Love In Secrets (Love Distilled #3) - Scarlett Cole Page 0,15

have come at a worse time.”

He drained his cup and placed it beneath the spout to make another Americano.

“I’ll go and see her tomorrow. I had to talk Emerson out of flying home. I know they’re only gone for a week, but she really wants to be here for Cassie and Chris.”

“I chatted with Connor. Told him I’d call if things got worse with Chris. Emerson needs a break, and I think the stress of the renovations falling behind was really getting to her.”

“What are we going to do? With Chris out of the picture for a while, I wonder who can take over the project. He was already struggling.”

The same thoughts had crossed his mind as he’d lain in bed, willing sleep to come. “I don’t know. Maybe we give Cass another day or two to get her feet beneath her and we can ask her.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Olivia drained the rest of her coffee. “Okay, I need to get on with this. Catering should be here in the next hour or so. Want me to bring you some lunch when I get myself something?”

“And that is why you're my favorite younger sister.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “I’m your only younger sister.”

“Exactly.”

Ten hours later, he hauled his tired ass into his house. A shower, something easy for an early dinner, and perhaps some crap TV or a movie. It would have to be an action flick for him to stand a fighting chance of staying awake through it.

Instead, he found Cassie, dressed in his T-shirt and a pair of his shorts she must have borrowed from his laundry pile, bent over in some kind of yoga stretch, which revealed a level of flexibility he had the sudden urge to explore.

“So, did you talk to Elijah yet?” The voice came from her phone, which was propped up on the end table.

“I have a call with him late on Monday to discuss what’s going on. And I’ll be chatting with Brandon Monday morning,” Cassie said, pushing back with her hands. Her ass lifted higher, and he forced himself to look away.

“Hey,” he announced, closing the door.

Cassie dropped to her knees and smiled at him, her cheeks all flushed. “Sorry, I needed to work out some kinks. This is Orla.” She grabbed her phone and flashed the screen towards him, where a blonde dressed head to toe in peach waved. “Orla, this is Jake.”

“Hey, Orla,” he said, trying not to look too closely at Cassie in his clothes. The hard-on he had that morning returned, willing to volunteer as tribute to work out those kinks for her. He’d never been more relieved to be carrying his work bag and hoodie.

Cassie’s smile almost knocked him on his ass. “We’re nearly done. Thought we’d catch up and squeeze in some exercise.”

“Don’t let me interrupt. I’ll go change and then start on dinner.”

And the whole way to his room, he reminded himself Cassie was practically family. That it didn’t matter how good she looked in his shorts or in his goddamn living room, or how much he was suddenly feeling for his sister’s friend—he shouldn’t, no, couldn’t do anything about it.

4

“Elijah, that’s not exactly fair.” Cassie was sure she sounded as exhausted as she felt. Mondays didn’t usually suck, but today did. She’d already spent three hours with Brandon that morning on The Grosvenor. It should have only taken one hour, but Brandon needed step-by-step instructions for every single thing they discussed.

“The timing of this is beyond frustrating, Cassie.” Elijah pursed his lips before he continued, and she wished they’d simply called instead of doing a video chat. “I was quite clear with you about the pressure the school board is placing on me. And then I find you hopped on an airplane without any proper hand-off. I hate to say this, Cassie, but if your father isn’t in critical condition and your stepmother is there, surely the urgency was not so great to get home you couldn’t have flown out after a meeting with Brandon.”

“Elijah, I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. I appreciate the timing is terrible, and I know this is a stressful situation. But I already spent three hours today with Brandon to keep The Grosvenor on track. I can get this over the line from here, as long as Brandon is the eyes and ears on the ground for me. Dad’s surgery is tomorrow. I’ll have a better idea when he’s a bit more lucid and less sedated.