Page 21 of Reaching His Heart (The Sartoris 3)

Bambi turned to Solette. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to offend you or your son. See, my Cason and me have been on and off forever. We’re pretty much engaged.”

Cason grumbled.

“And I know how to deal with him after so long,” she bragged. “This meanness is new. I have to admit I’m a little thrown.”

Solette sat in shocked silence. All that stuff about Cason asking if she was involved, and he was engaged, or at least Bambi thought they were. If she thought that and it wasn’t true, he wasn’t clear with her about where they stood.

The maid brought Solette a new fork, but she didn’t bother to use it. “I wish you a happy life, Ms. Bambi and Mr. Cason. If you’ll excuse me, I don’t have much of an appetite.”

This time, she pushed her chair back and didn’t bother to listen to Cason’s order to sit down. Looking over to where she’d seen Joseph last, she didn’t see him, so she figured he had already left the room to go play with Catarina. Solette had every intention of returning to her room and staying there the rest of the day no matter what anyone said. As far as she was concerned, Bambi could give Cason a sponge bath and administer his meds. One of the staff could help him out of his chair and leave her be.

She reached the foot of the stairs as Goro was descending from the second floor. A clipped command in Italian sounded from somewhere behind her, and Goro stepped from the opposite side of the stairs to where she stood and blocked her path. He held out a hand palm up as if he were a waiter ushering her to a table.

The whir of Cason’s chair grew steadily closer. She sighed.

“Solette.” He sounded angry. She wasn’t surprised. “You’re causing my food to get cold.”

She spun around. “Mr. Cason, I’m sorry. I have my duties, and I understand that, but I agreed to certain hours. We’re beyond them. I’m going home. I will see you on Monday if I still have a job. Have a good day!”

He reached for her, but she ran around Goro and darted up the steps. Her work kept her in good shape, and her past honed her reflexes. Before either man could catch her, she was in her room with the door locked. Even if she had to go back to working in a drug store the way she did when she was in college, so be it. Things always worked out in the end.

Chapter 7

Cason had screwed up. He knew that. His favorite thing to do before his accident was to poke fun at people and push to see how far he could take them. After the accident, he couldn’t lift his mood enough not to be mean. Common sense should have told him to take it easier with Solette. Now, as he watched her heading for the front door with her son reluctantly in tow, sharp regret rolled through him.

She was something different than he’d ever met before. He didn’t know why and refused to explore it, but he wanted to play with her some more. No, that was more of his meanness. He wanted her around…for…whatever they decided to do.

Thoughts of their night in bed ran through his mind. He’d enjoyed himself, but his physical limitations had driven him nuts. If he could move the way he wanted, he might show her a few things she had never experienced. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to give rehabilitation a real try. If he could walk on his own, he could show her pleasure that would blow her mind.

Am I seriously thinking about fighting to walk for a plain little mouse?

She stopped just inside the front door and was talking with Ezio. A hand rose to her hair, and she gestured a tad bit frantically as she spoke. Cason let his gaze slip down over her form. He focused on her curvy rear and imagined having the strength to stand behind her. He could almost see the way she’d tremble for him. He’d rest heavy hands on her shoulders and drag her back to his chest before stealing several kisses from her lips. Who would have thought he would enjoy kissing a black woman so much? Solette’s mouth was so sweet he almost forgot his pain.

He rolled his wheelchair forward and then stopped. No, he wouldn’t force her to stay. Let her run. She might even feel sorry for herself, thinking what Bambi said was true—that he wasn?

?t available. On Monday, he would straighten her out, and he definitely wouldn’t allow Ezio to fire her.

* * *

It took effort, and Cason had to depend on his family and staff to get through the weekend, but it wasn’t anything he hadn’t done before. The problem was the hours dragged on. He wanted to see Solette, to tease her.

To get her in my bed.

He chuckled under his breath.

“Wow, I never thought I’d see that,” Romy said, walking into his room on Sunday. Cason kicked himself for his lapse. He didn’t want his family knowing about his plans, so he had to remain as hopeless looking as possible until he had a chance to speak with Solette.

“Why are you here?” Cason growled. “Haven’t you heard of knocking?”

Romy grinned. “Don’t worry, fratellino. I won’t tell anyone what I saw.”

Cason pinched his lips together and refused to respond. He realized he must look like a recalcitrant child, but he didn’t care at the moment.

Romy leaned over and kissed him on the top of the head and dropped onto Cason’s bed. His oldest brother grasped his left hand and held onto it for a while. “Your color is better, and the look in your eyes is less desperate. What is it that’s given you new life?”

Cason faced the window. He tried pulling his hand from Romy’s, but Romy refused to let go. Cason wasn’t embarrassed by the open affection. Affection came naturally to his people. He didn’t want Romy reading him so easily.

Romy leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Is it the nurse?”

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