“Burning the midnight oil?”
For a moment her heart leapt, thinking it was Jack. And really, if she were being honest with herself, didn’t she hope it was Jack? Isn’t that why she was here to begin with, stationed in this public area of the house, in the hopes he’d find her?
“How about some company?” said the voice from the shadows.
Her mind was a little slow to catch up, but when it did, it registered the presence of Brian, who, now that she had gotten to know his father a little, seemed even more unworthy as heir to the Wexler fortune.
He surprised her by sitting right next to her on the sofa, rather than on one of the adjacent armchairs. “You want a drink?”
“Ah, no, no thank you. I was just thinking about getting to bed.”
“A girl who cuts to the chase—I like that.” She couldn’t see his face very well in the dim light of the flames, but she could feel the leer. She was mustering her response, when he said, “I can cut to the chase, too.” He leaned in, and she caught a whiff of beer on his breath. Funny how Jack’s sometimes-scotch-tinged mouth could be so irresistible, and this guy’s was just…repulsive. Her heart started beating harder than was called for. She reminded herself that she was in a house full of people and that nothing could happen against her will. She had only to scream, if it came to it, and they would come running.
“I’m going to tell you the truth,” he whispered, hot breath on her ear. “For some reason I can’t fathom, I find you insanely hot.”
“Cassie?” came a deep voice from the darkness that surrounded the fire.
Thank God.
“Yes!” She stood. “I’m here!”
He came into the circle of light cast by the fire, and he was not pleased. Junior probably wasn’t sensitive enough to notice, but even in the shadowy flickering, she could see his clenched fists.
“We were going to go over those numbers.” On the surface his voice was flat, devoid of emotion, but she recognized in it a streak of barely restrained rage.
“Yes—the numbers.” She turned to Junior. “Brian, I’m sorry, it’s been lovely chatting, but work beckons.”
…
“What the hell, Cassie?” Jack asked after Brian was out of earshot.
He felt bad almost immediately. It wasn’t her he was angry with—she had looked so small there on the couch, leaning away from Brian—and he should have tempered his tone.
“Don’t say that like I did anything! I was just sitting here and Mr. Rico Suave suddenly arrived and…ugh.” She shuddered.
That told him all he needed to know. Which was that he should have punched Brian Wexler’s lights out when he had the chance. Stupid, but for a split second, when he’d seen them so close together on the sofa, he wondered if there was something there. An instant attraction. It would have been hard to believe, but having had some recent firsthand experience with instant attraction, it was not completely outside the realm of possibility.
He raked his hands through his hair and sat next to her. “I’m sorry. You didn’t sign up for this.”
“It’s okay. He’s gross, but I’m a big girl.” She grinned. “And, hey, it’s good to be liked. Although he did say he couldn’t fathom—she made air quotes with her fingers—why he was attracted to me. That was kind of rude!”
He didn’t reward her with the smile she was probably looking for.
“I think Senior likes me, too,” she said, turning serious.
“He does. I just left him, and he’s been singing your praises.” It was true. He was beginning to think that instead of being a pinch hitter, Cassie was going to be his surprise closer. “He likes you personally, but he also says you have a way of cutting through the bullshit when it comes to the numbers.” It was too dark to be sure, but he thought she might have blushed. He bounced his shoulder against hers.
“So both Wexlers like me. This is good.”
He cracked his knuckles. How should he put this? “I’ll have a word with Junior tomorrow.”
“Jack! No! I’m a grown-up. I can take care of myself. Besides, think about it rationally for a minute. He likes me. This is good for the deal.”
“I’m not sure like is the right word.”
“Whatever. We need him on our side, right? Senior won’t sell if Junior opposes. Junior…whatevers me. I can help make him see the genius of your plan.”
Yeah, that was not happening. He and Cassie may be done, but he’d be damned if he was going to let that overgrown entitled frat boy near her. “No way.”