“No prob. Guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
Trina suddenly realized she hadn’t made any arrangements for him. “Do you have a place to stay? With all this craziness with the production company, I completely forgot. I’m really sorry.”
“I booked a room at the B&B. I’m fine.”
She put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll sort everything out, I swear.”
Ben’s shoulder quivered a little under her palm, and he swallowed audibly. “It’s all good.”
“All right. Tomorrow morning, then.” Trina got out of the car. How was she going to put up with an employee who looked like he was going to have a conniption every time she talked to him? She had enough on her mind with Casper. She didn’t need Ben getting sweet on her as well.
When the truck drove off, she tiptoed down the driveway. Her thoughts of Casper were a turmoil. First, there was the fact that she was a little too crazy about him. Second, that hottie, Scarlet, showing up hours after she had rebuffed his advances. He didn’t strike her as a liar. Scarlet was probably who he said she was, just a new hire. But, how could she trust him when she hardly knew him? Well, it hadn’t stopped her from macking with him.
She didn’t need to be any more twisted up inside by him. Trina had to focus. While she had gotten a lot accomplished today, little of it went toward the creation of her new show. She hadn’t even gotten back on her feet yet after the burglary and vandalism. Right now, she was treading water.
Without a purse or pockets on her dress, she had left the keys on the sill above the front door of the in-law apartment. A voice startled her as she reached for them.
“Hungry?”
She was starving, but not wanting to impose any further on Casper than she already had. She had a show to figure out anyway. “No, I’m good.”
“Gonna fire up some cheeseburgers on the grill. Got plenty. Plus beer.”
Trina took down the keys. “Look, Casper, I already owe you a lot for taking me in.”
“No, you don’t. The place is just sitting there, empty. No skin off my nose. But I gotta eat, you gotta eat, we might as well do it together. What say?”
He smiled at her, his cheeks dimpling. She couldn’t help noticing a twinkle in his slightly slanted eyes. His T-shirt revealed arms coiled with muscle, his jeans snug on his narrow waist. She admired the way he attacked the food with seasoning, cooking with gusto. Casper was in his element, no matter what he was doing. Hair fell over his forehead, making him look boyish. He smoothed it back with his oven mitt, though it immediately fell back. She smiled. Trina couldn’t help it. She was into him.
“Okay, but let me get changed. I think I’m too dressy for a cookout.”
His eyes flicked up and down. “I think you look perfect for a cookout, but suit yourself. Oh, I think there’s a joke in there somewhere.”
She shook her head at his corniness, but had to grin. “Give me a few minutes.”
Trina quickly changed into jeans, T-shirt and sneakers. In the bathroom mirror, she touched up her makeup. She stood in profile, checking her look. Why was she bothering? She didn’t have the time or the energy to hook up with Casper, even though she wanted to.
Beef sizzled on the grill as she walked up the steps to the back porch. Casper had thrown on an apron. It was black, with the legend “May I suggest the sausage?” with a finger pointing down at his crotch.
“Since you’re female, I also tossed a salad.” His look became lascivious.
“Cute.” The sausage recommendation ping-ponged around her head.
“Speaking of cute, tell me about that Ben guy.”
Ah. A note of jealousy. “He is cute, no doubt about it. I’m glad we share the same aesthetic as far as the male form goes.”
“No doubt we’ll be exchanging fluids in the locker room shower.” Casper flipped over the patties.
“I don’t think Ben’s gay.”
“I could turn him.”
“Stop it.” She sat on one of the Adirondack chairs. “I’m not into him, okay?”
“More for me.” He took asparagus from a plate and put it on the grill. “Okay, I’m done.”
“Good. Frankly, Ben’s a sweetheart, but he’s so shy, he can barely speak around me. Unless we start talking about paranormal theories. Then he won’t shut up.”
Casper shrugged. “It might be because you’re a total babe. Makes a lot of guys tongue tied.”
“You’re not very tongue-tied.”
“I’m not a lot of guys. You want one or two?”
“Just one, thanks.”
