothing much. It is the least I could do for a friend. But thing is, I don't have any clothes and such." Gavin said, a smile on his face as he saw the Chris was disgruntled. "I think Dad's stuff will fit you," Ann said airily. "In fact, why don't you, Cassie and Dad go and raid his closet? If you get packed now, we could leave after an early lunch." "Sure," Gavin smiled easily and held out a hand to Cassie and the other to James. Talking and laughing, the three headed towards James' room. Chris waited until they were out of earshot and then pounced on his sister. "Why did you have to do that?" he hissed at her, angry eyes boring into hers. "I was just getting Cassie to like me and you.... Just exactly whose side are you on anyway?" "Cassie's." Ann answered. "Cassie liked Gavin, always has. She needs to get him out of her system. You are confusing her, and hurting her if last night was anything to go by. She likes you too, but she is all muddled up inside. I just want her to have some time to work herself out. That's why I invited him." "But what about me?" Chris practically screamed. "Damn it, it's obvious she's going to choose him." Ann looked up at him, and he flinched from her gaze. It was cold and hard. "You're giving up without a fight. You don't even know why you want her do you? I have an inkling Gavin does. Give her something to choose Chris, instead of raging at me here like a five year old who's been denied a toy. You're pathetic." With that, she went after the others, leaving Chris in the kitchen. "Fight? Oh, I'm going to fight." Chris thought grimly. "One way or the other Cassie, I will make you want me. I will." --- Three hours later, Chris was swearing fluently while trying to drive through a particularly difficult stretch of road and Cassie was chatting animatedly with Gavin. Chris didn't know whether he was swearing because of the bloody road or because of the way Cassie leaned against Gavin, looking up at him and smiling whenever he said something funny. Ann was sitting in the front with him. "Any more swearing and you'll put a sailor to shame." Ann hissed at him. "For God's sake, pull yourself together." This last part she said in a whisper so that the people in the back wouldn't hear. Chris shot her an angry glance and switched his attention to the road. After an hour spent in the same vein, they finally reached a cabin on the lakefront. They all got out, and Chris began unloading the bags. "So this is your cabin?" Cassie asked, looking up at the rustic building with stars in her eyes. "It's beautiful!" Ann grinned at her. "This was our favourite place to spend the holidays when we were kids. We would go swimming, water skiing, boarding. Sometimes, we even had prolonged games of hide and seek and strange 'tests of strength' that only kids would ever think of here. Anything and everything really." "Somehow, I just can't imagine Chris doing all that," Cassie said and then went to help Chris carry their bags and other things inside. "Oh, he was in the water 24/7. At some point, we were all convinced he was half mermaid!" Ann said as she led them all inside. "Merman," Chris shouted after them, sounding aggrieved. "At least have the decency to not strip me of my masculinity, Ann." Cassie laughed and went in behind her. James was right behind them. Gavin and Chris were left standing outside. "Leave her alone," Chris said softly, his eyes locked with Gavin's. "Or what? She isn't yours," Gavin said, his gaze firm. "She's my wife," Chris replied, and immediately realised that it was a weak argument. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that," Gavin retorted, walking inside behind the rest. --- They all had dinner outside, Chris at the grill. They built a small campfire and were all sitting around it. When they all had had enough dinner, Chris joined them around the fire and they talked and roasted marshmallows. Chris sat beside Cassie, an arm around her. Ann was sitting opposite them with James and Gavin was sitting beside them, on Cassie's side. "We should do this often," Ann said as she peeled her gooey marshmallow off the stick and gingerly popped it into her mouth. "It's so peaceful and quiet." "It is," Chris agreed, pulling Cassie closer to him, ignoring the discomfort on her face. After a while, she gave up the struggle and leaned into him. "So, Gavin," James said, looking at him. "What do you do?" "I'm a photographer," Gavin replied, his eyes on Cassie. "Really?" Ann asked, looking interested. "What kind?" "Fashion photographer," He replied. "I work with Glamour." "Glamour? That is so cool. It must be an interesting job." "Yeah, it is. The travel's great, the job's interesting.....what more does a person need?" Gavin said, finally shifting his attention to Ann. "Well, where did you and Cassie meet then?" "We met at some awful party a mutual friend was throwing. We, Melissa was there too, decided that we would rather go to the zoo than be there. And that's what we did." "You actually went to the zoo?" Ann asked bemused. "You all meet at a party that some poor socialite would give her eye teeth to go to, and you all decided to go to the zoo!" "Well, not actually," Cassie said, her eyes on Gavin, a smile on her lips. "It wasn't open. So we just walked around a bit before we went to this fantastic bar. It was great. By the time we all went home, we were friends." "That's nice," Ann remarked, peeling another marshmallow off. "Yeah, it is," Chris agreed, offering Cassie his marshmallow. She took it gingerly and put it in her mouth. "Well, that was four years ago, and we've always been there for each other," Gavin said, looking into the fire. Cassie stiffened when he said this, remembering the relationship between Gavin and Melissa. Suddenly, she did not want to talk anymore. "I'm going to turn in," she said as she stood up. "It's been a tiring day. Come on James, you'd better turn in too." "I'm not tired!" James protested as Cassie hauled him up, but went with her anyway. "She's a really slave driver, she is." He said over his shoulder and the three sitting around the campfire chuckled. "I think I'll turn in too," Chris said, getting up and following his father and his wife. "That just leaves the two of us," Ann said glancing at Gavin. "C'mon, I'll show you your room." Gavin got up and went with her. As they were walking, Ann said, "You like her don't you?" Gavin looked down at her somewhat startled. "Cassie. You like her right?" "She's married," Gavin said uncertainly, not sure if Ann knew what was going on. He didn't like Chris, but he appreciated the fact that he was putting on a charade for his father's happiness. He didn't want to spoil it. "Yeah, and we all know that that is a farce. So just tell me the truth." "I like her. A lot," Gavin admitted. "Then why didn't you ever tell her before? Four years is plenty of time." "Well, I never realised how much she meant to me until she got married." Gavin admitted sheepishly. "Didn't know a good thing until it was taken away huh?" Ann said, stopping in front of a room. "Why are all guys so typical?" Gavin wisely didn't reply to that. "Well, this is your room. You know, you have time with her. My brother really likes her too, and you know, he might just fight tooth and nail for her. There is something about her that seems to get through his extremely hard exterior. You'd better be prepared to defend what you love." Ann said quietly. "I don't love her," Gavin said, and immediately regretted his words. But they were the truth. He didn't love her. He just liked her a lot. Ann looked up at him. "Well, then that makes two people who don't deserve her." With that cryptic statement, she walked away, leaving Gavin with his thoughts. --- Cassie yawned as she pulled out the T-shirt and shorts she wore as pyjamas. It had been a long day, and the drive here had been exhausting, but worth it. The lake was beautiful, and the cabin was lovely, although more a log mansion than a log cabin. A soft smile lit her face as she tried to picture Chris as a kid, swimming in the water and having fun. She shook her head. "No," she told herself sternly. "You're not supposed to have those thoughts. Snap out of it." But she couldn't help it. Today had been so strange. Chris was behaving possessively towards her, touching her every opportunity he got. She closed her eyes, and could still feel her body tingle in all the places that he had touched her. The underside of her elbow, her right shoulder, the indent where her waist flared into her hips; she could feel his touch like a brand, and she shivered from the memories. That kiss in the morning had been unnerving too. She could not figure out when things had changed. One day, he was treating her as usual, and the second... She let out a sudden yelp as Chris tackled her from behind, almost lifting her off the ground as he wrapped his arms around her. She tried to wiggle free, but like in the morning, Chris wouldn't let her. Finally, she gave up the struggle and let herself be held.Chris just stood there for a while, his cheek on her hair, his hands tight around her waist. He was tired, and he only had the energy to curl up and sleep now. "I'm sleepy," he said against her hair. "So go to sleep," Cassie said, a bit annoyed, but her voice was soft. She knew how tired he was. "I can't," he replied. "I need you in bed with me." Cassie stifled a sigh. "You didn't need me in bed before this," she said, still annoyed. "I did. I just didn't tell you," he replied and bent his head down to nuzzle her neck. Cassie relented. She was drained out, and didn't have any energy to argue. She also found that she was fast becoming addicted to his touch. To his warm, firm, exciting touch. "Fine. But let me change." She felt him nod and loosen his grip. She slipped out of his arms and went to the bathroom to change. Complicated Love Pt. 03 When she came out, he was in bed, his eyes on her. He held out his arms, and she found herself climbing into them. He pulled her close under the sheets, and she felt herself pressed up against his hard length. He wore only thin track pants and she could feel the heat emanating from his bare chest. He bent his mouth toward hers and kissed her softly. To her surprise, she found herself responding. His tongue explored the sweet recesses of her mouth as his hands explored her body. She let out a soft moan when he cupped her breasts, his hands warm and calloused. When he pulled away from her mouth and bent his head to her throat, she just let him. She was unable to resist, didn't want to resist. His hands had found the nipple beneath the thin cotton of her t-shirt, and he was flicking it lightly with his finger. His mouth moved below, over her T-shirt, exploring the curve of her breast under the thin fabric. When his mouth slid over her nipple, she gasped and arched, the sensitive nub hardening beneath his probing tongue. He sucked lightly, teasing the little nub with his tongue. Cassie let out a low moan as pleasure washed over her. He pulled away, and she could see the damp fabric sticking to her hard nipple. Chris looked at Cassie, his eyes dark with desire. Her chestnut hair was spread over the pillow, her green eyes heavily lidded. A blush stole over her face, making it pink. She was breathing in soft gasps. "Troublemaker," he said as he pulled her to him, her head pillowed on his chest. "I just want to sleep." Cassie lay there as Chris nodded off, warm in his embrace. She could hear the faint beating of his heart, and feel his breathing. She felt a rush of tenderness. She nestled against him and closed her eyes. Soon, she was fast asleep. Complicated Love Pt. 04 Chapter 6 Chris groaned as he walked up to the cabin, carrying most of their swimming equipment. He looked back to see Gavin walking with Cassie, making her laugh. Ann followed with James; Chris was the lone pack mule bringing up the rear. He scowled and continued to drag the various tubes and floats up to the cabin. His hands were aching, and he was angry at the fact that Gavin did not even offer to help. Cassie turned back and joined Chris. "You want some help?" Cassie asked softly, looking up at him. "No, it's okay," Chris said, managing a small smile. "You just walk on with Gavin, I'll be fine," and trailed off as Cassie pulled a few floats from his hand and hefted them onto her back. "There," she smiled, "Now it won't be that uncomfortable." Chris looked at her in surprise as they continued to walk. How did she know that he was finding it awkward to hold all the floats? They weighed almost nothing, but stuck out at weird angles. Besides, he was sure he was not showing any outward signs of exhaustion. "You're angry," the statement, softly spoken, sounded in his head like a bombshell. He had not known how intuitive she was. "What makes you think I'm angry?" he asked, keeping his tone light. He knew she would start worrying if she knew he was upset, and he did not want to spoil her weekend. Little did he know that he could not hide anything from her, not even if he wanted to. "You are. This isn't about last night is it? I am sorry, it is just that it is new to me, all of it. I have never been in this situation before, hell, I am not even sure if it is a situation. You threw me in the deep end, and it will take me some time to be able to navigate it," she said, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. Her cheeks were red and Chris wondered if she knew how adorable she looked when she blushed. He shook his head slightly, clearing his mind and thought about what she had just said. He was the first? She had to be joking. "I'm sorry," Cassie mumbled, her voice small and meek, and Chris realised that he had kept quiet for too long. She probably thought he was angry with her. "No, it's not that," he said quickly, trying to reassure her. "I've just been tired and the lake was supposed to help me unwind but I'm just getting more worked up. It's just so hard to believe that dad just has a few days left and well...." "Oh," she said, but she still looked sorry. She moved closer to him and for a brief moment rested her head on his shoulder. That small gesture pleased him, because he knew that now she trusted him. Just as that small show of affection had made Chris happy, it made Gavin angry. Rage flooded through him. Cassie was his! She always had been. He had known her for over four years now, and she had only known Chris for two years. He was much closer to her. He slowed his pace so that they could catch up to him. As they got closer, he heard Cassie laughing, and the sound enraged him. She was not supposed to laugh for Chris, she was only supposed to laugh for him. He had not really noticed, but Cassie was a part of his life. No matter how much things changed, she was always constant. Now, she had brought on the biggest change of all, and he wanted her back His mind suddenly cleared and he realised that he was being overly possessive. He wondered at his sudden, caveman-like feelings and slowed his pace even more. He had never been this possessive before. He looked up at the couple behind him. He noticed that Cassie walked close to Chris, and that she looked up at him with trust and affection in her eyes. He had never seen her do that to anyone before. He stopped and stood there, unable to move as he made a decision. He would back off. Cassie obviously liked Chris, and he had no right to force his feelings on her. However, she had to know, so she could make her choice. Sighing, he resumed walking. "Why do I have to think so much," he berated himself. "Why can't I just be selfish for once?" But he couldn't be selfish now, not with her. Because, in the most inconvenient way, he realised that he loved her. --- Cassie stood outside the cabin, looking at the lake before her. She could hear the buzzing of crickets and that calmed her down. She needed to be calm now. She gazed at the black water of the lake, searching for an answer in its depths. What was happening to her? Ever since her marriage with Chris, she had been changing. The change was so slow that she did not even notice it, but Chris's behaviour in the past two days had forced her to acknowledge it. First, she knew that she did not love Gavin anymore, not the