As they made the trek toward the back of the house, where she could hear the sounds of the party reaching them, her stomach became more nervous. Her only thought was that she didn't belong. She was way out of her element in the luxurious home, with the billionaire family.
As they stepped into the room, she looked around in awe. Her nerves settled a bit. She'd thought the women had exaggerated when they said the more people, the happier Joseph was. The room was filled with guests in all forms of dress. She almost felt a bit overdressed, until she saw Amy rush through the crowd in a floor length red gown. She looked stunning. If Cassie ever had children, she hoped she maintained as beautiful a figure as Amy.
"You're late," Amy said as she gave them both a hug. "Come with me. I have many people for you to talk to. The boys will take care of Max," she said as she grabbed Cassie's hand and dragged her through the crowd.
Over the next couple hours, Cassie was shuffled from one group to the next. It was humbling for her to see how nice everyone was, when she would've thought she couldn't possibly fit in. She felt like a reverse snob, and it didn't feel so great. She'd make up for her earlier thoughts, by letting the world know who the Andersons truly were.
She finally managed to sneak away and went to the bar and got a Sprite. She was hot, her foot was starting to ache, and she wanted to find a quiet corner to sit down and write her many notes. Max's family and friends had been more than happy to share every conceivable story they could think of about him. She'd learned everything from his first word, to what age he was when he had his first kiss. One of his siblings had even passed her a picture of him from his freshman year of high school, looking incredibly skinny with way too much hair. She couldn't help but smile. He'd been telling her the truth, after all.
Cassie glanced at the crowd, and as if they were physically connected, she immediately found Max. He was so handsome in his slacks and button up shirt. He'd loosened his tie and undone the top buttons, showing a glimpse of his magnificent chest. She could easily undress him the rest of the way with only her eyes. He gave her a smile, shooting awareness through her body, and she quickly turned away. She was trying to get her hormones under control, not stay under his spell.
Cassie found a couch and sat down, a silent sigh escaping her. She wanted to put her foot up, but thought that would be rude. It was good enough to get her weight off it. She smiled as she listened to the conversations all around her. Everyone was so happy, laughter ran rampant throughout the room. She was glad she'd come.
"What is such a lovely lady doing here all by herself?" a man asked. She looked up, not recognizing him. He was attractive, normally the kind of man she would've been drawn to. He wasn't over the top sexy, but comfortable, the kind of guy who seemed unlikely to cheat.
"I'm getting off my feet for the first time tonight," she replied. He took her response as an invitation to sit down.
"I'm Mike. I work for Joseph in the corporate offices," he said.
"Nice to meet you, Mike. I'm Cassie. I'm interviewing Max," she responded.
"Oh, you're the one doing the interview. I've heard about that. Are the rumors true? Did you really manage to blackmail Max into the interview?" he asked with glee. His pure joy at the thought made her laugh. He was certainly easy to talk to, as everyone at the party was.
"Yes, all rumors are true. But, I do recommend trying to get the interview without being hit by a car," she said.
They chatted for several more moments and she found he was pleasant company. She wasn't attracted to him in the least, but how could she find anyone appealing with Max in the room. She feared he'd set the bar so high she'd never be attracted to another man. That wasn't a pleasant thought. Just as Cassie was starting to relax, she felt a hand brush against her neck. There was only one man in that room who could cause shivers to rush down her spine from just a simple brush of his fingers.
"You're glass looked empty, dear," he said, then bent down and gave her a long kiss that had her toes curling. As he lifted up, he glanced at Mike.
"Hi Mike, I'm sorry, I didn't see you sitting there," he said as he sat down and put his arm around her. She was feeling a little light headed until she realized what he said and what he was doing. He was staking his claim. She wouldn't cause a scene but she didn't like being treated like a piece of property. Besides that, they weren't a couple. They were … well, she didn't know how to define them.
"Thank you," she mumbled. Mike made some excuse and slinked away. Max had done what he wanted.
"I'm not some possession of yours," she said with irritation once she knew Mike was out of earshot. Max ignored her words and scooted over, then lifted her leg onto his lap and started gently rubbing her foot. She wanted to yank it away, but it felt so good. She was embarrassed, but not enough to demand he stop.
"Mike is a womanizer. He didn't need to be talking to you," Max growled.
"You don't have the right to tell me who I can and can't speak to. You wanted me to come to this party and now you're selecting who I can talk with?" she asked with a glare.
"You can talk to anyone you want … except Mike," he said as if his words were perfectly reasonable. She gave up arguing, neither of them were willing to concede they were wrong.
"I've gotten some great information on you, tonight," she said with a wicked gleam in her eye. She knew the change of subject was good enough to distract him. It worked. "I heard about your sophomore year, and the tractor … " she trailed off. His eyes narrowed.
"As interesting a subject as that is, I'll pass on hearing about it again," he said through gritted teeth. It seemed he wasn't too thrilled about some of the stories she'd heard. He'd told her she could talk to his family. He was most likely regretting that decision.
"Don't you want to add anything else for me," she goaded. She never listened in school when her teachers talked about not poking the bear. But, of course that's what would make her an excellent reporter. She had to be fearless or she'd never get a good story.
"Just remember our deal about what is and isn't acceptable to print," he warned. She had to fight the laughter that wanted to spill from her. He was quite easily riled.
"I need to go thank your Aunt and Uncle for the invitation. Joseph really knows how to throw a nice party," she said, giving him a break. She was finding it hard to make conversation with him as his hand caressed her foot, then slid up her calf and back down. It was playing havoc with her nerves. But, he could do it forever and she'd be okay.
"This is typical for my family. We've been growing larger each year, with all my cousins getting married, having kids, and now my brother joined their ranks. I think my father has the idea that my other siblings and I will follow in our cousins footsteps. Austin, Bree, and I have all talked. We know what our Dad and Uncle Joseph are up to and there's no way we're falling into their trap," Max said.
"Why would your father and uncle have anything to do with you getting married?" she asked.
"I don't know. I just know that my relatives are falling into marriage left and right, and I don't know how, but I think my Uncle and Dad are behind it," Max said, shooting a suspicious glance at the two men, who were currently looking at them.
"I don't know how it would be possible. I've met your relatives and they aren't forced marriages. It's obvious to anyone who spends a few minutes in their presence how much they love their wives," she said.
"There's no doubt that they're all madly in love, as a matter-of-fact, it's quite disgusting to be in a room too long with them, but I know those old men are somehow involved," Max said with conviction.
"Well … okay," she said, clearly not believing him.
"We will just agree to disagree," he said and she had to role her eyes at the over-used line. She was once again getting too comfortable around him.
"I'm going to leave soon," she told him. She didn't feel like walking around anymore, and the party was in full swing. She knew she wouldn't last the entire evening.
"Is your foot still bothering you," he asked with concern.
"It's not horribly bad, but I just need to get some sleep. My head's starting to hurt," she said.
"Let me say goodbye to my Aunt, then we can leave," he told her, setting her foot down and starting to rise. She reached out and grabbed his arm.
"There's no need for that, Max. I'm going home to my apartment, tonight. You stay and enjoy your family. I'll take a cab," she insisted.
"I brought you here, and I'll escort you home," he said with a glare. He certainly wasn't used to a woman refusing him.