Chapter 172: Massage and Mischief
After making plans for dinner the next evening with Xavier and Gianna, the three of them said their goodbyes.
As they walked away, Gianna glanced back quickly. She saw Zeke, Cassidy, and Claire looking happy together, then turned to Xavier with a small smile.
"You know," she said, "I think Zeke and I had a bit of fate between us."
Xavier frowned. He didn’t like hearing Gianna link herself with Zeke. A hint of jealousy rose in him, without realizing that not too long ago, he had liked Cassidy and had even told her about his feelings.
He looked at her, his brows drawn together. "What do you mean? Now that I think about it, you’ve never really told me what your relationship with Zeke is."
Gianna chuckled when she saw the dark look on his face, so clearly jealous. "Are you jealous?" she teased.
"Yes, I am," Xavier answered honestly, not even trying to hide it.
To be honest, being with Xavier still felt like a dream to Gianna.
When she was trying to move on—letting go of a one-sided love that had lasted for years—Xavier suddenly reached out. He asked her to have dinner with him. Gianna almost said no, but because she wanted to move on and get closure, she said yes.
She thought it would be the last day she looked at Xavier as a man, and she allowed her heart to feel a little happy before burying her love for good.
"You never asked, that’s why I didn’t tell you," Gianna replied as she slipped her hand into Xavier’s. "If you wanted to know, I could tell you."
"Okay."
"But before that, let’s eat. My stomach had been growling for a while." Gianna smiled, showing her neat white teeth, and Xavier couldn’t help but smile back.
"Let’s go." He gently pulled her along, and they walked into a restaurant right next to the pizza place where Zeke, Cassidy, and Claire had just eaten.
Meanwhile, inside the car with Zeke’s little family, Claire had already fallen asleep. Cassidy, however, couldn’t stop gossiping about Xavier and Gianna.
"What do you think is going on between Xavier and Gianna?" she asked, glancing at Zeke with a face full of curiosity.
"I don’t know."
"I think their relationship is more than just friends," Cassidy added, sounding a little chatty.
"Could be," Zeke replied, nodding in agreement.
Cassidy actually felt glad that Xavier seemed to have found someone who made him happy. The guilt she always carried for rejecting him had often made her uncomfortable whenever she thought about seeing him again.
But this time, she could finally breathe easier. From what she saw, Xavier looked genuinely happy with Gianna.
That was why Cassidy grew a little curious about their relationship. She truly wanted Xavier to find a woman who loved him and could make him forget about her completely.
"Xavier and I—"
Before Cassidy could finish her sentence, Zeke cut in. "Baby, can you not say another man’s name when you’re with me? I get a little jealous when you keep doing that," he said with a sad look.
Cassidy scoffed and gave him a small smile. "Okay, okay. I’ll stop. I won’t do it again," she promised. "So stop pouting. Your handsome face looks ugly now," she teased.
The bodyguard driving almost laughed. None of Zeke’s men had thought Madam Boss would be this bold, honest, and funny. What surprised them even more was how their boss acted around her—so obedient, almost like a husband scared of his wife.
It was the complete opposite of how Zeke usually was in front of them, or in front of his employees.
The car ride home was quiet, with Claire asleep and Cassidy still chatting lightly about Xavier and Gianna.
When they got home, Zeke carried Claire, who was still asleep, into her room and laid her down carefully.
When he walked into Cassidy’s room, she was sitting at her vanity, wiping away her makeup. Zeke then walked straight to her, pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, lowering his face close.
"I like you without makeup, baby," he murmured.
Cassidy gave a small smile at his words. "Thank you," she whispered.
But Zeke didn’t stop there. He began placing soft kisses along her neck. Cassidy let out a startled laugh and quickly patted his hands. "Stop it."
"No," Zeke muttered against her skin, refusing to let go. His warm breath brushed over her sensitive neck, sending a ticklish shiver through her body. Cassidy squirmed in her chair, trying to push him off while giggling at the same time.
"Zeke, stop it."
"No. Say it. ’Baby, please stop it,’" Zeke whispered, still kissing her and now sucking lightly at her neck.
