Reflections on Ice Ch. 07

Someone called Dylan's name in the background, and Cassia listened to him respond. "I've got to go. The bus is leaving for the arena."

The team was in Vancouver for a game, then they'd be in Calgary the next night, and home late Friday night, right before the wedding. If they'd kept to their original agreement, they'd be pretty much done with each other after Saturday. The thought made Cassia frown, and she shook her head.

"OK. Have a good game."

"Will do. I'll call you later."

"Will you have time?"

"I should, on the ride to the airport, at least." He paused. "Do you not want me to call? It will be pretty late by then."

Cassia counted the hours, including the time difference, and nodded. "Well, I might be asleep, but you can try calling anyway."

He chuckled. "All right. I'll talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye."

Cassia held the phone in her hand for a few minutes after the call ended. She stared at the TV, without seeing what was on. She told herself she was being stupid, that she was letting her family's and friends' opinions get to her. She'd never been bothered by the differences between herself and others around her, but now she was with someone who was so very different, and she didn't know what she had to offer him, once the drama of the wedding went away. He'd only ever agreed to pretend to date her.

Then she scolded herself. Things had changed on her birthday and he'd never given her any reason to think he wasn't very, very interested in her.

With a sigh, she set the phone on the coffee table and got up. She was hungry and preparing something to eat for dinner might help take her mind off things.

It did for a while, until she was laying in bed, staring at the darkened ceiling. The wedding was in two days. She had the bridesmaid dress hanging in her closet and the shoes were broken in. She would be meeting the girls first thing in the morning for hair and make-up, and then it would be time for all the festivities.

Maybe she would feel differently after she was able to relax. The wedding, seeing her friends all the time, dealing with her family's special brand of meddling, was all getting to her. If she was just living her day-to-day life, she wouldn't be feeling so insecure.

Then again, if she'd been living her day-to-day life, she would never have met Dylan. And he wouldn't be giving her the time of day.

Groaning, Cassia rolled over and tried to sleep.

****

Late on Friday night, so late it was closer to pre-dawn, Cassia answered the door with her eyes half-closed. Dylan stepped close and wrapped her in his arms and she let out a contented sigh.

"Why didn't you just go home to rest?"

"Rest is overrated." Dylan bent his head to kiss her. "I wanted to see you."

Cassia smiled, pleased with his response. She hugged him back and then they turned to walk back down the hall to her room. As she closed the door, Dylan started to undress. She crawled back into bed, watching him out of the corner of her eye. Once naked, he slipped between the sheets with her and started to remove her clothes.

She should have told him to leave her be, that it was late and she had an early morning to look forward to. Then he pushed a thigh between her legs, touched her, and she gave in.

Later, she fell asleep, half-draped across his chest, her ear pressed to his chest. Her remaining dreams were filled with the rhythmic thump of his heart and the scent of his skin. In her dreams, she didn't have any doubts and told Dylan numerous times how much she loved him.

When her alarm woke her what felt like minutes later, she wanted to throw the damn thing across the room. Dylan shifted around her and she sighed, clinging to him for a moment longer.

"Damn, that thing is loud." Dylan's voice was rough with sleep. "How do you shut it off?"

Cassia laughed as he rolled over her, reaching for the offending item. When the music shut off, Dylan relaxed, half on top of her, his lips moving over her forehead. A moment later, their lips connected and Cassia let out a happy sigh.

"I really should get up and get going. I have to meet the girls at the salon in a half hour."

Dylan grumbled, shoving his hand in her hair and holding her head as he kissed her again. Cassia relented, feeling his arousal against her hip.

"Well... maybe I can be a little late."

Dylan's response was silent but enthusiastic. His tongue glided around hers and Cassia moaned, tipping her head back. He kissed his way down her throat and clamped his lips around one taut nipple. She gasped and clutched his head to her.

Damn, she could really get used to waking up this way.

When he continued to tease her, Cassia decided she wanted more. And she wanted it now. She rolled him to his back and straddled his waist. His hands came down on her thighs as she adjusted her position. Then she was taking him in, sliding down until they were completely joined.

He pressed his head back, his eyes closing. "Jesus, Cass. You feel so damn good."

Cassia let out a breathless laugh and raked her nails lightly over his chest. "So do you."

