Cassie's Choice

Copyright © Donna Gallagher 2014. All Rights Reserved, Total-E-Ntwined Limited, T/A Totally Bound Publishing. The present… Sitting in the quiet classroom after another sleepless night was not working out very well for Cassie. She had hoped that the topic test she’d scheduled for her class today would have ensured a peaceful start to her work day. Instead, as her students worked away diligently on their papers, Cassie found her mind drifting—or more precisely obsessing over the events of the recent night’s dinner at Mia’s restaurant and her run in with him. What was it about Riley Walters that did this to her? After all this time—nearly two and a half years—and still just being in his presence turned Cassie inside out. She craved the man like some drug-addicted loser desperate for a score. She was a loser, when it came to him, her dignity and self-preservation flying out of the door at the mere thought that he might want her again. Touch her again. It was a pitiful thought for a fully grown, mature, professional woman, to know that at one time she had been so enamoured of a man that she would have gone to any length to keep him happy. Put herself through any kind of emotional or physical discomfort for fear that he might find her wanting, boring, and leave. Cassie, though deeply wounded by the way Riley had just up and left her, tried to convince herself that it had been for the best. Knowing how much of herself she had been prepared to risk, the lengths she had been prepared to go to for him, was a chilling reminder that the relationship had not been healthy for her. No partner should have that much control over the other, or be prepared to use that power. Not that Riley had threatened Cassie in any way—for all she knew he’d been unaware of her deep feelings for him—but it had not stopped her from feeling like a slutty whore when he had walked out on the ménage he had suggested they partake in. Walked out without a word and never contacted her again. Thinking back on the night—and Cassie had done that, fixatedly—she had come to the conclusion that if she’d only said no, then maybe things might have been different. At least she would not have had to deal with the sick feeling in her stomach or the crawl of her skin when she remembered the events of that night. She had been so infatuated with the few years younger Riley that Cassie had been terrified he would find her lack of sexual exploits or experience boring. She was, after all, the older woman, or so everyone had pointed out repeatedly. Riley’s friends winking at her all the time, stupid grins on their faces with some kind of amusing agenda in their implication. Like Cassie was some sort of Mrs Robinson or something. When the truth was, Cassie had spent so much time studying to become a high school teacher she really hadn’t had much time to explore her sensual side at all. A few quick flings during university had been the extent of her experience, but from the moment she had met Riley, her body had gone wild for him. Cassie had never been able to get enough of him and he had taught her so much about her own desires, her cravings and what made her scream with pleasure. And she had screamed, moaned, pleaded and begged at times. Riley had been like a master magician casting a spell over her, knowing exactly how to satisfy her sexually. She would have tried anything, done anything not to lose him. Cassie had not only worried over their age difference, but also the fact that someone with as much skill in the bedroom as Riley must have had a long list of sexual conquests to his name. How else could he have understood what she needed and achieved that goal so completely, so effortlessly? He seemed to have known exactly where and when to touch her to bring her undone. Riley had never made her any promises, never discussed being exclusive, and Cassie had been too nervous to ever mention it, for fear of looking too needy. But it had not softened the blow when he’d uppe