from Texas, had more than satisfied the hottest man on the planet. She couldn’t help but smile as he held her close, basking in the afterglow of what had to be the most perfect encounter on the planet.
After, he washed her hair, pulling his fingers through the strands.
“You know this is most women’s fantasy.”
“Really?”
“I don’t know a woman who hasn’t watched Out of Africa and sighed over Redford washing Meryl Streep’s hair.”
“I’m no Redford but I’ve got a few other tricks up my sleeve.”
And then he showed her.
Finally, the water began to run cool. Cassie held up a hand. “I’m actually starting to look pruney, Corrigan. How long have we been in here?”
He glanced at the time on the shower radio. “About ninety minutes or so.”
She leaned into him, her hands on his slick chest, and laughed. “At our old apartment, Jolene and I would fight over who showered first. Our water stayed hot maybe ninety seconds, tops. I am certainly living in a fantasy world.”
Rhett took her chin in hand. “I hope you’ll want to stay.” He kissed her, long and soft, and then cut the water.
“Let me grab some towels.”
He stepped out and returned, wrapping her in luxury.
“What kind of fluffy monstrosity is this?” She rubbed her cheek against the soft cotton. “And how have I lived this long without it?”
“Move in with me and you can use as many of these as you like.”
Cassie bit her lip. “Rhett, don’t rush things. We’ve only known each other a few weeks.”
“I know how I feel, sweetheart, and I won’t change my mind about how I feel for you. When it’s right, it’s right.”
Rhett caught her up in his arms. “Marry me, Cassie Carroll. We’ll have from this moment until eternity to get to know one another. I already know everything I need to but it’ll be a fantastic journey learning all the rest.”
She hesitated. “I’m a nobody, Rhett. You’re Hollywood royalty. I’m not a busty, leggy supermodel, much less an actress who can match you paycheck for paycheck. I can’t sing. I can’t dance. Everything I own fits into one suitcase with room left to spare. You may not think so now because everything is new and shiny but I think you’d get tired of me. I don’t know if we would work in the long run.”
Rhett cradled her face in his hands. “I do. I’ve been waiting twenty-nine years—a lifetime—for you. I’m not letting you go. I don’t care if you have one dress or a thousand. You’re real, Cassie. Down to earth. We understand each other. We can build something good together. I want you to be the mother of my children and then cry on my shoulder when they leave for college someday.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Running on the beach. Playing poker. Watching old movies. Drinking good wine as we rock on the porch and reminisce about the wonderful life we had together.”
“Corrigan, you don’t have a porch.”
Rhett’s smile lit up. “I’ll build a damned porch. Hammer every nail in myself. You can sell tickets and donate the money to my charity foundation.”
Cassie smiled back, her doubts melting away. “I’ve always been partial to wrap-around porches myself.”
“Then I’ll wrap it around the entire first floor. Build you a verandah on the second. Hell, I’ll even build you a porch for the gatehouse.”
His eyes gazed longingly into hers. “I’ll do whatever you want, Cassie. Name it and it’s yours.”
She looped her arms around his neck. “I don’t want anything or anybody but you, Rhett Corrigan.”
“Deal.”
Rhett kissed her, and Cassie knew she’d become a real-life Cinderella.
CHAPTER 23
Rhett pulled into the visitor’s parking lot, already half-full at a quarter to ten that morning. Cassie sensed the nervous energy brimming within him. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly as they crossed the street and entered the spacious lobby. She was grateful no paparazzi lurked behind plastic palm trees.
Cassie was also glad to be in her own clothes, a peach sweater and jeans. Good as her word, Melanie and Ken showed up with both her clothes and TJ after phoning ahead to see if she was awake. Melanie fussed over TJ, proclaiming her love for the little furball, and promising him that Auntie Mel would keep him anytime his mommy went out of town, despite Uncle Ken’s loud and obnoxious sneezes.
Melanie had smiled widely at Cassie, still wearing the snug black number minus the killer heels, and proclaimed she didn’t need to know how last