Luke swallowed and diverted his gaze away from her tits. He didn't know how to answer that question anymore. The Cassie he had remembered eight years ago wasn't the same Cassie that was standing before him today.
Chapter 5
“Of course. How could I forget?" Luke replied.
The huskiness in his voice seemed to flow directly toward her. A heated blush crept up the back of her neck, spreading downward through her spine. His stare was the same. Brown with specs of gold. Penetrating. Animalistic. If her memory was correct, he was now the same age as her brother—thirty-one. Ten years older than she was. Luke was more breathtaking now than he was eight years ago. Age progression had refined him to perfection. His beard was trimmed and well-manicured. He was dressed down in casual slacks and an unbuttoned worn flannel shirt. His hard-edged body was corded with nothing but lean, sinewy muscles. Her gaze slowed when she took in the dark trail of hair disappearing under his waistband. Cassie gulped dry air as she identified the sexiest part of his body—the sculpted V made by his defined lower abs and hip flexors.
Neil cleared his throat.
Luke diverted his gaze from what Cassie knew to be her breasts and turned slightly to gesture toward the log cabin.
"Excuse me for being rude," Luke said. "Come on inside."
He ushered them inside the home and offered them drinks. As the two men exchanged light chatter, she glanced about the small cozy space that made up Luke's home. The cabin couldn't have had more than one bedroom, maybe two. The living area was very spacious. A desk sat in one corner where Cassie noticed several hand-drawn geographical maps and building sketches scattered across the surface. There were even some drawings hanging on the wall. It reminded her of the type of sketches that Neil kept in his work binder at his apartment. She wondered if Luke had pursued the same architect career as her brother since they had both graduated with honors and held the same exact degree.
The men came back into the room with beers. Luke handed her a cold bottle of water, but truth be told, she needed the beer. She took the bottle from him anyway. The moment their fingertips brushed, something warm and electrifying passed through her. Affection radiated between them. She was not only happy to see him again but surprised by the effect he still had on her. Only when Neil popped the cap off his beer did that disrupt them out of their exchange.
"So…uh, here's the thing…I stopped by the cabin and was greeted by a nasty surprise," Neil said from his position on the couch.
"What happened, man? Have the locals been looting again?"
"No, it's the roof. The rain from a couple days ago leaked through the front half of the home."
Luke frowned. "Sounds pretty bad. I thought you had hired a maintenance guy to look after the property for you."
"Yeah, I did. I'm wondering if he was really looking after the cabin or just feeding me bullshit," Neil exclaimed.
"Who is this guy anyway?" Luke asked.
"Barry's Handyman Services. I signed a contract with him right after I bought the cabin. He was supposed to be doing all the quarterly maintenance."
"Never heard of him," Luke said, sitting down in the empty space next to Neil.
"The guy on the next lot recommended him as a jack of all trades. I guess he missed the darned hole in the roof when he was out there last time."
Luke shrugged. "It happens. Most of my older units need more than quarterly maintenance these days, so it could be that it's just time to repair the roof. If you want, I can go take a look at it and get it patched up until you can get a new roof."
"Ah man, I can't ask you to fix my roof. You've done enough. Plus that'll take more than a couple days, won't it?"
Luke sat back in the chair. "Possibly, but didn't you say that Cassie was staying there?"
"Not anymore, but I have to leave out tonight if I'm going to make my flight out to Maine in time. I don't have time to stick around and we're out of options."
"What do you mean? What happened exactly?" Luke looked from Neil to Cassie.
"I was on a high profile news assignment. I came across some information that made someone mad and they threatened me," Cassie said.
"The cops suggested that I not return to my apartment alone," she added.
"Cassie thinks there's no issue with letting the local cops handle it while she stays in Aspen Valley. I don't trust that at all. I'd rather have her lay low for a few weeks until the authorities can break the case. She's already handed over what she knows, so it's just a matter of them giving the case a little more priority," Neil said.
"I agree. She shouldn't be out on her own if the person who threatened her is still on the loose."
