Drew let out a breath. The tightness in his chest easing when she offered her personal number. “Yeah, it would make it easier.” But she didn’t turn to get a piece of paper. In fact, he noticed she was holding the door almost shut in a way where she seemed afraid he might barge in. Was she afraid of him?
No. She’s got company. He could tell by the way she kept glancing behind herself in the direction of the stairs. Drew could tell what it meant because he’d often been in the same position. Fast work, considering she’d only broken up with Trevor three days ago.
“Hold on,” he said as she began speaking her number. He pulled out his cell and punched it in. “Mine is on the message you didn’t listen to.”
“Right. Well, I, um…”
Drew’s jaw tightened. She was giving him the brush. Was he supposed to just walk away with his tail between his legs? Pretend he didn’t know why she didn’t invite him in? Why should he let her off that easy? “Want to go out for a bite?”
Would she lie to him? Drew hated women who lied. Sure he might play a few games now and then, but only with women who meant nothing to him. Women who were already playing games themselves. He could’ve sworn Casey wasn’t one of them.
“I can’t,” she said. “I have company. But I’m looking forward to searching for a studio with you. And I really had a great time Thursday night. Thank you.” Her full pink lips formed a smile so sweet they could make him forgive her anything.
They said goodnight to each other, and Drew left, but he did not start for home just yet. He went to his car and sat there. Stewing.
And wondering if Casey had been right to be wary of the two of them getting into a business deal. With the resentment he felt for her right now he could see how things might get messy. But he knew she wanted his body as much as he wanted hers. He’d seen it in her blushes and sensed it in the heavy-duty non-verbal exchanges between them. And maybe there wasn’t any more to it than that. Maybe if they just had sex a couple times this obsession he’d developed for her would go away.
Then he heard Casey’s laugh. A wonderful, full, warm-you-all-the-way-to-your-toes laugh. He peered out the car window. There she was walking up the street alongside a man. A tall, rugged hunk with a face like a friggen movie star.
Drew gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. Seized by wild jealousy, he wanted to leap out of the car and pummel the guy. He didn’t understand it. There were loads of babes out there, super gorgeous ones. He didn’t need Casey Richardson. But something seethed inside him insisting that Casey was his and his alone.
As the two disappeared around the corner, Drew suppressed his urge to follow them. He forced himself to start his car. And he headed home.
Struggling to get a grip on his mixed up mind.
Chapter Thirteen
Sunday morning Casey woke up feeling horrible about the way she’d treated Drew when he showed up at her door. But she’d had to hurry and send him away before Parker got curious. If Parker had found out her visitor was Drew, he would’ve gone into his challenging, tough guy, protective big brother mode.
Still, she couldn’t stop seeing that disappointed look in Drew’s wonderful eyes. She realized yesterday that Josh had the same eyes. Not quite as blue, but as heavily lashed. And of course the boy hadn’t yet developed his father’s penetrating stare that would make him murder on women when he grew up.
Last night after Parker left, Casey listened to Drew’s message on the studio phone. And played it over several times just to hear his voice. But she chickened out of calling him, afraid he might pay her back by blowing her off before she got a chance to apologize. Besides, she doubted he’d be sitting at home like she was on a Saturday night.
This morning Buster, Miss Daisy and Sugar Boy prowled around her feet, demanding seconds as Casey made scrambled eggs and coffee. By her third cup she finally decided a text would be a good way to go. She grabbed her cell.
Sorry about last night. My brother came by to talk.
Was kind of upset. Were in the middle of things
when you arrived. Got your message. Can’t wait! ☺
Not completely accurate, but not entirely false. It was true Parker was kind of upset. The reason just happened to be her connecting with Drew.
About five minutes after Casey sent the text, her ringtone sang out “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck. A funny thrill went through her when the caller ID told her it was Drew.
Oboy. You really are in trouble, girl. She sat at the kitchen table and took a courage-fortifying swig of coffee. “Hello,” she said, trying not to sound too eager.
