Chapter 15

Brian, what the fuck? You two are dating, right? When they had teed off and were standing at the first hole, Nathan muttered something to him. He was alone with Nathan since the other three groomsmen had already departed in their golf cart to get their balls.

"Yeah, so?" Taking his club and making his way back to the cart, Brian stated. "Do you have a problem with it?"

Nathan said, "Yes, I fucking do," as he threw his club into his golf bag and got on the cart. "Cassie and I have history and fucking unfinished business."

Brian pushed the accelerator to start the cart. But Nathan, that's just it—that's the history. Cassie is currently with me, and you two are fucking getting hitched. Your business is essentially done, in my opinion." Brian's knuckles went white from holding onto the driving wheel so tightly. He was afraid that if he didn't, he would grab onto something else, like Nathan's fucking neck, and squeeze till the dumb ass got no air left in him.

"Are you doing this just to piss me off?" inquired he. "With all your money and connections you could have anyone, so why Cassie?" Nathan's tone sounded like that of a grumpy child who's been ordered to give up his beloved Lego set.

"Are you really such a narcissistic asshole that you think the entire world revolves around you?" Brian shook his head inquiringly. "I had no idea that Cassie knew you when we met and we didn't even make the connection until the subject of the wedding came up." Taking a deep breath, Brian grinned and continued, "She never even mentioned you."

"But Cassie's mine," Nathan scowled.

"No," Brian replied, "Cassie may have been yours at some point but you gave up any right to her when you got engaged to Ainsley."

"I'm marrying Ainsley, and you know why. I'm doing it for the company and for Dad."

"Nathan, this isn't the Middle Ages; you're thirty years old, man. Simply because marriage is advantageous for your business does not mean that you should get married. You are mature enough to make your own decisions without seeking permission from your father. What, you thought Cassie would simply wait around for you and be happy to spend an occasional weekend with you while you lived the life of luxury as a married couple up here with Ainsley? Cassie is worthy of better than that. She is deserving of the entire universe." What Brian was hearing from Nathan's mouth was unbelievable. Although he had always thought the shithead was a coward and a suck-up, he was unaware of how much of a self-centered idiot he actually was.

Nathan said, "But Cassie is not the marrying kind." "I need someone to help me advance professionally, plan dinner parties, and win over the spouses of the individuals we do business with. Cassie is a professional, and she wouldn't be content to give it up."

"You're right, Cassie wouldn't be content to be your fucking trophy wife, and if you thought she would be, you'd be a complete b*tch. However, it doesn't imply she's not the marrying kind, and you should just leave her alone if you can't see what a fantastic life partner she may be. Regardless, she's with me now, and I like that she's self-sufficient and pursuing her own job. You do not get to have Jackie and Marilyn at the same time, nor are you fucking JFK. You've made your decision, so get fuck off from my girlfriend.

After bringing the cart to a stop next to the other one, Brian stepped out to look for his ball. He genuinely wanted to bash Nathan's face in retaliation for being such a fucking jackass. No, Cassie wasn't the kind to play the "hostess with the mostest" and stand in the background, but Brian would never ask her to. With the possible exception of her irrational devotion to Nathan, she was absolutely wonderful just the way she was.

Fucking the damn sh*t.

Why was she OK with the way he had treated her, and what the devil did she see in the guy? Perhaps the adage about women preferring assholes is accurate.

He could not dispute, however, the way her body reacted to him. It wasn't a drama. Every time he got close, her body was lighted up like a Christmas tree, and she automatically responded to his little touches and kisses. And the one evening they'd shared? With all the fireworks they let off between them, it was like fucking New Year's Eve. How could she not see that he would be a far better fit for her than Nathan?

However, wasn't that the whole point? They had simply slept in a single bed together and weren't actually boyfriend and girlfriend. They weren't really in a relationship. All of this was a ruse to make Nathan envious, and by the end of the weekend, either Nathan would realize what was going on and leave Ainsley for Cassie, or he would persuade Cassie that their arrangement was what she desired, leaving Brian in the dark.

Despite how much her body appeared to crave Brian, Cassie didn't want him. There was nothing Nathan could do to stop Cassie from wanting the fantasy with him. He had entered into this lie intending to win Cassie over and demonstrate to her the error of her ways in her relationship with Nathan. However, he was going too far and his heart was about to forget that what they had was a lie.

Ever since they had shared those tequila shots, he had felt that Cassie was someone he could fall in love with and that he would desire something more than a casual relationship. He had dabbled in the notion of looking for her when she hadn't phoned, but he had no leads. Not even her name had been revealed to him.

Now he had another chance to show her that something truly remarkable was occurring between them. She was just here with him to enrage her ex, though, since she was still very much infatuated with him. With all that baggage lingering in her life, there was no way he could win, and it would have been better for him to just walk away.

