Welcome To My World (Hell Yeah!) (17 page)

CHAPTER TEN

Bowie moved Cassie’s hair off her shoulder. His little mermaid was sound asleep. She smiled a little as he touched her. Easing off the bed, he grabbed his cell phone. He had a couple of calls to make.

The first was to George to check on the job they were currently working on. The second was to Uncle Michael to find out what luck he’d had getting things lined up for his renovations. Bowie was glad to hear that he’d found a contractor to come in and start work on the cabinets, ramps and the bathrooms. While they were talking, Michael gave him a few more ideas about things that would help Cassie around the house and property. His uncle had made no secret that he had some doubts about this relationship, but he wasn’t hesitant to help Bowie where he could.

The last call, however, was the best one. As part of his tracking and rescuing work, he served as one of the divers for Blue Water, a search and rescue organization. He had a friend in Galveston who was also a member of Blue Water, one who not only ran a dive school, but one whose wife was one of the biologists at the Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid. If Cassie thought she’d had a good time tonight, he couldn’t wait to see her face when she learned of his next surprise.

After making the calls, he crawled back into bed. Like a magnet, it was mere seconds before she was cuddled against him. A sweeter armful he’d never held. Thinking she was asleep, he stroked her back and kissed her forehead. She smelled so sweet. Everything about her was soft. Then, he noticed, she was pressing against him—subtle, slight little movements of her hips. Unable to stop himself, Bowie slipped a hand between their bodies and sought out her femininity. She was wet. “Want me?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “If it’s okay. I’ve wanted you all night.”

A surge of lust hit him like a sledge hammer. “You’ll never spend one minute in my bed unsatisfied, Cassie. Next time you need me, wake me up.”

They had slept naked and he hadn’t gotten dressed, so there was nothing to hinder them. Bowie slipped an arm around her back to support her as he bent his head to her breast. As his mouth closed around the taut nipple, he began to suck, drawing deep. Cassie grasped on to his shoulders, sinking her nails into his skin.

“Oh, Bowie, more, more, that feels so good!” She hung on to him, purring, writhing, panting. Her mind-blowing sexy response only made him try harder, so he lapped at her nipple and opened his mouth wide, suckling at the tender peak. And then her whole body shuddered. Was she climaxing? Bowie ran a hand down to her pussy and slipped his finger into her slit and sure enough, she tightened and fluttered around him. My God!

Bowie’s heart slammed against his chest. If he didn’t get inside of her within the next five seconds he would die. “I can’t wait, baby. Please. Please.”

Cassie’s eyes were wet with tears. Not tears of pain, but tears of utter bliss. “I want you.” With the greatest care, he fit his body to hers. She could feel him trembling. Cassie lifted her leg. Once she would have been ashamed, but now she just needed to accommodate their needs. Helping him, they fixed his cock to her vagina and he glided inside. She was so overwhelmed, Cassie began to kiss his chest, letting her teeth scrape his skin. Being as close to him as humanly possible was her greatest desire.

Bowie moved within her, gently but gradually building. He tried to hold off, but the butterfly contractions of her inner muscles caressing his cock caused him to fill her with lustrous heat.

After such an amazing beginning, the day was off to a good start. They dressed, ate some fresh fruit Bowie had brought with them and took off to do some sightseeing. He took Cassie to Murdoch’s on the seawall and bought, what seemed to her, one of every souvenir he could find. They rented a surrey bicycle so she could sit beside him and they toured the island, heading down to the historic strand and checking out many of the sculptures carved from the trunks of trees destroyed by Hurricane Ike. Cassie was fascinated with the sculptures which ranged from trees filled with birds to mermaids to children at play.

For lunch they went to an island favorite, Gaido’s Restaurant where Bowie ordered them both a seafood platter. Cassie’s eyes were bigger than her stomach but Bowie managed to finish off his and the rest of hers. “When we go home, if you will, I’d like for you to meet the McCoys. They’re family.”

“I’d like that,” Cassie replied. “After you told me about rescuing Aron, I saw a report about it on the news. Imagine how shocked I was to see that one of my cousins was involved in the mission.”

Bowie looked perplexed. “Who?” And then it hit him. “Cartwright. Destry Cartwright. You’re related to that shark?”

She could tell by his smile that he meant no harm. “Yes. Our dads were first cousins. I can remember him and his family coming to our house often when I was younger but we haven’t been close since we grew up. He’s been busy making a life for himself and so have I, such as it is.”

“You’ve accomplished a great deal, starting a successful business on your own. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you.” She entwined her fingers with his as the waiter refilled their wine glass. “Destry has really done well, though, a decorated hero, a Supreme Court clerk and a successful lawyer.”