"Don’t talk while you’re doing that, it tickles," Cassidy protested, trying to pull her neck away from his lips. But Zeke only followed her every move, refusing to let go.
"Say it, baby."
"Say what?" Cassidy asked, pretending not to understand.
"Say, ’Baby, please stop it.’ You know you rarely ever call me that," Zeke replied stubbornly, almost sulking. He just wanted Cassidy to call him that.
Cassidy finally gave in and said the words Zeke wanted to hear, "Baby, please stop it."
Zeke cupped her cheeks, tilted her face toward his, and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Good girl."
The words made Cassidy’s face flush instantly. Her mind drifted back to the night before, when Zeke had praised her the same way—but in bed.
Seeing her reaction, Zeke asked, "How about we do it again?"
"Do what again?" Cassidy asked, still a little dazed.
"What we did last night."
"You’re crazy. Can’t you see the sun is still out there?"
"Why not? We can close the windows and pull the curtains. The sun won’t be there anymore."
"No." Cassidy’s reply was firm.
Zeke’s gaze softened at her answer. "You really don’t want to do it?"
"Yeah, I’m tired," Cassidy admitted.
He sighed and gave a small nod. "Alright then, we’ll just rest, baby."
"Hm."
Then, almost playfully, he leaned closer. "What if I give you a massage instead?"
Cassidy turned her head, brows lifting in surprise. "You? You actually know how to do that?"
"Not yet," Zeke admitted, a small smile tugging at his lips. "But I can try. I’ve never done it for anyone else. You’d be my first."
Hearing she’d be his first, Cassidy gave in right away. "Okay. If your massage feels good, I’ll give you a reward."
Zeke’s eyes lit up instantly. "A reward? What kind of reward, baby?"
"I’m not telling you. But I promise you’ll like it."
That was all the motivation Zeke needed. He was determined to give Cassidy the best massage he could, just so he could claim whatever surprise she had in mind.
Cassidy shifted onto the bed, lying on her stomach and resting her chin on her arms. "Alright, let’s see what you can do, mister."
Zeke climbed up beside her, rolling up his sleeves like he was preparing for something serious. His big hands hovered uncertainly over her shoulders before finally pressing down.
Cassidy let out a soft laugh. "You look like you’re about to perform surgery."
"Shh. Don’t distract your masseur," Zeke muttered as he carefully kneaded her shoulders. His touch was a little clumsy at first, but warm and gentle.
Cassidy hummed. "Not bad... I thought you’d be rough."
"Of course not. You’re too precious for that." His voice dropped lower, his thumbs slowly pressing along the line of her neck. "Am I doing okay, baby?"
She couldn’t stop the small smile forming. "Mm... yeah. Better than I expected."
The satisfaction on Zeke’s face was impossible to miss. He leaned down and brushed his lips against her ear. "Good. Because I want that reward."
Cassidy shook her head, hiding her grin against her arms. "Focus on the massage, Zeke. Earn it first."
Zeke’s hands grew more confident as he moved lower along her back, his touch slower, more deliberate. Cassidy felt her body start to relax under his warmth, her earlier resistance slipping away.
"Mmm... you’re actually getting good at this," she murmured, eyes closed.
While massaging her back, Zeke lifted the hem of Cassidy’s pajama top and let his hands move over her bare back.
Cassidy shivered. Not sure if she wanted to scold him or sigh.
As Zeke’s hands moved lower, Cassidy tensed slightly, "Ezekiel..."
He gave a reassuring squeeze and leaned closer, his voice low. "Relax, baby. I’ll be gentle."
Zeke gently tugged at the waistband of Cassidy’s pajama pants. Cassidy flinched slightly and asked, "What are you doing?"
Zeke replied softly, "It’ll feel better this way. Trust me."
As Zeke massaged Cassidy’s bare buttocks, she shivered and let out a small moan without realizing it. Zeke smirked.
"How does it feel, baby? Felt good right?" he asked, his voice low and teasing.
Cassidy bit her lip, trying to hide her reaction, but she couldn’t lie, she did feel good.
Zeke’s hands moved slowly, pressing and kneading with more care than she expected.
"See? I told you..." Zeke said.
***