Elvie
Five minutes went by, and Cassian still hadn’t come back up. My body was still buzzing, sensitive and aching from where he had left me hanging right on the edge. I smoothed down the fabric of my dress, adjusted my skirt, and finally decided I couldn’t just sit there in the dark room wondering what was going on.
Stepping out of the studio, I crept quietly down the hallway toward the stairs. As I took my first step downward, low voices drifted up from the foyer, pausing me on my tracks.
"You’re an asshole," Cassian’s voice snapped, laced with sharp annoyance. "Why would you show up here because of something minor? This is bullshit."
Another voice took charge. "I don’t know, it seems like you’re hiding something for you to be actually acting this defensive. You were sweating when you opened the door. Are you sure you’re not hiding something from me?" There was a hint of tease in the other man’s voice.
My heart did a wild flip against my ribs. Sweating? A hot flush crept up my neck as I remembered how heated things had been between us just moments before that damn doorbell interrupted us.
I took another cautious step down, my hand gripping the banister. It’s not like I was trying to eavesdrop but I needed to hide my body in a way it won’t reveal I was standing there.
"I know you said we shouldn’t reopen the case," The Julian was saying. "But after what I found out at the hearing today and with Norman being tangled up with that person—I thought I needed to come here as soon as possible. This inheritance isn’t just his alone, Cassian. You need to fight for your rights."
"Like I said, Julian, I’ve already told you I don’t care. He has taken it. It’s been years. I don’t want to have anything to do with that damn inheritance. I’m living pretty well as it is."
Julian laughed, a bitter, biting sound. "Oh, you’re living pretty well? Right. You would have had a child if you and Victoria didn’t part ways."
Victoria?
"Why did I even tell you?" Cassian tone was clearly that of annoyance.
"Oh, too bad. I handled your case, remember? I know all your secrets."
My mind raced, the name Victoria echoing over and over in my head. Who was she? Why had Cassian never mentioned her?
Desperate to hear more, I stretched a little further over the banister, leaning my weight forward. Bad idea.
My foot caught awkwardly on the edge of the step. My leg twisted, and a gasp slipped past my lips. I flailed, grabbing blindly at the air to keep myself from tumbling, but gravity won instantly. I slipped and tumbled down a few steps in a messy, undignified slide before crashing to a halt on the lower landing.
I sat there on the floor, my face burning hotter than a furnace. Mortified, I slowly looked up to meet sets of heads looking at me.
Julian’s lips curved into a smirk, while Cassian had his eyebrows raised. Oh fuck!
The only comeback that could come up in my head was offering a painfully awkward, tight-lipped grin. "Hi," I squeaked out.
Julian’s smirk widened into a full-blown grin. He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes darting between me and Cassian’s rigid, towering posture.
"Well, well," Julian drawled, his voice dripping with absolute amusement. "And here I thought you were home alone, Cassian. Looks like I interrupted more than just your quiet evening."
My face burned so hot I felt like I might actually combust. I scrambled to push myself up off the floor, smoothing down my skirt with shaking hands, wishing the hardwood floor would just open up and swallow me whole.
Cassian stood up and closed the distance between us in two long strides, his large hand wrapping around my arm to haul me up the rest of the way, keeping me safely tucked against his side. His body radiated pure, suppressed heat.
He threw a lethal glare over his shoulder at his friend. "Shut the hell up, Julian."
"Oh, come on," Julian chuckled, completely unbothered by the death glare. "Aren’t you going to introduce me to your guest? Or is she the reason you were sweating through your shirt when you answered the door?"
My cheeks flared instantly, turning bright red, tomato-like. I could feel the lingering heat from upstairs, and Julian’s sharp eyes looked like he could see right through us, knowing exactly what we had been doing before he interrupted.
Cassian’s grip on my arm tightened just enough to let me know he was close to snapping. But instead of hiding me away, his jaw locked hard as he turned us around to face his friend.
"Sure. What’s there not to introduce?"
Cassian’s voice was clipped. He pressed a hand against my back, murmuring, "Come."
