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Scrubbing his hands over his face, he nodded and tried to come up with a nice way to tell her they’d never happen. She was right, he’d enjoyed talking with her at the party. But he’d left with Cassie. Because in the end, he’d always choose Cassie.
* * *
Cassie finished wrapping the books Sophie had chosen as a gift for her assistant. Her friend sat at the counter, sipping from one of the three coffees she’d brought with her. It didn’t matter that it was almost 5 o’clock, Sophie drank coffee all day. Plus, with the temperature falling and possible snow in the forecast, she always welcomed a warm drink. Cassie tied the bow, set the gift aside, then took a sip from her own travel mug.
“Is this the last of your shopping?” she asked the other woman.
Sophie tended to over shop, so although she’d begun shopping before Thanksgiving, she was still at it. Two days before Christmas.
The other woman gave a careless shrug. “I saw a nice watch in that little shop on the corner. I could get it engraved for Ravi.”
“Not two days before Christmas,” Cassie offered. “Besides, didn’t you get him a watch for his birthday?”
“Yes, but… Oh fine.” She huffed when Cassie only stared at her.
“You know Christmas isn’t about stuff anyway, right? Maybe you could do something special for Ravi.”
“Like give him a whole night of kinky sex in a hotel room?”
Cassie’s face grew warm, but she managed to mumble, “It wasn’t kinky. It was …enthusiastic.” She and Ryan hadn’t done anything unusual. Had they? Honestly, she didn’t know. Ryan could probably ask her to do anything and she’d agree. No matter how “kinky.” Although, since they’d returned to their normal lives four days ago the kinkiest thing he’d asked for was hand holding and a quick peck. Mostly, things had gone as planned and stayed the same.On the outside. On the inside, everything was different. Or, not exactly. Maybe she just could no longer hide from herself. She was in love with Ryan.
A mischievous smile tugged at Sophie’s mouth. “Well, my husband and I haven’t hadenthusiasticsex in…” She looked at the ceiling as if trying to find some invisible calendar.
“Which is why you should —”
The bell above the door tinkled. Cassie clamped her mouth shut. A woman with a porcelain smooth face and long blonde hair curling down her back trotted into the store. Cassie had seen her before, but she couldn’t quite place her.
“Sophie,” the woman squealed when she spotted Cassie’s friend atop the stool at the counter.
Sophie smiled, not nearly as enthusiastic as the newcomer. “Brooke. How are you?”
Brooke. Cassie remembered now. The woman had been in the store weeks ago. But more recently, she’d been hanging on to Ryan at Sophie’s party.
Brook sighed dramatically. “Oh my God, Sophie. I just cashed in that gift card I got at your party. I owe you big time.”
Sophie’s gaze darted to Cassie then back. “The…… the photo shoot?”
An uneasy knot formed in the pit of Cassie’s stomach as she recalled the triumphant gleam in the blonde’s eyes as she stole the gift. At the time, Cassie couldn’t have been happier that she didn’t have to pose practically nude for Ryan. Now she wanted to claw the eyes of anyone who did.
“Yes. Oh my God. It was so awesome.” Happiness practically bounced off the other woman.
Sophie shifted on her stool. “So, you… uh… you got some good pictures?”
Brooke rolled her eyes, wobbling her head in some semblance of a head shake. “Not exactly.” She beamed.
Odd for a woman who didn’t get great photos. The woman was gorgeous and Ryan was an artist. How could the pictures not be great? Cassie didn’t have to ask because Brooke continued.
“Ryan stopped the shoot.”
Part of Cassie wanted to give a triumphant fist pump, but the grin still plastered on Brooke’s flawless face kept her fist cemented to her side.
“He said because of our personal connection he didn’t feel right about continuing the shoot. He said he didn’t mix his personal and professional lives.”
Cassie swallowed to keep from vomiting. This didn’t mean anything. Ryan had met Brooke outside of work. And they had seemed cozy at Sophie’s party. Maybe he didn’t feel comfortable photographing someone he might run into again. Even as the thought formed in her mind, she recognized it as wishful thinking.
“Well, that’s certainly… professional of him.” With wide eyes, Sophie turned to study Cassie.
Seeming oblivious to the swirl of mixed emotions in the room, Brooke nodded. “It really is. I mean I don’t need the pictures. I went today so I could see him again.” She sighed. “I mean, oh my God, Sophie, he is so hot and thebestkisser.”