“Great, then I’ll have three.” He picked up a clean tray with buns already opened and slid grilled burgers with melted cheese on top. “The salad is a grilled one, Portobello mushrooms, asparagus and red bell pepper with a spicy vinaigrette.”
“So, not only a closet photographer, but a chef as well.”
Casper quickly assembled plates, dressed the vegetables and set them on the round mosaic table. “I prefer grill master.”
He took off the apron and hung it on the grill. Trina’s mind again recalled the apron’s legend. She covered her emotion with a bite of asparagus.
True to his word, Casper wolfed down three burgers, along with a plate of grilled salad and two beers. Trina was stuffed after just one. She patted her stomach. “Oh, that was good.”
“I would be a terrible seducer if I made you terrible food.”
“Is that what this is? A seduction?”
In response, Casper scooted his chair closer, leaned over, and kissed her. Trina cursed her weakness. Her hands flew around his neck, fingers in his hair. His mouth tasted of fire. The kiss sparked a fire within her.
“You know,” he said when the kiss broke, “there’s a haunted restaurant in Troutdale, not too far from here.”
“I know it. It’s been investigated before.”
Their lips came together again. Trina teased with her tongue. Casper smiled and pulled back. “I wasn’t talking about investigating it. It’s on the river. Nice view.”
“Are you asking me on a date?”
“Yep.” He moved in again, more aggressively. His teeth bit her lower lip.
This time, Trina pulled away. “I already feel like a charity case.”
Casper ran his hands through her hair. “If it makes you feel better, you can pay.”
Before he could pull her close, his cell phone buzzed on the table. Trina saw the contact name on the screen: Scarlet. She stood up. “Thanks for dinner.”
“Look, I’m not into her, okay?”
“Okay. I just have a lot of work to do. See you later.”
CREATED BY JUTOH - PLEASE REGISTER TO REMOVE THIS LINE
Chapter Seventeen
In the shower the next morning, Casper gave himself a mental ass-kicking. He’d blown it, in all sorts of ways. He’d looked up haunted locations nearby, and found that restaurant. How his suggestion of paranormal activity outside of town turned into asking for a date, he couldn’t say. It was the kiss. The girl made his head spin. He was on the verge of getting her into bed.
Why?
Beyond the obvious reasons, that she was drop dead sexy and he wanted to bang her all night long. He needed to drive her away, not become a couple, yet instinct had latched onto her. He was drawn to her in a way he had never felt before. Yet his duty was to see that the pack’s secrets remained undiscovered. He felt himself going hard at the thought of her voluptuous body.
With a deft hand, he turned off the hot water. Icy spray shook him from his thoughts. Now freezing cold, he shut off the tap and grabbed a towel. The scent of fresh coffee drifted over the soapy scent of the shower steam. Shit. Scarlet was here.
Casper dressed in the usual company uniform of black logo T-shirt and jeans. Then he remembered he was keeping an eye on Trina. He should’ve been off to the construction site to put the finishes on the apartment building. Instead, he was babysitting, with an eye toward guiding Trina out of Ripple.
Scarlet wore t
high-high boots, a short leather skirt with studs, and a tight, long-sleeved top, with a deep V-neck that laced over her cleavage. Huge gold hoop earrings peeked out of her loose auburn hair. She thrust out her left hip, putting a hand there. “Hope you don’t mind I set up the coffee machine in the office, sugar.”
“It’s twenty steps to the kitchen, Scar.”
She sat in the desk chair. “I’m not here to get my steps in, I’m here to work. Oh, I forgot the creamer. Could you fetch it for me please?”
Casper took the twenty steps, teeth clenched. The last thing he needed in his life was another alpha bitch, and Scarlet was the alpha-est and bitchiest he’d ever met. Returning with the creamer and a mug for himself, he heard laughter from the office.
On the computer, Scarlet had a video pulled up. The picture was green—night vision. It showed a room that looked like an abandoned morgue. After a moment, there was a loud, echoing bang. One of the drawers slid partly open. The angle was high, and Casper saw Trina’s face.
