My Sweet Canadian Girl Ch. 11

"I'm sorry," she said with a tender kiss. "It's just... I know you'd do anything to protect me, that you wouldn't think twice about putting yourself in danger to keep me safe and I wanted you have that same warm feeling in your heart for once."

"Okay it's my turn to talk now," I said with a finger across her lips. "You think I don't know what it feels like to have a woman who would do anything for me? The day we met I insulted you like an idiot but you came back to keep me safe. The first time you cooked dinner for me you would have happily given me the food off your plate if I wanted it and I still get that same feeling every time we sit down to eat. You came to see me in the middle of your final exams because you knew how much I needed you. Then you brought me home to Vancouver and didn't care what anyone else thought about it because we wanted it and that's all that mattered. You would have moved to California without a second thought if I had asked you and you were ready to cut you father out of your life completely if he didn't accept me. You even asked me to marry you and made me your husband without telling anyone. I know exactly what it's like to have a woman who will do anything for me because I have you."

"I knew you'd make me cry," she said though her tears as she kissed me in a desperate attempt to show me how much she loved me with her lips.

I held Cassie in my arms until her skin stared to feel cool and she was trying to burrow deeper into my arms for warmth. We'd left her parents house around two and it was still only half past seven. It was too early for bed yet but there was no reason for her to feel cold when we were lying on top of our warm blankets. I gently pushed her off me to stand up and took her into my arms as I turned the blankets down to climb into bed. She immediately assumed her regular sleeping position pressed tightly against my body. Our bed was quickly getting worn down on my side because she always slept practically on top of me. Soon it would be time to turn our mattress around to get some use out of the other side and eventually we'd have to replace it but that was a small price to pay for nights of her in my arms.

We lay together for half an hour until we had warmed up. Neither of us felt the need to talk until my stomach growl broke the loving silence and made her laugh as she rubbed my tummy as if I was the family dog. She promised to cook us a nice hearty meal to satisfy the hunger our raucous sex romp had built but first we needed to get cleaned up. Cassie wanted to take a nice hot bath and insisted I join her instead of starting dinner. The small tub in our apartment was always a tight fit but if she sat on my lap there was room for two of us to soak. Lying back in my arms she let the warm water soothe her tired body as I caressed her. She was slouched low so the water came almost to her neck but any movement of her body caused her wondrous breasts to break through to the surface when my admiring eyes were diligently waiting. We didn't make love again though it wasn't for a lack of an erection for me or eagerness on her part, we simply put it off until later.

After our long soak in the bath we dressed in warm clothes and made our way to the kitchen. Cassie was in the mood to cook something special for me, which meant I wasn't allowed to help unless she asked me to. To keep me occupied she suggested I check our messages while I waited. There were a few calls from her friends and one from my father too. When I told Cassie who had called she told me to call my father right away. I could see that she felt horrible for not thinking to call him again over the last few days to thank him for the wonderful gifts he sent us.

There was no answer at his home number so I tried his cell and got him on the first ring. He was happy to hear from me and even happier that Cassie had liked the gifts he sent but there was some bad news too. After months of problems in their marriage he and his third wife Linda had separated and were filing for divorce. They tried marriage counseling but finally decided just a few days before Christmas that neither of them wanted it to last. I felt horrible for him of course but he seemed in good spirits and even joked that this would be the easiest of his three divorces. They both had great jobs and remained on good terms despite their failure as a married couple. He was confident that their lawyers would work out a quick, painless settlement because they had already agreed to sell their home and split the money evenly. Even though she'd been my stepmother for the past six years I'd always thought of her more as my father's wife and neither my sister nor I had developed much of a relationship with her. He spoke to Cassie for a few minutes accepting her sincere gratitude for the gifts graciously but trusted me to tell her about his pending divorce when the time was right.

