Page 50 of Unsure in Love

“Come, have a seat,” Gracie gestured to a stool. “The water is almost hot. I’ll make you tea.”

“Oh, no. That’s not necessary.” I wasn’t accustomed to waking up to staff making me anything. “I can do it.”

“It’s fine,” she assured me. “I always come in to make Damian breakfast. If I don’t, he’ll catch this place on fire or poison himself trying to cook.” She wrinkled her nose, and I snickered.

“You don’t say?” I took a seat, eager to learn more about the man I’d be raising a child with.

Gracie smirked and glanced at the archway. “We can’t let him overhear us making fun of his horrible culinary skills. He’s sensitive about it.”

My laughter floated around the room. I felt ridiculous for picturing Damian’s housekeeper as some bombshell who extended her duties to catering to his personal needs from time to time. It was beyond me why I’d conjured that image and was actually jealous of the woman I’d never met.

Pregnancy hormones, I mused. I decided that I’d blame all irrational behavior on being hormonal. The real Gracie seemed like such a sweetheart.

She busied herself preparing breakfast while we chatted.

When she handed me a mug of ginger tea, I smiled. I guess Damian told her about my morning sickness. I didn’t mind that he’d shared with Gracie. I liked her. It was like getting a taste of the mother I wished I’d had growing up. One who was sweet and chatted with me while she made breakfast. One who put me at ease and made me giggle with her funny comments.

“Not to worry, Cassandra. I’ll be out of your hair after breakfast. I’ll stay out of your way for the most part. But I’ll probably drop in another day to restock the refrigerator and do some light dusting. You can leave me a list of what you’d like from the supermarket.”

“Thanks, but you don’t have to change anything because I’m here.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to overwhelm you with my presence.”

“You won’t.” She’d made me feel so comfortable that I didn’t mind seeing her again. And I wouldn’t put her off her usual work schedule. “Don’t worry about it, Gracie.”

She smiled. “Okay. Still, I’ll give you and Damian privacy to enjoy breakfast. I have to run out anyway.”

I smiled and drank my tea.

Fifteen minutes later, after Gracie left, Damian stuck his head into the kitchen. “Hey, I’m running out for a bit. I’ll see you later.”

Disappointment kicked me in the gut. I’d hoped we’d have breakfast together.

“Okay,” I said, hoping I sounded nonchalant enough.

20

DAMIAN

“Damian, what are you doing here?” Cass looked up from her phone screen when I rounded the corner from the foyer. She sat on one of the sectionals with her legs tucked under. I liked that she looked comfortable in my home, but I didn’t express it. Despite softening toward me a little, she was still skittish in the relationship department.

“I live here,” I returned with a teasing grin.

Her face flushed, and her eyelashes lowered to fan her cheeks. I watched, entranced by the process and how utterly adorable she was when she blushed. I swallowed hard, thinking I had it bad for Cass. I was practically drooling over the way she blushed. It was insane. Ken would tell me I was beyond whipped.

“You know what I mean. What are you doing back so early?”

“Aren’t you happy to see me?”

Cass pursed her lips and shrugged. “Well...”

“You don’t have to be reluctant to admit that you missed me.” While I injected humor into my statement, I seriously wanted her to long for my company, just as I longed for hers.

She did an exaggerated eye roll, but I saw the laughter in her eyes. She didn’t deny that she missed me, and it was satisfying. “I assumed you went to the office. I didn’t expect you to be back yet. Is everything okay?” she asked on a more serious note.

“Everything is fine. I didn’t go into the office today. I actually took the day off.” Taking days off wasn’t a thing until Cass arrived. Since she’d been here, I wanted to come home… to be with her.

My fingers tightened around the little shopping bag I held. “I just went out to run an errand.” I cleared my throat and rocked back on my heels. “I thought it would be nice to have lunch together.”

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