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Thensheappeared. Showed up in his office looking as beautiful and smelling as alluring as ever. ASS Agent Cass Sparks. The peacock shifter who’d pecked his heart out. Two opposites who’d never had any business trying to be together. As he’d once said, he was grit and steel while Cass was equally fluff and sparkles.
“What are you doing here, Sparks?”
“What do you think I’m doing here? This is ASS business.”
“The hell it is. They came after two ofmystudents. I am hunting that rat with wings down.”
“You’re not off the case. I’m just on it, too.”
It didn’t matter how he felt about it—abouther.He had to focus on the mission. He was about to call her when he sensed her arrival. Something in the air changed, as it always felt with her. As though everything else in the world stood still when Cass was in the vicinity.
She didn’t say a word, didn’t make a sound as she walked into the meeting room, quiet as a mouse. He’d never learned her secret on sneaking up on people while wearing stilettos. A peek at her feet confirmed she still wore them. Of course she did. Some things never changed.
He flicked his gaze up, taking in her bright pink pencil skirt and matching blazer. She looked more like a fashion magazine executive than a field agent, but that was Cass. A glittering pair of earrings peeked through her curly locks, flashing and catching his attention. His Basset Hound senses picked up on the coconut scent of her hair mingled with her sweet perfume. She smelled delicious. He stopped his mind from wandering as the lingering aroma brought him back to the last time he’d tasted her luscious body.
Snap out of it.“You know, Agent Sparks, only peacocks are colorful. Peahens are kind of plain.” His voice came out dry, sarcastic even. He wanted his words and tone to demonstrate to Cass exactly where she stood. It was tough seeing her after so long. Back in Toronto, her comments had cut him deep, leading him to vow he’d never allow another person the power to leave him feeling not good enough.
To break his heart.
Commenting on her clothing choice was a direct reference to the conversation that had ended it all between them.
“I want to meet your mother,” Grayson had said.
Cass, who’d always looked calm and confident, suddenly stiffened. Her eyes wide, she informed him, “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? I know I’m a hound and birds don’t quite like my kind, but I’m pretty good at getting people to like me.”
She pursed her lips together. “I… I just can’t allow it. Not unless you change your wardrobe and style.”
He laughed it off, not taking her suggestion seriously. “What’s wrong with the way I look?” He’d dressed that way his entire life.
“What’s wrong with letting me dress you in an acceptable way?”
He expected to see her smile. Thought perhaps this conversation was just some of the regular teasing Cass doled out. She’d joked about his “farmer John” clothes before. But this time, her face held not a hint of mirth.
“I’m not going to dress up and make a show of things on my first meeting with them,” Grayson explained. “They’ll see me like this eventually, so they might as well get to know the real me from the start.”
“You need to eradicate the hick from your wardrobe before stepping foot in my mom’s house. That’s just the way it is.”
The words stung. It was code for“You’re not good enough for me.”
“I don’t want to change,” he said, his words measured. “My clothes are comfortable. But they’re more than that. They’re part of my identity.”
“I know…” Her cheeks darkened with a blush. “Maybe it would just be better if we kept this thing, well…”
“A secret?” he blurted out. “Cass, please help me to understand what you’re saying because, from where I’m standing, it sounds like you don’t like what makes me,me.Like what we do together behind closed doors is some kind of a dirty little secret. Am I good enough to bang but not good enough to meet your family?”
“You’ll never be good enough to meet my family.” She shrugged. “That’s just the way it is. I’m fine with keeping things the way they are, but if you’re not, then that’s up to you.”
His hackles stood, but he felt too strongly toward Cass to let what they had go so easily. He gave in. “Fine. I’ll shop for some fancy clothes with you, then. Get some stuff that will satisfy your mother’s… discerning taste.”
She blinked in shock, like she hadn’t thought he’d agree to it.
“Well?” he asked when she didn’t reply.
Slowly, she shook her head as she eyed him head to toe. “It still won’t work.”
“You just said it would!”