way she used to. Somewhere in the last two months, he had become more of a brother, a close friend. She realized that what she had labelled love was actually intense infatuation. And Chris...Chris made her tingle. He brought on a rush of feelings and sensations that she had never experienced before. The hot flush of desire she felt every time he looked at her was something that had never happened before. She had never wanted someone like this, like the way she wanted Chris. The way she felt about him wasn't the way she had felt about Gavin. The feelings ran deeper, much deeper and were more primal. But she didn't know how to express them. She shivered in the cool air and tried to sort herself out. Whom did she want? Why had her feelings changed? She had wanted to talk to Ann, but everyone had been tired that evening, so she had gone to bed. Even Chris was asleep. He had been so tired that she had told him to go to bed, but only after he made her promise to join him soon. Taking advantage of the unexpected solitude, she had gone back to the lake. She heard soft footsteps behind her, and turned to look at Gavin walking toward her. He came and stood beside her, his hands in his pocket, his eyes on the lake. He turned them to Cassie now. "What are you doing here? It's late and it's freezing," he said, squinting at her in the darkness. "I needed time to think," Cassie answered, hugging herself against the cold. "What about? You can tell me," Gavin said, his gaze still on her face. Cassie sighed and was about to tell him that it didn't matter when she realised that he would be able to help her. "Can I tell you a secret?" she asked, moving closer to him. "Anything. You can tell me anything." "Chris and I have a paper marriage," she confessed. "And well, now I have these feelings and I don't know..." she trailed off, not able to form a coherent sentence. "I know." Gavin said. "Chris told me," he said, answering the question in her eyes. "What should I do?" she asked. "I'm not sure about my own feelings, and well, Chris can have anyone he wants to, so why would he choose me? Why want me when he can have anyone he wants to?" Her words had pierced Gavin's heart and he closed his eyes against the sudden pain. "You should let him know how you feel. Maybe not tell him, but show him," he said, his voice gruff, his eyes fixed on some distant point in the lake. "Maybe I should," Cassie said musingly, and looked up at Gavin. The expression in her green eyes warmed him. It was love, and gratitude. But it wasn't the love he wanted. "Thanks Gavin," she said, impulsively hugging him. "I love you." The words, spoken softly, came out involuntarily, and Cassie was surprised to find that she meant them. She did love him, he was her best friend, her guide, the person who would be there for her no matter what. But he wasn't Chris. And that was okay. She still loved him. "I love you too, Cass," Gavin said as he returned her hug and then pushed her away. "Now go and get him," he said, giving her a little shove in the direction of the cabin. Cassie walked off, leaving Gavin standing alone in the darkness. --- Chris turned restlessly in bed, wondering where Cassie was. He was tired, and could not sleep. He wanted Cassie's warmth beside him and was finding it hard to sleep without her at his side. He sighed and turned again, trying to sleep. Suddenly, he felt the bed covers being pulled and felt Cassie slip in. He lay there, a bit angry with her. He also knew that until she was asleep, she would not allow him to hold her to him. So he waited. To his surprise, he felt Cassie put her arms around him and cuddle into his back. Her leg slipped over his and her head rested against his back. In a few moments, she had fallen asleep. Chris lay there, astonished. He carefully turned, but woke her anyway. "Go to sleep," she mumbled, cuddling into his chest. "It's late." "But I didn't get my kiss yet," he whispered, pulling her to him. Cassie lifted her face to his, and gently, of her own volition, kissed him. It was a tentative, gentle kiss, but she told him a great deal through it. She told him that she was not scared of him, wasn't frightened, and wanted to give whatever it was they had a chance. She told him that feelings she did not know existed were awakening inside her. He returned the kiss passionately, trying to tell her how happy that made him. After he had kissed her thoroughly, he pulled back and looked into her flushed face. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and her eyes were dark with desire, but now was not the time. He pulled her to him until their bodies were fully touching, put an arm around her and closed his eyes. She did the same, and in a few minutes, they were fast asleep. The next morning, Cassie came down to find a note from Gavin. "Needed to get back to work. Caught a bus from town. Sorry about leaving so early, but I will catch up with you later." "Wonder why he left so abruptly," Cassie mused as she re-read his note. "Who left?" Chris asked as he twined his arms around her. He rested his head on her shoulder and read the note. "Maybe he really had some important work to do." "Maybe," Cassie said, but she was still troubled. Gavin did not usually do this. She thought back to their talk last night. Had she said something wrong? No, she decided, she had not. Maybe he really had work to do. "Good morning then," she said as she turned in his embrace and kissed him lightly. "It's a good morning that's going to get even better," he said, promise in his voice as he captured her lips for a longer, lingering kiss. "Much better." --- Chapter 7 "You left," Ann said into the phone, popping a cracker into her mouth. "How did you get my number?" Gavin asked irritably. "I'm pretty sure I didn't give it to someone as annoying as you." He knew he was being churlish, but he was a scorned man and he thought he was entitled. Besides, it was Ann. "I snitched it from Cassie's phone," Ann said nonchalantly. "So, what was it? Did she tell you no to your face or did you decide to be gallant and allow her to figure out her feelings herself?" "Why should I tell you?" Gavin asked, scowling. Ann got on his nerves. "Cause you can't tell anyone else," she replied. "A little of both," Gavin admitted grudgingly. "She told me she was developing feelings for Chris, and didn't know what to do. So I told her to tell him how she felt, and after that, well, I left. I need some space now." There was silence for a while. "You there?" Gavin asked, a trifle concerned when Ann didn't reply. "Yeah," she replied softly. The teasing note had left her voice. "You're a nice guy, you know that?" "I've been told," Gavin said cautiously. What was she up to now? "Well, bye. And Gavin," she paused. "Good luck." Gavin smiled a sad smile as he disconnected the call, and looked at the road ahead. It was taking him home, and that's where he wanted to be. He pulled out his cell phone again, and called Melissa. "You back home?" he asked waiting with bated breath for her answer. He needed her now, like he had needed no one else. "Yeah," she said, concerned. His voice was raspy. "You just come home. I'm here." Gavin clicked the phone shut and closed his eyes. All he with certainty was that if Chris ever hurt Cassie, Gavin would kill him. --- Ann shrieked as Cassie splashed water on her, and retaliated by splashing her right back. Chris watched with James from the water's edge as the two got into a water fight. "When you behave like that, you have me convinced that you're both about nine," Chris called, grinning when both Ann and Cassie stuck their tongues out at him. His father smiled as he saw them. It was something that had been missing from their lives for far too long. "Yeah? Look who's talking," Ann retorted. "Cassie, wasn't he the one we caught in the kitchen in the morning today stealing cookies?" "I wasn't stealing," Chris started to say when Cassie doused him with a wave of cold water. "You talk too much," she said, a cheeky grin on her face, before shrieking when he ran in after her to tackle her. Ann saw them both and walked out, shivering as the cool air met her wet skin. She sat down on the towel beside James and grinned when Chris dunked Cassie under the water. "They look so happy," James said softly as he watched his son and his daughter. "I haven't seen him this happy in a long time." "I know," Ann said, "And I'm putting it all down to Cassie. She makes him smile." "She does, doesn't she? She's rare, she is. I wonder how he got her to agree to marriage." Ann looked up sharply at the comment, but James's face just had innocent speculation. "Oh," she replied. "She led him a merry chase." "Your mother led me a merry chase," he said, his features soft as he remembered his departed wife. "But you caught her didn't you?" Ann asked, smiling up at him. Her mother had been the sweetest soul on earth, but she was also a woman with her own mind. Her father and her mother had stayed together for 18 years before cancer took her away from him. "Now I just want to see you happy," James said, looking down at his daughter. "Don't go there Dad," Ann. said, grinning. "I am happy. Besides, after what happened, I'm not the biggest fan of relationships. At least, any that I'm involved in. It just so seems that my taste in men is terrible..." She let the words trail off and James saw her features hardening. He couldn't blame her. Ann's last relationship had been with a man who'd only told her he was married after nearly two years. It had shattered Ann. "Good thoughts," he whispered as he patted his daughter's head. "Think good thoughts." Ann nodded and leaned into him, and both of them watched as Chris carried a squealing Cassie out of the water. "She needs to have a 'Hazard to mankind' sign around her neck," Chris joked as he let a kicking Cassie on to the ground. "I've got some bruises that'll last for days." "You deserved them," Cassie said wickedly, before enveloping a surprised Chris in a bear hug. "I'm cold. Let us get back. We have to start early tomorrow morning too" "Not early," Ann complained. We'll leave in the evening. I hate getting up early." "Fine," Chris said, lightly pushing his sister. "We all know how much you need your beauty sleep." James leant on Cassie and walked back to the cabin, both of them laughing as they watched Ann chase her brother with threats to wallop him when she caught him. --- After dinner that night, Cassie stood on the patio and watched the stars, trying to figure out when her life became so good. Yesterday, she thought, after that talk with Gavin. Today had been an amazing day, and Chris was so attentive and caring that she felt herself melt every time she saw him. Right now, Chris, Ann and James were playing poker. They should have finished by now, she thought just as she felt Chris wrapping his arms around her. "Ann and Dad have gone to bed," he whispered in her ear. "Let's go to ours." She followed him wordlessly, allowing him to lead her to the bed. She knew it was time, and she was excited, nervous and aroused. Ever since last night, the urge to jump into bed with Chris was getting stronger, and she was completely willing to give into those urges. Granted that she didn't know him very well, but she had stayed with him for months, and she liked what she saw. There was nothing more she could ask for. Now, the time had come. Once they were in the room and Chris had locked the door, they shed their clothes quickly. The minute Cassie let the last item of clothing fall, she was in Chris's arms, and he was kissing her like she was the only woman on earth. The need, the desire in that kiss sent Cassie's emotions racing, and more than anything else, she wanted to be close to him. She twined her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her so she could savour his desire. Their tongues met and entwined Cassie's soft sighs and moans of pleasure telling Chris exactly how much she wanted him. His hands slid from her waist to her ass, cupping the soft cheeks in his hand and squeezing gently. Cassie responded by pushing herself into his kneading hands. Chris realised that he needed to be with her, now, right at that moment. Breaking the kiss, he deftly picked her up, ignored the small squeak of surprise and gently laid her on the bed. He stood back and admired the picture she made. Green eyes, glazed with lust looked up at him; her lips were parted, swollen from his kisses. Her chest heaved and her he could see her lightly pebbled nipples, now swollen with desire. His gaze lowered to settle over her smoothly rounded stomach, down to the softness of her thighs and calves, right down to her small, delicate feet. His blood hot with desire, he lay down beside her, and kissed her again, before letting his mouth savour her breasts. They were heavy and soft, and tasted sweet as he ran his tongue first over one, then another. He deliberately circled her nipples, not taking them into his mouth until Cassie clutched at his hair with frustration. He gave in to the insistent pressure of her hands and engulfed one nipple with his mouth. Cassie bucked against him, and let out a loud moan. He smiled inwardly, and sucked softly. Her cries grew louder as he squeezed the other nipple between his fingers. When she was quivering with pleasure, he let his tongue slide down, laving over her navel before stopping at the apex of her thighs. He gently spread her legs, and she gave in to the pressure, until he could see her nether regions. Her nether lips were swollen and pink, crying out for his attention. Without wasting a moment, he slid his tongue over her, thrusting one finger into her wet warmth. Her thighs closed, squeezing his head as she let out a loud moan. He continued licking her, nibbling and stroking, until she was soft and plaint in his arms, breathing in gasps as pleasure washed over her in waves. Cassie felt a tingling in her body, a tightening, which only increased when Chris slid a finger inside her. His finger felt incredibly large, and incredibly good. With a last, final cry, she climaxed, clamping down on him and then lay still. Chris looked into her yes, smoky with desire, as he moved back up her body, glad that he had brought her such pleasure. When he lay over her, she quickly turned him over and straddled him. She bent down to kiss him, tasting herself in his mouth. "Its time to give," she said sweetly into his ear before sliding down and grasping his erection in her hands. It seemed huge to her. It was warm, soft, but hard at the same time too. She experimentally rubbed the head, feeling it jerk in her hands. She had never seen a man's penis before, not unless you counted biology class, and she was fascinated. The shaft that she held was heavy in her hands, and she could see the faint veins that ran at the base. She started kissing it, gently, quick butterfly kisses, until Chris groaned again. Chris groaned at the light contact, and Cassie got a mischievous glint in her eyes. Without any warning, she took him in her mouth, as much as she could handle. She felt his hands twining in her hair, guiding her, and she followed his lead. She sucked strongly, tasting him as he had tasted her. Just as she settled into a rhythm, he pulled her up roughly, polled her beneath him and thrust into her. Sudden tears filled her eyes as he took her virginity. Shocked, Chris held still, knowing that she would need time to adjust. He was absolutely astounded. He did not know that she was a virgin, she had not told him. He had had more than his share of women, but he's never made love to a virgin, and now, taking Cassie's virginity stirred feelings that he didn't know existed. Complicated Love Pt. 04 Gently, his kissed away the tears that had gathered in Cassie's eyes at his sudden invasion. Cassie looked up at him, thankful that he held still, for he felt large inside her. