Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
He finally faces me, brows drawn in a forbidding line. The thrill inside me only gets stronger in response. He eyes me. “Do you concede?”
“I was going to suggest the bathtub. It’s got to be massive in a house like this.”
“Absolutely not. You are not sleeping anywhere but on that bed, Cassandra. Do I make myself clear?”
Yes, sir.
I clamp my mouth shut so fast, I bite my tongue, but I manage to keep the snarky reply internal. Under no circumstances will I be calling Apollo anything other than his name, and certainly not something in a tone so sexually suggestive.
No matter how melty it makes me feel. In fact, that melty sensation in my core is a very good reason to never admit how he affects me. Ever.
I belatedly realize he’s waiting for a response and clear my throat. “You’re being ridiculous.” I smooth my hands over my dress. “We’re both adults. It’s a big bed. There’s no reason we can’t share.”
His jaw goes slack. “Cassandra—”
“If you’re worried about me wandering in my sleep, I don’t. But there are more than enough pillows to put up a barrier between us to protect your virtue.” The words are a little sharper than I intend, but I don’t like the idea of him sleeping on the floor. I can control the meltiness. I’m not going to throw myself at my boss, no matter how good his fake kisses made me feel.
Apollo runs a hand through his short black hair. “I don’t want to put you in a position where you feel uncomfortable.” He grimaces. “Though I guess I can’t say that any longer because you’re here and I know you’d rather not be.”
There’s not much to say to that, but I can’t just not respond. “For what it’s worth, I know I’m safe with you. That was never the issue.” It’s just everything else that threatens to make this so messy. None of that is Apollo’s fault, though, and I can’t stand the thought of him blaming himself for my shitty attitude. He should know by now that it’s my default.
He gives a wan smile. “Well, with that out of the way, let’s get ready for dinner and see about finding that control room to deal with the cameras.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I say faintly.
10
Apollo
I underestimated what it would be like to be in such close proximity with Cassandra outside the office. The sheer intimacy of sitting on the bed and going through my emails while she stands in the bathroom with wet hair as she puts on her makeup is…strange. Very strange.
I’ve dated several people seriously as an adult, and none of those relationships reached a point when moving in together made sense, but there were intimate moments. Relationships are built of intimate moments. I don’t know why it feels so different with her. I’d be a fool to chase that feeling.
My phone rings as Cassandra finishes doing something to her eyes to give them a sexy, faintly smoky look. I bite back a sigh at the sight of my little brother’s name on the screen. It’s been several weeks since I cut him off, and I don’t trust him not to revert right back to his spoiled self the moment he senses me wavering. Cutting him off wasn’t easy, but it was the right thing to do.
It’s still the right thing to do, but I’m not heartless enough to ignore his calls entirely, no matter how frustrating I find them. “Orpheus.”
“Apollo.” He sounds tired, his charm worn thin.
Guilt pricks me. Our mother’s worried about him. She wants him to move back home, to let her look out for him. Since that translates to her meddling with his life, I don’t blame him for digging in his heels. He’s made changes, too. Downsized his apartment and moved away from the city center to somewhere more affordable. He doesn’t have a job yet, but apparently he wasn’t as careless with his money as I’d assumed. He has plenty of it to work through before he’s anything resembling truly desperate.
“I need a favor.”
“No.”
He sighs. “I’m not asking for money or anything like that.”
Cassandra realizes I’m on the phone and shuts the bathroom door. A few seconds later, the hair dryer starts, the sound muffled by the thick wood. I’m suddenly irritated that my brother caused me to miss being able to watch her dry her hair. “But you are asking for something, and that’s not part of the agreement.”
“I didn’t agree to anything. You made that decision for me.”
“Yes, I did. Someone had to.” Our parents certainly weren’t going to rein him in. He inherited our father’s charm and our mother’s audacity and boldness. Our parents have spoiled him from the moment he was born, and they never would have stopped if I didn’t draw the line in the sand.