"Yes…thank you," Cassie said, smiling shyly. "I just hope this isn't a big inconvenience for you."
"Don't worry about it," Luke reassured her. "We'll figure this out. Once the cops nail this guy, I'm sure you'll be able to return to work."
"I hope so."
Chapter 6
The moment Cassie’s brother left her alone—and safe—in the cozy cabin to unpack and get settled in, a great burden rose from her shoulders. In the end, she had to admit that getting away from Aspen Valley for a little while had been in her best interests. In the days following the threat, admitting to Neil that she was concerned for her safety had been out of the question. After all, she didn't want him worrying more than he had to…and he had been a complete wreck once he realized just what kind of trouble she had gotten herself into.
But now that she was here, she realized that she needed something constructive to do other than worry about the what-ifs. But the never-ending urge to finish the article that got her into this mess in the first place remained with her. What would happen if she secretly continued to review and analyze the case facts? She just couldn't bear to let all of her months of researching and interviewing go to waste. And she wouldn't. Her business and personal writing journals were already unpacked and stacked high on the coffee table out in the main area. She couldn't wait to take them outside to sit and write for hours on end. But of course, she had to earn her stay here. She couldn't just lounge around like this was a vacation.
Cassie entered the smallest bedroom which had been used as an office and filing room by Luke's niece. She wondered just how much work was involved in being the Office Manager of a lodging business. Depending on the time commitment, she could easily split half of her day doing projects for Luke and the other half working on several half-finished articles. Even if she were only here for a week or two, that was enough time to complete a couple of her projects.
Just from the looks of things in the makeshift office space, Cassie could tell that Luke's niece was a very organized person. The exact opposite of herself. She wasn't exactly the messiest person in the world, but she'd never given a second thought to numbering and color-coding everything like Luke's niece had. An instruction booklet was conveniently laid out on the desk explaining where every record and every single supply was kept. Cassie could definitely jump right in where the daily responsibilities were concerned, but would she really be able to fill his niece's shoes. For the short amount of time she was here, she'd certainly do her best.
The next thing she found interesting about the office, as well as the interior of the cabin itself was all the photographs on the wall. They weren't the kind of photos one would find sitting on a shelf at the nearest retail chain store. Someone had taken these unique images and framed them. If the portraits of the mountains, woods, and the scenic lake were any indication of what she would see when she ventured out in her free time, she would probably never want to leave. The images were fuel to Cassie's writer's soul. There was a book of still photos lying out on a side table in the main area, and Cassie flipped through them. Some of the pictures were signed with the name "Nessa". She immediately recalled Neil and Luke referring to the niece as Nessa, so the pictures must have been taken by her.
Cassie found another photo book on a bookcase. Instead of photos of nature, this one had photos and illustrations of wolves resting, at play, running, and howling. They were beautiful wolves with furs in all shades of red, brown, and black. She silently wondered if Nessa's photographs were of natural wolves or of the shifters who were fabled to have roamed the valleys since before Cassie was born. If the latter were true, Nessa had captured each moment beautifully. Every photograph told a story. Every image delivered a message. Cassie got lost in trying to decode what each wolf's story was in every picture until she heard a motorcycle engine being revved up outside.
She dropped the photo book and ran over to stare out through the kitchen window in the direction of the noise. The smaller cabin that she was staying in was next to Luke's log cabin. Only a few trees and shrubs separated the two lots. From the kitchen window, she could see right in Luke's front yard. For a moment, she thought he'd revved up his own motorcycle and was heading out, but she was relieved to find Luke standing out in the front yard as his guest rode the motorcycle off the property. The man's helmet was already on, so Cassie didn't get to see his face.
Both Neil and Luke had said that there were permanent residents living out here, not just tourists. It was nice to know that she wouldn't be totally alone in the wilderness. She loved her alone time just as much as the next person, but she wasn't used to the complete silence she'd been faced with since they'd left her to unpack.
She lived on the first level of her apartment building, so she had gotten used to the sounds of people walking and stomping on the level above her, cars pulling in and out of the parking lot right in front of her unit, and the hum of the lawn mowers and leaf blowers whenever the landscapers came out. She had learned how to completely ignore all those nuisances. It was different out here. As evening approached, all she could hear was the sound of nature and the nightlife.
Luke hadn't gone back inside the house after the guy on the motorcycle left. He seemed to be fumbling around with something on his porch. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but the pair of jeans that fit him perfectly. She didn't know what had come over her, but her body temperature rose despite the great distance between them. Something about him sparked her curiosity. But of course, everything sparked her curiosity these days. She was observant because she had to be. Her job depended on it…and she loved her job. But this urge to close the distance between herself and Luke went beyond that.
Before she could change her mind, she pulled a light hoody over her tank top and pushed herself out into the calm evening breeze. A light chill folded across her bare legs reminding her that the temperatures out here weren't as mild as Aspen Valley. She probably should've packed more pants and dresses than shorts knowing how volatile the weather could be in the mountains.