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest, staying like that until he felt the pain recede and a newer, nicer feeling stirred deep within her. "Please move," she whispered, needing release desperately. With a low growl, he took her lips in his and began thrusting slowly, letting her get used to him. When she loosened beneath him, he increased the speed of his thrusts, still careful not to her. "Wrap your legs around me," he said, and after waiting till she had complied, started thrusting. Her hips were moving beneath his, tentatively pushing back, making him rush toward his orgasm. Wanting to prolong her pleasure, Chris slowed his thrusts. "Don't stop," Cassie pleaded her eyes dark with desire. "I want you now." Chris returned to the earlier rhythm then, knowing that she needed his release. She needed to feel him lose himself in her body. In moments, he was there, Cassie's legs tightened and she moaned, as she felt Chris's orgasm. He seated himself deeply in her and bent his head to her breast, sucking her nipple as he gained his release. They both lay there, absolutely still until the aftershocks left them. Chris brought his lips to Cassie's and kissed her, a soft, lingering, tender kiss. "Let's get you washed up," he said, and gently picked her up and took her to the bathroom. He gently washed the blood off her, stroking her with until she lay limp in his hands. They both stood in the shower together for nearly ten minutes, letting the warm water cascade over them both and clean them. After that, Chris towelled Cassie down and curled up with her on the bed after changing the soiled sheets. He pulled the heavy quilt over them both and smiled when Cassie burrowed under the covers, snuggling closer to him. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked softly, stroking her damp hair away from her face. "I knew you'd be gentle," she replied, her voice muffled against his chest. "I didn't think you'd want me if you knew I was a virgin." The last part of her reply was said in a meek voice, her eyes looking up at him, beseeching him not to show anger. "You little idiot," he said as he pulled her closer, twining his legs with hers. "Nothing could have stopped me from wanting you. I just wish I could have been gentler" "Don't you dare," she replied sleepily, her eyelids drooping. "It didn't hurt much." "I promise, it will not hurt again. It'll only feel good." Chris did not say anything else; he just watched her sleep and thought about the feelings that had awakened inside him. He looked at her and felt tenderness and affection fill his heart. There was something else, but he could not name it. He drifted off to sleep, content and more fulfilled than he had ever been before. Complicated Love Pt. 05 Chapter 8 Cassie rubbed her eyes and continued to stare at the computer screen, before giving up and leaning back in one of the comfortable chairs present in Chris's office. It had been a week since they had returned from that weekend at the cabin, and Cassie had never had a lovelier week in her life. Chris made her feel important and special, but most of all, he made her feel beautiful. Cassie had always been insecure about the way she looked. Having grown up in a world where the meaning of beauty was to be extremely thin, she had been teased and hurt throughout school and college for being on the heavier side. But when she saw Chris look at her, she felt all those insecurities melt away. He looked at her as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world, and as though no one would ever be able to compare to her. She yawned and closed her eyes, resting them for a minute before opening them to the softly lit room. Chris was working late and Ann and James had gone to bed. She looked at the clock on the desk. It read 11:30 in large, lurid green numbers. Barely suppressing another yawn, Cassie closed her eyes again, and before she knew it, was asleep. --- Chris parked the car in the driveway and let himself into the house, careful not to make any noise. He knew that his father and Ann would be asleep, but was quite sure that Cassie had stayed up for him again. It was the thought of her waiting up for him that had finally forced him to abandon his work and drive home. He checked the dining room and the kitchen before heading to his study. He found her there, asleep on the comfortable chair, her computer on behind her. Chris grinned and switched off the system, saving all her files before he did so, and picked her up from the chair. She was heavy, but it was a pleasant weight, and Chris did not mind. Cassie stirred against him, and opened her eyes. Chris felt a sharp stab of desire when she looked up at him from beneath her long lashes with sleepy, startlingly green eyes. "I fell asleep again," she mumbled, before she realised the Chris was carrying her. "Put me down," she said, fully awake now, and wiggling in his arms. "I'm too heavy!" Chris just held her tighter and carried her to their bedroom, which was opposite the study. He gently laid her on the bed before stepping back and stripping off his clothes. "You complain too much," he teased gently as he undid his shirt. "I'm going to take a bath now. Join me?" The look of pure lust that he sent her had Cassie speechless with desire. She nodded and they undressed each other before they walked into the large bathroom. Chris began to run the bath while Cassie added a few bath salts and a generous portion of bubble bath to the water. When the tub was full, Chris lowered himself into the tub and brought Cassie down with him. The warm water helped wash away the tension is his body. "How was your day?" Cassie asked, leaning back against him. Although he wanted to make love, he wanted to sit still for a while with Cassie pressed up against him. "Tiring, and very, very stressful," Chris replied, his arms tightening around Cassie. He bent his head down to her neck and gently kissed her, sucking on the small spot until she let out a small gasp. "Mallory and Co. have pulled out of the City Centre financing, so we need to find a new financier and fast," Chris told her, his hands stroking her dimpled stomach. "Why?" Cassie asked her voice slightly breathy as she felt the sensations caused by Chris's slow and sensual stroking engulfing her. "Oh, some problem with the board. But that's not the issue. Still, I think someone will come forward soon. It is an excellent project. Investing in it is worth it." Chris was now stroking her inner thighs; feather light touches that made her tense up in his lap. "Of course," Cassie managed to gasp out, her hands tightly holding his thighs. "What about the designing of the project? Wasn't Emily's team working on it?" "Yes," Chris replied, now moving his hands to her breasts. "But I think I'll assign George to it too. She'll need the extra hands." "She won't like it," Cassie said, her voice a whisper. "She doesn't..." She trailed off when she felt Chris pinch her nipple gently. She pushed her soft bottom into his lap, and felt him, throbbing and hot, against her. "She doesn't what?" Chris asked, a smile on his face as he turned Cassie around on his lap. It was an uncomfortable manoeuvre, and water sloshed outside the tub. "She doesn't like working with George," Cassie said, deciding that it was high time she did the tormenting. She slid a small down stroke to Chris's harness. She gave it an affectionate squeeze, and smiled when she felt in jerk in her hand. "They have their differences." "Really?" Chris gasped, his arousal reaching its peak. "Well, she should sort out their differences don't you think?" "Oh, definitely...." Cassie trailed off again as Chris pushed his finger inside her. She was wet, ready, and needed him desperately. But she wouldn't give in. "George should make an effort, too." "It's a two-way road huh? Everyone needs to give and sometimes, give in..." Chris said as he lifted Cassie slightly and positioned his erection at the edge of her opening. He let her slide down, her velvet sheath slowly engulfing him. "Really?" Cassie managed to breathe out as he began thrusting slowly in her. The friction caused due to the water just increased the pleasure of their gentle lovemaking. "You'd give in?" "George silly," Chris said, before bending his head to suck on one of her puckered nipples. "I never give in." Too shattered to even speak, Cassie didn't say anything, just closed her eyes and savoured the sensations that he was making her feel. She slid her arms around his neck and began undulating on his lap, her face buried in his neck. Slowly, his thrusts increased and he began slamming into her as his orgasm approached, but he held back, determined to give her pleasure first. Cassie came moments later. Spent, they both let themselves become limp, and held on to each other. "That was nice," Cassie mumbled into Chris's neck, suddenly very sleepy. "But very uncomfortable for you, I think." "My butt is feeling a bit flat," Chris admitted, a rueful grin on his face. "Making love in the bath isn't all that it was cut out to be, hmm?" "Mmm," Cassie said, and closed her eyes. Chris chuckled gently and rose, carefully lifting Cassie up with him. It was difficult to do so, as the slippery water swirled around him, almost making him slip. He quickly set Cassie down on the edge of the bathtub. "C'mon," he said gently. "We need to get washed up." Cassie rose unsteadily and leaned on Chris while he turned on the shower and washed away all traces of soap. After, he rubbed them both down and after looking at the messy bathroom with despair, burrowed into bed with Cassie. "There's a charity ball next weekend," he said, softly, pulling her against him so that she was pressed to him. "We need to attend." "Why?" Cassie asked, not wanting to attend at all. She still disliked large parties. "Because we sponsor the charity." Chris said dryly. "Besides, it's a fund raiser and all proceeds go to charity, so why not?" "I hate you," Cassie mumbled. "But I'll still go because I love you." Chris breath stilled when he heard the words, but he forced himself to think that she had meant them jokingly. "Isn't that a contradiction?" he asked, amusement in his voice. "No." Cassie said firmly before turning so that her back was nestled against his back and pulling his arms around her. "Now go to sleep." Chris chuckled gently and closed his eyes, wondering whether she had really meant what she said. Suddenly, it mattered to him. It had never mattered when numerous other women said it, but it mattered when Cassie said it. Cassie's eyes were wide open, and she was cursing herself. She relaxed when she felt Chris's steady breathing. "You little idiot," she admonished herself. "Why did you have to tell him that? It's only been a week, you'll scare him off!" But she had meant what she had said. Incredible as it seemed, she had fallen in love with Chris and would do anything for him. She wanted to protect him, and be protected by him in turn. She wanted to share his life in every way. She wanted to grow old with him. Troubled by the intensity of her emotions, and what she felt was a foolish admission, Cassie allowed herself to sink into the comfort of his embrace and go to sleep. --- Chapter 9 "I look fat," Cassie said in deadpan when she saw herself in the mirror. The jade green dress she was wearing outlined every curve she possessed and made her look voluptuous and beautiful. The combination of the dress, her eyes and her long, curly, mahogany hair was excellent. "You do not," chorused Melissa and Ann in unison, who had come shopping with her. They were trying to find suitable clothes for the fund raiser. Chris had managed to get tickets for Melissa and Gavin, but Gavin had declined. Melissa, on the other hand, was excited at the prospect of meeting so many people and was raring to go. "I do," Cassie said defiantly. "I liked the brown dress better." The brown dress in question was made of chiffon and looked as elegant as a sack. It effectively hid all of Cassie's curves and made her look like she was wearing a half-sewn caftan. Melissa and Ann looked at each other and sighed. "What about the other one?" Melissa asked. This dress was black and had a corset style bodice that managed to squeeze Cassie's voluptuous figure into hourglass proportions. It ended just below the knee. "It's okay I suppose," Cassie said doubtfully, looking at it. It did manage to flatten her stomach a bit. "Fine," Ann said, cashing in on the opportunity. She wanted to buy it before Cassie changed her mind. "Get this one too," Melissa said, holding out the green dress. "A backup." Ann nodded gravely and before Cassie could say anything, had bought the two dresses. "I don't need backup," she told Ann and Melissa crossly. "You didn't need to buy two dresses. Which one should I wear now?" "Oh, maybe you can ask Chris to choose between the two," Ann said, giving her a wicked wink, knowing full well which one Chris would choose. Cassie glared at her. "Stop squabbling," Melissa said good-naturedly. "Let's get a latte before we hit the stores for jewellery. I have been run off my feet trying to shop for Cassie. Shopping for myself and Ann was so much easier." Cassie shifted her glare to Melissa while Ann giggled. It had been easier with Melissa and Ann. Melissa looked stunning in an amber, ankle length dress with a short jacket while Ann had bought a dark blue sheath that lovingly emphasized her figure. "Do we really need jewellery?" Cassie groaned as they entered a café. "Don't you both have enough already?" "Oh, we have enough," Melissa and Ann answered in unison. "It's for you." "You can't wear those pearls with everything. Or that silver chain." Melissa added. Cassie sighed and braced herself for more shopping. How she had managed to get herself into this mess, she didn't really remember. Then, a sudden memory of Chris and a bathtub sprang into her mind and she blushed, her cheeks turning crimson. Oh well, she remembered now. "Why me?" she groaned softly as she saw the two women sitting across her. "Why do I have to have such friends?" "Because you deserve us!" Ann said with a grin, and laughed when Cassie kicked her under the table. It was going to be a long afternoon. --- Gavin looked at the TV, but he wasn't really seeing it. He was thinking about Cassie, and Melissa. Funny how the two women he needed most were in his life, but he still went around looking for them in other women. Well, Cassie was not his anymore, and that was his fault. But Melissa was there. He had come back from the cabin a complete wreck. He barely remembered landing up outside Melissa's apartment. But he had, and hadn't gone home yet. He had simply moved some of his clothes here and was living with her. They did not sleep together, but they shared a bed and Melissa comforted him. When Gavin had come home, Melissa had suspected something of this sort, but when she found out that it was Cassie, she was astonished. After a while, she thought that she should have seen it coming. She still had no idea what her feelings toward Gavin exactly were, but she was close enough to let him stay with her and let him share his pain with her. Gavin knew that he was being stupid, that he could not replace Cassie with Melissa, but he knew that there was something between them. He had been friends with Cassie too long and had ignored the sparks between them until it was too late. He did not want to make the same mistake with Melissa. He knew that he did not love her, but he wanted to let a relationship develop and see where it went. He did not want to miss out on finding his soul mate because he was scared of hurting his friendship. He had to try, he decided. He just had to try. And while he was trying, he might try getting over Cassie too, and try feeling happy for her. It was damn difficult, but for all their sakes, he just had to try. --- Cassie stood in the room wearing a bathrobe, her hair loose over her shoulder. It was the night of the charity ball, and she still had not decided which dress to wear. She felt that the corset style one was better, but knew that Ann and Melissa had liked the green one better. She was still deciding when she felt Chris put his arms around her and bury his face in her freshly washed hair. "You smell nice," he said as he kissed her ear, before turning her around and gently dropping a kiss on her small nose. "I just had a bath," Cassie said, dimpling up at him. She turned back to the dresses which she had laid out o her be. "Which one do you think I should wear?" she asked, looking at Chris for help. "I can't tell you