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Ryan’s hands fisted. Cassie didn’t belong to him. But watching her across the room with a vibrator in her hand and Levi touching her turned Ryan’s vision red.
This damn game couldn’t end fast enough.
Chapter Seven
Half an hour after the gift exchange ended, Ryan’s muscles still ached from the tension in his body. Not that being tense around Cassie was all that unusual. But usually he didn’t have to watch her hang out with another guy when he wanted to be beside her. Every time he’d looked over to catch her eye or share a joke, Levi had occupied her attention. The game had been torture. By the end, the gift card had changed possession three times, before finally ending up back in Brooke’s hands. Not once had Cassie shown any inclination that she might be interested in stealing the prize back. Not that she needed a gift card if she ever wanted Ryan to take pictures of her. She only had to ask, but she probably had no interest in stripping down and letting him show her how he saw her.
Back in the main room, Brooke hadn’t left his side. Everyone assumed they’d arrived together, and more than one person asked how long they’d been dating. Brooke giggled each time before explaining they just met. Ryan didn’t understand what it was about the question that made her giggle, but he’d often been accused of not understanding women. Looking across the room to where Cassie stood without really interacting with the group of women next to her, he could think of at least one woman he couldn’t figure out. If he knew Cassie’s thoughts about what happened on her couch last week, maybe he’d know how to move forward. For five years, he’d assumed she’d been able to fuck him out of her system the way he hadn’t been able to do with her. Now, he wasn’t so sure he’d been right. And that changed everything.
Cassie stiffened then reached into her back pocket. Glancing at her phone, she excused herself from the group then walked away with the phone to her ear. Ryan checked his watch. Who’d call her this late? Most of her friends were here. Even Ass Hat Levi lurked nearby. That meant the call probably wasn’t a social one.
Ellie.
“I’ll be right back.” He extricated himself from the grip Brooke maintained on his forearm.
She straightened, her face creasing with alarm. “Is everything okay? Do you need me…?”
Cassie came out of the bedroom, slipping her arms into her coat. She tapped into her phone. She was leaving.
Urgency shot through him. Ignoring Brooke’s questions, he rushed through the guests to where Cassie now whispered with Ravi. Ryan’s friend nodded, one hand squeezing Cassie’s biceps sympathetically.
“What’s wrong?” Ryan’s breath heaved in and out of his lungs as if he’d sprinted a mile to reach her.
His friends turned to him. Ravi tilted his head, while Cassie stared at him through narrowed eyes. Even when she frowned, her face remained flawless.
“You’re leaving. What’s wrong?” He motioned toward her phone.
As if he weren’t there, Cassie gave Ravi a hug, then turned and walked away. Ryan wouldn’t let that deter him. Catching up with her, he repeated, “What’s wrong?” He imagined an assortment of sicknesses: fever, vomit, chickenpox.
Cassie shook her head. The picture of tranquility. “Nothing,” she whispered, still striding toward the door. “Ellie called.”
So, his instincts had been right after all. “What’s wrong? Is she sick? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. She just wanted me to come home.”
“Huh?” He came to a screeching halt in the middle of the foyer.
Heaving a sigh, Cassie turned to him.
“And you’re just going? Just because she wants you to?”
Cassie raised a brow. Okay, so he’d do the same thing. With the exception of not coming home for Thanksgiving, he pretty much gave in to whatever his daughter wanted. The fact that he still felt guilty for missing the holiday probably meant he’d never tell her no again.
“I’ll go,” he offered. “You stay. I’ll pull responsible parent duty tonight.” He offered a smile.
Cassie didn’t take the bait. “No. I told her I’d come. Besides, your date’s waiting.” She waved her hand.
Ryan turned, following the direction of her gesture to where Brooke stood, arms crossed, glaring at the two of them.
Cassie patted his chest. “I’ve got the responsible parent thing down, let me take it from here.”
Before she could pull away, he clapped a hand over hers, keeping her in place. “No. If you don’t want to stay. We can both go.”
Her hand flexed, gripping then releasing his shirt. Her nails scraped against his chest. Chills spread throughout his body.
She lowered her voice. “Ry, it’s fine. I don’t want to be here. I’d rather go home and curl up on the couch with Ellie.” Her face softened, the exhaustion he’d sensed last week creeping back in. The sparkle left her eyes and her mouth turned down slightly. Sophie shouldn’t have insisted Cassie come tonight. Everyone knew she hated big groups.
Squeezing her hand, Ryan offered a smile. He wanted to be home with her too, curled up on her couch with Ellie between them. Maybe he could find some leftover cookies and, knowing Cassie, she probably had hot chocolate. He could start a fire in her fireplace while they watched a Christmas movie. He didn’t need a room full of strangers, when he could have Ellie and Cassie to himself.