Cassie hadn't even made it halfway across the backside of the yard yet when Luke stopped what he was doing to stare in her direction as if he'd sensed her coming before even seeing her. Knowing that his full, undivided attention was now on her as she approached his cabin, her legs felt like they were turning into putty.
Luke picked up a towel that was hanging on a banister and mopped it across his face. From where Cassie was, she couldn't make out the sweat on his skin. Only the perfection. And he seemed perfect in every way. She'd never told anyone this before, but after the very first time she'd seen Luke, she began imagining that her future husband would be just like him.
As Luke waited on the steps for her, he picked up a bottle of beer and lifted the bottle to his mouth. Although her heart was beating like hell, she couldn't drag her eyes off the rugged sight of him. The waistband of his pants fit loosely at his hips, where his hardened lower abs were accentuated well. A tattoo or some kind of distinct birthmark was partially hidden by his belt. Her nipples pebbled against the fabric of her blouse at the thought of what lie beneath his fly. If the noticeable bulge was any indication of his real size, then Mr. Luke Lombardi was surely packin'. Dear God, she couldn't remember the last time she had this type of reaction to a man.
When he licked his lips after taking a long swig and then fixed his amber colored gaze on her, she knew she was done for.
Chapter 7
"Hey.”
That simple greeting and the sound of her voice had Luke tied in knots. He was so fucking mesmerized by everything about her. Dammit. He shouldn't feel this way. Not for Cassie. Not for his friend's sister. But he couldn't resist. He couldn't pretend he wasn't into her.
Ever since Neil had left his little sister on the premises, he'd fought the urge to have any kind of conversation with her because he knew there was no way around him losing his shit or his dick getting hard in the process.
Shit! This had been a bad idea. How was he going to keep his mind out of the gu
tter when she came to him looking like this?
He gulped down the last of his beer and tried to focus on something other than her tantalizing scent. She smelled like a thicket of honeysuckle flowers. He would give up everything he owned to lick the sweet nectar right off her body. Even the complexion of her skin reminded him of a jar of the purest honey.
"Hey yourself," he replied. She was so close he could almost taste her.
Cassie's smile was like a bright ray of sunlight. Her rose petal colored lips were full and plump. The little dainty shorts she had on wasn't even appropriate for this weather. Had she worn them to taunt him?
"Um…so I wanted to ask you something but I've completely forgotten what it was," she said, her dark lashes brushing the tops her cheeks.
She wasn't the only one who had completely forgotten the meaning of words. All he could do was look at her.
She assessed him with eyes that could have seduced any man to do her bidding. Suddenly, he felt unclean standing next to her perfection. Grease and dirt were spread across his chests, arms, and hands.
Cassie came up onto the porch with him, her painted nails gliding along the wood banister that he had just sanded yesterday in preparation of re-finishing the surface.
"Looks like you've been working really hard," she said, sitting down on the bench swing.
Her gaze moved away from the broken down generator lying on the porch up to his hands.
"Uh…yeah. You could say that." He grabbed the towel he'd used to wipe his sweat earlier and attempted to scrub the grease and oil from his hands. "I like to have a few of these on hand just in case we have a storm. I get guests that aren't too keen on spending their time here in the dark."
"Makes sense."
Her eyes dropped to his belt, or at least to what he thought was his belt. He hoped to God that she didn't notice the hard-on she caused.
"I noticed that you have a tattoo," she commented.
"Oh, that…" Luke breathed a sigh of relief. "It's actually not a tattoo. It's like a birthmark." He hooked his thumbs into his waistband and tugged his pants upward a bit to conceal the mating mark. Too bad he couldn't hide the fact that he was hard as fuck for her.
She swallowed hard and blushed noticeably. "Well, anyway…so is this what you do for a living now? Running this lodging business?"
Luke had never really thought of taking care of the family lodging business something he did for a living.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry," she said.
"No, it's fine. I took over the business when my brother passed away. He was always the businessman and I was the one who liked to build things, so yes, I run the business in addition to freelancing as an architect."
"Right. You and Neil graduated with the same degree. That's why you have all those building sketches all over your home."
He laughed. "I try not to let that part take over my whole life."
"I completely understand. I get teased a lot when I invite friends over and they ask when I'm going to open up my own library. I work on articles more than I read these days, though."
"Do your articles always involve stories of the dangerous sort?" he asked.
She pressed her lips together and narrowed her gaze. "Hmmm…well…kinda sorta. When I was little I always wanted to be a police detective like my dad, but then things happened and I had a change of heart, but I still love to solve a good puzzle."
"Let me guess? You love novels in the crime and mystery genre?"
She nodded. "Legal thrillers. Suspense. And a little fantasy."
"I didn't think you'd grow up to be the bookworm type," he commented.
"Well, why not?"
"Weren't you involved in your cheer and dance team plus modeling and all that stuff?"
"How'd you know that?"
"Your brother talked a lot about his family. He talks a lot period."