until you try it on," Chris said, pulling out a dress shirt from the wardrobe. "Go on, try them on and I'll tell you." She quickly put on the corset-style dress first and showed it to him, wiggling her hips a little as he turned around to show him the back. "Very nice," Chris said as he took in his wife's wonderful figure. "Now the next one." Cassie slipped off the dress and put on the emerald green gown, adjusting it so that it covered her as much as possible. She turned to Chris, and was surprised to see him staring at her with a strange expression on his face. "It's beautiful," he rasped out, barely able to take his eyes off her. While the other dress had emphasized, this one subtly covered her curves, hinting at them and defining them sensually when she moved. "Definitely this one." "It's revealing," Cassie muttered, her cheeks red with embarrassment. "It is not," Chris said coming up to her to adjust the shoulder straps holding the dress up. "It's quite modest when you compare it with some o the outlandish creations that we will definitely see tonight. Do you have any jewellery to go with it?" "Yes," Cassie answered, reaching for her jewellery box. "Ann bought it." She pulled out a thin white gold chain with an emerald pendant, matching earrings and a bracelet. She let Chris fasten the chain and donned the earrings and the bracelet. When she began to pull her hair up, Chris stopped her and told her to leave it loose. She simply pulled it away from her face and fastened it with a comb, letting a few strands curl about her face while the rest fell to her waist in thick, mahogany waves. "Ready?" she asked Chris, who was looking handsome in his tux. "Ready," Chris smiled. --- When Cassie entered the ballroom where the ball was hosted, she felt panic rise up in her. She suddenly felt awkward, like she didn't belong. Her grip on Chris's hand tightened, and he squeezed back gently, reassuring her. "Might as well get it over with," Ann grimaced before a professional smile fell upon her face and she began to circulate. James had gone with her too. Chris handed Cassie a glass of champagne, hoping that it would calm her frazzled nerves. "Oh, if it isn't Cassie," a cool voice drawled, making Cassie look up sharply. She knew whom that voice belonged to, and she didn't like the woman one bit. "Hello Chris," Rosalie simpered, holding out her hand. Chris clasped it and kissed her cheek, almost blanching as her strong perfume wafted around him. Cassie looked at the way Rosalie was dressed, and had to admit that he gown was more conservative. Rosalie had chosen to wear an ice blue dress with a plunging neckline and a long slit, up to her thigh, which left very little to the imagination. Large diamonds glittered at her throat and ears, garish rather than elegant. From the way she had sidled up to Chris, and from the trapped expression in Chris's eyes, Cassie felt her resentment for the woman rise up a notch. Firmly putting herself between Rosalie and Chris, she held out a hand in greeting. "Hello Rosalie," she said pleasantly, watching from the corner of her eye as Chris escaped to talk to a group of people in the far side of the ballroom. When Chris was out of earshot, Rosalie whispered, "You bitch. He may be married to you, but he still wants me." "You keep away from my husband, Rosalie," Cassie said calmly, but there was steel in her voice. "Or I'll make you regret the fact that you're alive." "You think you're so wonderful," Rosalie sneered. "But do you know that Chris and I were engaged once?" From the shocked expression on Cassie's face, Rosalie guessed the answer. "You don't know Chris as well as I do Cassie, and I know that he'll come back to me." With those chilling words, Rosalie walked away, leaving Cassie utterly bewildered. Chris had been engaged? To Rosalie, of all people. She wondered what he had seen in Rosalie. Then suddenly, she wondered why he hadn't told her. Did he still have some feelings for Rosalie? --- Chris watched Cassie as she spoke to Rosalie, and then turned to look at him. The look s her eyes were accusing, and Chris had a bad feeling that Rosalie had said something that he wished she had not. Knowing that only confession could salvage the situation, he went up to her and pulled her resisting, onto the dance floor. A slow number started and they started swaying to the music. "You're tense. What did Rosalie say?" Chris asked his voice low. Cassie shot him a dirty look and said nothing. Sighing, Chris pulled her to him and began telling her. "Rosalie and I dated when I was 24. We even got engaged five years later, but the engagement broke up when she had a fling with a man richer than me. When she found out that he wasn't all that he claimed to be, she tried coming back, but I had seen through her. She was only after my money. That's why it all ended. It's been years since that, and I have never felt anything but regret over the relationship." Chris said it slowly, in one go, and took a deep breath when he finished. He felt Cassie's arms go around him and he breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't angry with him. As if to contradict that very thought, she said, "I'm angry with you for not telling me, but I can understand why you didn't say anything." Chris said nothing, just bent down to kiss her tenderly before resting his cheek on her head. "Just tell me next time. I didn't like Rosalie getting the upper hand." Chris chuckled at the irritation in Cassie's voice. Rosalie really rubbed her the wrong way. "You must have loved her to stay with her for so long." Cassie's voice was hesitant this time, and Chris could hear the fear and uncertainty in it. He kissed her again. "I loved someone else, not Rosalie. The real Rosalie was very, very different to the Rosalie that you know. You have to understand that. I don't love her any more." Complicated Love Pt. 05 "Good," Cassie mumbled before putting her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. The song came to an end, and she gently pulled him off the dance floor. "Just tell me," she said, her eyes pleading. "I want to share things with you. Please." A crowded ballroom wasn't the best place to have this conversation, but Chris saw the expression in her eyes and knew that if he refused her now, he could lose her for ever, and that was something he was not going to let happen. He pulled her to a secluded corner, and chose his words with care. "Cassie, I'm a private person, I always have been. I find it difficult to share myself with others. You're one of the few people with whom I let my guard down. Just give me time, okay? I'm trying. I really am." Cassie nodded and hugged him, letting him know through that hug just how much what he said meant to her. "Now shall we enjoy the rest of the ball?" he asked gently, looking at her lovely face. Cassie sniffed. With a slight look of alarm, he asked, "You aren't going to cry, are you?" "And ruin the mascara Ann spent 15 minutes applying? Never," Cassie grinned, still looking a bit tearful. Relieved, Chris led her to another group of people when he noticed Ann. He stopped and looked at them. Cassie looked too. Ann was talking to a tall, intelligent looking man, slightly skinny, but with an attractive face. He was wearing a fitted suit that emphasized his height and the thin, rimless glasses he wore added to his intellectual looking face. He was holding Ann by the elbow, and she was standing next to him, her body near his in a way that suggested physical intimacy. "Did you know Ann was seeing someone?" Cassie asked Chris, looking puzzled. "No," Chris answered, equally baffled. "But they certainly are a couple. C'mon. I want to meet him." Chris pulled a protesting Cassie up to them and glared at the man. "Ann, who is this?" he asked, his tone brusque. Cassie winced. "I'm Samuel Taylor," the man said, extending his hand to Chris. "Hi," Cassie said brightly, trying to make up for her husband's abrupt and rude behaviour. Why did men adopt cavemen like attitudes when it came to dealing with their sister's boyfriend? "Sam was just leaving," Ann cut in, looking angry and happy at the same time. "Weren't you Sam?" "No, not really," he replied. "I can stay for a while longer." Now Ann glared at him. Deciding that the poor man had enough glaring for one night, Cassie pulled Chris away from them and toward the buffet table. "I don't like him," he said, his eyes still on Sam. "You never will," Cassie murmured, thrusting a plate into his hands and steering him away. --- Melissa returned home at three in the morning. She let herself in and sank into the couch, kicking her shoes off. Her heels may look sexy, but they weren't made for comfort. She hardly noticed as Gavin came, sat beside her and lifted her feet onto his lap and began massaging them. "Bliss," Melissa sighed as the ache in her feet began to lessen. "Anytime, "Gavin grinned, easing the pain in her feet away. "How was the ball?" "Excellent," Melissa said, her eyes closed. "And tiring. I met some amazing people, made some lovely contacts and managed to become so tired that I could sleep for a week." Gavin chuckled and continued to massage her feet. "Get into bed then," he said, pulling her up after he had finished. Melissa complied and soon, she was curled up beside him, sleeping with her arms splayed over the bed. Gavin pulled her close and thought that he could get used to going to sleep like this every night. Yes, he definitely could get used to this. --- Chris and Cassie reached home at around two, so exhausted that they could do nothing but change and drop into bed. "I feel like I've run a marathon," Cassie complained as she snuggled up to Chris. "A marathon would have been better," Chris groaned as he settled down and pulled her close. Soon, they were both asleep peacefully, wrapped around each other. Complicated Love Pt. 06 Chapter 10 Frieda sighed in frustration as she looked at the papers lying on her desk. Chris needed to sign them, and she was not sure when he was coming in. these papers had to be handed in tomorrow. She had no choice left but to take the papers to Chris's house and get them signed there. However, she did not want to go to his house. She did not want to face him, not after the night he had spent at her place. Then, she really had not known about his marriage, no one had. She only found out about the truth when one very enterprising gossip columnist published an article regarding Chris's "Mystery wife" in the tabloids. Apparently, they had been seen at a social event, and their engagement and marriage had been a hush-hush affair. Frieda knew that when it came to conventional morals, her list had precious few, but even she drew a line at sleeping with married men. Her father had cheated on her mother, and she had seen firsthand all the pain that her mother had gone through. She had vowed that she would never cause that kind of pain, never inflict it on anyone. But she had. Unknowingly, yes, but she still had. She closed her eyes and cradled her head in her hands. She wondered what Chris would do when he saw her. Would he pretend to ignore her? Maintain a professional visage? Or would he get angry? Maybe he would feel extremely guilty. Frieda hoped it was the latter. She liked Chris, maybe even loved him, and had once looked forward to a long term relationship with him, but she felt that he needed to feel guilty for what he had done. "Oh Cassie," she groaned. "Just why did you have to get so lucky?" The fact that Cassie, introverted Cassandra Stevens, was Chris's wife had thrown everyone in the office for the loop. There had never been anything between them, and all the employees had been astounded when they found out about the marriage. Many snickered that it was a desperate move on Cassie's part to snare a wealthy husband. She had probably got herself pregnant and had trapped Chris into marrying her. Some others said that Chris was marrying Cassie out of pity, or some such codswallop. Frieda didn't believe all that. She did not know Cassie personally, but she knew that Cassie would never try and trap somebody into marriage, nor would she be able to live with someone who pitied her. No, there was another reason. "Of course," she told herself. "They could be deeply in love and you never noticed." "Then why did he sleep with you?" another voice in her head contradicted the first. "Why did he cheat on her?" Frieda rubbed her eyes and stood up. There was no point in muddling over all this right now. What had to be done had to be done. There were no two ways around it. Dropping in at the reception to clock her departure, she carried necessary papers and got into a company car to go to Chris's house. She hoped she found her answers there. --- Chris and Cassie strolled arm in arm behind James and Ann. James had wanted to go out again today and had insisted that Chris accompany them. To his surprise, Chris readily agreed. Now, they were walking back home because James was tired. Laughing and joking, the group entered the house through the kitchen door, not noticing the black BMW parked in the drive. "There's a Frieda Sommers waiting for you in the hall," Mrs Potts told Chris when she saw him. "She has some papers that you need to sign." "Frieda, yes..." Chris said, paling slightly. "You guys just stay here, I'll be a minute." "Okay," Cassie said, looking a bit surprised. "Take your time, we'll just go to the balcony and bask in the sun like lazy cats." "You do that," Chris said, a forced smile on his face. He did not notice the tightening around Ann's mouth. She had guessed, correctly, why he was being so abrupt. She sent Cassie and her father upstairs, and sat down in the kitchen, where she would be able to hear what was being discussed if she listened carefully. "It better not be what I think it is," Ann thought grimly. "For Chris's sake, it better not be." --- Chris walked into the living room, bracing himself for the pass he was sure Frieda would make. Maybe there would be tears, he did not know what to expect. But he knew that having her at his house was trouble. He saw Frieda seated in a corner of the room, legs crossed demurely, eyes hard. She had papers in her hands, and rose when Chris walked towards her. "Good afternoon Mr. Quentin," she said, her voice expressionless. "I have some papers that needed to be signed. I didn't know when you would come to the office next, so I thought that I'd bring them over myself." Chris nodded, taken aback. Whatever he had been expecting, it was not this. "You'll need to go through and sign them all by today. Most of them are due soon. You'll also need to come to the office sometime this week." "Yes, I will do that. Are you going to wait here till I finish this?" Chris asked, still unable to comprehend why she was being so detached. He had expected some anger, maybe even tears, but not this cool demeanour. "Yes." Frieda answered her gaze cold as she replied. "Okay," Chris said, confused, but he was not displeased. If she chose to not address the issues between them, then it did not do him any harm. He had wanted to apologize, but looking at her, he felt that it would not b the right thing to do. Time passed quickly as he immersed himself in the papers. He had to ask Frieda to help him in some areas, as he had not visited the office in a while, and was impressed by the amount she knew. "She'll need to be promoted," he thought as she pointed out a small, but immensely effective clause that could be added to make the deals that they would sign more effective. Nearly two hours later, Chris signed off the last paper. With Frieda's help, he had made two piles of the documents, one that was fine as it was and the other which needed a few changes. Cassie had come in for a short while and had helped with a few of the design specific documents. Frieda was friendly to her, and even laughed when Cassie made some dry remarks. But when she turned to Chris, her eyes become cold again. "I'll drop in at the office the day after tomorrow to review these," he said pointing to the second pile. Frieda nodded and carefully put the papers back into their respective binders and into a mailbag. Chris accompanied her to the car and stood as she carefully put the papers