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"Cassi, those things should have never happened to you He should have told soain "I made him promise he wouldn’t"

"Well he shouldn’t have listened to you"

"You don’t get it, Gage You weren’t there I couldn’t let him"

His eyes narrowed "No, I wasn’t there But if I had been, so would have been done the first tiht the cops showed?"

I shookto e put a hand on each side of ht he was about to kiss ht, and it didn’t matter that I hardly knew him; I wanted hiht?"

"I do"

Before I could realize what he was doing, he brushed s back and traced his thulass My body instantly stiffened and Gage’s eyes turned dark as he looked at it He slowly tore his gaze from the scar to my eyes and spoke softly "Didn’t deserve any of that"

I took a step back and turned to look at the alht doocoffee in each one "I’m sorry if you like cream," he drawled, "I don’t have any here"

"That’s fine" I breathed a quiet sigh of relief as I walked over to the fridge and grabbed the et so it in, he put the cap on forback over to er underat him "How often did it happen, Cassi?"

My breaths started co quicker What was it about him that made me want to fall into his ar his question for ainst the counter, so I couldn’t step back, but I moved my head away fro roo to answer "Every day?"

I still didn’t respond; if it was a weekend, it happened at least twice a day But that was so even Tyler didn’t know My body started involuntarily shaking and I hated that I was showing any sign of weakness in front of hiain, Cassi," he whispered while he studied htened He sounded like he was in pain just talking about it and I had no idea why But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me want his arms wrapped around me I cleared aze "Cassidy"

"What?"

"My name is Cassidy"

"Oh" He looked a little sheepish "My apologies, I didn’t realize"

"No Um, Tyler doesn’t like it He calls me Cassi I just wanted to tell you ravelly voice

He smiled softly as he studied me for a minute and took a sip of his black coffee "I like Cassidy, it fits"

Oh da to hear hioose bumps and I even shivered Yeah--his voice was that sexy

When I didn’t say anything he walked around to the table and held out a chair, waiting for me to sit in it We sat in silence for a while before I finally looked up at hi?"

One side of his mouth lifted up in a smile "I think I already cornered the o ahead"

And cue the freaking diot to ask e s s around hih I’d look ridiculous either way "Well, um, Tyler said you live on a ranch?"

"I do"

"I was kind of thinking you’d look h bounced back off the walls, and I feltto it "And how exactly were you expectingbelt buckle, super-tight bright blue jeans," I replied, a little embarrassed

"Well I definitely have the boots, and the hats, but I don’t think my sisters or Mama would ever letmustache, looks like Saure out who that was, and then I laughed "Seriously?"

"Swear, they could be twins"

"I’d love to see that So where was your hat last night?"

He shrugged "I leave all that at the ranch"

"What? Why?"

"I don’t wear them as a fashion statement, and I definitely don’t have any kind of work that would require them here in hippie town"

"Hippie town?" I deadpanned

"Just wait until we go out anywhere You’ll see"