They didn't speak again. Dylan opened his eyes to watch her as she rocked back and forth, luxuriating in the way he made her feel. He reached for her, fondling her breasts before sliding his hands around her. She went down willingly, bringing their lips together for a kiss that stole her breath.

Dylan's hands slid down to her waist where his movements started to match hers. They grew breathless in seconds, heat and desire coiling low in Cassia's belly. She loved this, loved the way he looked at her as they reached that moment together.

It took several minutes for Cassia to catch her breath after. With a groan of reluctance, she rolled off of him and sought her discarded clothing on the floor. Dylan watched her, his chest damp with sweat, and threw one arm behind his head.

"So what's the plan for the rest of the morning?"

Cassia explained the appointments for hair and make-up. Then Vivian's parents would pick them up and take them to their house to get dressed. From there, a limo would take them all to the church for the ceremony.

"Should I drive you to the salon?" Dylan was already swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

Cassia yanked her jeans on and did up the button at the front as she turned to face him. "That's a good idea. Then we don't need to worry about my car after everything."

Dylan nodded and started to pull his clothes on. He went into the kitchen to make coffee while she went across the hall to wash up and brush her teeth. When she caught her reflection in the mirror, she wondered if her friends would be able to tell that she'd had sex less than an hour before seeing them.

By the time she had her stuff together and her shoes on, Dylan was pouring coffee into her Dallas Stars travel mug and Cassia was falling even more in love with him.

"You are the man, Dylan Samuels." She took the cup from him and kissed his cheek, grinning when she saw the color in his ears. He hardly ever got embarrassed around her anymore.

They grabbed their things and headed down to his truck. Cassia sipped her coffee and gave directions to the salon, but they didn't say much otherwise.

At the salon, he helped her carry everything in, enduring the other girls' overly sweet greetings and catcalls. Cassia shot them all dirty looks before walking him back out to his truck.

"So I guess I'll see you at the church."

Cassia nodded and hugged him. "You may not recognize me. I'll be wearing a dress."

Dylan bent his head to kiss her, a sweet, lingering kiss that she felt all the way down to her toes. "I'd know you anywhere."

As Cassia walked back into the salon, she felt like she was floating.

"Cass and Dylan, sittin' in a tree..." Olivia's sing-song voice broke her out of her stupor.

"K-i-s-s-i-n-g!" Janis joined in.

"Oh, shut it, you two."

Her friends and the hairdressers all laughed as Cassia walked over to take her seat.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Viv."

Vivian just shook her head, her eyes dancing. "I'm sure you have a very good reason."

Cassia looked away, heat prickling all over her face. Vivian laughed and introduced Cassia to her hairdresser.

"Becky, this is Cassia. Cassia, Becky."

Cassia shook the lady's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Becky started running her hands through Cassia's hair, meeting her eyes in the mirror. "So, what are we going with today?"

Cassia looked at Vivian. "What do you want me to do with my hair, Viv?"

"Oh, definitely something up, off her shoulders." Vivian grinned. "She never wears her hair up, except for a ponytail."

Cassia sighed and met Becky's eyes again. "Up-do it is."

Becky smiled. "She's the bride."

"Bridezilla, actually."

Vivian shrieked and swatted Cassia's arm and everyone around them laughed.

Cassia relaxed in her chair, content to let Vivian pick her hairstyle and to let Becky make it happen. No, she never wore her hair up, never wore a dress or heels, and definitely never did these things when so many people would see her. Now though, she thought of seeing Dylan later and couldn't help wondering what he'd think. Would he like the look of her? Would he want to see her all done up more often? Would the sight of her back in plain jeans or her coveralls be a disappointment?

She didn't have answers and didn't even know why she worried so much. They'd only been dating -- for real -- for just over two weeks.

Later, at the home of Vivian's parents, they were all allowed a brief reprieve from the preparations. They sat on the back porch and drank some sweet tea, enjoying the perfect weather.

"I was so afraid it was going to rain today." Vivian turned her face up to the sun with a smile.

"Not on your special day." Olivia reached over to clink her glass against Vivian's.

"Rain on your wedding day is supposed to be good luck." Janis mimicked Vivian's pose.

Carol scoffed. "So she's going to have bad luck because it's not raining?"

"It's just an expression." Janis opened one eye to give Carol a look. "Don't twist my words."

