They worked in the kitchen, the radio warbling out tunes from decades ago as the scent of yeast, sugar, and hot oil filled the air. Finally, Addy said, “So are you saying you have a crush on the handsome—scratch that. Hot—Jonathan Addler?”
Jon was handsome and hot. He was honest and hardworking. He was easy-going and teachable. He learned quickly, and he’d been fun to watch in the kitchen and delightful to flirt with.
So she had a massive crush on the guy. Didn’t mean she was willing to risk her job to be with him. Did it?
“No,” she said. “The university forbids relationships between professors and students, and he’s in one of my classes.”
“But you’re both adults.”
“So were the two who caused that big scandal last summer.”
“Yeah, but there was a huge age difference. And she said he threatened her grade if she didn’t sleep with him. You’re not going to do that.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Cassie said. “I’m not going to go out with him. I’m up for the full-time professorship job, and even His Hotness isn’t worth risking that.”
Addy giggled with Cassie at the title she’d given Jon. Then she said, “You might be wrong about that, Cassie. I think Jon is worth risking almost anything.”
Her words went with Cassie through the rest of her shift and into her culinary courses for the day. She finished early on Fridays and was able to be home before the twins got off the bus. She had cookies in the oven and dinner halfway made when they walked in.
They acted as if nothing had changed, but Cassie felt like her whole life had been turned upside down the moment Jon had walked into her kitchen. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, and she finally decided to text him as soon as she slid the homemade sausage and pepper Alfredo pizza into the oven.
But she didn’t.
She put it off through dinner. Through a movie. Through when the twins started playing video games after she’d told them they could stay up late because it was a weekend.
“I’m going to bed, guys,” she finally said around eight o’clock. She didn’t teach on the weekends, but she still went into the bakery in the middle of the night.
“’Night,” they said together, which sent a rush of love through her for those good kids. She opened the door leading to the garage to make sure she’d closed the door after she’d come home, and she checked the front door to ensure it was locked.
Someone knocked while she still stood a foot from it, sending her pulse into palpitations. Button barked and barked, the high-pitched yapping doing nothing to calm Cassie’s frenzied nerves.
Kyle and Lars came out of the living room, wearing identical expressions of worry.
She motioned for them to stay back, and she leaned forward to peer through the peephole that would allow her to see who stood on the porch.
It was Jonathan Addler.
Chapter Six
Jon knew someone was home; he’d been able to hear the TV when he’d walked up the steps, and then it had gone quiet. A small dog of some sort continued to bark behind the still-closed door, and he wondered if he should just go.
Text Cassie and arrange a meeting somewhere. But she’d said nothing since the beginning of class yesterday, and he wasn’t sure he could wait until Tuesday night to see her again.
Scratch that. He absolutely could not wait until Tuesday night to see her again. She consumed him, and he had to have her in his life.
The dog stopped barking, and Jon faced the door, sure someone was watching him through the peephole. The door opened a few inches, and the porch light fell onto Cassie’s pretty face.
“Hey,” he said. “Sorry to just drop by. I was—”
“Sh,” she hissed. “Come inside.” She stepped back, but the door didn’t open nearly wide enough to let his boxy shoulders enter. He somehow squeezed through the narrow opening, taking in the savory scent of sausage and cheese that lingered in the air.
Two teenagers stood in a nearby doorway, one of them holding a tiny dog that couldn’t weigh more than ten pounds. His first inclination was to introduce himself to them, but he looked at Cassie first.
She wiped her palms down her thighs and looked at the boys too. “Jon, these are my brothers. Kyle and Lars. Guys, this is that friend I was telling you about. The one with the cabin.”
Friend.
Jon liked the sound of that as much as he loathed it. The word definitely needed the addition of boy at the beginning.
“Hey,” he said, lifting one hand in a wave. “What kind of dog is that?”
“He’s a yorkie,” one of the boys said. Jon would never be able to tell them apart, as they seemed identical right down to the way they stood.
“His name’s Button,” the other twin said.
“I have a dog,” Jon said. “He’s huge though.”
“I didn’t know you had a dog,” Cassie said.
He gazed at her. “Well, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.” His hunger for her obviously outweighed his humiliation at flirting with her right in front of her brothers.
“Yes,” she said. “Like what you’re doing here in the middle of the night.”
“It’s barely eight,” he said.
“And I go to work in six and a half hours.”
“Then let’s talk quickly.” He shot a glance at the boys, who’d clearly not lost interest in this conversation. “I believe you said you wanted another meeting to discuss terms.”
He barely had time to look at Cassie before she grabbed onto his arm and hauled him away from the front door, the boys, the dog, and into the kitchen. He shouldn’t be so excited by her anger, but he couldn’t deny the zing of desire racing through him.
“How did you find me?” she asked, practically throwing his arm away from her once they were alone.
“Find you?” he repeated, straightening his sleeve. “Are you in hiding?”
Her jaw tightened, and several things came into focus for Jon. The nervousness in those boys’ eyes. Her own anger—it wasn’t anger at all, but pure fear.
