Page 43 of Risky Move

She looked around, realizing she was in the room where Amelia had stashed her bag earlier. She spied it by the bed, grabbed it, and flipped on the lamp on the dresser. She groaned when she saw her reflection in the mirror…smeared lipstick, mascara-streaked cheeks, her hair a matted bird’s nest.

She heard laughter on the other side of the door, and Cassie dug into her bag for her face wipes and a brush. Her face remained flushed, even after cleaning her skin, and she frowned as she quickly brushed her hair.

She squinted at her watch.One a.m. Craptastic. Drink too much, lose track of time.She needed to get home.

24

After changing into Dave’s oversized T-shirt rather than her crop top, Cassie spotted several bottles of water on the nightstand. Quickly drinking two, Cassie grabbed her bag and opened the door.

She nearly ran into Amelie. “Cassie, I thought you’d left.”

“I was dizzy, so I took a short nap.” Cassie tried to laugh it off. “I need to get home.”

Amelie grasped her arm. “Just stay here. You don’t want to drive home this late.”

“I’ll be okay. I need to get home by five in the morning. My munchkins are up before dawn.” She glanced nervously toward the living room. “Has everybody gone?”

“Yes, I saw my brother take a girl into his bedroom, but no one else is here. The guest room is made up for you. Don’t take a chance—you might get pulled over at this hour.”

Great. The icing on my cake. Who knows how much alcohol’s still in my system?“Are you sure you don’t mind? I guess I could sleep for a couple of hours.”

Amelie turned Cassie toward the guest room. “Go. I’ll get you some ibuprofen and water.” With a gentle push, Cassie walked into the room.

She set her phone alarm for four, thankful that she’d stuck a charger in her bag. Confident that Caryn muted her phone at night, Cassie sent her a quick text to assure her she’d see them by five a.m. She’d text Lauren in the morning—when she reached the Chadwick’s. Lauren would be awake, then and she wouldn’t disturb the newlyweds. Cassie set the phone on the bedside table and slipped under the covers. She fell asleep before Amelie returned with the water.

* * *

Cassie jerked awake to her phone blasting a song about a hummingbird.Lauren’s ringtone.She quickly silenced the sound, then slid her finger to accept the call. “Hey…Lauren,” she said, her voice thick with sleep. “What time is it?”

“Almost five. I couldn’t sleep. I took a walk and saw your car wasn’t in the driveway. Everything okay?”

“Shit!” Cassie croaked. “My alarm didn’t go off! Or I didn’t set it correctly. I stayed over at Amelie’s.”

“You’re okay?” Cassie heard amusement in her aunt’s tone.

“Okay, except I should be on my way to Caryn’s now. I need to go, Lauren. Can I call you…”

“Yes, when you get home.” Lauren’s tone relaxed Cassie’s jangled nerves. “I’ll stop by and see if Caryn needs any help. No need to rush. Drive carefully—don’t speed, okay?”

Emotion threatened to overwhelm Cassie. “Thanks, Lauren.”

Cassie took a deep breath, flicked the tears from her cheek, and then scrambled to strip the bed, freshen up, and dress. She swallowed the ibuprofen with the first water bottle, then slipped the second into the side of her backpack. She quietly crept from the room and tiptoed toward the door.

Pausing in the living area, Cassie’s conscience tugged at her to clean up the disaster remaining from the party.Amelie will get stuck with all the cleaning. I should help her a bit. Help Cam? Not in his dreams? But Amie deserves some assistance.She glanced at the counter dividing the room from the kitchen and cringed when she saw the pink liquid on the floor. The margarita she’d accidentally spilled all over Cam.I should clean some of this...

As if on cue, her cell phone pinged an incoming text.

Caryn: Don’t hurry. Very quiet here.

Cassie: You sure? Thought I’d take a minute to clean some of this post-party mess.

Caryn: Take your time. Just don’t do everything by yourself.

Cassie: No way. See you soon.

She shoved the phone into her jeans and walked to the kitchen in search of a garbage bag. Thankfully, they sat in plain view on the counter—best intentions derailed. Quietly, she walked around the condo, collecting red Solo Cups and empty beer bottles, securing each bag and setting it by the door. Next, she tackled the paper plates and half-eaten food. After collecting the plates, she glanced at the remaining refreshments in the kitchen.Keep or toss?

Anything that required refrigeration hit the bag. Cassie held her breath when she neared the leftover boiled shrimp.Already smells nasty.She quickly secured that bag, then dropped it into a second trash bag.Eau de leftover shrimp—lovely!Combined with the smell of strawberries and tequila, Cassie fought the urge to gag.She looked for some floor cleaner without success, so grabbing a roll of paper towels, she placed some on the floor to soak up the liquid. The sound of someone clearing his throat caused Cassie to look up. Cam towered above her, his expression amused.

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