For dinner Cassie had gone all out to prepare us a great meal. We started with a fresh garden salad lightly seasoned with just a hint of honey in the homemade dressing. My smile told her I tasted it and I couldn't help but stare at her honey hued hair as I savored the sweet taste in my mouth. She knew full well the taste of honey always made me think of her beautiful hair that first attracted me to her and used it often in her cooking. After we finished our salads she served me a pan seared Cajun spiced fish with roasted potato wedges and zucchini. Sitting close to me with her own plate, she smiled sweetly as I poured each of us a glass of wine and dimmed the lights as I lit a set of the candles my father had sent us.

Halfway through our meal, Cassie stepped away to take the blueberry muffins she was baking out of the oven. I could see her carefully arranging them on a baking rack to cool and inhaled their rich aroma. Being a health care professional and dedicated to keeping fit, she made sure they were low fat and used whole-wheat flour and bran. You'd never guess that they were good for you when you tasted them though and I was looking forward to a warm one for dessert. Her father's heart attack played a big role in our lifestyle too. She made sure we ate healthy foods as often as possible because she couldn't bear to think of that happening to someone she loved again. I certainly wasn't unhealthy before I met her but she helped me improve my habits by helping me slowly adjust to less caffeine, getting me to switch to whole grain breads, and encouraging me to drink more water.

Since meeting Cassie I learned to eat slowly savoring the flavor of my food and cherishing the time spent with her. We talked about our plans for entertaining her parent's later in the week and whether we should invite her brothers too. In the end we decided we didn't want to risk Jay's fiancee Tamara ruining our first opportunity to host her parents and that it wouldn't be right to invite Marc, Julie, and the kids but not Jay. It would be just the four of us and Lei too of course, if she decided to join us. As she did every week, Cassie reminded me about play night at the hospital and asked if I planned to come again. She knew I wouldn't dream of missing it but it was her way of letting me know it was okay with her if I didn't want to go every single week.

New Year's Eve was just a few days away now and because she had the least seniority Cassie had been roped into covering the night shift. They gave her the next three days off in exchange though and we planned to host her parents on New Year's Day. She apologized for the hundredth time since she found out she had to work that night and I told her I was fine with it for the hundredth time too. I'm sure she knew I was planning something special anyway but she'd never pry for details. She didn't expect it because she wanted me to fawn over her; she expected it because she knew me so well. We'd get a chance to celebrate the New Year together and even if it was just the two of us it would be all we needed.

After dinner she let me clear away the dishes as she turned on the kettle for a cup of tea. I ushered her back to the table and lifted her feet up onto the seat opposite of her where she could relax. In the kitchen I plated the extra portion Cassie had cooked so Lei would have supper waiting when she got home and placed it in the fridge to keep it from spoiling. Fixing her a cup of her favorite tea just the way she liked it, I brought it to her along with a plate that held a still warm muffin for each of us. Moist and fluffy, my muffin tasted wonderful as I chewed it slowly and thanked her sincerely for making them after swallowing my first bite.

We retired to the living room when her tea was gone and cuddled close on the love seat. Cassie let me scan the channels for something to watch as we relaxed before bed. There was a college bowl game on she said I could watch but I flicked right past it. Finding a movie we'd both enjoyed I adjusted the volume and fetched us a blanket at the first commercial break. When that movie ended I passed the remote to her and turned on my laptop to checked a few things for work tomorrow. She blushed with guilt when I laughed at her for going straight to the home and garden network where one of her favorite shows was just starting. It was fine with me though, she was the artistic one and she'd need lots of ideas to decorate the house I wanted us to live in one day.

Lei came home during Cassie's show and after heating her dinner in the microwave she ate in the living room as Cassie told her about the wonderful visit with her parents. She was genuinely happy for us and asked when we planned to get married now that there was nothing stopping us. Cassie blushed and I fidgeted nervously as Lei laughed at the discomfort she'd caused. When we fell silent Lei apologized for bringing it up and making us feel pressured. I spoke up and told her that there was no pressure in thinking about spending my life with Cassie but I wanted to make sure my proposal was the prefect surprise even though she knew it was coming someday soon.