He ushered me forward until we stood right in front of Julian.
"Julian, this is Elvie," Cassian said, his tone stiff.
"Elvie, this is Julian, my best friend."
Julian leaned over, his eyes slowly looking me up and down in a way that made my skin crawl slightly. Why is he looking at me like that?
"Not bad," Julian murmured, a grin spreading across his face. "I can see why Norman is an asshole for letting this girl leave his house like that."
I lifted a brow and shot a look at Cassian. It was obvious that Julian already knew all about me and my past with Norman. Before I could speak on that, Julian started asking me a few casual questions about school and how things were going.
I tried to answer, but before I could get more than a few words out, Cassian abruptly stepped in.
"Can you just go? Stand up and go to your house. It’s already late. You’re here, you’ve delivered what you wanted to deliver. Leave my house."
Julian threw his hands up, acting deeply offended. "Are you really sending your best friend away? I haven’t even been here before. This is my first time! Can’t you even entertain me with a coffee, a drink, or anything?"
"No. We’ll meet during the weekend, so you can leave," Cassian snapped, giving his friend a firm push toward the hallway.
I watched them bicker back and forth, completely surprised. It was the first time I was seeing this loose, rough-around-the-edges side of Cassian.
Finally, Julian let out a laugh and walked out, and the front door shut behind him with a heavy click.
Cassian dragged his hands roughly through his hair as he walked back toward me, looking and annoyed.
"Your friend seems like he has a good sense of humor," I offered quietly, trying to break the tension.
Cassian shook his head, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. "That asshole is literally annoying."
I gave a small nod, but as the quiet settled back over the room, the name I’d heard earlier pushed its way back to the front of my brain. Victoria.
Should I ask him who she was? Was she an ex-girlfriend? His wife? Honestly, I wouldn’t even be surprised if Cassian had a wife or a family before me. But even thinking about it sent a heavy, uncomfortable pinch straight to my chest.
The thought of Cassian having a whole life and a family before I ever walked into his world left a bitter taste in my mouth.
As I opened my mouth to speak, a loud, echoing growl rumbled through the quiet room.
My eyes went wide, and I instantly slapped my palm flat over my stomach. "That’s not me."
Cassian let out a low chuckle. "Is there a lion hiding in your stomach, little birdie?"
"I told you, that sound was definitely not from me," I insisted, my face heating up all over again.
Cassian stuffed one hand into his pocket, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he looked down at me. "I don’t know, Elvie. Seeing as we’re the only two people standing right here, I’m pretty sure that sound came straight from you."
I shook my head stubbornly, crossing my arms over my middle. "No, no, that’s not me."
"We haven’t eaten dinner yet," he pointed out, his tone turning a bit warmer. "There’s no harm in admitting you’re hungry."
A fresh wave of embarrassment washed over me. Great. That made it easily the third embarrassing thing that had happened tonight. First, getting caught listening in, then tumbling down the stairs like a complete klutz, and now my stomach loudly betraying me right in front of him.
I groaned internally and threw both hands up to cover my burning face.
I felt Cassian’s hand settled on my waist and pulled me flush against his frame. With gentle movements, he peeled my hands away from my face, his thumb brushing over my hot cheek.
"Look at me," he murmured.
I lifted my gaze to meet his, my heart stuttering against my ribs. He held my gaze, his eyes so deeply that I literally got lost into them. "You shouldn’t feel shy about anything in front of me," he said softly.
"I’ve literally seen everything of yours. There’s nothing to hide. If there’s anything you want to ask me, just ask."
For a split second, the name Victoria flashed through my head, burning a hole in my curiosity. But looking into his dark eyes right then, the hunger in my stomach and the sudden exhaustion from the chaotic night won out over my jealousy. I decided to let it go for now.
"Okay," I mumbled, a soft sigh escaping my lips. "I’m hungry."
Cassian’s mouth curved into a pleased, tender smile. He intertwined his fingers with mine, his grip warm. "Well, come on. Let’s go eat. I’m starving, too."
With his hand securely locked in mine, he turned us around, and we headed together to the kitchen.