"Guys, relax." Vivian looked at them both, a relaxed smile on her face. "I'm just happy we're all together and that I don't have to dodge puddles all day."

"Hear, hear." Cassia lifted her glass. "I'm going to have enough trouble staying upright on those damn shoes as it is."

Everyone laughed.

"Well, with a boyfriend like Dylan, you might want to get in some more practice in heels and dresses."

Cassia looked at Carol, narrowing her eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Carol didn't return her look, instead keeping her eyes on the magazine in her lap, flipping through the pages. "He's going to need an escort for fancy events from time-to-time."

Cassia couldn't deny that. She knew that the team was involved with a few events each season that were black-tie affairs. "Well, the season is nearly over and we've been managing fine without tuxedos and ball gowns. Besides, Dylan seems perfectly fine with what I wear every day."

"For now."

"Jeez, Carol, give it a rest." Janis lifted her head. "This is supposed to be a fun day."

Carol sighed and set the magazine aside, standing up. "Well, forgive me for having trouble getting into the happy romantic mood. My boyfriend did just dump me a month ago." With that, she went inside the house.

Vivian watched her go, a frown knitting her forehead.

Cassia turned to her and reached out to touch her hand. "Don't worry about her, Viv. She's just having a hard time without Brad."

Vivian sighed. "I knew today would be tough for her."

"Yeah." Olivia stood up on Vivian's other side. "Don't let Carol spoil your day. She'll be fine once we all get to the church, and after that, well... there's always that one person at every wedding who gets wasted and causes a scene."

Vivian laughed. "Are you suggesting we get Carol drunk?"

"Not the worst idea," Janis agreed with a smile.

They all stood up, their drinks finished, and filed into the house.

As they dressed and posed for a few pictures before leaving the house, Cassia couldn't get Carol's words out of her head. She thought she'd been doing well with her doubts, but to have someone else point out the differences between her situation and Dylan's, it was disconcerting. As they clambered into the limo, she told herself to forget about it and focus on Vivian instead.

At the church, Cassia wondered where Dylan was sitting. She thought about looking for him, but when she tottered on her first step up the aisle, she put him from her mind. Face burning, she pasted on a smile and tried not to make a fool out of herself.

The ceremony was really nice, and romantic, just like Vivian. Once the vows and rings were done, Cassia couldn't stop smiling. Vivian looked so happy and Troy looked proud as a peacock with Vivian on his arm.

The wedding party disappeared to take more pictures at a nearby location and before Cassia knew it, they were walking into the reception, at a ritzy downtown hotel. She looked around, seeing a lot of familiar faces, including her brothers, Kurt and Kent, but she couldn't see Dylan anywhere.

Well, he'll know where to find me. She wound her way through the crowd to the bar, got a drink, and then headed back to the head table with the rest of the wedding party. The MC, Vivian's uncle, Marty, got up and started the proceedings.

Food was served, and drinks were free-flowing, and Cassia was very relaxed by the time dinner and toasts were done. She'd mostly forgotten about Carol's words and floated on a nice, light, alcoholic buzz. She left her bouquet at the table and started to walk towards the dance floor.

"Hey, gorgeous."

She spun around and made a face when she saw Alex. "Hi, Alex."

"Your ass looks great in that dress." He came close enough that he looked like he was going to reach for said part of her anatomy and Cassia stepped back.

"You always did have a way with compliments." Cassia brushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

"Where's your boyfriend? Or are you two even an item anymore?"

Cassia scowled at him. "He's here."

Alex made a point of looking around. "I don't see him."

Rolling her eyes, Cassia turned to walk away. He put a hand on her arm and she jerked away from his touch. "What do you want, Alex?"

"I was hoping you might save me a dance. Maybe we can talk?"

She was already shaking her head before he'd even finished speaking. "No way."

Alex sighed and slipped his hands in his pockets. "Come on, Cass. You're being stubborn."

"Not really. Most women don't enjoy finding naked women on their boyfriends laps."

"Well, we were never that serious anyway."

Cassia sighed. "Alex, I don't know how to make this any more clear. I don't want to see you, or talk to you, and I definitely don't want to dance with you. Deal with it." Without another word, she moved away.