“Casey. Got your text. No need to apologize. I had the feeling something was going down. You should’ve just told me and I would have made myself scarce rather than hanging you up.”
“Right.” Except she hadn’t dreamt up the “he was upset” excuse until now. Yesterday she’d been too busy worrying that Drew would want to meet her brother if she mentioned him. Or that Parker would come down the stairs and see Drew.
“Is this the one who does gardening at my place?”
“Yes. My only brother.”
Drew hesitated, and Casey sensed him weighing his next words. So it surprised her when he said, “I remember him now. Good-looking dude. Kind of a Jon Hamm type.”
“That’s Parker.”
“Good thing I don’t have a sister.”
Funny you should say that. She thought of Parker’s identical reaction to Drew being around his sister. But she also suddenly felt selfish, realizing she and her brother spent yesterday talking about Casey’s dilemmas and never even mentioned anything he might be going through. Parker was so different from Drew. So quiet and reserved. She prayed there was somebody out there who was right for him. “Do you have brothers?”
“Just me. Listen, Casey, my realtor is busy today, but he said he’d give me keys to a few properties we can check out if you’re up for it.”
“Sure am.”
“I also have a favor to ask.”
“Uh-oh.”
“Why do I get the feeling you don’t trust me?”
Casey laughed. “Maybe because I’m not totally sure I do.”
“Can’t ask for a more straightforward answer than that. So, here it is. Several of the vineyards up in your neck of the woods are having wine tasting today. I’d like to make the rounds to a few of them, since I’m thinking of buying a vineyard. That okay with you?”
Buying a vineyard? This guy does have bucks. “Sounds like fun.”
“Great, I’ll pick you up in an hour.”
Casey showered and fussed with her unruly hair, wanting to leave it loose today. It was sexier that way. What am I thinking? This is a business excursion.
She began trying on one outfit after the next, while explaining her position to Sugar Boy who lay on the bed watching her.
“I know I’m going into dangerous territory, Sugar Boy, but I can’t help it. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted any man as much as I want this one. I know, I know. You’re asking what will happen to my dance studio if he tears my heart to pieces? Well, I’ll just have to keep my heart out of it. I’ll just let myself have a little taste of this deliciously sexy man, have a little bit of naughty fun, and be done with him. I’m sure he’d prefer it that way, too.”
She opted for tight-fitting jeans, a sleeveless, tiered ruffle blouse (navy print in case she spilled her wine), and cork wedges.
When she saw Drew’s Porsche pull into her driveway, Casey raced down the stairs. Drew got out of the car and gave her a megawatt smile that made her feel more beautiful than she knew she could ever be. He opened the car door without a word. Had she rendered him speechless? She sure hoped so. He looked every bit as handsome as he’d been in her dreams last night. He wore jeans paired with a silky print shirt, half-open and fluttering as he walked. Giving her a sigh-worthy view of his muscled chest.
She slid into the cushioned leather seat, recognizing the sandalwood scent she’d come to associate
with Drew. And realized she’d forgotten to put any perfume on herself. Very feminine, Casey.
Neither of them said much as they drove along. Maybe Drew felt as awkward as she did. To keep herself from obsessing on his sexy hands on the steering wheel and the powerful energy that radiated off him, she peered out the window as they passed acres of green corn, arugula, strawberries, tomatoes and bright yellow summer squash. A purple and blue field of cultivated perennials reminded her of a Monet painting.
“Look. A lavender farm.” She opened the window and inhaled deeply.
Drew smiled at her. “Hope you got your fix, ‘cause you’re letting out all the AC.”
They visited three potential studio properties: a barn so rank with the smell of cow manure it would take an army corps of engineers to deodorize the place, a former ice cream shop that was way too narrow, and a big farmhouse that might have been good if it weren’t so deep in the boonies she’d lose most of her students.
“I knew this wouldn’t be an easy job,” Casey said. “It took me the better part of a year to find my current studio.”
He glanced at her. “But how could you have missed it when it’s so close to the center of North Cove?”