away. Then, she turned to him and Chris was taken aback by the hurt and the anguish that he saw in her eyes. "Why did you cheat on Cassie with me?" The words were spoken in a whisper, but the pain in them was quite obvious. "It's..." Chris said, but stopped when he saw the expression on her face. "I may not be a woman of very strong morals Chris, but I draw the line at sleeping with married men. I did not know about your marriage that night. If I had..." she trailed off, a small tear rolling down her cheek, "This can never happen again. You have hurt me very badly. Like a fool, I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could actually try to have a relationship with a person, but I was wrong. Just, don't cheat on her again will you? Cassie's a good person, and she doesn't deserve a cheating husband." Chris look at her, absolutely stunned. As Frieda opened the door to get in, he stopped her with a hand on her arm. She flinched away from his touch, but stood and looked at him, waiting to hear what he wanted to say. "I.....I wasn't exactly married when we slept together," he said softly. For some reason, he felt that he could trust her with the truth. "My father was dying, and he wanted me married. So I asked Cassie, as a favour, to have a paper marriage. She would have to stay here with me, help with the picture of being a happily married couple. That night, we weren't in any sort of relationship." "But now?" Frieda asked, she could see it in his eyes. He loved Cassie. "Things changed. I like her, and we have a relationship and I want to make it work. I..." "You love her." Frieda finished for him and almost laughed out loud when his eyes widened in surprise at her choice of words. Of course he didn't know he loved her. No matter how nice he was, he was still a clueless male. "Yeah, and I know this is asking too much of you, but do you think we could put all that behind us? Start as friends?" Chris knew it was a long shot, but he figured that it did not hurt to try. "You are asking too much," Frieda said flatly. "But I will consider it." She looked over his shoulder and smiled suddenly, before whispering, "Heads up, Cassie's coming." Chris nodded and turned to watch her making her way to them. "You're leaving?" Cassie asked. "You could say for a bit longer and have dinner and go. It'll take you forever to reach the office in the traffic, and you'll probably only have time to eat at around 11." "I'm good," Frieda said. "Don't like food much anyway. Bye Cassie." "Bye," Cassie waved. She turned to Chris, only to find him looking at her incredulously. "Frieda isn't really a friend is she?" he asked, knowing that Frieda really had not had much to do with Cassie in the office. "No, not really," Cassie shrugged, slipping and arm around his waist and gently tugging him toward the house. "What was that about then?" "What" "Being nice?" "Beats me," Cassie shrugged. "Can we go in now? It's getting chilly out here." "Sure," Chris said, now slightly worried. He certainly didn't need Frieda telling Cassie anything about what had happened on his birthday. He knew that she wouldn't, but there was a nagging doubt in his head. Sighing, he pulled Cassie closer to him as they walked to the house. If he didn't want Frieda telling Cassie, he figured that there was only one thing to do. He would have to tell her himself. And, Chris added silently, he would have to tell her soon. --- Ann stood in the balcony, nursing a cup of coffee. She inhaled the heavenly aroma that rose from her cup, and grinned. Cassie had taken to buying flavoured coffee, and tonight, Ann had taken out the 'Death By Chocolate' flavour. Her coffee almost smelled like hot chocolate. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Chris join her. From the look on his face, she knew that he wanted to talk to her, and she had a very good idea as to what he wanted to ask her. However, she wasn't going to let him talk. She would start. "You slept with Frieda?" she asked bluntly, smiling when she saw him wince at her tone. "Before Cassie," he replied through clenched teeth. "Why is everyone giving me hell about that anyway? I was single at the time, and it is perfectly allowable for single people to sleep with other single people!" "So Frieda gave you hell did she? Guess she has some character after all," Ann smirked, taking another sip. "So, did she scream at you for not sending her a wedding invitation?" "No," Chris said, turning his back to Ann. "She gave me hell because I slept with her after I got married." "Score one for Frieda. I sincerely hope she really raged at you," Ann said, anger colouring her tone. She knew that Chris wouldn't cheat on Cassie now, but the fact that he had overlooked a good thing that was right in front of him for two skinny legs and platinum blonde hair did not bode well with her. "Give it a rest will you?" Chris said, sounding pissed off. "I don't cheat on any of my girlfriends. Dump them and move on, yes, but I don't cheat on them." "As though that's any better. So what's Cassie? Number 1000?" Ann spat out. For some reason, she was angry. Extremely angry. The 'dump 'em and move on' comment had rubbed her the wrong way. "Don't you say that!" Chris shouted at her, his eyes bright with anger. "Cassie's different." "Sorry," Ann said, when she saw his face. She knew that that was below the belt. Chris didn't say anything. He just looked pissed off. "Okay, that was low. I've been on edge lately and I didn't want you hurting her..." like I've been hurt...she almost added. When Chris said nothing, she went up to him and put an arm around his shoulder, giving him a gentle hug. "C'mon, don't stay mad." "I won't," Chris relented. "I meant to ask you, who was the guy at the party the other night? Samuel someone?" He felt Ann stiffen, and he turned to look at her. "Just someone I know. Friend of a friend. Thinks it's a waste to become a model." "I have to agree with him," Chris admitted, earning a slight punch from Ann. "I like it. Besides, you know I want to do fashion design, and being a model is the first step. Really helps to know real designers and see how they work. Melissa's a model; too, and you don't get on her case about it." The last sentence was delivered with a pout. "Yeah, well, I don't know Melissa all that well and she's beautiful, unlike a certain other model I know who's all elbows and knees," Chris teased, trying to draw a smile from Ann. He succeeded. "Shut up," Ann said, taking another sip of her coffee. "You know I'm gorgeous anyhow." She grinned and offered Chris a sip of her coffee. "Ugh, it tastes like a pastry," Chris said, handing the mug back to Ann. "It's sweet," he added, looking pained. According to Chris, a good coffee was bitter and contained a hell of a lot of caffeine. "Cassie buys this stuff," Ann said. "This is 'Death By Chocolate'." "That figures," Chris said, thinking that Cassie certainly would buy coffee that tasted like chocolate. "Do you need me to punch that guy's lights out? You know, tough older brother act?" Although Chris was being playful, Ann knew that if she said anything bad about Sam, Chris would make his life absolutely miserable. And funny thing was, although he really wasn't her favourite person at the moment, she didn't want Sam's life to become miserable. "No," Ann said quickly. "I've got him sorted out. No problems on that front." "Okay, but you know that you just have to ask." Chris ruffled her hair before going indoors. "Goodnight," Ann said, watching his retreating back. "Oh, it's going to be good alright," Chris said, turning briefly to give her a smirk. Ann caught the implication. "Uh, no. I really don't need to know that," she groaned, as Chris burst into laughter. "But then, it's still good to know," she thought to herself as she leaned against the railings. For one moment, it was just her and the starry sky, before she turned and went indoors. She was scared that if she stayed by herself for too long, she would actually admit to certain feelings that were hidden just below the surface. Feelings about a certain intellectual, smart, funny man. A man who had managed to give her the world, and took it away in less than a second. For the last man on the earth she would have thought herself capable of loving. For the man who had oh-so-easily broken her heart. --- Chris walked to his and Cassie's room with thoughts raging around in his head. He knew he had to tell her, but there really wasn't anyway she would take it nicely. With any other woman, he wouldn't have a problem, wouldn't mind hurting them. If he hurt Cassie, he'd feel the pain she felt, only intensified. He didn't have much time to contemplate this issue when he entered the room though. Cassie fairly jumped him. She was in a robe and he was quite certain she wasn't wearing anything underneath. When he entered the room, she had practically run into his arms and her sweet lips were on his now. Her kisses were distracting, her small hands even more so, as they were now moving all over his body. "Oh, sod it," he thought, pulling her firmly into his arms and kissing her back. "I'll tell her later." Two hours later, Cassie and Chris were lying prone on the bed, still entwined. The sheets were in disarray and a musky smell hung in the air. The room smelt of love-making. Cassie moaned a little as she snuggled into him, her soft curves melding with his lean, taut body. He absently ran a hand through her dam hair, stroking it away from her face. He had to tell her. Now. "Cassie," he said in a whisper. "Hmm?" Cassie said, looking up at him with those eyes of hers. Chris was momentarily distracted before he ruthlessly brought himself back to what had to be done. "Cassie, I haven't been," he faltered, but took a strong breath and continued. "I haven't been faithful to you throughout our marriage." He could feel her stiffen against him, and watch as the inevitable hurt filled her eyes. Cassie felt as though someone had dropped something heavy on her chest, and was now slowly smothering her. "When?" she asked, her voice sounding choked. "My birthday," he said, holding her close. He couldn't bear it if she didn't love him, couldn't bear hurting her. "That was before we started our relationship," Cassie murmured, suddenly feeling lighter. So long as he had not cheated on her, she was fine. But it still hurt, knowing that he had chosen another woman over her. The rational part of her brain told her that at that point, she wasn't available. "I know, but I still shouldn't have, and with Frieda," Chris said, looking into her eyes, almost willing him to see the sincerity in his. He was telling her the truth. "I love you Cassie, and I wouldn't even think of it now, but at the time, it seemed a good idea. You were my business partner and Frieda was available." Cassie felt a sharp stab of rage, but also pity. She recalled how distant Frieda had seemed, and how nice she had been. Frieda had known about this and had accepted this. She knew instinctively that Frieda would never, ever try ad seduce a married man, even if she loved him. Frieda was not a threat. Chris would not stray either, she knew that. But her heart refused to understand. She had been there, and he had still chosen beautiful Frieda. Unbidden, a tear seeped from beneath her lashes and Chris immediately wiped it away. "Don't cry Cassie, please don't cry," he whispered, his voice breaking as he held her tight. "Don't leave. I cannot live without you. Please don't cry." Cassie wrapped her arms around him tightly and sobbed. She was not crying for what Chris had told her. She was crying for the girl inside who still felt worthless next to people like Frieda. Now, she had to be strong. She wiped away her tears and detangled herself from Chris. She needed to think. "I think I'll sleep in the guest bedroom tonight," she said, keeping her eyes downcast. She knew that she had hurt him, but he had hurt her too. She knew that if he had made that choice once, he might make it again. She was torn. "Yeah," Chris said, looking at Cassie with eyes filled with pain. "I didn't want to hurt you," he whispered brokenly. "I know," Cassie said, almost gently, before she rose, put on her clothes and went to the other room. --- Cassie kneaded the dough, taking out all her frustration on it. It had been two weeks since she had walked out of Chris's room, and it had been two of the longest weeks of her life. She could not deal with it. Things between Chris and her had gone from good to bad, then bad to worse. For the first few days, Chris was treading around her gently, speaking to her only is spoken to and doing small things for her. She had remained numb. After the first week, Chris had resorted to anger. He felt justified in being angry with Cassie. He hadn't cheated on her, not technically. They had had a contract, one that stipulated certain things and made their marriage a business deal. He was not in any way obliged to remain faithful to her. It was also before they had started their relationship. Once Chris had fallen for Cassie, he hadn't so much as looked at anyone else. He couldn't understand why she was still punishing him. He felt punished. He had no way of knowing that Cassie wasn't punishing him, she was distancing herself from him because she believed that she wasn't good enough. She knew Frieda, and she felt inferior to her in every way. Her behaviour born out of her insecurity created a large rift between herself and Chris. Complicated Love Pt. 06 It was a rift that wasn't unnoticed by everyone else in the house. Cassie and Chris tried to remain civil in front of James, but they barely managed. Every time Chris asked her why she was doing this, his angry eyes boring into her own, Cassie wanted to burst into tears. But she didn't allow herself to do that. All that pent up emotion came out as anger, and things just seemed to get worse. Cassie decided that the dough had suffered enough and quickly made her pie and stuck it in the over. She was depressed. This was the first time that this was happening to her and she didn't know what to do. She was too proud to run to Ann for help and Chris wasn't helping her any. Just at that moment, Chris walked into the kitchen, saw her, and walked right out. Cassie almost screamed in frustration. It was all so...childish. Both of them were being childish, hiding their hurt emotions behind that childish facade and she had no idea how to break out of that cycle. She set the timer and went outside, the sunshine soothing her a bit. She saw James sitting in the shade of an oak tree, Nurse with him. She walked over there, a genuine smile growing on her face. She loved him, she really did. In a few short weeks, he had taken over the role of the father she had never had, and she warmed to him like nothing else. She had warmed to the entire family actually, and it began feeling like her own. She smiled at him when he turned and saw her, and patted the grass beside him. She sank down gracefully and leaned against the bark of the tree. They sat like that for a long time, silent, yet comfortable. Nurse had gone a while back, confident that she could have her break because she knew that Cassie would look after James. "Things aren't going well," James said, his gruff voice quiet and gentle. Cassie nodded, trying not to let the tears flow. She leaned against him, lightly so as to not inconvenience him, and sighed. "We had a fight," she admitted. "May I ask what it was about," James asked gently. Cassie shook her head. She could not tell James that. If anyone could tell him, it was only Chris and she couldn't take that right away from him. She didn't want James to disapprove of Chris, not for even a moment. "Well, I knew you wouldn't tell me," James said, gently smiling. "But Cassie, you need to know this. We all make mistakes, Chris makes more than his share. Fighting over something that could hurt you both is not the answer. The answer is to understand and forgive." Cassie sniffed quietly, the wisdom of those words sinking in. She gently hugged James and helped him get up, so she could take him back to his room. Once she had seen that he was safely in bed and Nurse was there to watch over him, she went in search of Chris. She needed to