Cassie laughed. He hadn't noticed up until now, but she had small dimples on both cheeks.
"At least we can agree on that, but like I said, I grew up. I'm not a little innocent girl anymore. The death of my parents really changed my whole outlook on life," she said.
Luke frowned. "I can understand that."
"So what was it like raising your niece and nephew in your twenties? I mean, I can't imagine raising teenagers right now at this age. I'm a complete wreck as it is now and on a daily basis I wonder if I'm coming or going."
He shrugged. "It was hard at first, but they're my blood and it was my responsibility. If no one had taken them in, they would've been orphans. I became a parent quicker than I wanted to."
"I bet," she said. "Teenagers are rebellious."
"In the beginning, I tried to be more of a friend to them than a legal guardian. I had to set rules and boundaries that I had never followed myself. I thought I could never be the parent that my brother Avery was. I wasn't the responsible brother, and I got into all kinds of trouble while we were growing up. I guess it makes sense that our old man left the lodging business to Avery instead of me. I learned to respect my old man's decision, but only after the tragedy of my brother's death and realizing just how much work and dedication it required."
"Well, I think you're doing really well. Your business has been in numerous magazines and newspapers across the country for being a top spot for lodging," she told him. "And not to mention, you just sent two teenagers off to college. Two…at the same time."
He chuckled nervously. "I think they were more hesitant about leaving the nest than I was about letting them go."
Cassie smiled. "Then they must really look up to you."
"Who me?" he asked, jokingly.
"Before Neil graduated he told my parents that both of you had been contacted by the same firm with an employment offer. He was so excited about accepting and that he'd be moving on and working with his best friend. He's not too fond of change and he gets really anxious. He was a little discouraged when you turned down the offer."
"I did. The travel the company required would've been bad for the twins."
"You chose family over your career."
He nodded. "I knew there would be other opportunities. I don't regret turning down the job offer. I'm a free agent and I only accept the jobs that I'm most interested in."
"Sounds like the best of both worlds. Something smells really good," Cassie said, lifting her nose to the breeze.
"There's fresh trout grilling out back. Which reminds me…it's time to call it a day. I have a full schedule ahead of me tomorrow."
"If you're not too busy, I'm ready to start work. I looked through some of the instructions Nessa left behind."
"What about a tour of the property?" he asked. "I think that's what happens on the first day of any normal corporate job, right?"
"Sounds better than the online research I was going to do for an article. Just in case you haven't noticed yet, I don't have a car. I totaled mine about a month ago and was saving up a down payment for something else. I've been taking the bus in the meantime." She laughed. "And of course, the bus service doesn't exactly run through here."
"That's no problem. We get around just fine around here without buses. The trails are clearly marked.On any given day, there's always someone going into town for one thing or another.
"Alright…so uh…do you have any dinner plans, by any chance? I caught more than enough for both of us. I know you just got settled in and all and I…"
"I thought you'd never ask. Grilled trout sounds better than canned chicken noodle soup and I worked up quite an appetite putting all my stuff away."
"Well then…" He smiled. "Let me get cleaned up so we can eat."
Chapter 8
"So how did you even get assigned that case in the first place?"
Cassie had just cleaned her plate. Dinner was delicious and not one edible morsel was left on her dish. They were seated at a patio table out on the back porch under the smoky orange evening sky. The warmth from the heated charcoals radiated from the grill toward her, keeping her co
mfortable and cozy even though the temperature had dropped. But she was least concerned with the weather and mostly intrigued by the man sitting across from her.
Her beer bottle was half empty and she took a couple sips before answering Luke.
"Well, I wanted to prove that I could handle a big story so I kind of asked for it. No one else wanted it because of all the work involved and I guess because they didn't care one way or another about what was happening to the shifters. Our State has a number of scandals going on at the moment and those are the stories my colleagues were trying to get their hands on. I knew the risk involved but I didn't think things would end up this way."
"The murders are becoming more frequent now. It's a serious issue," he said.
"Have you been following this case too?"
"Well…something like that. I hear a lot through word of mouth. Like you said, our community is closely knit."
She traced the sweat on the neck of the bottle. "I'm not really supposed to say much about it, but not one hour goes by that I don't think about what happened to me, you know? Yet still, I want nothing more than to finish what I started. My brother doesn't want to hear about it. He doesn't want me to have anything to do with it."
"He's just trying to keep you safe," Luke said. "That's what brothers do."
"Of course. You're the first person I've talked to about this since it happened. I was so close to finishing the story. Now that I'm off the case someone else at the station will likely get credit for it, which is okay really. All I wanted to do was to shed some light on the issue. It's like nobody, except for the shifters, was really paying any attention."
"That's probably because they didn't believe the murders affected them much. This is a local crime…or probably regional at this point."
"I just wish they would find this guy, that's all," Cassie said.
"You've done your part when you didn't have to," Luke said. "It's not your job to put your life on the line. Everything is being taken care of. I promise. Don't worry."
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