“Cassie, are you in trouble?” he asked slowly, hoping the question wouldn’t push her away.
“Of course not,” she said, but he heard the note of falseness in her voice. “I just don’t like strangers knocking on my door at night.”
“I’m hardly a stranger.”
Some of the fight and fire in her went out, leaving her shoulders slumped and her eyes weary. “I’m just tired. I was headed to bed when you knocked.”
She looked tired, and the soft, gentle weariness in her eyes only endeared her more to him. “We can make it quick,” he said, though nothing he did with Cassie should be done quickly. “You said you looked at the designs?”
“They were beautiful,” she said, and he wondered if he really had caught her at her lowest. She’d never complimented him before, not even in class yesterday when his chicken was perfect. “I don’t know what I want, but I’m sure I can have you build something.”
“So our deal is on?”
She sighed and opened the fridge. The harsher light fell across her face, showing him the unrest in her expression. “I talked to my boss about hiring you to be my aide in class,” she said. “She said we don’t have the budget.”
“So I’ll remain a student,” he said, thinking he’d like to be her anything-she-wanted.
She closed the fridge and looked anywhere but at him. “I can’t date you if you’re a student.”
“And you could if we were co-workers?”
“No,” she said slowly. “But at least it wouldn’t carry so much risk.”
“Cassie.” He slid his fingers down her arm and into hers. He didn’t know what else to say. He felt like he’d already put everything on the line, and she just needed to give him the green light.
“I haven’t dated anyone in a long time,” she whispered. “Not since getting guardianship of the boys. I promised our mom I’d take care of them.” The pure vulnerability in her voice made Jon’s
heart weep for her.
“And I’m up for a full-time position at the university,” she said. “Dating you puts all of that in jeopardy.” She blinked, her eyes catching on his in the next moment. He saw honesty there. A little bit of fear, but that was at least overshadowed by the heat coursing between them.
“So we won’t date,” he said as casually as if he was mentioning that he liked cream in his coffee. “We can meet to discuss your project. And if I happen to hold your hand while we do that, well, it was an accident, right?”
Cassie smiled, a slow, sensual smile that sweetened as her eyes drifted closed. She leaned into him and rested her forehead against his chest. A simple motion. Something easy and light. And yet Jon felt like she had just given him permission to…well, he wasn’t sure what. But she wasn’t pushing him away.
“I shouldn’t like you,” she whispered. “It’s not right.”
“No?” He kept his voice as quiet as hers. “Well, then, it’ll be our little secret.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head, getting the scent of flowers and doughnuts in the same breath. “And just so you know, I haven’t dated anyone in a while either.” He couldn’t believe he was going to start something real with her.
The image of Marcy’s face danced through his mind. He’d been so hung up on her, and now he wasn’t even sure why.
“Come on, you need to get to bed,” he said.
“I’ll walk you out.” Cassie stepped out of his personal space but left her hand in his. They walked down the hall to the front door, where she gazed up at him like she wanted to kiss him good-night.
“Why don’t you just drop the class?” she asked.
“I need it to finish my degree,” he said, swallowing back his insane fantasies. “I’ll tell you all about it another time.” Or he wouldn’t. He didn’t particularly like delving into all the reasons he felt inadequate, one of which was that the rest of his brothers had managed to finish college and earn their father’s respect. Jon hadn’t.
Yet, he told himself.
He only had a few classes left, a couple of them easy electives like this culinary arts one. So he’d been planning to kill two birds with one stone—get Marcy to go out with him and check off another box toward his diploma.
He put two fingers under her chin and gently lifted her face so she was looking at him. “You can trust me, you know,” he said. “I know there’s something bothering you.”
“How did you find my house?” she asked, more curiosity in her voice now than accusation.
Discomfort squirreled through Jon. “I have a business management class on Friday afternoons. I may have looked up your schedule and waited for you to finish. Then I just followed you.” He couldn’t believe he’d admitted to stalking. Out loud. Embarrassment clawed at his stomach, especially when the softness in her eyes turned to glass.
“I’ve been home for hours,” she said.
“Yeah, I ran home to take my dog out, and then I sort of just drove around a little bit.”
Cassie searched his face, and he had no idea if she found what she was looking for or not. “So anyone could follow me home.”
Confusion hit him in the chest. “I guess so.” He cocked his head, trying to read her expression. “Cassie, I know you’re hiding something from me.”
“It’s time for you to go,” she said, stepping out of his reach completely and wrapping her fingers around the doorknob.
“Cassie.”
“We barely know each other, Jon. Of course I’m hiding things from you.” She didn’t open the door yet, and he remembered how he’d slipped inside through a tiny opening.
“Maybe I could help you.”
“Maybe.” She nodded toward the door. “Are you ready to go?”
“No.” He put his hand over hers on the knob, the flame in his gut roaring back to life with the contact. “And if we keep getting to know each other, will you tell me what you’re hiding from me?”
“Maybe.”
He smiled at her, mostly to conceal his frustration. “You know, I liked that word when you texted it to me the other day. Now? Not so much.”
“Good-night, Jon.” She opened the door, the conversation clearly over.