“Hey, guys, this thing’s falling apart!” Trina yelled. Her hands moved out of the drawer, grabbing the face of the refrigerator. Her teeth showed as she struggled to pull herself out. The rusty old morgue fridge rattled. “Guys?” She grunted with the effort, but didn’t move. “Guys! I’m stuck! Get me out, I’m stuck!”
As Trina’s head thrashed back and forth on the screen, Scarlet chuckled. Two figures ran into the shot. They said something Casper couldn’t hear. Trina continued wrenching her body, throwing her head around. She sobbed. “I’m stuck!”
The two others opened the drawer above Trina, shaking it when it wouldn’t open.
“Ow-wah! It’s on my feet! Get it off me!”
A few moments later, the upper drawer popped out. Trina scrabbled and crawled her way free. She sat on the floor. “I want my mom! Somebody get me a beep donut!” The picture froze.
Scarlet threw her head back, bellowing laughter. “It’s funnier the second time!”
He didn’t find it that hysterical. Trina was obviously pinned in there, in some pain. Casper had no idea where the donut request came from. People said odd things when under duress.
After a while, Scarlet stopped laughing. High color highlighted her features. She took a deep breath. “Sorry. It’s not nine o’clock yet.”
Casper poured himself a cup of coffee. He wasn’t awake enough for this shit.
“So what’s the deal with Red?” Scarlet nodded at the frozen picture.
He sipped. “She came to shoot a paranormal show at the TB hospital.”
Scarlet waved his response away. “I heard all that. No, I mean, what’s the deal with Red and you, Casper?”
“There’s no deal.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’ve been mistaken before, but that woman smells human, a hundred percent human.”
“She is, as far as I know.”
“The pack won’t accept her, Casper. There’s no way.”
He scowled at her. “Who said anything about the pack accepting her?”
Scarlet smiled, but the expression did not reach her eyes. “I can tell when a man’s sweet on a woman, Casper Marino. For heaven’s sake, you smell like one big hormone. You need to do yourself a favor and forget that woman. It’s your job to protect the pack. You can’t do that by falling for the one person who might destroy it.”
“Not like I haven’t done that before,” he said, giving Scarlet a hard stare.
Scarlet tried, but couldn’t hold his glare. “We were young then,” she said, staring at the computer monitor. “Half-wild, practically children.”
“Stay out of my business, Scar.”
“Fine. Maybe I just don’t want to see you hurt. You know it can’t go anywhere. But the longer it takes you to get her out of town, the harder it’s going to be on your heart.”
Casper continued to stare at her profile. He knew she was absolutely right. Scarlet had even gone beyond his own conscious thoughts. At the back of his mind, he harbored a hope that Trina could be accepted, that they could go on together, the pack safe. Of course it couldn’t be. That didn’t mean Casper wanted to be reminded of it. Not by Scar, of all people.
A knock sounded on the door. Funny, as soon as Trina arrived, he’d had more visitors than he’d had in the past year. He answered to door to an overnight delivery man. He signed for Trina’s cell phone. The driver took off, Casper still standing in the door with the box in hand. This was one step closer to getting Trina back on her feet, and hopefully on the road. He tossed it from hand to hand, conflicted. Even if he wanted her around, he needed her to go. Casper had to stop digging a deeper hole for himself.
Package in hand, he closed the door and headed for the back doors. Scarlet ignored him as he passed, looking through a file cabinet. One step closer, he thought as he walked to the in-law unit and knocked on the door.
CREATED BY JUTOH - PLEASE REGISTER TO REMOVE THIS LINE
Chapter Eighteen
She puttered around the apartment in her robe and slippers, feeling oddly at home. Coffee brewed, filling the place with a rich aroma. Her laptop booted up. Today, she needed to get to the bottom of things. Had Brian stolen all the money from the production company? If he had, would she need to call the police? And which police, back in PA, here? Her attorney would know what to do, or her agent. It was still before nine on the Left Coast. Hopefully she would start getting e-mails soon.
