Cash Read online

  Edible panties were displayed at the next booth which didn’t have as many people milling around it.

  “How are you doing today?” asked the young girl manning it.

  “Pretty good.”

  “You ever indulge in edible underwear?” she asked.

  Cash laughed. “I can’t say that I have.”

  She reached for the display. “We have strawberry, raspberry, root beer, and my personal favorite, chocolate. Yes, we even have them in guys’ boxer shorts. You want to try a sample?”

  Cash hesitated but then she tore off a piece of the chocolate flavored ones and handed it to him. He didn’t want to offend her so he slipped it into his mouth, once again imagining he’d bitten a piece off while Katy had been wearing the chocolate undies.

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  “Pretty good.”

  “You own a store?”

  Cash shook his head. “I’m here with a …”

  What exactly was Katy? He didn’t want her to be just a friend but it didn’t seem like they were dating because they hadn’t slept together and hadn’t even really kissed like a proper couple. Well, apart from the one last night.

  “Someone who owns a store.” He left it at that.

  “Then here’s our promotion package. Samples of all flavors and the prices. And my business card.” She handed him a blue bag filled to the brim with goodies.

  “I will certainly give them to her and I’m guessing she’ll place an order.”

  “Great, and enjoy the rest of the convention.”

  Cash walked along to the next couple of booths. Lollipops in the shape of cocks and boobs. Next booth, well, he could hear the noise long before he saw the merchandise. Vibrators. A group of people stood around a TV screen. He glanced over at it and saw it was some kind of movie of a woman showing you how to use it.

  Yeah, he was blushing big time again. By the sounds she was making these things obviously did their job well.

  “Couples often like to use them too,” said the voiceover.

  That was it. He’d get one of these babies, and pleasure her, build up their physical relationship that way and hopefully it would buy him more time.

  Chapter Four

  Katy sat down and rubbed the soles of her feet. She’d worn her most comfortable shoes. Well they had been up until today. She flexed her toes hoping that would get the blood circulating again. The place was getting more crowded by the minute. She’d gotten some great samples of things that she knew would be a hit in the store. Creams that supposedly made women experience a deeper level of orgasm. Just a plain old one would make her happy.

  Which made her think of Cash. She wondered where he was and what he’d been checking out. They hadn’t spoken about what happened outside their rooms last night. Neither of them had raised the issue and did that mean neither of them thought it was an issue?

  Katy knew she would have to at some point. She’d rather him be honest and tell her he just wanted to be friends or whatever he wanted to be. She didn’t want to get more attached to him only to have her heart broken. That had happened a couple of times before. She’d start to really like a guy and he’d either say he wasn’t ready for a commitment or he’d rather have things remain platonic.

  A broken heart wasn’t an easy thing to deal with. Now she was over thirty and sometimes felt like her biological clock was ticking down and that she’d end up a lonely old woman with too many cats, or Connor’s kid’s spinster aunt who wore mismatched clothing.

  “Caught you.”

  She jumped when Cash, yes, she recognized his voice, sneaked up behind her.

  “Feet hurting you?” he asked.

  “Yeah, how about you? How come you look so fresh and perky?”

  He sat on the wall beside her and placed a carrier bag by his foot.

  “I sat down and took a rest for about half an hour.”

  “Did you go to the sports hall?”

  “Sure did. Lots of great stuff but I didn’t buy a single thing.”

  “So what’s in the bag?”

  “I have one surprise that I’m not going to show you and also a lady gave me a sample of some edible panties for you.”

  He took them out and handed them to her.

  “Chocolate. I’ve been stocking the strawberry ones at the store.”

  “Try those, they are really good.”

  “You’ve sampled them?”

  “Yes, I mean from some she’d torn up and had on display.”

  Katy smiled. He was blushing. Maybe he was just shy about having sex. Maybe he was a virgin. Maybe he was saving himself for marriage. Shit, she hoped not. Just thinking about Cash eating edible panties from off her body made her cream.

  She flexed her toes again.

  “You want me to give you a foot massage?” asked Cash.

  That caught her by surprise.

  “I’d love one but my feet are sweaty and probably not much fun to be around.”

  Not that she wanted to pass on the offer but at the same time she didn’t want to put him off touching her.

  “I don’t mind. How about we go over there and you can put your foot up on my lap.”

  “Okay.”

  Yeah, she wouldn’t say no.

  They found two empty chairs and Cash turned them around to face one another.

  Katy put her right foot up on his lap. He lifted it and began massaging its sole.

  Was she allowed to groan? His hands were strong and the tension in her body began to escape.

  “You have pretty toes,” he said.

  “Why thank you,” said Katy.

  She’d always thought she had big feet for her height. She wasn’t tall like Connor and knew she’d gotten her short genes from her mom’s side of the family.

  Cash began tickling her feet. She burst out laughing.

  “I sensed you were ticklish.”

  “I’m ticklish all over.” If you want to check.