Leaving Lei in the living room, Cassie and I got ready for bed. I came to our bedroom after brushing my teeth and tasted the same minty freshness in her mouth when I kissed her. Lying in bed wearing just a pair of boxers I watched Cassie brush her hair with a growing smile and cock. Holding her hair in one hand she bushed the ends to get any tangles out and actually asked if it was okay for her to schedule an appointment at the salon this week for a trim. I laughed and she looked over her slender shoulder to smile at me. She threatened to start making all her plans without me from now on, an idle threat if I ever heard one and it only made me laugh harder.

"I'm not asking because I think I need your permission to get a haircut," she said with a cute little scowl.

"I know that sweetie," I assured her.

"All I wanted to know was which night is best," she explained further.

"Any night is fine with me, the only plans we have are play night at the hospital. I don't have Tae Kwon Do class this week because Steve is taking a Christmas break. Just let me know when so I can prepare for an hour without you," I said making her smile.

"I'll call the salon tomorrow on my lunch break and let you know right away so you can get ready," she said.

"See that was easy," I said.

"You make things easy for me. I feel bad sometimes because I always get what I want as soon as you know what that is," she said with a little frown.

"Yeah because I never get what I want," I said rolling my eyes.

"Ask and it's yours," she said in a completely serious voice even thought she had to pick up on the sarcasm in mine.

"Come to bed sweetie," I said patting her side of the bed.

"What for? I saw you get in with your boxers still on," she said. Seconds later she was giggling as they flew over her head to land on the floor. "I love you so much," she said facing me as the shed the robe that hid her nakedness.

"I love you too," I said reaching my hand towards her. She took a few quick breast-swaying steps towards me and fell into my arms for a heated kiss.

"Make it quick, we have work early," she said as my mouth found its favorite place on her neck. "But not too quick," she moaned.

The next morning we were right back at it, fucking frantically in the shower as we raced to get ready for work. I had a slightly earlier start than her so she saw me off to work with a kiss, an exchange of I love yous, and a wish for a good day. Having taken a few extra days off, it was a busy day for me but not so busy that I didn't find time to think about Cassie. My boss Mr. Underwood called me into his office for a meeting first thing in the morning. He knew I had a lot of work to catch up on and promised it wouldn't take long. Though I'd only worked there a few months he told me he already considered me indispensable. He'd send me the clients who were threatening to take their business elsewhere because he knew if I couldn't convince them to stay then no one could.

When he hired me he felt I had a bright future as a financial adviser but it was the way I treated people that impressed him and our clients. I explained that it was something I learned from Cassie and he nodded in agreement. My approach was to treat client's investments as I would our own and to interact with people like Cassie would. It was easy for them to see how sincerely committed I was to helping them achieve their financial dreams, whether it was an education fund for their children, saving for a new home, or planning their retirement. That morning he offered me an immediate promotion explaining he wanted to start paying me more before I found something better. I felt bad that he thought I might leave and told him how grateful I was for the job. With a smile he said he wasn't questioning my loyalty, just paying me closer to what I was worth. Starting in a few weeks I was going to have a new hire working with me so I could handle more clients.

That night I made it home before Cassie. She'd called me at lunchtime to tell me the salon had space for her tonight and that was the only time they had all week with some of their stylists taking vacation during the holiday season. Of course she offered to put it off until next week if something had come up. Even as I was telling her it was fine with me, I could already imagine her being playfully upset with me that I didn't tell her we had good news to celebrate. On the way home from work I picked up everything I needed for a romantic dinner for two. Lei had evening shifts all week so we'd have the apartment to ourselves and after dinner I'd have Cassie to myself too. I changed out of my suit as soon as I got home and put on a nice pair of casual pants and a clean polo shirt from my seemingly endless supply.

