The Trouble with Caasi

  “Then let’s dance.”

  Caasi hesitated; dancing with Johnnie was another matter altogether. “I’m not sure.”

  “Come on,” he said encouragingly. “Let’s give Blake a real taste of the green-eyed monster.”

  By this time Caasi was beginning to regret her behavior. She was acting like a child, which undoubtedly confirmed what Blake thought of her.

  “I don’t think so. Another time.”

  “Don’t look now,” Johnnie whispered, “but Blake’s making his way over here, and he doesn’t look pleased. No,” he amended, “he looks downright violent.”

  Caasi shifted. The sound of Blake’s footsteps seemed to be magnified a hundred times until it was all she could do not to cover her ears.

  “Excuse us,” Blake said to Johnnie, and gripped Caasi’s upper arm in a punishing hold, “but this dance is ours.”

  Caasi glanced at him nervously, resisting the temptation to bite her lip as he half dragged her onto the dance floor.

  When he placed his arms around her, the delicious sensations didn’t warm her, nor did she feel that special communication that had existed between them only a few minutes earlier.

  Caasi slid her arms around his neck, her body moving instinctively with his to the rhythm of the slow beat. She studied him through a screen of thick lashes. His mouth was pinched. His dark eyes were as intense as she’d ever seen them, and his clenched jaw seemed to be carved in stone.

  Swallowing her pride, Caasi murmured, “I’ve only had the one glass of punch. I apologize for going off with your cousin. That was a childish thing to do.”

  Blake said nothing, but she felt some of the anger flow out of him. His arm tightened around her back. “One drink?” he retorted, his mouth moving disturbingly close to her ear.

  “Honest.”

  “You were playing with fire, touching me like that. The way your body was moving against mine …” He paused. “If you aren’t drunk, then explain the seduction scene.” The harshness in his voice brought her head up and their eyes met, his gaze trapping hers.

  “ ‘Seduction scene’?”

  “Come on, Caasi, you can’t be that naïve,” he muttered drily. “The looks you were giving me were meant for the bedroom, not the dance floor.”

  Her eyes fell and she lost her rhythm, faltering slightly. “Let me assure you,” she whispered, hating the telltale color that suffused her face, “that was not my intention.”

  “Exactly,” Blake retorted. “You don’t need to explain, because I know you.”

  “You know me?” she repeated in a disbelieving whisper.

  “That’s right. You’re a cool, suave, sophisticated businesswoman. Primed from an early age to take over Crane Enterprises. It’s all you know. That isn’t red blood that flows in your veins—it’s ink from profit-and-loss statements.”

  They stopped the pretense of dancing. Caasi had never felt so cold. Myriad emotions came at her from every direction.

  Wordlessly she dropped her hands and took a few steps in retreat. Her knees were trembling so badly she was afraid to move. The silence between them was charged like the still air before a storm. It was all she could do to turn away and disguise her reaction to his cruel words. Blindly she walked off the dance floor.

  Somehow she made her way into the ladies’ room. Her reflection in the mirror was deathly pale, her blue-gray eyes haunted.

  Her hands trembled as she turned on the cold water. A wet paper towel pressed to her cheeks seemed to help.

  Blake was right. She should have recognized as much herself. She wasn’t a woman, she was a machine, an effectively programmed, well-oiled machine. Her father had repeatedly warned her against mixing business with pleasure. He’d said it often enough for her to know better than to become involved with Blake. Even now she wasn’t sure why she had agreed to accompany him. She had to ask herself where the common sense her father had instilled in her was. Furthermore, she wanted to know why Blake’s accusations hurt so much. The sound of someone coming into the room caused Caasi to straighten and make a pretense of washing her hands. She didn’t turn around, not wanting to talk to anyone.

  “I’m glad I found you.” The soft, apologetic voice spoke from behind.

  Caasi raised her head and her eyes met Gina’s in the mirror. The dark-haired girl looked embarrassed and disturbed. Caasi looked away; she wasn’t up to another confrontation.

  “I’d like to apologize for what I said earlier,” Blake’s sister said softly. “It was rude of me.”

  Caasi nodded, having difficulty finding her voice. “I understand. It’s fine.” She forced a wan smile.

  “Mom said you’re coming to dinner tomorrow.”

  Caasi’s eyes widened; she’d forgotten the invitation. “Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

  “I hope we can be friends. Maybe we’ll get a chance to visit more tomorrow.” Gina offered her a genuine smile as Caasi dried her hands.

  With most of her poise restored, Caasi returned to the crowded hall. She saw Blake almost immediately. He stood by the exit. Caasi made her way across the room to Blake’s mother. Anne looked up and a frown marred her brow.

  “I enjoyed meeting you, Mrs. Sherrill.”

  “Anne,” the woman corrected softly. “Call me Anne.”

  “Okay.”

  “Is something wrong, Caasi?”

  Caasi had always prided herself on her ability to disguise her emotions. Yet this woman had intuitively known there was something troubling her.

  “It’s nothing. I’ll be at your home tomorrow if the invitation’s still open.”

  “Of course it is.”

  “Say good night to your husband for me, won’t you?”

  Anne’s eyes were bright with concern. “You do look pale, dear. I hope you’re not coming down with something.”

  Caasi dismissed the older woman’s concern with a weak shake of her head. “I’m fine.”

  Blake had straightened by the time she came to the front door.

  “You’re ready to go?” he asked, his tone curt.

  “I’m more than ready.”

  He led the way to his car, opened her door, and promptly walked around the front and climbed into the driver’s side. The engine roared to life even before Caasi could strap her seat belt into place.