The doorbell rang, startling her. Trina didn’t even know there was a doorbell. “Just a minute,” she called.
When she answered, Casper stood there. He held an overnight package in his hand. “My phone!” she said.
Casper smiled. “Just arrived.”
“Thank—” Trina stopped cold. One hand slapped over her forehead. She was a redhead. She hadn’t put on any makeup yet. Being so fair, it looked like she didn’t have eyebrows. Casper couldn’t see her without eyebrows! She snatched up the package and slammed the door with her foot. “Give me a sec!”
Tossing the package on the sofa, she hurried to the bathroom. She could use an eyebrow pencil faster than a street caricature artist. Turning her face one way, and then the other, she felt satisfied.
No. Lipstick. She fumbled one from the counter, checking the shade. In a few seconds, she rubbed her lips together, smoothing out the color. After a quick blot, she had no time for liner, she headed back to the front door.
When she opened the door again, Casper wore a bemused expression.
She decided to play it cool. “Sorry about that. Would you like to come in for coffee?”
“Scarlet absconded with my machine, so yeah, that would be great.”
Trina didn’t want to hear the name Scarlet. She huffed her way to the kitchen and took down two mugs from the cupboard. Casper found creamer he’d put in the fridge yesterday. He dumped in the creamer before pouring the coffee. “Mixes without a spoon,” he said.
She took her coffee black. It was strong and hot.
“Whattaya got goin’ on today?” he asked. “I’m off, if you need to go anywhere.”
Trina gestured to the package on the couch. “I’m going to be on the phone all day. There have been a few snags with the production. Might take a while to clear it all up.”
“Snags?” His brows lifted as he leaned closer. “I checked the voice mail. There weren’t any messages for you.”
“It’s okay. I got my phone back.” She stood up and retrieved the package. Casper offered a knife from his back pocket. Slitting the tape with more care than it needed, she asked, “So, you and Scarlet have a thing, right?”
“No, we don’t.”
She pressed her lips together, continuing to open the little box.
“I’ll be honest. We used to,” Casper admitted. “A long time ago. It was a teenage fling, really. Puppy love. It didn’t end well. I’m over it. I’ve been over it for a long time.”
“You can’t be that old,” Trina said.
“Maybe not, but I’m so much wiser.”
“But she’s back, and in your house.”
“Marino Brothers is a family business. I don’t always have my say about what’s right for it. It’s partly my fault. I could’ve pushed for an office. But up until now, I’ve done all the bookkeeping. Just easier to have it here. My brothers are hard workers, but they don’t have the skill set to run the business.”
Trina half smiled. “I’ve met your brothers.”
“Not the sharpest knives in the block,” Casper said.
“But if you do the books, why don’t you have a say?”
“It’s kind of a democracy. I didn’t have the votes.”
She shrugged. “I guess it’s none of my business.”
“Some of it is. I’ll tell you that when Scar and me got together, things didn’t go so well. It didn’t help that we were dumb kids.”
“What happened?”
Casper sipped his coffee, thoughtful for a moment. “Well, it was more than just the romance. A lot of hell was raised. A lot. Most of it less than legal. Even though we were just kids, doing the things kids do, a lot of heat came down on the family. My brothers and I had to pull up stakes and leave.”
“That bad?”
He nodded. “My family has a lot of traditional values, I guess you’d call it. They were scandalized. We didn’t want the law sniffing around, didn’t want the rest of the family involved. And, you know, for all these years, it was easier to put the blame on Scarlet. It was all of our fault, of course, all four brothers. I prefer keeping the sordid past in the past. That’s tough to do when she waltzes in the front door.”
“Wow. It sounds like Scarlet sure can stir thing up.”
“Not in a good way.” He smiled, but looked sad at the same time. “All in all, it wasn’t what you’d call a positive experience.”
“Why would your family want her back, then?” Trina asked.
Casper downed the rest of his coffee. “She’s not the only woman who likes to stir things up. You haven’t met the wives, yet.”
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