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“I told you not to get involved, Casey!” Her head dropped into the palm of her hand, her fingers kneading her temples. “I specifically told you not to! God, there are so many reasons!”
Like you still love him?
Casey sneered. “You’re not my mom.”
“No. I’m not, but I may as well be. Damn it, Casey! Why?” she scolded.
“Oh, please! Give me a break here, Mavs.” She exhaled and tugged her body upward to rest against the wall.
Mavis scrunched her nose and dropped her chin to her chest. “Does he love you back? Is that what this is? You telling me that you guys are what, like a couple now?” Her head snapped up as a smile grew on her lips. Josh appeared on the screen, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead—a Templeton trademark.
“Hey, Casey! How are you?” he asked, tugging the phone from Mavis’s hands.
“Hi, Josh... umm... all good. Just catching up on girl talk.” She plastered a smile on her lips, one usually reserved for customers with fat wallets.
He smiled and handed the phone back to Mavis. “Well, then I’m interrupting.”
“No, no! Actually, I gotta run anyway. Lunch shift in twenty,” she lied. “I’ll see you love birds soon, okay?”
Mavis’s eyes widened. “Casey McDaniels, don’t you dare—”
Casey tapped the red button on her phone, eager to end the conversation as a pile of guilt and confusion jammed in her throat. She swallowed, forcing away the discomfort as a knock on the door interrupted the sour mood she’d ended the call with.
“You awake, Casey girl?” The knob twisted, and the hinges creaked as Austin pushed the door open. The weight of his body met the bed, snuggling in beside her as the scent of sandalwood blanketed the room, the smell intoxicating. “Still in bed, Sleeping Beauty?” His breath tickled her neck as a shiver raced up her spine.
“Wrong princess,” she murmured. “But I’ll still take true love’s kiss.” Her eyes closed as she exhaled away the aftermath of her conversation with Mavis.
“And I’ll take that happily ever after.” His fingers glided along her cheek as he turned her face toward his body and pressed his lips to hers.
A familiar wave of exhilaration washed over her, her heartbeat quickening at his tender touch. His left hand ran the length of her thigh beneath the covers as a moan escaped her mouth. Heat descended on her like a summer day’s humidity.
Do you even know what you do to me, Austin?
“Hey, come with me. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Her eyes popped open as he moved, shifting to hop from the bed. “Must be one hell of a surprise if you just turned down the strong possibility of morning sex.”
“Surprise first, morning sex second.” He winked and tossed a sweatshirt to her lap.
“This better be good,” she muttered and padded down the hallway on his heels.
His butt plopped down on the couch, and his feet automatically tucked beneath him. She dropped to the seat beside him as he propped his laptop on her legs. Her eyes scanned the screen, skimming for the elusive surprise.
“What am I looking at, Austin?” She squinted.
His voice boomed. “An internship, Case!” He snagged the computer back from her lap and pointed to the screen. “The mayor of Chicago is up for reelection next year, and she’s hiring interns to help run her campaign. You have to apply. This is a freaking phenomenal experience!”
Casey’s lips smashed together, regret settling in her stomach—icing on the cake of uncertainty.Of course, you’d find something like this.Tugging the sweatshirt closer to her body, her anxiety rebounded and burned a new hole in her gut.
“She’s hiring for everything. Social media managers, event planners, promotions, communications—all of it,” he continued, his gaze still glued to the screen. Excitement burst from his body as his fingers tapped away at the keyboard, scrolling through the application. “Do you have a résumé saved somewhere? We can apply right now.”
She swallowed and winced as the words left his lips. “And by résumé, do you mean a piece of paper that just saysbartenderin big bold letters?” Casey rolled her eyes. “Or maybe you want the one that says,part-time community college student?”
He frowned. “Oh, come on, Case, that’s not all you have to include, and you know it.” He sighed, tilting his head as his gaze returned to the screen.
“I’m not qualified, Austin. Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do here, but come on... I’m not who they’re looking for.” Her gaze fell to her lap as every ounce of confidence in her body drained from her system.
He wrinkled his nose and set the laptop on the coffee table. Draping his arm around her shoulders, he tugged her into his body, into the warmth radiating from his heart. “I just want you to be happy,” he whispered. “My dad always told me... when you love someone, their success is your happiness too. And this just seemed like an easy way to get started on that path.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’m sorry if I’m upsetting you. It wasn’t my intention at all.”
