"Are you really inviting me to dinner?" Cassidy asks, her tone confused.
"Yes," I answer simply, and grin. "And, I am hopeful you'll accept."
"Are you asking me as a boss?" she asks, clearly wondering if I'm going to force her to dine with me. I see how she would think I'd do that, considering everything she learned about me yesterday.
"If that rocks your boat, then sure, I could ask you as a boss," I tease, leaning close, so close in fact that I smell the shampoo in her hair. I decide I like the scent a lot. "The final response to the question will most definitely be left up to you."
"It'd be nice to have company," she whispers. And just like that, I know I have her. Cassidy wants me. No doubt about it.
"Do you want to go out or stay in?" I ask smoothly, licking my bottom lip.
All of a sudden, I realize it feels good to have a bit of game.
"Considering everything that's happened to me lately, I'd prefer staying in," Cassidy admits. "You can come by at eight. Bring food and wine. Plenty of it. Oh, and don't forget dessert."
I laugh. "Yes, ma'am!"
I open the passenger side door for her, and we both sit down, preparing to make our way to her apartment.
One step closer to getting laid. No, not laid. I shouldn't let my brothers, and my wolf get in my head. This is strictly about discovering whether she's the leak or not.
Keep telling yourself that, my wolf says with a snort.
I start the car. Cassidy's hand rests comfortably on the dash with her chin tilted upward just the tiniest amount. The gesture emphasizes the arch of her long neck and the glow of her rosy skin. It’s a sight to marvel at, indeed.
As I drive, a strange kind of energy fills the air. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I glance at Cassidy, confused, but her eyes are focused on the buildings ahead. It must be her, then. But for some reason, I've never noticed her having any sort of power.
Is it something that's just coming up now? It seems odd that it would. According to her file, she's twenty-seven. Would she only be revealing her powers now? Then again, it might have had something to do with that Radical business. Maybe her entire attitude shifted, and the strength that came with it was her ability...
I'm feeling it too, my wolf comments. It's strange. I never felt anything like it before.
What is it?
I don't know. It's faint but definitely something to keep an eye on.
Cassidy is human. She has to be.
But just to be sure, I make a mental note to dig deeper. While I don't care about the person's origins when I hire them, I do like to fill up the file with everything there is to know about them. Cassidy's is as ordinary and boring as it gets. She certainly is an impressive programmer and an even better hacker, but that's about it.
Maybe now that she knows more, maybe now that she's been invited into our circle, she is letting out more energy, more signs, more feelings. The past twenty-four hours were intense both for her and me, not to mention the rest of my family.
"Here we are," I say when I stop in front of Cassidy's building. "I'll be back in a couple of hours with dinner and plenty of wine."
"Thanks," she says, and the corners of her mouth almost curl into a smile. Almost. Her lashes lower, a hint of hesitation clouding her complexion. "See you then."
As she enters the building, I think to myself how relieved I am that it's Saturday.
Because work starts again on Monday, life will go back to normal. Normal, means that we will have to return to the office. The radicals can wait another night.
Because for now, I will have Cassidy to keep me on my toes.
With her delicious curves and captivating aura, she'll turn my world upside down.
I can't fucking wait.
And here I thought I had everything figured out. I was so wrong.
This is starting to get interesting.