Page 12 of Reaching His Heart (The Sartoris 3)

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“Fratello, he doesn’t need the distraction of a woman trying to seduce him.”

“I disagree.”

Cason considered going back in and demanding they stop talking about him as if he was so special he couldn’t make these decisions for himself. Unfortunately, that would show Ezio he gave a rip about it all. He wrestled back and forth, grinding his teeth.

“Let her stay,” Romy said in a calm tone.”

“I don’t—” Ezio began.

He stopped talking, which made Cason think Romy was pulling the oldest brother card with just a look. He didn’t use it often.

“Fine,” Ezio said after a few minutes, “but I’m going to have a talk with her. I thought I had made myself clear when I hired her.”

Romy chuckled. “Nothing is ever clear when it comes to Cason. You and I both know it.”

The conversation came to a close, and Cason beat a hasty retreat down the hall. He hesitated outside the elevator shaft and directed the wheelchair toward the kitchen instead. A quick bellow to open the door produced the scrawny kid he’d seen earlier. Cason took him in as he held the door. Small for his age, Joseph had those same eyes his mama looked out from. Yet, instead of the little mouse he saw in Solette, this one was a lion, bold and curious.

“Hey, Mr. Cason,” the boy said as if he belonged there.

“Joe!” Solette popped up from the table and clutched her hands together.

Cason rolled by the boy but paused for a second. “Joseph.”

The boy beamed.

Cason reached Solette and crooked a finger at her. She bent toward him, and he spoke in a lowered tone. “I saved your job. You can make it up to me.”

Her eyes widened, and she stuttered. For a moment Cason wondered if she’d actually go for it. Would she do anything to keep her job? Did he give her ideas after that little stunt he pulled? He didn’t mind letting her think he was interested and entertaining himself for a while. Nothing else about his life made sense, so why not?

A loud boom and a flash of light drew his attention to the window. Perfect. He looked at Solette again. “Stay the night,” he said.

She gaped. “Mr. Cason, I couldn’t possibly—”

“You’d like to spend the night in a mansion, wouldn’t you, Joseph?” he called to the boy.

“Oh, wow, would I! Do I get my own room? Can I tour the mansion?”

“Joseph, if you don’t behave yourself right now…! We are not staying. That storm has all day to blow over, and we’ll be on our way.”

Cason gazed at Solette. She bristled with indignation, but she never raised her voice very loud. He wondered if he could make her mad enough to do it. She seemed more interesting than he first gave her credit for. Maybe she could even alleviate some of the boredom he had started to feel in the last couple of weeks. Then again, he had to consider what made him bored. Before Solette came to work in their home, he didn’t care if one day slipped into the next.

“The room next to mine is empty.” He lied just to gauge her reaction.

She blushed. “Mr. Cason, please stop giving my son ideas.”

Cason tilted his head to look up at her. “You’re whispering. Tell me. Do you ever raise your voice?”

She swung away from him, but he reached out and caught her wrist. Her forward movement jerked his shoulder, and he winced. She rushed back to his side and began massaging the area. “Don’t do that, Mr. Cason. You’ll hurt yourself.”

He ground his teeth and turned his head so that his cheek was just inches away from hers. “I’d like ‘Mr. Cason’ a lot better if we were role-playing in the bedroom, but it does give me ideas every time you say it.”

“Mi—” She froze, eyes wide. He had her. She couldn’t say it again without thinking he was having dirty thoughts about her and him. Cason was starting to have a little fun. A spark appeared in her eyes, but then it was gone. She concentrated on making his shoulder feel better. The truth was he didn’t hurt himself this time, but he’d learned convenient times to use his condition to his advantage.

Cason whipped his chair around to face the boy. “Joseph, you’ll stay in the room next to my niece Catarina. You’ll like her. She’ll be in from school in the afternoon. You two can stay the entire weekend.” He rolled toward the hall with Joseph cheering and Solette grumbling. “In fact, I’ll get Ezio to pay you extra, Solette. I feel like all this damp weather will cause me a lot more pain. I might not be able to sleep at night.”

“I’m sure I can get a prescription for sleeping pills from your doctor,” she said drily, leaving out his name, he noticed.

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