Cassie would be home in a little over an hour so I headed straight to the kitchen to start cooking. Living in Vancouver gave us access to amazing fresh seafood that we both enjoyed. I'd stopped at a seafood market on the way home and picked up mussels for an appetizer and rock lobster tails for our main course. Neither would take long to cook so I started by making a homemade seafood sauce for the steamed mussels. Once that was in the fridge I chopped some fresh vegetables to go with the lobster. Afterwards, I cleaned the mussels and set a pot of water to boil. The lobster tails I prepared by butterflying and seasoned them with a light brushing of melted butter, with lemon juice, black pepper, dill, and paprika in it. Baking them in the oven I started a pot of brown rice, turned the vegetables on, and started steaming the mussels. I hadn't picked up anything for dessert but I was hoping she'd make me her after dinner treat.

"I'm home Rick," she called from the front entrance in her cheerful voice. She liked to let me know when she got home; I guess it never occurred to her that I always eagerly anticipated her arrival and listened closely for the sound of the door opening.

"I'm in the kitchen sweetie dinner is almost ready," I called back to her.

"You cooked dinner for us," she said smiling at me. It didn't surprise her at all but her voice told me how much she appreciated it. "What are we having?" she asked.

"First allow me to say your hair looks beautiful," I said as she beamed with an even wider smile. Gone were the days when Cassie didn't like me to compliment her heart stopping good looks. I loved her long honey blonde hair and whenever she went to the salon she had them add a little curl to the ends that drove me wild.

"Thank you," she said still managing to blush over my adoring eyes.

"Dinner is nothing special, just some seafood I bought on the way home from work," I said trying to be casual but something in my voice must have betrayed me.

"Steamed mussels," she said lifting the lid from the pot to peer inside. "What's in the oven?" she asked with her hand on the handle ready to open it if she sensed I wasn't telling the truth.

"Lobster tails," I said.

"Sounds like a special dinner to me," she said eyeing me suspiciously as she pressed against my side. I could feel her breasts bulging around my arm and her warm, sweet smelling breath on my neck.

"Maybe it is but you'll have to wait to find out," I said glancing down into her love filled blue eyes.

"Fair enough," she said kissing me softly on the lips. "I'll set the table," she said walking to the cupboard to get plates as I watched her sexy ass.

We sat down to eat with a bottle of white wine and lit our new candles again. Instead of sitting opposite from me Cassie sat at my right side in her typical place. We shared the mussels on a large platter dipping them in the sauce I'd made. She was obviously eager for me to tell her what made this a special night but waited patiently as we ate. Her leg was touching mine and she rubbed the top of my foot with hers making me smile at her. I insisted she stay seated as I brought the main course, plating for each of us before returning to the table. Cassie had a taste of her lobster right away and told me how good it was. It wasn't until we were halfway though dinner that she ran out of patience.

"You did a wonderful job with dinner," she said looking over at me.

"Thank you," I said smiling at her. If I let her cook every meal for the rest of our lives she'd never complain but it was easy to see how much she appreciated my efforts.

"Are you going to tell me why you cooked lobster in the middle of the week now?" she asked.

"I think you should finish eating first," I said eyeing her plate, which was still half full. Normally she ate slowly savoring our meals together but she picked her fork up and finished her dinner as fast as she could. When she was done she opened her empty mouth and waggled her tongue making me laugh at her.

"I'm all done," she said smiling at my laughter.

"Okay," I said setting down my fork. "Today when I got to work Mr. Underwood called me into his office and offered me a promotion."

"Are you serious?" she asked with a look of shock on her face.

"Yeah. I'll be getting a nice raise and in a few weeks I'm going to have someone working with me. They won't be my assistant, more like a partner so that together we can handle more clients," I said explaining the situation.

"You knew about this when I called to tell you about my hair appointment," she said looking hurt. "If you told me I would have come right home to celebrate and cook dinner for you."

"I wanted to surprise you with the news," I said but her expression didn't change. "Cooking dinner was no big deal, I had fun trying to think of something special to make for us."

"It's not right though," she said. "I should get to spoil you on special days like this. Tomorrow we have our play night at the hospital but the night after I'm taking you out for dinner to celebrate."