apologize now, and speak to Chris. She just hoped that he loved her, just a bit, enough for him to listen. And hopefully forgive her. Complicated Love Pt. 07 Chapter 11 Chris was in the balcony, sitting on the ledge, legs stretched out in front of him. If he slipped, he would fall, but he was not bothered. He was angry, hurt and more angry. He knew that what he had done was wrong to a certain extent, but not completely. He had not cheated on Cassie. He had not loved her then.He could not understand why she was staying away, and it did not occur to him that she was staying away more because of her own insecurities, and not from the fact that he had slept with Frieda. He ran his hand agitatedly through his tousled hair and looked out at the sky. It was sunset, and hues of red an orange were splashed across the normally blue sky. He sighed, and swung his legs off the ledge and onto the floor, getting up in one fluid move. He turned and saw Ann standing in the door way, watching him. "What?" he asked, brusque, because he knew what she was going to say. He also knew that she was right, which just made it harder to listen. "You're stupid," Ann said softly, coming up to him and standing in front of him, her eyes boring into his. Chris felt slightly intimidated. There was a certain power that sisters had over their brothers, and Ann was making full use of it. "She's the one acting childish," Chris countered his voice level. How he was calm, he didn't know. He just wanted to rage at everyone and vent out the hurt. Ann was refusing to give him that chance by being right. "God, you men are so dense," she muttered, lightly slapping Chris across his face. He looked on at her, stoic. "She's not angry with you," Ann said, exasperated. "She's scared because she thinks that she isn't good enough for you. She thinks that if you chose Frieda once, you would choose her again, over Cassie. Do you understand now?" Chris nodded, comprehension nodding. The little idiot! She was doing this, treating him like this because she thought that she wasn't good enough for him. Little did she know that it was the other way around. He frowned, spying Cassie standing in the door way now. Knowing her, she was waiting for Ann to finish before she could come and make her own apology. Ann noticed and left, tactfully. "Chris," Cassie said quietly as he walked to her. "I..." "I know," Chris said, hugging her. He had decided that giving in to his urge was a good thing. "I was scared that you would always choose someone else over me," Cassie mumbled into his shirt. "And I was so scared that I stopped talking to you because I thought...." She trailed off, sniffling into his shirt. "It's okay," Chris was stroking her hair when Ann suddenly came hurrying up the stairs, her face white. "Dad's very sick." --- The gathering was quiet, although no one had worn black. It was the way James had wanted it. Chris, Cassie and Ann stood by the coffin, watching through a thin film of tears as friends, colleagues and relatives stepped up and bid James their final adieu. Ann was leaning on Cassie, holding tightly on to her hand. Cassie was standing straight, as was Chris, her face impassive but for the silent tears that coursed down her cheeks. Cassie could feel her heart constrict as she looked at the man who had been the closest thing to a father for her. She was silently cursing fate, fate that had taken him away from her almost as soon as it had given him to her. She placed a small hand on Chris's shoulder and squeezed, looking up at him as he held her hand gently and squeezed back. Once everyone had paid their last respects, the beautiful coffin was lowered in a grave dug beneath the elm tree, James's favourite spot. He had never wanted to be buried in a cemetery, and Chris and Ann had preferred that his grave be where he wanted to spend his whole life. At home. As the guests trickled by, offering their condolences, Cassie caught sight of the one person she did not want to see. Rosalie was standing among the guests, dressed as revealingly as possible and dripping with jewellery. Cassie felt the disgust well up in her. It had been James's wish that they not wear black, but there was no need for extravagance. She knew that Chris's reign on his temper was quite short, and she didn't want Rosalie's presence to cause him any discomfort. She walked up to Rosalie, and politely drew her away to the balcony, which was empty. "Go away," Cassie hissed, her anger written clearly all over her face. "Why should I? James Quentin was my father's business partner. I have a right to be here," Rosalie said, her voice icy and strangely triumphant. "Any right you had was revoked the minute you walked in here looking like a tramp. No go away before I'm forced to do something drastic," Cassie's voice was shaking from rage. "Oh really," Rosalie drawled. "And what could you possibly do?" --- Ann was standing by the drinks table, nursing a glass of straight scotch, her eyes red. She suddenly felt arms encircle her slender waist, and a soft voice whisper in her ear. Without missing a beat, she turned around, the arms still around her waist and buried her face in Sam's shirt, tears dampening the material. Sam stroked her hair softly, whispering soothingly in her ear. He had been watching her for a while, admiring the way she held up and handled all their guests. When she finally had some time, he decided that it was time he drew her away and let her have some time alone with her grief. It was the least he could do. He led her upstairs, to a lounge and held her while she cried in his arms. He knew that her father meant a lot to her, and the fact that she would lose him to leukaemia had made her a mess. He folded her against him and rocked her quietly until the sobs died down to gentle hiccups. "You feeling better now?" he asked gently, stroking the damp hair from her face. "Those people can get extremely painful at times." "I'm not fine," Ann said hollowly, resting her head against the wall of her chest. "But I'm feeling slightly better. I think I can face these people now, without bursting into tears. Thanks." "Its fine," Sam said softly, continuing to stroke her hair. "Now you have to get back." "I know," Ann said, reluctantly unfolding herself from his embrace and standing up. Looking down at him, sitting on that bench, with his shirt damp from her tears, she felt a tug in her heart. Only he could do that. She let the tears fall, and watched as she rose and gently wiped them away. "You are stronger than this," he whispered and smiled gently, sadly, at her. Ann nodded and they were descending the stairs when they heard raised voices coming from the balcony. They found Rosalie, looking like a very rich stripper, and Cassie standing there. Cassie was asking Rosalie to leave, and Ann thoroughly agreed with her. Sam stood beside her, his face darkening as he looked at Rosalie. He had his own reservations about her, especially after the way she had treated him when she had first met him. But that was irrelevant now. "Oh really," they heard Rosalie say. "And what could you possibly do?" "She could kick you out physically, and I could help her," Ann suggested, her voice even but her eyes giving off sparks of anger. Rosalie knew that when she had both Cassie and Ann against her, she couldn't do anything. "I'm leaving," she said sulkily. She sashayed to the door and stopped beside Sam. She turned her face to him and whispered sweetly, "Give me a call sometime will you darling?" He ignored her, walked over to Ann and slung his arm around his shoulder, pulling her close. Rosalie shrugged, the smile on her face evil. "You'll regret this Cassandra Stevens," she said, her voice dripping venom. "You'll regret ever having met me." She left, leaving Cassie looking angrily at her retreating back. "I'd kill her now, but I can't" Cassie said wearily, collapsing into one of the chairs in the balcony. "It's okay," Ann said, breaking away from Sam to come stand next to her. "I think I'll leave now," Sam said tactfully and left. Cassie stood up and looked at the setting sun. It was beautiful. "What can she do?" she asked softly. "Nothing," Ann said firmly, coming to stand next to her. "You think he's up there?" Ann asked after a moment's silence, referring to the beautifully painted sky. "Yes," Cassie said, turning to look at the younger woman. "And he's looking down on us this minute, so don't you dare cry." The two women stood there for a long time, looking at the sunset, and grieving for the father they both had lost. They had no idea of the storm that was to follow. --- "Those bitches think they can order me about?" Rosalie fumed as she slid into her car and imperiously ordered her chauffeur to take her home. She scowled as she looked out the tinted windows, her beautiful face looking ugly as her features twisted with her annoyance. Her phone rang then, and she answered it. "Rosalie here," she said curtly. "Ma'am, its Kirk," a smooth, slimy voice answered. "I have the information that you wanted." Rosalie smiled slightly. After the party where Cassie had snubbed her publicly, she had gotten in touch with a PI who worked for her father and often resolved her rather...personal issues. "Tell me," she said, her excitement clearly expressed through her voice. This was exactly what she wanted, right now. "Chris and Cassandra have a paper marriage. A contract which stipulates that the marriage will be annulled once James Quentin dies." Rosalie breathed in, unable to believe the extent of the deception that the two had pulled. It had definitely been deception, because even she had been fooled into thinking that there was something between those two. Or was there? She recalled the anger in Cassie's eyes and the cool dismissal in Chris's. No, those emotions could not be faked. They were, very unwisely, having a relationship. "Ma'am?" Kirk asked over the phone, unnerved by her silence. "Yes," Rosalie said, recovering from her shock. "I want you to get me a copy of that contract, and do it immediately." "Whatever you say Ma'am," Kirk replied. "Although, that will cost you considerably." "You know I'm not bothered about price," Rosalie snapped over the phone. "Just get me those papers!" She hung up and leaned back in the comfortable seat. Now, she thought to herself, Chris and Cassie were going to get what they had coming. They were going to pay. And Ann? Well, now Sam and Ann had something coming their way too, just as soon as she could get her hands on them. Suddenly, she wasn't angry. She was happy. --- That night, Cassie waited for Chris to come to bed, but he didn't. She felt tears welling up, but decided that she was being irrational. Chris probably had his reasons, perfectly plausible ones, and they didn't have anything to do with the fact that their marriage, by contract, no longer existed. But she had had a very emotional day, and she found herself crying herself to sleep. The pillow was saturated with tears when she finally dozed off, her pale face looking vulnerable and childlike in the soft light. The next morning, she woke to find that Chris had left. "With dad's death, there are some things that need to be sorted out and Chris had to leave for Barcelona," Ann said, looking at Cassie in puzzlement. "Why, didn't he tell you?" "Yeah, he did...I must have forgotten," Cassie said vaguely, knowing that he hadn't told her, and instantly coming to the conclusion that once James was dead, he didn't want anything to do with her. Her heart disagreed and agreed with this. One part of her said that there was no way Chris would leave. He loved her, she knew that. But the other part, the insecure part, was questioning things. Then why didn't Chris come to bed last night? Why didn't he call or tell you about his trip? Why has he been distant? Her head had the answer, his father had died, of course some things slipped his mind. She had to be understanding, but she could not be. The insecurity of a few days back, the grief of losing James and now Chris's absence was too much for her to bear. "Ann," Cassie said, looking at the plate of food in front of her with distaste. "I think I'll go back to bed, I'm not feeling too well." Ann nodded. She knew that Cassie had loved James and was probably trying to escape her grief. Ann was doing the same. "Sure," she said tonelessly, looking down at her own plate. "I think I'll do the same in a while." The two women spent the day in their own rooms, reliving every moment they had had with James. For Ann, it was painful, but it was equally painful for Cassie. She had loved the man like a father, and unlike Ann and Chris, had had only a few short months with him. Mingled with that was the confusion about Chris. Was he avoiding her? Was it just the grief? She wished he would share it with her, but other than for the physical closeness he had yearned for in the funeral, he hadn't spoken to her or talked to her. She knew that he had needed her by his side then, but she wasn't sure now. She waited for his call, but it never came. She went down for dinner with Ann, and then they spent hours sitting by James's grave. They sat side by side, arms around each other, rigid, like two pale ghosts in the moonlight. When Cassie finally went to bed that night, she had not received a call from Chris. She cried herself to sleep again, wondering what was going to happen to her life now. --- A week passed, and still no word from Chris. Ann was as out of the loop as she was, and could not tell her anything. She could tell that Ann was removed from life, still living in memories, and she did not want to trouble her. Finding the house depressing, she decided to go out, and maybe visit the library. Anything really, to get her mind off things. She went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, sighing as the soft warm spray soothed her. She gently lathered herself and washed, trying to scrub away the grief and the sadness. But it never went away. She stepped out of the shower and dried herself, rubbing herself down. She pulled open the medicine cabinet to get out an aspirin for the raging headache she suddenly had. Thinking about the past week always did that to her. As she popped in a pill, she noticed an unopened pack of tampons standing there. She frowned. She was supposed to be on her period already. Still frowning, she stepped outside the bathroom and went to take the small calendar in which she marked her dates. There it was, a week before James's death. With that week being fraught with her fight with Chris, she had not noticed, and with James's death, it had completely slipped her mind. She felt cold as she looked at the calendar. She was two weeks late. Her periods were five weeks apart instead of four, but she had always had her period like clockwork. It was very regular. For it to be delayed by two weeks meant only one thing. She tried to remember if Chris had worn a condom the last time they had had sex. With a groan she realised that he hadn't, and he'd never worn a condom when he was with her. It had completely slipped both of their minds. And now, she could be... She pushed the thought firmly out of her mind, but it kept coming back to haunt her. She dressed quickly and called her doctor to make an appointment. There was only one way to be sure. But if she was pregnant, she certainly had chosen the worst time possible. --- Ann stood near her father's grave again, looking down at the headstone. She had taken to coming here every day, spending almost the entire day here. She knew that Cassie worried about her, and that she was dealing with her own problems, but she was numb, too numb, to care. The tears rolled down her cheeks as thought of her father. She shook a she stood there, the tears becoming silent sobs. "Ann?" She turned to look and saw Sam coming toward her. It was the first time she had seen him since the funeral. He had wisely given her space, and was here now to see how she was doing. Ann saw him, and something broke inside her. She forgot about the fact that she hated him for the things he had said, that she could not stand him. She rushed to him, her arms flying around him as she buried her face into his chest and sobbed. Sam sighed inwardly and sank