  She lifted her other leg and let her toes touch his crotch. He was hard. Yeah, she turned him on. That wasn’t the problem. His body reacted to her.

  “I’m getting hungry again, you ready to get some dinner?”

  He gently lifted her feet and placed them back on the ground.

  She turned him on and that’s what bothered him. Now all she had to figure out was why it did.

  Chapter Five

  They’d had a nice meal. Great conversation and here they were outside the rooms again. She wasn’t going to take no for an answer tonight. She grabbed him and then kissed him but tonight he stepped back away from her immediately.

  “Are you gay or a virgin? Have a problem with sex or something?” Katy asked him.

  There it was out. Sort of personal, but she had to know.

  Cash looked down at the floor.

  Now she was sorry that she had been so blunt. His sexual orientation was his business and she didn’t care if he said yes I prefer men. Whether he’d had sex, even wanted sex was also his business. She’d still be his friend but she had to know if she was wasting her time and her fantasies on a man who wasn’t on the same page as her in the sex department.

  “No, I’m not gay and I’m definitely not a virgin.”

  “Then what’s the problem, Cash? Are you married? Already have a girlfriend or something?”

  He put his hand on his heart. “None of the above.”

  She looked at him and shook her head. Tears were now filling her eyes.

  “Katy, I promise you I want to be with you. There is something I have to tell you but could it wait until the morning because I walked too much today and my leg’s hurting me and I really need to rest it. But I promise you we’ll talk in the morning.”

  So there was something. She’d always been the one to peek at the gifts under the tree. Never could wait like Connor. Thinking back it spoiled the whole surprise of Christmas. Could she wait until the next day to hear what he had to say? If they had a future then she had to respect him and his reque
st.

  “Okay, but tomorrow,” she said.

  “I promise you.” He leaned over and kissed her quickly on the lips.

  So what was it he was going to tell her and would it be good news or not?

  ****

  Cash thought he’d fall straight to sleep when his head hit the pillow but he didn’t.

  He’d promised to tell Katy his secret and what had kept him from taking her to bed. And he’d keep his word. He couldn’t keep leading her on. She was a beautiful young woman and had a right to be with a man that could take care of all her needs. He’d grown so fond of her, yeah, maybe even borderline in love with her over these past three months. He’d never felt this sort of thing for a woman so quickly and that’s what made him think he’d finally found the one.

  Bile rose in his throat at the thought of losing her…Katy walking away and him never seeing her again. So many thoughts spun around in his head. He picked up the book on the bedside table, read for an hour hoping it would put him to sleep, but it didn’t. He finally gave up thinking he’d turn on the TV but he didn’t want to disturb Katy. She was sleeping on just the other side of the wall.

  He’d never watched her sleep. Never been in her bed. How he wanted to open the door between their rooms, crawl in beside her and hold her. Ask her to have patience with him. Let her get used to his broken body first. Let him take some time being bold enough to let her see him naked.

  Cash switched off the light and lay looking up at the ceiling. The lights of Vegas danced outside the window. He turned on his side and watched the slow steady flicker. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Well, him and Katy hadn’t gotten up to anything worth keeping a secret about. Had to be a first. He closed his eyes and gently nodded off.

  Cash was back in action. Back as a soldier. Back in the place where the roadside bomb had gone off.

  An explosion and bursts of colors. He couldn’t hear, couldn’t see, but pain racked his body. The smoke cleared and he could see his buddies lying there, body parts scattered here and there. The putrid smell of burning flesh choked him.

  He threw up because the pain was so unbearable. He called out for help but no one came to help.

  Cash screamed louder and quickly realized it was no longer in his dream.

  ****

  Katy sat bolt upright. Someone was screaming. It was a man’s voice.

  Cash.

  She’d been around him long enough to know his voice when she heard it.

  He’d called out for help. Something was wrong. She jumped out of bed and ran to the door that joined their two rooms. She turned the handle surprised that it wasn’t locked. She hadn’t realized his side was open.

  “Katy, don’t come in here,” shouted Cash.

  “You screamed. What’s wrong?” she called through the door.

  “I know a bad dream but I’m okay now.”

  She’d honored his wish about waiting until morning to talk, but something was wrong in there. She wasn’t taking no for an answer. His voice sounded weak and shaky. He needed help.

  She turned the handle and went into his room. The light was on. Cash was in bed, his face and neck drenched in sweat. He looked toward her and then up at her. Something told her what scared him was on the chair.

  Katy glanced down at it and beside it set a prosthetic leg.

  “Cash, I had no idea, I didn’t…”

  She didn’t know what to say, partly from shock, partly that she’d obviously put him in a terrible situation. She wanted to run and hide but couldn’t move. Why hadn’t he told her? Once again that was his own business that he hadn’t.

  “It’s okay, Katy, come and sit down on the bed next to me. I guess it’s quite the surprise.”

  She made her way to him and sat on the edge of the bed. Cash grabbed her hand and sandwiched it between both of his. His skin was clammy and beads of perspiration still clung to his cheeks.