This, although theoretically reasonable, was completely absurd if he entered the same room as her. Every time he felt the urge to touch her, to smell her flowers, to feel the warmth of her body next to his, his barriers crumbled. He was helpless in her presence, and he fucked and enjoyed it. Did that mean he was a masochist in some way? He gave a damn. He was aware that he would eventually have to pay for this exquisite and lovely torment, but he was also aware that he could not escape it.

As Cassie pulled into the Oceans Resort's underground parking garage, she turned to face Ainsley, perplexed. This was as far as a bridal store was located.

She said, "What are we doing here?" as Ainsley parked and killed the engine.

She clarified, "I'm meeting the dressmaker here." "I reserved her because I didn't like any of the locations along the ocean and because I had heard odd things about this eccentric woman who had a shop in Paddington. Although she seems strange, I appreciate her work."

Ainsley and Cassie got out of the car together, and at the elevator, they ran into the other bridesmaids. After they had all packed in, Ainsley punched the penthouse button. Cassie noticed two doors as soon as the doors opened into the corridor. Cassie pondered whether the suite on the right was Brian's suite as Ainsley made his way to the one on the left. The guy was a millionaire, so it goes without saying that he would have reserved the penthouse even if he hadn't given her his room number.

When Ainsley knocked on the door, a little lady answered.

"Hello Annette, is Madam Hilda ready for us?" Ainsley replied with grace.

"Yes, Miss Rusch, please come in."

With everyone else, Cassie had to force her jaw to clench before she could fall to the floor. While Cassie was by no means impoverished, she was also unable to pay for a stay at a location like this. It was stunning, with a breathtaking vista of the Sunshine Coast and miles of sparkling blue water in front of her. The only thing Cassie could see out of her room was the tall building in the distance.

Annette responded, "Please take a seat." "I'll get Madam Hilda for you."

They faced the huge picture windows that showed the vista while they sat on the large sectional sofa. Let Cassie sigh. She could spend the entire day gazing at this.

After a while, a door opened, and Cassie turned to see an elderly woman hurriedly leaving one of the bedrooms. With her off-the-shoulder shirt and vibrantly colored handkerchief skirt, she gave off the vibe of a gypsy. Huge gold hoops dangled from her earrings and her hair was wrapped in a scarf.

The woman's gaze honed in on Cassie as Ainsley stood and shook hands with her. She had the impression that she was being evaluated, compared to a horse up for sale.

"Madam Hilda, please introduce yourself to Cassie. She is covering for Penny.

Cassie stood as Madam Hilda stepped in her direction. The elder lady took her hands, and as they touched, Cassie had a brief zap of static electricity that shot through her body. Lady Hilda grinned.

She said, "Yes," with an unusual accent that seemed to match her perfectly. "You're perfect." She turned and began pulling Cassie behind her in the direction of the room she had just left. "Remaining of you remain here. Annette is coming with your dresses."

After pushing Cassie inside the door, Madam Hilda shut it.

"Now let me get a better look at you," she said. "Take off your clothes."

Although Cassie wasn't a prude, she didn't exactly feel at ease undressing in front of this peculiar elderly lady. She took her time taking off her belt and shoes before dropping her dress's zipper. Thank goodness she had quality underwear on because she knew they were having a dress fitting. However, she hadn't anticipated doing the whole Monty in front of an audience.

"Don't be shy," Madam Hilda told her, not looking back. "I've seen it all before and I need to look at you to make sure the dress is right."

After finishing her shift, Cassie placed it on the bed. Grasping her hand, Madam Hilda escorted her to the middle of the room where she was examined from head to toe.

"Yes," she repeated. "Excellent. Alright, now try on a dress."

Madam Hilda approached the spacious walk-in robe, slipped inside, and emerged a minute later wearing a stunning chiffon gown. Indeed, as Ainsley had said, it was pink, but more of a blush than a true pink.

She was assisted by Madam Hilda in putting on the dress and pulling it up. The second woman zipped up the side as she threaded her arms through the narrow straps. The dress had spaghetti straps, a v-neck, and a chiffon belt that tightened the fit beneath the breast. In addition, it had no back and a deep swag of chiffon hanging from the shoulders. The floor-length gown had a pink hue that was almost sheer nude. Cassie was taken aback by Ainsley's sophisticated taste, and it was stunning. In order to ensure that the bride was not overshadowed by her bridesmaids, she had envisioned something terrible.

Madam Hilda fussed over the dress, correcting the fabric's fall and making sure it fit and was the right length, but she didn't really need to. The garment seemed to be custom-fit for her.

"Excellent," Madam Hilda said as she raised her gaze to meet Cassie's. "He is going to fall in love with you in this dress."

"What? Whom?"