down into the grass with her. He held her, just as he had held her in the funeral. Now, he knew that she needed to talk. "It's okay to miss him," he said softly as she sobbed. "If you want to talk, I'm here." He was right. She needed to talk. Words came out of her in a frenzied, incoherent flow, then became a stream of memories. She told him about her father, and he held her and listened. When she finished it was evening and the sun was setting. "Thank you," she mumbled, looking at her father's grave as she sat down leaning against him. "Why don't you come have lunch with me tomorrow?" Sam suggested, idly stroking her hair. It'd do you good to get out of the house for a bit. Ann nodded and rose, pulling Sam up with her. She was a shadow of her old self now, but at least she was that. Sam led her to the house and left, thoughtful. He needed to tread carefully around Ann now, she was vulnerable. As he got into his car, there was only one thought running through his head. He wanted her to need him like he needed her, and love him like he loved her. --- Chris ran his hands through his hair and looked at the computer screen in front of him. He tried reading the words, but could not. His brain was refusing to process them. Admitting defeat, he turned the computer off and leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed. His head throbbed, and he tried to ignore the pain. He was in Geneva now. From Barcelona, he had flown to all their European offices and looked over things. He resented the scepticism that greeted him in many offices. He knew that people were muttering about him taking over as President. "Young blood," they all said. "Inexperienced." He clenched his teeth. What did they think he had been doing for the past year when his father had withdrawn from the company? Simply playing at being CEO? But he would prove them wrong. Amidst all these thoughts, a face came to him. Cassie's face. He tried to push it away. He knew that he should call her, but he couldn't bring himself to. He was finding solace from his grief in his work, and talking to Cassie meant that he would have to face his father's death. Talking to her meant that he would have to share his grief, open the wounds which he had managed to close with his work. He knew that he was going about it the wrong way, but it was what he had always done, and it was too late to change his habits now. He sighed and sat up, knowing that he was hurting her and himself by distancing himself from her. He was adding to all the sadness. He was being childish. He remembered seeing her before he had left. She had been curled up in their large bed, her face white and withdrawn. Her pillow had been wet. He couldn't bring himself to awaken her, and had pushed her hair back gently from her damp faced and kissed her softly in goodbye. She probably didn't even remember that. He would go home the day after tomorrow, he told himself, and he would put things right. It was time he stopped running, and went home. It was time he went back home to Cassie. * * * * * * It was dark when Cassie returned home. She had met her doctor. Dr. Morris had confirmed that Cassie was indeed pregnant, around four to five weeks along. She had cried herself out and was unsure of what to do. She didn't know who she could talk to, where she could go. Chris hadn't called, and she didn't know how he would react. Ann was not an option. Cassie couldn't force this on Ann too. She refused dinner and went to bed directly after taking the supplements that Dr. Morris had prescribed for the pregnancy. She wanted the baby, that much she knew. She had objected vehemently to the idea of termination when Dr. Morris had brought it up. Complicated Love Pt. 07 She wondered what would happen now. She let that thought drag her into unconsciousness. Complicated Love Pt. 08 Chapter 12 Rosalie sat in the small bistro, looking with distaste at the grimy tables and chairs. She would have preferred it if they had met elsewhere, but Kirk had insisted. She had had to give in, because what she wanted him to pull would be risky for him. She was also paying him a king's ransom for the job. She was checking her watch impatiently for the thousandth time when Kirk walked in. He sat down at the table and opened the briefcase he carried. He pulled out official looking documents. Chris and Cassie's contract. It was a very well done forgery, so that it looked real. "I go there and basically tell her to get out?" Kirk asked, expressionless grey eyes unnerving Rosalie. "Yes," Rosalie affirmed. "And how do you know her husband, or her sister wouldn't be there?" "Chris is in Europe on official work and Ann has a lunch date with dear Sam," Rosalie said, smirking. Knowing Chris's whereabouts had been easy enough and one call to Sam's secretary had told her that he had a lunch date with Miss Ann Quentin. "And what makes you think she's going to believe me? They would be in a relationship for all you know," Kirk countered, his voice still flat and expressionless. "I know that, but it's a risk I want to take," Rosalie said stubbornly. What she was pulling was something that had every chance of going wrong, but she wanted to try anyway. She had no other ideas, and she knew that the appearance of legal documents would be disconcerting, to say the least. "Give me my cash," Kirk said, his grey eyes finally coming alive. Rosalie tried to hide her sudden fear at the expression in his eyes as she handed over his money. The greed that shone in his eyes told her that he'd do anything, absolutely anything, for money. "Just make it quick," she told him and rose, leaving the bistro and him behind. "I will," Kirk said quietly, carefully counting the money. "I most certainly will." --- Cassie had woken up very early that day, unable to sleep. She had lain in bed till around 8, before showering and coming down. Ann had left her a note on the dinner table informing her that she was going out to lunch, and that most of the staff had taken a day off. Cassie folded the note and put it away before getting herself a glass of orange juice. Remembering the baby, she added two slices of toast and sat down to finish it. Everything tasted dry and rubbery in her mouth, but she did not care. When she finished breakfast, a maid informed her that someone was waiting for her in the drawing room. She nodded and went to the drawing room. The man sitting there was tall and bald, with cold grey eyes and a heavy build. "May I help you?" she asked politely, seating herself opposite him. "Are you Mrs. Cassandra Quentin?" Kirk asked, looking at the beautiful woman seated before him. She was beautiful, if a bit on the plump side. He could understand why Chris had dumped Rosalie for her. "Yes," Cassie said nervously, because this was the first time she had seen her married name after signing the papers in Chris's office months back. "Ma'am, I'm Gerald Hayes, Mr Weller's assistant. My Weller is Mr. Quentin's lawyer." Kirk handed her his fake business card. Cassie nodded, acknowledging the fact. She had met Rowan in the funeral too. "Ma'am, I have come here to tell you that Mr Quentin wishes to remind you that the contract you both had is now over, and that he wishes you to vacate the premises immediately. He will start annulment proceedings very soon." Cassie felt the breath catch in her throat. For a minute, she didn't know what to do. Chris wanted her out? And he couldn't even tell her himself? But this explained the absences, the non-existent phone calls, everything. Chris wanted her gone. She nodded, her emotions hidden behind a mask. "I will leave immediately," she said. "You may leave now Mr. Hayes. Maybe you would like to check in a few hours to see if I've gone?" "Yes, I will need to do that," Kirk answered, picking up his suitcase and leaving. He could not believe how easy this had been. Rosalie had been right. He could not come back, of course. He would stay away from Cassandra Stevens now. If she knew the scam he had pulled, and reported him, he could be behind bars for a long time. Cassie waited for the man to leave, then rushed upstairs to pack her things and write out a note for Ann. She did not stop even once to question the situation. She had tortured herself for weeks, and did not question the fact that Chris did not want her. She let her insecurity win. She let Rosalie break her heart. Once she was done, she got the chauffer to drive her to her house. As she stood outside the building, in the light drizzle, she didn't want to go in. Melissa had moved out a month back and moved in with Gavin, and she knew that she would be all alone. She did not want to be alone. She hailed a taxi and gave him Gavin's address. As she drove through the streets of the city, she let her tears course silently down her cheeks. She was hurting, and for the first time, she didn't know what to do next. --- Ann saw the note when she came in the evening, and cursed out aloud when she read it. "Dear Ann," it read. "I'm leaving now, and well, I suppose that I was only to stay this long. Chris asked Mr. Weller to send someone to ask me to vacate the premises. He also said that the annulment was underway. I did not see the need to stay, so I have left. Goodbye." Ann cursed and immediately called Mr Weller, who told her that he had done no such thing, nor had he received any instructions from Chris. Ann nodded grimly. She had a faint idea who was behind all this, and would quite happily have wrung her skinny little neck. Rosalie had gone too far this time. What was worse was the fact that Cassie had gone along with it. But Ann couldn't blame her either. If only Chris hadn't run away like he usually did, this mess wouldn't have happened. Cursing, she called Rosalie. "Just what the fuck do you think you're pulling?" Ann practically screamed down the phone. "Ah, darling," Rosalie's dulcet tones mocking Ann. "I did exactly what I told you I'd do. Now deal with it." With that, Rosalie hung up and Ann was left holding her phone in her hand, fuming. She tried Cassie's number, but it was switched off. Chris wasn't picking up his cell phone either. Sighing in frustration, she went to bed, deciding that she would tell Chris tomorrow morning, when he would be on his way home. --- Cassie stood shivering on Gavin's doorstep, her stringy hair sticking to her face. She rang the doorbell and waited for him to open the door. Gavin opened when she rang the door bell a second time, and with one look at the state she was in, pulled her inside. "Cassie, what's wrong?" he asked, concern evident in his eyes. He had never seen her like this. She was always calm, cool, composed. Cassie looked up at him, her eyes large in her pale face, her hands curled protectively over her stomach, and burst into tears. She allowed Gavin to pull her close and give her a hug as she cried. She dimly remembered Gavin pulling her out of her wet clothes and getting her into a warm pair of sweats and then tucking her up in bed. She remembered clutching his T-shirt, refusing to let him go, until he sat down beside her and stroked her hair. After that, all she remembered was blackness, as blissful oblivion engulfed her and gave her a brief respite from her misery. Gavin looked down at the woman sleeping on his bed, her hands clutching his, tightly, as though afraid to let go. He continued stroking her hair and watched as tears seeped from beneath her eyelids. After a long time, her grip slackened, and she fell asleep, the pain on her face softening to make her look peaceful. Melissa had come home a while back, and after seeing the state Cassie was in, had left her and Gavin alone. She was unpacking Cassie's bags instead, and putting it away in the spare bedroom. Both she and Gavin would not allow Cassie to go anywhere in the state she was in. As she unpacked, she saw the supplements and the prescriptions and her eyes widened. Folic acid, vitamins, a prescription, test results.....Cassie was pregnant. She went to the bedroom and quietly beckoned Gavin outside. He got up, gently detangling himself from Cassie and went to Melissa. "Cassie's pregnant," Melissa said softly, the anger on Gavin's face upon hearing the words mirroring the anger on her face. "That bastard," Gavin swore softly, putting an arm around Melissa. "What did he say to her?" "I don't know," Melissa said sadly. "But all we can do now is take care of her." "I know," Gavin said. "You sleep in with her tonight, and I'll sleep in the spare bedroom. She might wake up in the night." Melissa nodded and Gavin went to change and get into bed. He pulled the covers up till his neck when he lay down and smouldered. All he wanted to do now was find Chris and hack him into small, tiny pieces. But he had to know what the problem was before he did that. Sighing, he went to sleep, knowing that tomorrow was going to be a long day. --- Cassie was drained out by 6 in the morning the next day. She had been throwing up the whole night, with Melissa helping her out, and now she chalked it down to morning sickness. She had been feeling queasy for the past week, but she had put that down to not having enough food. Unable to stay in bed, she got up carefully and went to the living room and curled up on the couch. After making sure that Cassie was okay, Melissa went to have a few hours of much needed sleep. Alone in the house, Cassie finally had time to think. She knew that by running away as she had, she had done something stupid. She should have left a note for Ann, or even tried to call Chris up, but she hadn't. She was sure that Ann would have known about this, and that Chris would have told her the same thing the lawyer had. She was also wondering what to do about her pregnancy. She couldn't go back to work at her office. Seeing Chris there every day would be too much for her to bear. She decided that she would hand in her resignation today to her supervisor. She wanted the baby that much she knew. And she didn't want Chris finding out about it. She knew that Chris would take care of the baby, and look after it like a father would, but she didn't want that. All through yesterday, she hadn't felt any anger. Now all of it came brimming up to the surface. How could he do that? How could he pretend to love her, just so he could make sure she stayed? She had already said she would. She didn't need the extra incentive, so to speak. And how dare her send some lackey of his? Why on earth couldn't he tell her to her face? All these thoughts and questions mulled over and over in her head until she couldn't take it anymore. She shook her head slightly and rose to get something to eat. She found some herbal tea in the fridge, which she had, and some fruit. That was all her stomach would take for now. Sighing, she went to shower, after finding her clothes and a snoring Gavin in the spare bedroom. She looked at his sleeping for a minute, wondering if it would have been the same with him. She was sure it would not have been. Now, when she looked at him, she was looking at a dear friend. She knew that she wasn't in love with him. It was Chris, only Chris. After her shower, she walked into the kitchen to find that both Gavin and Melissa were awake, and waiting to speak to her. She had prepared herself for this, because she knew that this was coming. In level, calm tones that hid her pain very well, she told them of everything that had happened, right from the beginning. When she finished, a few involuntary tears had escaped and were rolling down her cheeks. Melissa was holding her and Gavin was gently stroking her hair. "You're staying with us," Melissa said firmly to Cassie, "until you have your baby. Then we can think about moving you somewhere. As far as your apartment goes, we can just terminate the lease." "And we'll find you some work Cassie," Gavin continued. "If you don't want him to find you, he won't." Cassie nodded quietly, comforted. She was going to be fine. --- Chris was on his way home from the airport when he got Ann's call. "She what?" he asked, his voice hard and flinty. "She packed up and left, because some guy Rosalie hired to tell her that you wanted her out of your life," Ann said grimly. She did not feel sorry for her brother. He had made his own bed, and now it was