  Katy tried not to because she didn’t want to make him feel any worse than he probably already did. However, she couldn’t help but look down at the bed covers. The lower part of his left leg wasn’t there.

  “I should have told you, but I don’t share it with many people because I don’t want folks feeling sorry for me.”

  “Cash, you should have said something. I’ve had you walking all around that convention center today.”

  “It’s nothing, just makes me tired and sore. That’s why I wanted to come to bed.”

  “So how did it happen?”

  “I was in the Army. I served in Afghanistan and my unit got hit by a roadside bomb. I was the only survivor.”

  “Oh, geez, Cash. You never said you were in the service. You are such a secret one.”

  “Yeah, my mom used to say the same thing. I guess I’d rather not talk about some things.”

  “So you lost your lower leg?”

  Cash nodded. “Broke both my arms and had some three degree burns and was in the hospital for months. But I guess you’d call me the lucky one.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Katy put her arm around him and squeezed Cash tight.

  Geez, he’d just said he didn’t want people feeling sorry for him.

  “You walk like…”

  “You can say it.”

  “Like there’s nothing wrong with you. I mean I would never have guessed in a million years.”

  “You wouldn’t have said that when they first fitted me with that leg. I fell over so many times I lost count. Got pretty angry and smashed up a few things in the therapy room…”

  “Who can blame you for that? I’d be angry and resentful.”

  “I was a pretty messed up and pissed off guy, even thought about ending it all.”

  Katy rested her head on his shoulder. She was so glad he hadn’t or she never would have met him.

  “But then…”

  “Then what?” asked Katy.

  “My uncle encouraged me to go bid on a woman and I saw you and thought um, she’s so cute.”

  Katy squeezed his hand. “So is this what this is all been about? You not wanting to get physical. You thought that maybe I’d be…”

  “Put off by my injury?”

  Katy nodded. In a way she was so relieved that finally she was getting to the truth and it wasn’t because he didn’t like her or find her attractive.

  “Well, that’s part of it.”

  What did he mean by part?

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. “My body got burned too. Skin grafts didn’t make me look any better. Truth is I haven’t had sex since I lost my leg and I’m scared about it. That’s why I haven’t wanted things to progress past a kiss. I’m not sure if I’m ready for sex or if I ever will be.”

  Chapter Six

  He hadn’t counted on Katy finding out his secret quite like this. It had been two months since one of these nightmares. He guessed the different environment and the stress he was under by coming to Vegas with her had contributed to it. Now she knew everything. Well almost everything.

  She hadn’t said a word since he’d mentioned that he didn’t know when he’d be ready to have sex again. Cash knew it was a lot for her to take in all at once.

  “Could you say something?” he asked her.

  “I’m sorry, it’s just it’s the middle of the night and I’m dead to the world.”

  “I know and I’m sorry I threw so much at you. I probably should have sat you down before we came here.”

  “So that’s why you insisted on separate rooms?”

  Cash nodded. “I still get embarrassed about putting my leg on and off. Sometimes I still struggle to move around. And the scars from the burns make me self-conscious. Katy, I know women have needs just like men and if you’d rather not be with me, well, other than us being buddies that hang out together, then I’ll understand, really I will.”

  God, he was lying. He wouldn’t understand. He wouldn’t be okay with that. How selfish could he be?

  “I guess now that I know why you haven’t wanted to slee
p with me I’m feeling better. I thought maybe you were married and having a guilt trip or that this was really all about friendship and nothing more.”

  “Me a married man and going to Vegas with another woman? Can’t imagine cheating on anyone. And if you’re okay with it there’s stuff I can do to you. I mean besides …”

  Shit, now he was embarrassed.

  “I know what you mean.”

  “I even bought some crotchless panties for you and a vibrator at one of the booths.”

  Katy laughed. “I own a sex store! You could have had those for free.” She put her hand on his arm and squeezed it.

  Cash smiled. He adored this woman and in a way he was glad everything was out in the open. He pulled her in close and they snuggled together. “You know I have hands and a mouth that can give you an orgasm.”

  She looked up at him. “Wow, you are making my panties so wet.”

  “You think maybe after we’ve both had a good night’s sleep that maybe I could do something naughty to you?”

  “I think you could,” said Katy. “In fact, I insist on it.”

  *****

  Since she’d first met Cash, Katy had dreamed about waking up in his bed. However, she wasn’t expecting that the night before the waking up bit that she could say that they had literally slept together and nothing more. Cash was already up and walking around. He had sweats on and moved around like someone who had two perfect legs. The guy was a miracle.

  “Does it hurt?” she asked him.

  “Not any more. It made my leg sore at first but I guess I’ve gotten used to it or it’s gotten used to me.”

  “If you ever get tired or whatever, you have to tell me okay.”

  He sat on the bed. “Yes, mama.” He put his fingers under her chin pulled it up slightly so he could kiss her.