hands. His Delta Force training was something Breck rarely talked about. Only late at night and in Rhett’s company alone had his best friend shared some of the horrors he’d lived through on different missions. Even then, it had been long ago, in the days before Rhett hit it big in Killjoy.
He watched Randi slink toward them. The model was beautiful, stormy, and way too smart for her own good. Randi James spelled Trouble. She was high maintenance in every way imaginable. He wondered why he’d even been attracted to her in the first place. Rhett thought it might be wise to ease out of the relationship before things grew serious between them. As it was, Randi was staying over more often than not. He valued his privacy and found her company a little overbearing.
Rhett decided to make one more phone call before going downstairs to brief Cassie. He hit speed dial and waited for his sister to answer. His mother picked up instead.
“Hey, Mom. How’s Carreen doing today?”
The silence caused his gut to clench.
“Sorry, Rhett,” his mother apologized a few seconds later. “I wanted to slip out of the bedroom and let Carreen sleep. She was restless last night and Bob asked me to come over today. He got the kids ready for school so I could pamper Carreen a little.”
Rhett relaxed a little. “Is today better?”
Nadine Corrigan sighed. “Better is a relative term, Rhett. She’s better than the first round of chemo, but she’s not as good as last time. She's resting now.”
“Do you think I could stop by this afternoon?”
“That would be sweet of you, dear. Why don’t you call first to see if she’s up to seeing you?”
“I’ll do that, Mom. I’m glad you’re there.”
“Well, she didn’t want that private nurse you hired. You know Carreen. She’s only half as stubborn as you are and that can be lethal.”
He chuckled. He’d gotten his famous stubborn streak from Nadine herself.
“I’ll talk to you later then.” Rhett hung up and sat for a while.
◆◆◆
Cassie gritted her teeth as she walked back out with Randi’s drink. The first time she’d brought back a glass of Coke over crushed ice. Randi took one sip and snarled, “Why would I drink all these empty sugar calories? Get me something diet. Now.”
Cassie returned inside the mansion, muttering under her breath that if Randi had wanted a diet drink, she should’ve asked for one in the first place.
The next trip the model whined, “It needs a slice of fresh lime in it,” and handed it back.
Cassie trekked to the spacious kitchen, her blood pressure rising by the second.
Now, she returned for the third time, slices of lime on a saucer. This was it. No more. Cassie walked toward Randi and forced a pleasant look on her face despite being jealous of the long, tanned legs. As long as Randi didn’t ask her for a pedicure or an eyebrow plucking or for her clothes to be ironed, Cassie would grin and bear it.
For now.
She stopped dead in her tracks as Randi reached for a bottle of tanning oil. Please, no. She could not oil that satin skin. She would refuse. She would simply quit.
Wouldn’t that look great on a resume? One day on the job as Rhett Corrigan’s personal assistant.
Instead, Randi smoothed the oil over her bare breasts and shocked Cassie by saying, “I need a birthday present for my mother. Pick a gift up today, Callie. Just a little something. Not too flashy. Classy, instead.”
Randi continued slathering on tanning oil, focusing on evenly distributing it, never bothering to look Cassie in the eyes.
Cassie grabbed the bottle from the model’s hand and slammed it onto the table.
“I’m not Callie. It’s Cassie. Cassie Carroll. And no, I draw the line. Presents are personal, especially when it’s your mom we’re talking about, and you should put some thought into buying her a gift that comes from your heart. I’m not your assistant. I’m Rhett’s. He’s paying me to work for him. Not you. Go buy your own present.”
Randi glared daggers at her. “We’ll see about that. You are so fired.”
She hated herself for blowing an ideal job on day one yet she was proud she’d stood up to this horrid woman.
Cassie turned and ran smack into her new boss.
◆◆◆
Rhett caught her elbows and steadied her. “I need to see you right away, Cassie. Come inside, please.”
“Rhett? We need to talk.” Randi’s tone let Rhett know serious trouble brewed between the two women.
“Not now, Randi. Later.”
“But Rhett—”
Rhett