“Plus, his association with the Equalizers, they’ve done a lot of good.” He went on to tell her about a few of their cases he was aware of. “They rescued a young boy abducted from his home, another little boy who had wandered away in the swamp, a bride who was kidnapped on her wedding day by an irate ex, not to mention finding the governor’s son who had been stolen and sold by the child’s maternal grandfather.”

Cassie’s eyes widened. She hadn’t known all of that. “That’s amazing, but no less impressive than what you do to help people.”

Bowie deflected her praise with a casual comment and wave. “Let’s get out of here. We have somewhere to be.” Paying the check, he guided her out of the nautical themed restaurant and by the huge statue of a crab which adorned the middle of the front parking lot. The roar of the surf greeted them since they were just across the street from the ocean.

“Where are we going?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him as they made their way to his truck.

“First stop is Tangerine’s, a boutique over on Post Office Street.”

“What’s there?”

“You’re going to buy a new dress and a pretty pair of shoes.” Bowie picked her hand up and kissed her palm.

“A new dress? For me?” She looked mystified.

“Well, certainly not for me.” He snorted. Bowie opened his mouth to mimic hers, making her laugh. “We’re going dancing.”

*  *  *

Never in Cassie’s wildest imagination would she have foreseen the upcoming evening. “I love you in this red dress.” Bowie stared at her with unabashed appreciation.

She soothed her hands down the sides, the dress would never have been one she’d picked for herself. Clothing this sexy was just out of her realm of experience. Bowie had just flat taken control. He’d bulldozed into Tangerine’s, picked her out a dress, a bikini, a pair of beautiful shoes—even underwear with stockings and a garter belt. Cassie felt like a goddess.

“I feel sexy,” she admitted. And the club was dazzling. Cassie had been in a few bars like Arkey’s but this was something entirely different. Swanky was one word that came to mind. The lights were low, the music was slow and she could feel her body want to move to the rhythm. But dancing? She didn’t really want to be spun around in her chair on the dance floor, so she was hoping that coming to enjoy the band and have a few drinks was what Bowie had in mind.

Bowie could tell she was a little nervous. “Do you trust me?” he asked softly, looking deeply into those huge green eyes.

Not a question about that. “Yes, I do.”

“Good.” Before she could fathom his intentions, he picked her up in his arms and walked to the dance floor.

Cassie hid her head in his neck.

“Look up, sweet girl.” He rearranged her in his arms, holding her like a bride on her wedding day and he began to sway, kissing her lips as the music surrounded them.

Obeying him, she raised her head. There were other couples near them, some dancing and some watching from the tables. But there was no snickers, no snide glances, no disapproving shakes of heads. All she saw on the faces of every woman in the room was envy.

Giving herself over to Bowie, she allowed her hopes to soar as he rocked her to the gentle beat. “Do you know what you are?” Cassie whispered into his ear.

“A big old rough redneck?” He joked with her.

She ran her hand under his heavy dark hair. “No chance of that.” Holding her head up to kiss his lips, she murmured, “You’re a hero, a dream weaver.”

Bowie hugged her a bit closer. She made him feel like a fuckin’ hero. “Hold on to me, baby. The best is yet to come.”

And he hadn’t been lying, Cassie thought. When he got her home, the magic began. Bowie had undressed her slowly. And when he got her in nothing but the stockings and garter belt, he literally went to his knees. “Hot damn.” He spread her legs and kissed the inside of her thigh. “Do you know what I’m about to do?”

Cassie knew what she hoped he would do. “Kiss me?”

Bowie chuckled. “Oh yea, that’s one way to put it.” Spreading her open, he placed an open-mouth kiss right over her clit. “I’m going to tongue your pussy till you faint.”

Cassie found out that Bowie Malone was a man of his word.

*  *  *

The next morning, Bowie was so excited he didn’t know if he could keep his plans secret or not. “Just wear your bikini under your clothes and don’t ask any more questions.”

“But why?” she asked for the third time. Cassie realized she sounded like an annoying little girl.

“We’re in Galveston! Do we need a better reason to wear a swimsuit?” He refused to give away his surprise, it was just too good.

When they got underway, Cassie was confused. They didn’t go down to the beach. They didn’t go to the pool. Instead, he loaded her in the truck and they took off east back to town. It didn’t matter how much she pouted or how high she pulled her skirt. Although Bowie stared and even put a warm hand on her thigh, he didn’t relent and tell her where they were going. So when they pulled into Moody Gardens and he bought tickets, she was chomping at the bit. “What are we doing?”

“Well,” he began slowly, “there are a lot of things to do here.” He pointed to the left at a huge area of snow white sand on the bay. “Palm Beach is beautiful...”

