Acts of Salvation: An Age Gap Romance (Men of WRATH Book 2)
Acts of Salvation: Chapter 6

No matter what I do, I can’t seem to get Angel…err… Cassie out of my head. Despite knowing that I could never pursue anything with her, visions of her naked body and wild eyes keep flitting around in my brain. One time with her was enough to sear her into my soul.

I’ve just arrived at William’s place to go over a contract and instead of being excited about the new client I landed, I’m over here thinking of Cassie and her luscious lips. The way her smile lights up her face. The story behind her hazel eyes. Those eyes…

There’s so much history in those eyes. You can tell she’s lived a full life, unsheltered and raw, experiencing every emotion but keeping every single one close to her chest.

Stepping out of the car and up to William’s home, I mentally shake myself. This is not the time to be thinking about a girl. And that’s what she is. A teenage girl. Certainly not someone I need to be fantasizing about.

The door swings open and my breath halts. Did I just conjure this girl up?

“Ren?” Cassie squints her eyes as if unsure of what she’s seeing. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just about to ask you the same thing.” I step inside, inhaling her unique scent as I walk past her. “But hey, I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Whatever’s brought her here, I’m not questioning.

“Well since you’re here, mind keeping an eye on this?” She hands me a monitor where baby Harper is napping in what appears to be her crib. “I need to get something from my car and I’m not sure the baby monitor gets good reception outside.”

“Sure, no problem.” I smile like a fool as she steps outside, softly closing the door behind her.

Turning around, I head to the kitchen, needing to fix myself something to eat. I didn’t eat lunch and was planning on grabbing dinner with William—but that doesn’t look very likely now.

I whip out my phone to text the man in question.

REN: Hey, I stopped by your place to go over the new contract, but you aren’t here.

WILLIAM: Oh shit, sorry man. Forgot to tell you, I had a last-minute dinner with a potential client. Won’t be home until late tonight. Let’s go over it in the morning.

REN: No worries. See you then.

I’m putting my phone back in my pocket when Cassie steps into the kitchen. “I see why you’re babysitting now. William is out at a client dinner.”

Cassie makes a strangled sound as she places some papers on the counter. “Uh-huh. That’s it, alright.”

I furrow my brows. “What I don’t get is why you’re here instead of Bella. Isn’t she taking care of Harper?”

“Ummm, yeah. She had something come up.” Cassie points to the bread in my hand. “It looks like you’re hungry. Why don’t you let me fix you something real quick?”

“You won’t catch me saying no to that! I love to eat but I can’t cook worth shit.” I let out a laugh.

“Well, I love to cook. After a long day, there’s nothing better than pouring myself a drink, playing a little music, and getting lost in the art of food.”

I stare at this woman, losing myself in the way she moves as she speaks, her face and hands expressively conveying every inflection of her tone. Then it hits me… “Wait, how old are you? Are you even old enough to drink?”

Cassie rolls her eyes. “I’m old enough to drink in the UK, and most every other country except for this one.”

“So that makes you what…”

“Nineteen. I’m nineteen.” Cassie lets out an exasperated breath before arching a brow, begging me to argue the fact that she’s too young to be drinking. But all my brain can wrap itself around is the fact that she’s still a teenager.

I’ve been lusting after a goddamned teenager.

Realizing I’m not going to add to the conversation right now, Cassie turns around and opens the Sub-Zero fridge. It’s fully stocked with fresh veggies and proteins. No snacks to be seen.

“William is a health freak. Usually has Chef prep his lunches for the week so he doesn’t have to eat out.” I shake my head before continuing. “Me, the greasier the better.”

“My kind of cooking.” Cassie winks as she produces a couple of bone-in pork chops from the fridge, placing them on the counter before disappearing into the pantry.

Looking down on the counter, I see the papers she’d brought in earlier. It looks like some sort of contract. Wow, it’s for a decent amount of money. Good for her.

“What are you doing?” Cassie scrunches her face as she places a bag of potatoes in the sink. “That’s personal.”

“I’ve had my cock in almost every hole of your body. I’d say that’s pretty personal.”

The look of indignation on her face is priceless. I want to kiss it right off, but instead of addressing my brand of humor, Cassie redirects. “It’s a contract… for a job I might be taking.”

The hesitation in her voice makes me worry. “Why do you sound so unsure? It seems like a great opportunity on paper. Well, from what I’ve read so far.”

“The client’s husband. He’s sort of a creep.”

Immediately my whole body tenses. The thought of some creep perving on what’s mine sets off my adrenaline, needing to protect Cassie from perceived and unperceived dangers alike. I don’t even realize what I’m doing until Cassie places her palms on my chest and begins to push me off.

In the span of a minute, I’d walked up to her, pulled her into me, and held on for dear life. Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with me? I’ve never reacted like this over a woman. It’s like I’m a different man when it comes to her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to crowd your personal space. I just couldn’t stand the thought of another man going near you like that.” I take a reluctant step away from her. “For some irrational reason, I feel that you belong to me—but from your reaction, I’m guessing the feeling isn’t mutual.”

A pained look flashes across her face, but it’s gone in an instant. “I think it’s for the best if we keep our distance. Romantically, at least. With you being Bella’s uncle and all, and me being her best friend, I’m just not seeing how it could end well.”

“Sure.” The one word is the only thing I’m able to muster. Her words make sense, but they don’t diminish the burn they leave behind. “Why don’t you leave the contract with me. I can run a full check on this douche and see if there’s any history that would indicate if he’d be dangerous to work with.”

Cassie’s face lights up and at that moment I realize there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to see that look on her face. The thought is jarring, especially given the fact that she’s outright rejected me.

“Thank you! That would make me feel a million times better about this job.” She closes the space between us, surprising us both with a spontaneous hug. The moment only lasts a second because as soon as she’s realized what she’s done, she’s right back to distancing herself—putting up those ten-foot walls and securing her perimeter. “And to thank you, I’ll be making you one of my specialties. Skillet seared pork chops with rosemary roasted potatoes.”

“Sounds delicious.” I offer her a feeble smile while thinking… ‘all I really want is you.’