as harshly as me?" he wondered. "I can only image the conversations around the table at Thanksgiving."
Helene laughed. "Carter overpays everyone. I remember Cassie wondering at her starting salary when she first worked for him. And he's a self-made man." She had nothing but respect for her brother-in-law. "Plus, he gives me awesome Christmas presents."
"Does that mean you're susceptible to bribery? How very greedy of you, Ms. Franklin."
She was enjoying the banter more than she would admit.
"Oh, dear. Olivia Vincent is approaching." Cade grimaced, his attention fixed on a perfectly poised, beautiful woman in a black suit. She wore it without a shirt underneath—just a diamond in the latest stare of fashion at her throat, showcasing her incredible rack. Helene wanted to be her when she grew up.
"Someone you know?"
He sighed. "You could say that. Olivia is my godmother. She takes her job rather seriously. You can expect a thorough interrogation, given that we've chatted for more than ten minutes."
She couldn't help but tease him. "So, she's the dragon chasing away all the gold diggers?"
"Hardly." Cade shook his head. "A few years ago, maybe. Now, Mother and Olivia are in league. They don't care if I bring home a gold digger, as long as they get grandbabies. You can expect to be asked how many children you'd like, and whether you're planning on home schooling, or have a private school in mind."
"Got it. Let's run." She had been successful in avoiding that line of questioning from her own parents for a few years—at the moment, their principal target was Cassie, given the fact that she was married. Occasionally, her mother reminded her that her clock was ticking, and she needed to think about the future—whatever that meant. No way was she letting a perfect stranger corner her.
Helene grabbed Cade's sleeve and led him out of the hall, into the entryway, and then to the library, right next to the sitting room where Cassie received guests downstairs. She closed the door behind them, breathing out in relief. At least until she turned, and realized she'd locked herself in with a seriously hot man. Helene bit her lip. She'd truly just wanted to avoid Olivia's line of questioning. But now, she'd cornered herself into another situation. One she wasn't entirely averse to, she realized.
"Nice place," he said. He was looking around. Maybe he didn't care about being alone with her.
"Yeah. They don't have a lot of books. Just the occasional signed paperback and first edition. Cassie and Carter mostly read ebooks, these days. They just wanted a nice place to sit down and do it together. In the winter, they light the fireplace." She was rambling, and she knew it. Cade was making her nervous in a way no man had for a long time.
"That sounds cozy."
She bobbed her head. "Yeah. I kind of feel like an intruder every time I'm in here with them. Cassie sits on the recliner, Carter on the sofa. The way they look at each other makes me feel like they'd be doing something entirely different if I wasn't there."
Cade turned to face her, intrigued. "You spend a lot of time here?"
She sighed. "My apartment burned down a couple of weeks ago, so at the moment, I live here." She shrugged. "Not for long. I'm looking for a new place. You know how the rental market is in the city, though." Or maybe he didn't know.
"Ah. Hence your opinions on insufficient salaries in the face of rising market prices."
Helene glared. "My opinion was the same before my place was set on fire, thank you very much."
He laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'm sure it was."
The silence that set around them wasn't comfortable at all; it was electric. His unnerving attention seemed to dissect her, analyzing everything about her. She filled it with white noise, only to avoid the full weight of the chemistry in the air.
"You wouldn't believe the creeps on the roommate websites, offering free rent for services." She made air quotes at the last words, and pretended to gag. "Then, there are the studios smaller than this library that still cost thousands of dollars per month. It's a nightmare. I might have to look in Brooklyn or Queens, but the commute is going to be killer."
"Have you thought of asking Cassie for help? She could buy and rent it out to you for a decent price."
Helene made a face. "She's helping enough by letting me stay here until I find somewhere. I'd never