"The cops should have given this case a little more priority in the first place," Cassie said. "These shifter murders have been buried for quite some time now. I almost wonder who's helping them. You'd think the cops would at least try to work with the Pack Alpha to solve this thing with what little clues they have instead of trying to close the case every chance they get."
Luke's gaze swept over her appreciatively, but not in the same way as before. This time he regarded her with admiration. And she had to admit…she loved when he stared at her that way—as if what she did and said mattered. She worked in a department that consisted of mostly males and had always had to go out of her way to prove herself. The case had become near and dear to her because of how much safer Aspen Valley could be for all of its citizens, but case closure would’ve at least given her a chance to be recognized and recommended for the raise she knew she deserved. But no one had picked up on that aspect of it, not even her brother. When she returned to work again, she'd be back at square one, trying to claw her way to the top of an already populated news station. It didn't help that the jobs were sparse in Aspen Valley either.
Neil sighed. "See what I mean, Luke. She won't let it go. This case is out of her league. Why put a young woman on a case like this?"
"I'm not a child. If you want to know the truth, I asked for the assignment, okay? No one wanted it and I took it because I wanted it solved and it was a chance to prove myself in my new role."
"I agree with your brother, Cassie," Luke said. "You've done a lot of good with the assignment. I'm willing to bet that because of your push for the real story, the case is receiving more attention from the authorities. You've proven enough. Now it's time to think about your safety."
"You're damned right it's receiving more attention…and so is she," Neil said. "And the fact that she's standing here proves that she knows she needs to get away from Aspen Valley now that the murderers know her name and her face."
"The community here is pretty low key. She'll be safe if she stays out here until the dust settles in the Valley," Luke said.
Neil nodded. "I know you've got a lodging business running here, so that's why I need to see about renting one of your cabins."
Luke blew outward and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm booked solid for the next six months. That includes both short-term and long-term rentals. My next set of guests arrives in two days and that cabin is currently being cleaned out now. Besides the cabin that we partially converted into an office space last year for the hired help, I've got nothing."
"Bummer," Neil exclaimed.
"It's okay," Cassie said. "I'll just stay somewhere else. It's no problem. Didn't we pass another lodging company on the way here?"
"No, I don't know those guys up the road. I know Luke," Neil exclaimed. "And somewhere else, like where? How are you certain the place is safe for you?"
"I'm not. Maybe I'll just call Uncle Ronnie and Auntie Lynn in Illinois to see if they can spare a room. You know I'm always welcome there."
"That's not going to happen. The last time we visited them, a known drug dealer showed up at their home to collect money. Mom and Dad would never want you to stay there under any circumstances."
Cassie rolled her eyes. "Auntie Lynn is clean now. And like you said, I'm out of options."
"Wait," Luke interjected. "You c
an stay in the office cabin until I hire someone. By that time, maybe we'll have the roof fixed on Neil's cabin."
"Are you sure?" Cassie asked. "I don't want to cause any issues for your business."
"It's fine. I'm having a heck of a time finding an Office Manager replacement. My niece used to keep all the books and now she’s away at college. I don't know if it's the pay I offered or the fact that I'm virtually out in the middle of nowhere, but I haven't received any suitable bites yet."
"Well, if you need someone to organize your books and records, Cassie has loads of experience doing that. She was the receptionist at the news station for months before they took her on as an intern."
Luke looked to her for validation.
"I was." She shrugged. "I'm not a pro at organization or customer service by any means, but I can help out around here if you need it."
"Yeah, put her to work. She can do any job you've got for her," Neil said.
Cassie nudged her brother hard in the side. "Look who's talking. Mr. I Play Hooky From Work Every Other Week Because I'm Useless."
"Just consider this a favor," Luke told her. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you either."
"We really appreciate this. Things have been rough for us lately and the trust fund our parents left us ran out quicker than we thought. I'm taking on double the projects at work and with Cassie being on a leave of absence from the station, that's not doing her any good either," Neil added.
"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 by Luke's niece as an office and filing room. 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 a 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 any
one 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 gutter 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.
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