“The place had still been a hardware store. I caught the ‘going out of business’ buzz from my friend who runs a nearby coffee shop, and I hopped on it.”
They sped along Route 25 swooping in on their designated targets: the North Fork wineries. Sunny locations with rustic charm offering Drew and Casey the chance to grace their palates with some of the most scrumptious wines they’d ever tasted. Both could safely say that after visiting five vineyards they began to feel the effects.
“Let’s see. Five vineyards down, only thirty-five more to go,” Drew said with a fake lisp, pretending to be really drunk.
“That all?” Casey said, realizing she felt quite comfortable with Drew. He didn’t drive like a jerk, he didn’t talk her ear off, and he didn’t crowd her or ignore her opinions when they looked at the real estate. The only problem was this nagging fantasy of his naked body all slick and sweaty and sliding around on top of hers.
She blinked away the image. “Think anybody’s ever really pulled it off?”
“One man. Rumor has it he turned into a grape.”
“Later to be mashed, fermented and bottled.”
Drew turned the car onto a side road. “Actually, there is one more vineyard I’d like to hit. Then we’ll stop for lunch. What kind of food are you in the mood for?”
“Pizza.” Her reply came out spontaneously, but the twitch at the corners of his mouth told her Drew had a more fashionable lunch in mind. “Um, do you like pizza?” she asked, feeling grossly unsophisticated.
“Sure. But apparently not as much as you and my son do.”
That was one of the things Casey loved about kids. You could always count on them to bring things down to earth. “I’m so glad you’re letting Josh take dance classes again.”
“Guess I can be stubborn sometimes. I played so many sports at his age and envisioned him doing the same.”
“Dance will help him with sports. Make him a better athlete.”
He smirked. “Hmm, maybe. Maybe not.”
“Plenty of football players take ballet.”
“They take all kinds of things.”
“Beats steroids,” Casey said.
“It’s a damn sight healthier, I’ll say that much. Then again you can’t exactly call ballet a performance enhancer.”
“Are you serious? Ballet improves everything: stretch, coordination, balance, speed. Maybe you should try it. It’d help you with your ping-pong game.”
Drew moaned. “Back to that again, are we?”
“Well, you were a little stiff on your pivoting.”
“I’ll show you some pivoting. Wait till we get out on the basketball court. Or are you going to back out of that one?”
Casey had almost forgotten the challenge she’d accepted during their little tiff at Trevor’s party. “Nope. I’ll enjoy beating you there, too.”
“Yeah, right.”
“You might have more strength, but—”
“Might?”
“Might. Per pound. But I’ve got stretch, fast reflexes and I’m a great jumper.”
He shook his head. “You think you’re so hot.”
“Me? You’re the one who walks around like he’s God’s gift to women.” She couldn’t believe she said that, but her mouth seemed to be on an unstoppable roll.
“Hey, I can’t help it if the ladies chase me down.”
“Puhleez. I’m gonna throw up.” She looked away, hand to her stomach.
His tone grew challenging. “You should see some of the women I’ve had. Riley was a mere B-lister in my book.”
“Well, I’ve had my share of A-list action, too, pal.” Once. And he’d incinerated her heart. But Casey wasn’t about to let Drew see her as the loser she really was.
“You mean like Trevor? Now there’s a fine example.”
Trevor. That relationship had been her attempt to be someone she wasn’t, to settle for a simple, steady man. Did such a creature exist? She doubted it. And the alternative sitting next to her seemed pretty bad choice right now. “As if you’re any better.”
“You know how many women wanted your slot for this afternoon? You’re lucky to be here with me in this car.”
Her jaw dropped. “Pull over and I’ll get out.”
“Oh no, you don’t. I’ve got a couple more vineyards to go to, and you agreed to be the babe on my arm today.”
Parker was right. Drew’s another Jeff. She crossed her arms and looked out the window, murmuring, “An ego the size of a football field.”
“I was damn good at football. First string running back at USC.”
“Yeah, I know. You already told me.”
