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CHAPTER 5
CASSIE
Cassie put her book aside and placed some euros inside the leather folio. She ran her finger across the ornate gold calligraphy of the wordEroson the front of the folio.
By the time she was in her teens, she’d read all the Greek myths, but no story had captured her imagination like the story of Eros and Psyche. The idea of the Greek god of desire falling in love with a mortal woman appealed to her more than any other story.
Footsteps approached from behind. It must be Theo. He said he’d check in on her before he closed the bar for the night.
“Are you ready to—” Cassie said over her shoulder but stopped speaking. It wasn’t Theo. It was the valet. “Oh.” He was even better looking than she remembered. His rolled-up shirt sleeves revealed strong and tanned arms.
“This is a surprise,” he said, approaching her. The cut facets in the crystal tumbler in his hand caught the moonlight. He moved with the confident gait of a man who was used to getting whatever he wanted.
“It’s you,” she whispered, her skin tingling in anticipation.
“I didn’t expect to see you again,doctor,” he said in a lighthearted voice.
“Do you work here too?” she asked. “Because I don’t need a cab.”
He responded to her sarcastic comment with a deep and relaxed laugh.
“No, I don’t work here. I’m a guest. I don’t work at the Kronos Hotel either.”
His smile was captivating, but Cassie wasn’t going to fall for it so easily. “Then why did you pretend you did?”
“You needed to get somewhere, and I thought I’d help.” He covered his heart with a hand. “I apologize.”
He was a stranger, but she believed him. “Apology accepted.”
“Let me make it up to you. I’ll buy you a drink.”
She sipped her brandy. “I think the bar is closed. The bartender might still be here if you want a drink, but I see you brought your own.”
He placed his hand on the chair opposite hers. “May I join you?” he asked politely. “Unless you’re waiting for someone. Because if you are, or don’t want anyone bothering you, I’ll leave you alone.”
Under any other circumstance, Cassie would never talk to a stranger, especially someone who looked like he could charm the panties off any woman he wanted. She couldn’t deny her curiosity, but she needed to keep her distance until she knew more about him.
“No, I’m not waiting for anyone.”
With an easygoing grin, he took a seat at the table. “I’m here on business,” he said. “And full disclosure, the Ferrari doesn’t belong to me. Renting it was my business partner’s bad idea.”
Cassie smiled at him. He had a mischievous sense of humor.
“How about you?” he asked in a friendly voice. “Why are you staying here?”
“I’m visiting. My family has been coming to the Triton Hotel for years.” This information wasn’t too personal, but she would need to find out who he was before she offered anything more. “What’s your name?”
He fidgeted in his seat, visibly uncomfortable. His eyes took a quick look at the table and up to hers. With a tilt of his head, he said, “Call me Eros.”
“Eros?” Cassie glanced at the word “Eros” on the cover of the restaurant folio. That’s where he got his idea for an alias. “All right,Mister Eros.” She suppressed a laugh at his boldness and prepared to stand. “It’s late.”
“You haven’t told me your name yet.”
Eros, or whoever he really was, wanted to play some kind of name game. “This is pointless.”
“I know you don’t want to be addressed as Ms. because you said doctor. Shall I just call you doctor? If you don’t give me a name, I’ll make one up for you.”
“What name would that be?” She crossed her arms.
