"You. I wanted to make sure you were all right. Are you?"
She looked, at him and felt that current pulling her to him. This time
she didn't fight it.
"No, I'm not," she whispered.
FR1;Twenty-Five A taut expectancy hovered between them as he continued
to hold her gaze. She saw the concern in his eyes, along with something
else--raw hunger.
Heat radiated through her, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, while he made his way deeper into the room, stopping within touching distance, only he didn't touch her. But she wanted him to.
Every nerve in her body cried out to have his mouth and hands on her.
Such intoxicating indulgence on her part was reckless. It had been reckless years ago, and it was reckless now. Yet she stood there, weak and defenseless, his for the taking.
"Cassie, Cassie," Austin whispered, his voice low and hoarse.
She knew he ached to hold her, to kiss her. She wouldn't stop him from
doing either, feeling herself drift slowly toward him, like someone making her way through a fog.
In that moment, the phone rang. They both jumped.
"Ignore it," he rasped.
"I can't." Cassie's voice trembled.
"It could have something to do with Tyler. Or Mother."
He cursed a blue streak, but stepped back when she reached behind her
and lifted the receiver.
It was her father-in-law, Dewitt Sullivan. Of all people to call, she
thought, disgust settling over her face. She watched Austin watching her. A questioning frown knitted his brows.
"This is not a good time, Dewitt," she said.
Damn! Austin mouthed.
She averted her gaze. As disturbed as she was at who was calling, the
timing had been perfect. She had been about to do something she would
most certainly regret.
"What did you say?" she asked, forcing herself to concentrate on the conversation.
She listened, then responded, "I refuse to even think about that rightnow."
Dewitt's next words made her see red.
"I refuse to argue about it, as well. So before we both say something we'll regret, I'm ending this conversation."
And she did.
"Lester's old man?"
Cassie nodded.
"Was he threatening you?"
She gave him a startled look.
"How did you know?"
"Why else would you get your back up like that?" "I wouldn't," she said
in a terse voice.
"What does he want that you don't want him to have?"
"He wants me to let Lester have Tyler so they can spend the weekend with
them, meaning Dewitt and Charlotte."
"You mean they actually believe that hogwash Lester feeding them, that
he's a changed man?"
"Of course they believe it. Like my daddy, they think he was wrongly accused and falsely imprisoned."
"What a crock. I took one look at that sonofabitch and knew he was lying through his pearly whites. More than that, he's a walking time bomb, ready to explode."
"That's exactly what I think, which is why I'm crazy with worry."
Cassie rubbed her arms as if to restore life to her cold limbs.
"I.
feel like Lester's closing in on me, along with these walls."
"All the more reason to get out of here."
"You're right. I'm going home."
"First, you're coming with me."
Her chest constricted.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"I do." Austin's tone left no room for argument.
Cassie argued anyway.
"It's late, and I'm tired."
"And upset," he added.
"Which is why my suggestion-"
"Suggestion? Don't you mean your order?"
"Whatever you say, brat."