Adult Education

23. The way you kissed him.

Never in his life had Billy experienced such fear, AND disappointment.

Over and over again, he could hear her soft voice ask that question in his head. "What side of you?"

'Yes! What bloody side of me, huh', he thought, the fear still very present in his body as he climbed the stairs up to her office in the company building. Well, everything in his body also felt tense and unsettling.

Like a pent up sneeze, as he had never been able to get to the 'proper welcome' part. Thanks to his father. He muttered under his breath.

Thankfully the one and the same had saved him, as he himself had frozen completely when they had turned around and faced Cassandra in the living room yesterday.

The fear had gripped him so hard it had cut off his air completely.

Needless to say he had looked like a damn fool, standing there in front of her, fumbling for words. He shivered at the thought.

As said, thank god Theo had cut in and fed her a small white lie, looking all serious as he had done it. So it seemed like they, or better yet, HE was in the clear. It had been too close.

How the hell can he ever tell her what kind of person he really is? Or maybe it should be WAS?

Because something inside of him had changed considerably, he did not feel as heartless and cold as he had done before. Billy's eyes widened.

He felt vulnerable . . . that was it. God forbid.

Damn! He clenched his teeth as he took the last steps up to the office floor. The rough and coldblooded man he used to be was gone, and it was all Cassandra's doing. She had penetrated his heart, the heart he had kept locked all these years, and she had penetrated it good. It was all his own doing, he was to blame and he knew that. Drat.

If he had not pursued her, OR kissed her that first night, this would never have happened.

Billy grabbed the doorknob, swung the door open and then he stepped inside to the office landscape with steady strides. Almost at once he saw her. A flood of pleasurable warmth spread everywhere in his body and a goofy and tender grin appeared in his face.

He could feel the power that she had over him and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing!

It felt wonderful and horrific at the same time, and he wondered slightly if there might be in order to panic some about that particular fact.

As he reached her desk she looked up and their eyes met. Cassandra held her breath and swallowed hard when seeing the sparkle in his eyes. She could also see all of the other women in the office coming to a halt to ogle over him as he had entered.

"Billy, "she said in a low voice and turned her eyes down into the floor.

Reaching for her hand, Billy sat down on the edge of her desk, urging her to look back up again.

"I am so sorry for yesterday, Sweetheart, " the tone of his voice deep and tentative.

Cassie allowed a small unsure smile to appear.

"Well, I guess Pamela is no fan of me, huh?" she could feel Billy's fingers around hers, his hand squeezing hers gently. It felt good.

Billy shook his head with a deep sigh, then he rolled his eyes discretely as he saw that most of the women in the office had stopped working and were watching him. He pushed off the desk and kept his hold on Cassie's hand.