Page 46 of One of Those Amnesia Stories

Rohan’s fingers had barely brushed the card when Cassian swooped in, snatched it from my hand, and tucked it into his own pocket.

“Too bad,” Cassian announced, his attention fixed pointedly on his employee. “Rohan was just leaving.”

Rohan blinked at him, his gaze dropping to the half-finished coffee on the counter before shifting to Cassian’s pocket, where my stolen business card had disappeared. He let out a long-suffering sigh and gave a small nod. “Yeah. I was.”

He retrieved his bag and started toward the door, but I caught the strap as he passed.

“Oh, wait!” I stopped him and pointed at the bag. “What’s that?”

Rohan immediately looked down.

That was all the opportunity I needed.

I unzipped the front pocket, slipped another business card inside, and zipped it shut before he could figure out what I’d done. A sweet smile spread across my face. “That’s the number of the boss you’ll have after you leave this guy.” I jerked my thumb over my shoulder toward Cassian.

Rohan looked utterly scandalized. His eyes bounced between Cassian and me as he hugged his bag to his chest, clutching it like I’d just handed him a loaded weapon. He shot Cassian one final, wide-eyed glance before spinning on his heel and practically fleeing the room.

I turned toward Cassian, every trace of humor disappearing from my face. He opened his mouth, but I lifted a hand, stopping him before he could get a single word out. “First,” I said, holding his gaze, “never come between me and my work again.”

His mouth closed. He dipped his chin in a single curt nod, accepting the warning without a fight.

“And second…” A smile slowly returned to my face. I tilted my head, holding his gaze. “Can we talk privately, Mr. Sterling?”

He looked… scared.

“No—” He stopped himself mid-word, caught his mistake, and shook his head once. “I mean, yes.” He drew a breath, visibly gathering himself before nodding. “Yes,” he repeated, this time with considerably more certainty.

I inclined my head toward the other woman still occupying the room.

Cassian looked momentarily baffled. What? he mouthed, his brows drawing together as he followed my gaze. When his eyes finally landed on Cassandra, he blinked, seemingly surprised to find her still standing there. “Oh,” he muttered, glancing at her as though she’d slipped his mind. “You’re still here.”

Cassandra’s polished smile faltered. Her eyebrows rose as she glanced between us. “Was I supposed to leave?”

“Rohan left,” Cassian said, as if that were explanation enough. He waved a dismissive hand toward the hallway. “You can go. I’ll discuss the rest with Rohan later.”

“But what if you need—” Cassandra began, taking a small step forward.

“I’ll handle it,” Cassian cut in, not even looking at her.

Cassandra’s gaze bounced between the two of us. For a fleeting second, the smile slipped, revealing a flash of annoyance underneath before she smoothed it back into place. “Of course.” Her voice was sugary enough to make my teeth ache. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.”

Does everyone want me to throw up today?

The click of her heels echoed down the hall, and finally, she was gone.

Cassian’s voice carried a note of caution when he finally spoke. “What did you want to talk about?”

I reached out, rested a hand on his shoulder, and gave it one slow, patronizing pat. “Why do you look so scared?” I asked, fighting the urge to smile at the way his eyes immediately flickered toward my hand. I turned toward the counter and picked up where Rohan had left off with the coffee. I was in the mood for something cold and bitter. “I just have a few questions.”

“I’m not scared,” he muttered.

From the corner of my eye, I watched him reach for the knife block. He scooped it off the counter and tucked it into one of the highest cupboards, pushing it farther back before closing the door.

Ah, men.

So wonderfully dumb, and tragically predictable.

I shook my head and focused on the coffee instead. “Where were you the night of my accident?” I asked, keeping my eyes on what I was doing instead of him.