After a couple minutes of heavy silence, Casey turned to Drew. “You don’t have to do this studio thing with me.”
He frowned. “I’m not letting you back out of this.”
“Hello. I’m the one who needs the studio, and I’m trying to give you a chance to back out.”
“Spare me.”
“I am trying to spare you. From getting into something we’ll both regret.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. That’s the trouble with you artsy types. Too emotional to make good business decisions.”
Casey sighed. She couldn’t argue with him on that one.
***
Casey read the sign as Drew parked in a gray pebble lot next to a huge gable-roofed farmhouse with a wide porch overlooking acres of lush green vines. “The TR Winery and Vineyard. Is this…”
“Taz Ravage’s place.” Drew got out of the car. He came around and opened her door, but Casey hesitated.
“I’m not sure I—”
“Ah, come on. So we’ve both got some issues with our athletic prowess. You’re not gonna turn all sour on me, are you?”
She wondered if he’d really let go of their argument this fast, or if she was merely witnessing his skill at smooth-talking and pacifying business clients. “Sure you wouldn’t rather go somewhere else?”
“Why? We both liked his wine. That’s what got me thinking about trying a vineyard myself.” He held out a hand to her.
Casey let him help her out of the car, but said, “I’m not really in the mood to be around rock stars right now.”
Drew teased her with a playful wink. “Afraid you won’t be able to keep yourself from tearing the clothes off Mr. Ravage if he shows up in the flesh?”
She gave a nervous laugh and tried to calm herself with some adult reasoning.
It had been several years since she’d danced the lead in Taz’s music video. She doubted he would even remember her. And what was the big deal anyway? So Taz came on to her rather imposingly and she fought him off. End of story.
Besides, even if she hadn’t turned him down, it was none of Drew’s business any more than his previous sexploits were hers. And she had no doub
t Drew Byrne had blazed quite a trail throughout the bedrooms of the Hamptons, Manhattan and beyond.
But as Casey stepped onto the polished wood floor of the tasting room, an uneasy feeling crept into her gut. She just hoped it wasn’t some intuitive message from her inner Madame Lumina.
The airy room sported a few tables near the perimeter, but was mostly open space with a long mahogany bar. She couldn’t help thinking it would make a great dance studio. Lots of people milled about. Wine tasting at the North Fork vineyards had become popular recreation for New York City dwellers as well as locals on summer Sundays.
She and Drew stood at the bar waiting their turn when a buzz went through the room. “It’s Ravage,” Drew said.
Taz. A pale blonde with blue highlighted hair in dreads all the way to his shoulders. Arms so covered in ink you could barely find a square inch of skin. His Nordic profile and prominent jaw combined with his tall rangy frame made him look like a wild Viking in an Armani suit.
Casey watched as he swaggered across the floor, signing autographs, posing for photos, kissing women and basking in the ubiquitous adulation.
He walked in their direction. Casey felt him looking at her. She made a feeble attempt to hide behind Drew when she heard Taz say, “Don’t I know you?”
She mumbled an incoherent, “Could be.”
Taz snapped his fingers and pointed at her from a marksman’s crouch. “The lead dancer in my “Brake’em And Leave’em” video. Casey. Right?”
“Got me.”
Taz glided in. Casey’s eyes darted side-to-side as if there might be somewhere to run. Before she knew it Taz had his arms wrapped around her. He stared into her eyes and said breathlessly. “Ohhh, the times we had. The times we had.”
The times we had? Casey couldn’t fathom where that came from. They’d hardly spent any time at all together during the shoot. Most of the takes were of her and the other dancers moving through a smoke filled warehouse while he strutted about under a spotlight. It wasn’t until his little party afterward that he introduced himself by trying to maul her.
The only good thing about this was the astonished — and slightly jealous — look on Drew’s face. Mr. Truckster was obviously trying to force an amiable smile, but his acting skills came up short. His eyes clearly registered a desire to wring Taz’s neck.
The Ultimate Romance Box (6 Bestselling Romance Novels) Page 101