“We’re going to the water park?” She didn’t put much past Bowie. After all, they’d been dancing and swimming in the pool.

“No, not this trip.” He pointed in the other direction. “And there’s the golf course.”

She just made a face at him. “My handicap is fifty-six.”

He laughed. “The highest possible is forty-two.”

“Exactly.”

“And there’s the Rainforest Pyramid.” He pointed at the ten story glass pyramid that drew her eye. “There’s a waterfall, bat caves and a thousand species of other animals and tropical plants.”

“Bat caves?” She made a comical panicked face which made him smile.

“There’s also a paddleboat.”

“I like the sound of that.” She held her arms out as he moved her from the seat to her chair.

“But, we’re not doing any of that stuff.” He was trying to be mysterious.

“You’re just torturing me, aren’t you?” Cassie said with a little huff.

“Payback, darling,” Bowie stated placidly. “You keep me in a constant state of lust. Being around you without being buried inside of you is the sweetest kind of torture.”

Cassie whimpered a bit. What did one say to something like that?

The place was huge, so when Bowie began to wheel her in the opposite direction, she saw something up ahead. Another pyramid—a bigger one that was solid blue like it was full of water. “Is that where we’re going?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He took one hand and lifted her hair from behind her back so it flowed back in a bright gold cascade. God, he loved to have his fingers tangled in the silky mass. “That’s the Aquarium Pyramid. Twelve stories, a fifteen million gallon aquarium divided into different tanks to represent specific ocean climates and habitats.”

“Really?” Cassie was intrigued. “Will we see sharks?”

“Yea,” Bowie said as he guided her through the crowd. “But you won’t be swimming with them.”

“Well, I didn’t expect to.”

“They’ll be in a specific tunnel, safe away from us, while we dive.”

“What?” Cassie yelled so loud she drew the attention of everyone surrounding her. “I can’t dive!”

“Yes, you can. My friend has everything arranged.”

With that startling announcement Cassie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Bowie,” she had to ask. “Why are you doing all of this for me?”

Her question stumped Bowie for a moment or two. Why? Then, he just told her the truth. He couldn’t give her all the truth right now, but this part he could. “Because it makes me happy to bring you joy.”

At that moment, whatever had been holding Cassie back was set free.

She fell head over heels in love with Bowie Malone.

The next little while was a blur. They weren’t alone in the Aquarium Pyramid, but they were taken back behind the scenes. She met Kenneth and Sonja Horton, Bowie’s friends. He introduced them and explained how they’d become acquainted.

“Yea, I got to know Malone well when we were helping with that ferry rescue off the coast of Malaysia a couple of years ago.”

Cassie remembered hearing about that. The boat had attempted to make a sharp turn, taken on water and had capsized with over four hundred and fifty people on board, many of them children. Some had been trapped. Knowing Bowie had been there made her heart ache.

“The danger both of you face overwhelms me,” she admitted.

Sonja nodded her head. “I agree, but Ken seems to thrive on it.”

“Adrenaline, baby.” Ken kissed his wife. “Now, let’s see what we can do for you.”

Cassie just set back and watched while the other three examined equipment—tanks, fin, masks—and then she saw it, another wheelchair. “What’s that?” She pointed.

Bowie grinned. “That’s your steed, my fair lady.”

She didn’t understand. “I’m going underwater in a wheelchair?”

Sonja pushed it toward her. “A very special wheelchair, especially equipped for use underwater.” She showed her how it operated. “You’re going to love it. I have a friend who uses one and she says it’s like flying. These large plastic fins attached to the footrests allow you to maneuver easily.”

A magnificent excitement made Cassie shake. “I don’t know if I can.” It was the feeling when you wanted to do something so bad you could taste it, but you were afraid to do it at the same time.

“I’m going with you.” Bowie assured her, as if that statement should quell all her fears.

And it did.

It took a while, but he carefully instructed her on the use of the breathing apparatus and moved her to the chair, strapping her in, explaining how the controls worked. “You’ll never be by yourself for a moment, so don’t be frightened. Okay?” He looked her right in the eyes, searching for confirmation she wanted to do this.

“All right,” she agreed. “But what about the fish?”

Bowie laughed. “They’re not gonna know what’s going on in their tank.” And they didn’t. From the moment Bowie showed her how to breathe and hooked her into the chair, until the moment he lowered her underwater, Cassie had not really believed what was happening. But Bowie was right with her, just like he promised. And it didn’t take long till she got the hang of it and soon she was scooting through the water, chasing angel fish, reaching out to touch dolphins and hanging on to the back leg of a turtle.