She didn't understand why Alex kept trying to convince her that he'd done nothing wrong. Was it that she wasn't falling all over herself to get back with the pro-baseball player? She was pretty sure he could hook up with any number of women, including several at this very wedding. She shook her head and made her way around all the guests. She didn't know what Alex's deal was, and she didn't care. She just wanted him gone from her life.

Thankfully, the first dance was going on and Cassia dug her phone out of her little black clutch and snapped a few shots of Vivian and Troy. While she stood there, on the edge of the dance floor, someone came up behind her and she jumped as Dylan circled his arms around her waist.

"Hey." His voice was soft, his breath tickling the skin around her ear.

She relaxed into his chest, glad he'd finally found her. "Hey."

"You look beautiful."

Cassia blushed and turned her head to meet his eyes. His features were dark, though she could see the startling blue of his eyes as the lights flashed over them. "Thank you." Then she turned in his arms and stood back, taking in his entire appearance. He had on a dark suit, tailored perfectly across his broad shoulders and down his entire body. His shirt was black and he wore a silver tie. "Oh, Dylan. You look so good."

Now it was his turn to look embarrassed. He reached up and tugged at the knot of his tie. "Do I?"

Cassia nodded, her heart beating double-time. Her obligations weren't quite done for the evening but she was ready to drag him into a closet somewhere and strip him down to that silver tie. As if he could read her thoughts, his eyes darkened.

He put his arms around her and bent his head for a kiss. She let him, not caring that the bride and groom's dance was still going on, or that a hundred people she knew could see them. Her arms snaked around his neck and she wanted him to carry her away.

Then the music ended and everyone around them started clapping. Cassia broke away from Dylan and they shared a sheepish smile before she turned away.

The next dance was for the bride and her father, followed by the entire wedding party. Cassia hated leaving Dylan's side even for those few minutes. When she rejoined him on the edge of the dance floor, he had a drink in each hand, and handed one to her as she approached.

"Oh, thank you."

"It's just soda. I wasn't sure how much you'd already had."

Cassia laughed, even as her cheeks warmed. "I have had a few, but I'm not so drunk you'll have to carry me out of here."

"I wouldn't mind that." Dylan clinked his glass against hers and grinned as he took a sip.

Cassia grinned back. She pushed Carol's words to the back of her mind, along with her encounter with Alex, and told herself it was all right if she had a good time tonight.

"Come on. We should go say hi to my brothers."

Dylan nodded and took her hand.

They found the twins near the bar, talking and laughing with some of their old high school chums.

"Hey, sis." Kurt turned to her and gave her a brief one-armed hug. "You look pretty."

Cassia's eyes shot open wide. "How much have you had to drink?"

He just laughed and waved his bottle of beer around. "I'm fine!"

Cassia exchanged a look with Kent, who shrugged.

"You guys remember Dylan." Cassia squeezed Dylan's hand.

"Of course."

They all shook hands, told some jokes, and toasted the bride and groom, who were nowhere in sight.

Cassia shook her head at their behavior. Men were a mystery.

After a while, Cassia and Dylan made their way back to the dance floor, just as a romantic slow tune came on. Several couples filed onto the dance floor, along with Vivian and Troy.

Dylan took the glass out of Cassia's hand and set it on a nearby table, before leading her by the hand out to the dance floor.

"I don't know how well I'll do in these heels."

Dylan grinned and pulled her close, one strong arm going around her waist, bringing their bodies right up against each other. "I'll hold you up, don't worry."

Cassia smiled and put one hand on his shoulder, the other in his outstretched hand, and let him lead.

"How has your day been?"

She shrugged one shoulder. "It was fine. I'm not big on the whole hair, make-up, dressing up scene. But I don't mind doing it for my friends."

"You'll have to do it at least a couple more times. Isn't Janis engaged?"

Cassia nodded. "Yeah, but I told her to consider eloping."

"Ah, and then you'd have no reason to dress up."

"Exactly."

Dylan chuckled and swept her around in a circle.

"So how was your day? What did you do after you dropped me at the salon?"

"I went home, showered, put up with Tristen's third degree about where I'd spent the night."

Cassia shook her head. "Why? Did he think you weren't with me?"

"I don't care what he thought." Dylan sighed. "I told him he needs to move out."

"Oh, Dylan."

"It's not because of that. He also had some blond woman in the apartment when I got there. Their clothes were everywhere. I'm too old to be dealing with a roommates' antics."