time for him to lay in it. "How could she do that?" Chris all but yelled. "Because you haven't called her or spoken to her since the funeral, you haven't replied to her messages and you didn't tell her that you were leaving!" Ann was also getting angry. Her brother's knack of losing the things that mattered was getting on her nerves. "Damn it," Chris swore, clenching his teeth. "Where has she gone?" "I don't know," Ann said, sighing. She had tried Cassie's apartment earlier, only to have the neighbour tell her that it had been shut up for more than a month now. "I think she may have gone to Gavin's place." She held her breath for the explosion she knew would come. Chris had never taken to Gavin, on account of the fact that he had tried to take Cassie away from him. "Fine. Just see if you can figure out who Rosalie hired," Chris said curtly before hanging up. He tried calling Cassie, but her phone was switched off. In desperation, he called up someone at the office and asked them to find Gavin's address. A few minutes later, he was giving his driver instructions to Gavin's apartment. When he reached there, it was already 10 in the morning, and he wasn't sure if anyone would be in. But he had to try. He raced up the stairs and knocked on the door. He waited for a while before Melissa opened the door. She saw him, and slammed it back shut in his face. Chris groaned mentally and resumed knocking. When Gavin opened it this time, Chris placed his foot near the hinges, which would prevent the door from being slammed in his face again. "I need to see Cassie," Chris said as Gavin stared at him angrily. "I know she's here and I want to see her. There's been a huge misunderstanding." "No misunderstanding happened you bastard," Gavin said, snarling at Chris. "You asked her to leave and she left! She showed up here last night, soaking wet, crying. She's pregnant, and this is how you treat her?" Chris stopped, and stared at Gavin. "She's pregnant?" Gavin didn't know what came over him. He landed a punch in Chris's face, and Chris didn't even react. He was still reeling from what Gavin had told him. "That's right, she's pregnant, and you asked her to leave!" Gavin said. "I didn't ask her to fucking leave!" Chris said. "It was something Rosalie pulled. God, Gavin, you've got to believe me. I love her!" Gavin stared at him for a second, and then said, "She's not here. She's gone to the office to hand in her resignation." Chris nodded his thanks and was on his way down when he heard Gavin call after him. "And if you ever hurt her again, you won't get her back!" Chris didn't turn back. He just got into his car and told the chauffeur to take him to the office. He had too much to lose if he didn't make it there on time. --- Cassie was packing away the contents of her desk in a small cardboard carton that someone had brought for her from one of the storage rooms. Everything that cluttered her table went into it, other than official documents. She had handed in her resignation. She had no work as such to hand over, because all that had been taken care of when Chris had asked her to marry him. Whatever little work she had been doing from home had also been handed in. She would return later to get her leaving papers, but she just wanted to get away now. Everything here reminded her of Chris. When people saw her, they asked her how Chris was, how their marriage was going. She smiled politely and waved off their questions. People were puzzled, she knew, but that wasn't her problem. Chris could sort it out. As she was packing, she knocked something off the desk and was bending to pick it up when she say the person standing at the doorway to her small office. Frieda walked in, and started helping her gather things. "You're leaving?" Cassie knew that the question wasn't just about work. It was about her marriage. She nodded. She was not angry with this woman, no matter how much she wanted to be. For all intents and purposes, she had done nothing wrong. "Cassie, if this was about me and Chris, well, there was nothing there. I wished there was, but well, he did not. It would never have worked out anyway. That night, during his birthday, I seduced him. He did not come seek me out. And when I saw him the other day, he told me point blank that he was in love with you. So if you're leaving because of what happened between Chris and me, don't." Frieda took a big breath when she finished and looked earnestly at Cassie. She was genuinely sorry for what happened, and she'd be damned if a marriage that had been going on so well broke because of her. "No, it's not that," Cassie said quietly, pausing as she looked at Frieda. "He asked me to leave." "He did what?" Now Frieda was surprised. Chris, asking Cassie to leave? There had to be some sort of misunderstanding. "Cassie, he would never ask you to do that. He was so in love with you." "Frieda, I know that when it comes to choosing between me and you, he'd always choose you. He'd choose someone like you, I'm just scared that he'll always choose the swan over the mouse, and I don't think I can bear it." A small tear seeped from beneath tightly shut eyelids and Frieda felt the pity well up in her. "Cassie, you're beautiful," she said, gently laying a hand on Cassie's shoulder. "And it doesn't matter either way. Chris loves you, he really loves you! He makes mistakes, I know that better than most, but trust me Cassie; don't let him make that mistake by leaving." Cassie shook her head and resumed packing. Frieda sighed and walked out of the office, her heart heavy. Well, she had tried. As she was walking out, she saw Chris coming in, out of breath. He looked like he had actually run up 17 floors. Frieda hid a small sad smile and walked past him. "Don't you lose her," she said as she passed, and didn't look back to see the shocked expression on Chris's face as he stared at her retreating back. --- Chris walked into Cassie's office, dishevelled and out of breath. His cheek was beginning to bruise where Gavin had hit him, but he did not feel anything. He felt nothing right now, but for the desperate need to get the woman in this room to stay with him, in his life forever. He wanted nothing else. He needed nothing else. "Cassie." That one word he said, hung in the air. Cassie turned from the desk, her white face looking stricken as she saw Chris. She just stood there, her hands shaking. The photo frame that she held in her hands fell and shattered. The sound was loud, obscenely loud, in the silence, but no one moved. They stood there, looking at each other. Cassie's eyes filled with tears, and abruptly, she turned, her shoulders shaking as she dissolved in sobs. "Cassie, please don't cry," Chris said softly as he moved toward her. He tried to take her in his arms but she pushed him away. As abruptly as they had started, the tears stopped. Cassie jabbed at her tears with her hands, stopping their flow. She closed her eyes, then straightened. She looked composed now, cool. But her eyes were still red, and they still held a world of hurt. "I'm leaving Mr Quentin, like you asked. I'll cooperate with the annulment proceedings as soon as you start them," she said, her voice breaking when she said the word "annulment". Complicated Love Pt. 08 "There is going to be no annulment," Chris said softly, reaching out to lay a hand on Cassie's arm. "I don't want one, and I didn't ask for one. Cassie, this has all been a misunderstanding. I never asked anyone to tell you to leave." Cassie recoiled from the words, striking out at him to hide her confusion and hurt. And to squash the little hope that had sparked to life when Chris said those words. No more naïve Cassie Stevens. No. She was building walls now, to keep everyone out, and she was determined to keep Chris out. "Which is why Mr. Weller's assistant came yesterday with the contract? I'm not a fool Chris. I know when I'm not needed, and I'm leaving." Every word she said hit Chris like a physical blow, but he refused to let this go. If her eyes had been expressionless, he would have accepted those words, but she was hurt. He could see that. "Rosalie hired someone to come and impersonate Rowan's assistant. Those papers were forgeries. Cassie, I would never ask you to leave. I love you." Cassie still didn't give in. It had hurt too much the first time, and she'd be damned if she was going to let herself get hurt again. "If you loved me Chris," she said slowly, each word ringing in the silence of the room. "you would have called me. Spoken to me. Told me before you left. I wanted to be there for you, and I needed someone to be there for me. But you weren't there. You ran." Chris hung his head. He couldn't deny the truth of her words. "What was I supposed to think Chris? A person who hasn't spoken to me for a week isn't capable of severing all the ties he had with me? That he wasn't capable of tearing my heart into small pieces and throwing them in the trash can? I'm sorry Chris, but that's exactly what you did, and I don't have the strength to go through that again. I can't always be second best." Cassie slumped, the words taking everything out of her. She was exhausted. She was hurt. "Cassie," Chris said carefully, wrapping his arms around her when she didn't resist. She felt alarmingly fragile, and he blamed himself for this. "You were never second best. Never. When I fell in love with you, there was no going back. You were everything to me, everything Cass." Cassie was motionless in his arms. She didn't say anything, do anything to acknowledge the fact that she was listening to him. "And I know that I did the wrong thing by running away. I am not good with grief, I cannot face it. I run. Cass, I need you. I need you to stay with me, and help me face my pain. I need you Cass, please don't leave." With a small sob, Cassie buried her head in his chest, clutching at him as she cried herself out. Chris held her carefully, a tear escaping his eyes as well. "You hurt me," Cassie said, looking up at him with tear filled eyes. "I'll never forget that. But I love you Chris, and I couldn't bear it if you weren't in my life. Don't hurt me Chris." Chris felt his heart break as she whimpered, and held her tightly. "When were you going to tell me about the baby Cassie," he asked gently when she had stopped crying. "Never," she said, and when he saw her face, he knew that it was true. She would have never told him, just raised it on her own. Believing as she did that he didn't love her, she would think that he would consider a child a burden, and would do everything to keep him from finding out. "I want that baby Cassie, I want it with you. I want two or three more. I want a life with you Cassandra Stevens," he said softly. Suddenly, he dropped to one knee, took her small hand and said, "Cassandra Stevens, I love you, and I cannot live without you. You've made me want things that I never thought I could want. I want a family with you, and I want to grow old with you. I'll be lost without you. Will you marry me?" This was a real proposal, made by a man who loved a woman. There was no contract, no agreement. Cassie flung herself in his arms again, and he stood up and held her like he never wanted to let go. "I'll marry you," Cassie said, her voice muffled. "Again, and again, and again. But don't hurt me Chris." Chris felt his heart constrict at her words. Happiness warred with guilt. He wasn't going to lose her, but there was no way he could make up for what he had done to her. The damage he had wrecked was a lot. But he was going to mend it, mend her heart. "I won't hurt you Cassie," he said quietly, and gently kissed the top of her head. He held her small face in his hands and brushed a few stray tears away. She smiled gently, and he placed two fingers on her cheeks, holding that smile intact. "What happened here," she asked, her fingers lightly tracing the bruise on the side of his face. "Gavin gave me something I had been asking for" "Oh." Cassie smiled up at him, the watery smile reassuring him that things could work out. That they would work out. "I love you." "I love you too." --- Epilogue "Chris, handle your daughter!" Cassie cried as she hefted the squealing toddler to Chris. "She's not listening to anything I say." Chris accepted the precious bundle, and almost immediately, his daughter was still. She looked up at her father with big, green eyes. Her mother's eyes. "I don't understand how you do that every time," Cassie mumbled, crossly looking at her happily gurgling daughter. "Gina fights me like a tiger. Not like her brother." "Not like her brother at all," Chris agreed, looking at Gina's twin playing with Melissa and Gavin in the porch. "James, my dear wife, is besotted with you." Melissa and Gavin came over on Sundays. They had become good friends, once Gavin and Melissa saw that Chris truly did love Cassie. Gavin and Melissa had tied the knot right after the birth of the twins, and now, a year later, Melissa was pregnant. Her small bump was barely visible, but Gavin was overprotective all the same. Just like Chris had been. Cassie grinned and held her hands out for her daughter. She wanted a cuddle. Chris handed her over, then hugged both Cassie and Gina gently. "A family huggle without us?" Melissa said, striding toward them with a happy James in her arms. "Now that isn't very nice is it James?" Cassie and Chris laughed, and broke apart. Chris took James from Melissa and set him down on the grass near his grandfather's grave. It was a Sunday, and as was their custom, they had brought out their lunch here. Cassie wanted her children to grow up knowing their grandfather, and Chris and Ann couldn't agree more. Cassie always felt that James had been the reason that she and Chris had gotten together in the first place. "I can't believe it's been two years already," Chris said quietly as he looked at his son. "I know," Cassie said softly, setting Gina down beside James before coming to stand beside Chris. She slipped an arm around his waist and leaned against him. "It seems like forever." "That was because it was complicated in the beginning," Chris said, smiling. "Every complication in the book," Cassie agreed, bringing her other hand up to caress his cheek. "But we made it," he said, looking down at his beautiful wife. "We certainly did," Cassie said, smiling radiantly. She gently brought his head down and kissed him, feeling loved and safe in his embrace. Chris responded eagerly, his hands going around her and holding her tightly to him. Both of them could feel the sparks of lust. Cassie grinned inwardly. Even after the twins had come, Chris had never ceased to be aroused by her body. He loved it. He loved her. These two years had helped her come to terms with her insecurity. "Hey, cut it out you too. There are children here," Gavin said indignantly and Cassie and Chris broke away, laughing softly. "Later," Chris said, the promise in his words unmistakable, and kissed the tip of her nose. Cassie smiled and went to stand beside Melissa. "So, have you seen Ann lately?" Melissa asked Cassie softly, out of Chris's earshot. "No," Cassie said equally quietly. "But I spoke to her two days ago, and she sounded down." "She'll be fine," Gavin said when he came over to stand beside Melissa. "She's got a good head on those lovely shoulders of hers. But is it anything that would worry the grizzly brother there?" Gavin nodded toward Chris, and Cassie and Melissa smothered their giggles. "He's not that bad..." Cassie started to say, but then caught Gavin's eye. "Fine, he is that bad, and yes, it will trouble the grizzly brother, as you put it. So both of you shut up. I'm making her excuses." Gavin and Melissa nodded, bemused. Ann had been having a rough patch lately, and while Cassie, Gavin and Melissa had been helping out, Chris had been kept in the dark for obvious reasons. Ann's love life was messed up as it is, without Chris coming and messing it up further by being the over protective older brother. But that was another worry for another day. She looked at her husband playing with her children and felt the warm glow of contentment spread through her. So much for complications. What she had Chris had here, right now, was something special. It was perfect.