and new confidence, she was still the one who’d walked away and Luke had no desire to revisit the past. So he shoved away those emotions and memories. He’d gotten this far by living in the moment and taking control of his own destiny. Nobody and nothing would ever change that again.
“Cassandra.”
The door to the bar slid shut behind her and she jerked around to see that she’d been closed in.
“An automatic door. That’s fancy,” she muttered as she turned back to face him. “I appreciate you seeing me without notice.”
She took a step inside and then another until she stood just on the other side of his desk. He could reach out and touch her. He could see those navy flecks in her deep blue eyes.
He’d only had a two-minute heads-up, but he certainly hadn’t expected this onslaught of emotions to come flooding to the forefront of his mind...and his body.
“Luke.”
Oh, damn. His name sliding through her lips had him recalling starry nights and heated moments. No matter why she was here, he’d get her in and out. No way could he get caught up in her like he had in the past. He was perfectly fine remaining single... Wait. Was that why she was here? She’d seen that article and now she wanted to come back and secure her original role as his woman?
No way. That was a hard no.
Agreeing to see Cassandra Taylor had been a mistake. Somehow, he knew this moment would no doubt change his life forever.
* * *
Nerves curled into spirals in Cassandra’s belly. She’d given herself a pep talk the entire drive here—all three hours. Luke was just a man and she was just a woman. There was no reason she couldn’t approach him about her critical need. They were different people now.
When she’d left their relationship years ago, she’d done so because she’d had to guard her heart. Staying would only have caused more pain. Luke had been so set on moving ahead in his career and seemed perfectly content keeping her tucked in a corner, always assuming she’d be content to stay there. While she’d been proud of all he’d accomplished, she’d also wanted to be by his side. She’d wanted them to grow together...and she’d learned too late that they’d had two different visions of what they’d wanted out of life.
So she’d walked away, made a successful career for herself and absolutely loved the life she’d created in Lexington, Kentucky.
So why the hell was she so shaky now that she was back?
When Luke’s intense stare became too much, Cassandra pulled together all her courage and forced herself not to turn and walk out. She stood her ground.
Clearly, he wasn’t going to say anything, even though she’d called him by name to snap him out of whatever trance that had overtaken him. Although, he was likely waiting on her to explain why she’d shown up, out of the blue, after not a word in eight years.
“Your bar is amazing and Jake seems...intimidating,” she began, not wanting to jump right into the real topic. “You’ve done really well for yourself.”
“Jake does his job skillfully.” Luke shifted his stance and rested his hands on his narrow hips. “But did you come all the way here to tell me what I already know?”
Okay, well, obviously his ego was still intact and he wasn’t in the mood for the small talk she had rehearsed to lead up to her real reason for coming back.
Pulling in a deep breath, Cassandra jumped right in.
“No,” she replied. “I came here to tell you I need a favor.”
Luke stared another moment before that rich, familiar laugh filled the spacious office. Unable to stand still, Cassandra moved around and glanced at the black-and-white images on the walls. Pictures of Luke and his brothers. The Sutherland men were all handsome and powerful, and she had loved each of them like family...but none like Luke. Gavin, Cash, and Will had all been like her own brothers. She’d missed them when she’d left town without looking back.
But Luke... He’d left her bitter and angry. He’d strung her along, allowing her to think they’d spend their lives together, when he only cared about the next bar he could open or how quickly he could book the next big star so he could have bragging rights.
So she’d left.
Cassandra had gathered up the pieces of her shattered heart and continued on with her own dreams. She’d gotten along just fine in her career as a wedding