He hesitated, and lasers practically shot from her eyes. So he exited her house, unsurprised to hear the door click before he’d even settled both feet on the front porch and the lock slide into place.
Oh, yes. Cassie Caldwell was definitely hiding something. Or hiding from someone. He hadn’t made it to the warmth of his car when his phone chimed.
And I’d love to talk to you about renting a cabin too, she said. What do you think about that?
No thanks for coming. No it was great to see you. No I wish you would’ve kissed me.
Jon smiled and chuckled as he got behind the wheel and started his car. He couldn’t be outside in the cold while he texted. But with the heater blowing, he managed to answer her with, Maybe.
Chapter Seven
Cassie couldn’t sleep after Jon left. And she’d been looking forward to finally getting some rest. But she tossed and turned, pulled at the too-tight blanket, and wished she had Button with her. But the twins had taken the yorkie into their bedroom that night. At least they were sleeping in their own room again.
Even holding hands with Jon was wrong. She shouldn’t have done it. Shouldn’t have told him anything about her past dating life, her brothers, or the professorship. And yet, at the same time, something had released in her chest when she’d shared personal things with him.
She picked up her phone and looked at that stupid Maybe he’d sent. An idea strobed in her mind, and she seized onto it. Instead of thinking it through and making a list of pros and cons, she acted on it.
I have to leave early in the morning, she sent to Addy. Four or so. Hope that’s okay.
She knew her best friend wouldn’t answer, as Addy was diligent in her sleep schedule and went to bed by seven PM every night.
And with a plan in mind, Cassie was finally able to drift to sleep.
By four o’clock in the morning, she’d rushed through the doughnut prep and explained everything to Addy. So when her friend said, “Go get him, Cass,” Cassie was able to leave the bakery with confidence in her step and determination in her mind.
Mile by mile and minute by minute, she lost the feelings she’d had at the bakery. By the time she peered up at the sign proclaiming that she’d arrived at Sunshine Shores Cherry Orchard and Resort, she wanted to turn around and head back to town.
She felt like she’d gone completely crazy. But Jon had come to the shop, and she needed to see him when there was no one else around. He’d said he had a cabin on the family plot of land, but she didn’t know anything about where that would be.
She pulled out her phone and called him, some of her bravery returning. “There’s no way he’s awake,” she muttered to herself.
“Hey,” he said, without any grogginess in his voice.
“Oh, you are awake.”
“Unfortunately. Goliath had to take care of business.”
“So are you outside?”
“Standing on my porch.”
“Which road do I turn down to find that?”
Silence came through the line, and then he sputtered with a chuckle. “You’re here?”
“You came to my shop to talk.”
“Oh, so we’re going to talk.”
A multitude of other things paraded through her head, but Cassie said, “Yes, I need to talk to you.”
“I suppose that’s acceptable. Where are you?”
She explained what roads she’d gone down, and where she was currently parked.
“So we’re down the road to the south. Get back on the one you drove down, and keep going past the one you came in on from town. There’s another one a bit down. Turn left, and come on down. You’ll see me. Fourth cabin in.”
“A cabin?” Cassie put her car in reverse and pulled out of the spot she’d stopped in.
“I mea
n, it’s made of wood.”
“This place is impressive. Must do well.”
“Yes,” he said.
“So you’re rich,” she said, not really asking.
“Yes,” he said.
“And you still run your own carpentry firm?” She went past the road that led back to town.
“Yes.”
“Are you only going to say yes this morning?” She turned and caught sight of him standing on the porch down the road, just as he said he’d be. He wore a pair of joggers and a thick, black coat, which made him absolutely…normal. Human.
“Depends on the question,” he said.
“So that’s a no.” She pulled into his driveway, noticing that yes, this house was made of wood, but it was so much more than a cabin. Even the front door looked like it cost more than her car.
She killed the engine and got out of the car, the bitter cold biting against her exposed skin. Ending the call, she walked toward him, glancing left and right. When she looked back at him, she caught him doing the same thing.
“Let me open the garage,” he said. “You can pull in there.”
“Good idea.” She returned to the car and pulled into the garage, parking beside his truck and getting out as he closed the door behind her, concealing her and her car.
He was very good at keeping secrets.
Jon stood in the doorway leading into the house, and he didn’t budge as she came up the few steps to join him. “You didn’t like my maybe,” he said.
“I didn’t.”
He swept one arm around her and pulled her close to his body. He leaned down and touched his lips to her forehead, sending heat and tingles through her whole body. A dog barked from somewhere, and Jon moved away from her. “Let me get Goliath.”
“He sounds scary,” she said, following him into the warm house.
“He’s just big,” Jon said. “But he’s gentle.” He crossed through the kitchen to the back door and opened it to let in a huge brown dog with black facial features. “He’s a mastiff. Go say hello, bud.”
Goliath came over to Cassie, and he did seem happy to see her. He was enormous, and he put his wet, snowy front paws on her shoulders, nearly knocking her down.
Flirting With Danger (Rebels 0f Forbidden Lake Book 1) Page 4