  The night had grown cold, and Caasi wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the chill. Maybe it wasn’t the night, Caasi mused, but the result of sitting next to Blake. If this cold war continued, she’d soon have frostbite.

  They hadn’t said a word since they’d left the reception. Caasi couldn’t bear to look at him and closed her eyes, resting her head against the seat back.

  The wind whipped through her hair and buffeted her face, but she didn’t mind—and wouldn’t have complained if she had.

  The car slowed and Caasi straightened, looking around her. They were traveling in the opposite direction from the Empress. The road was narrow and curving.

  “Where are we going?” she asked stiffly.

  “To Rocky Butte.”

  “Rocky Butte?” she shot back incredulously. “Are you crazy?”

  “Yes,” he ground out angrily. “I’ve been crazy for six years, and just as stupid.”

  Caasi watched as his eyes narrowed on the road. “You’re taking me to the local necking place? Are you out of your mind?”

  Blake ignored her.

  “Why are you bringing me here?” she demanded in frustration. “Do you want to make fun of me again? Is that how you get your thrills? Belittling me?”

  Blake pulled off to the side of the road and shoved the gears into park. The challenge in his chiseled jaw couldn’t be ignored.

  “Remember me?” she said bravely. “I’m the girl without emotions. The company robot. I don’t have blood, that’s ink flowing through me,” she informed him, as unemotionally as possible. To her horror, her voice cracked. She jerked around and folded her arms across her chest, refusing to look at him.

&
nbsp; Blake got out of the car and walked around to the front, apparently admiring the view of the flickering lights of Portland. Caasi stayed exactly where she was, her arms the only defense against the chill of the night.

  Blake opened her car door. “Come on.”

  Caasi ignored him, staring straight ahead.

  “Have it your way,” he said tightly, slamming the door and walking away.

  Stunned, Caasi didn’t move. Not for a full ten seconds. He wouldn’t just leave her, would he?

  “Blake?” She threw open the door and hurried after him. Running in her heels was nearly impossible.

  He paused and waited for her.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, once she reached him.

  “To the park. Come with me, Caasi.” The invitation was strangely entreating. Would she ever understand this man? She should be screaming in outrage at the things he’d said to her and the way he’d acted.

  A hand at her elbow guided her up two flights of hewn-rock steps to a castle-like fortress. The area was small and enclosed by a parapet. There were no picnic tables, and Caasi wondered how anyone could refer to this as a park. Even the ground had only a few patchy areas of grass.

  The light of the full moon illuminated the Columbia River Gorge far below.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Caasi whispered, not really sure why she felt the need to keep her voice low.

  “I love this place,” Blake murmured. “It was too dark for you to notice the rock embankment on the way up here. Each piece fits into the hillside perfectly without a hair’s space between the rocks. That old-world craftsmanship is a lost art. There are only a few masons who know how to do that kind of stonework today.”

  “When was it built?” Caasi questioned.

  “Sometime during the Depression, when President Roosevelt implemented the public-works projects.”

  Despite her best efforts, her voice trembled slightly. “Why did you bring me here … especially tonight?”

  He shot her a disturbing look, as if unaware he’d said as much. “I don’t know.” He spoke softly, his gaze resting on her slightly parted lips. He turned toward her, his eyes holding her captive. “I should take you home.”

  Caasi heard the reluctance in his voice. She didn’t want to go back to the empty apartment, the empty shell of her life. Blake was here and now, and she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life.

  “Blake …” His name came as a tormented whisper.

  A breathless, timeless silence followed as he slipped his arms around her. Ever so tenderly, with a gentleness she hadn’t expected from him, Blake fit his mouth over hers. Again and again, his mouth sought hers until Caasi was heady with the taste of him.

  He moaned when her tongue outlined the curve of his mouth, and his grip tightened. Caasi melted against him as his hands slid down her hips, holding her intimately to his hard body.

  Her hands were pressed against the firm wall of his chest and his heartbeat drummed against her open palm, telling her that he was just as affected as she was. He felt warm and strong, and Caasi wanted to cry with the wonder of it.

  Reluctantly, he tilted his head back, and his warm gaze caressed her almost as effectively as his lips had.

  “We should go.”

  Caasi fought the catch in her voice by shaking her head. If it was up to her they’d stay right there, exactly as they were, for the rest of their lives.

  His hand at her waist, he led her back to the parked car. He lingered for a moment longer than necessary after opening her door and helping her inside.

  Blake dropped her off in front of the Empress. “I won’t see you inside,” he stated flatly.

  “Why?” She tried to disguise the disappointment in her voice.

  His fingers bit into the steering wheel. “Because the way I feel right now, I wouldn’t be leaving until the morning. Does that shock you, Caasi?”

  Four

  Caasi checked the house number written on the back of her business card with the one on the red brick above the front door. Several cars were in the driveway as well as along the tree-lined street. Caasi pulled her silver Mercedes to the curb, uneasily aware that her vehicle looked incongruous beside the Fords and Volkswagens.

  This was a family neighborhood, with the wide sidewalks for bicycle riding and gnarled trees meant for climbing. Caasi looked around her with a sense of unfamiliarity. Her childhood sidewalks had been the elevators at the Empress.

  Children were playing a game of tag in the front yard; they stopped to watch as she rang the doorbell, her arms loaded with a huge floral bouquet.

  “Hi,” a small boy called out. His two front teeth were missing and he had a thick thatch of dark hair and round brown eyes.

  “Hi,” Caasi said with a wide smile.

  “I’m Todd.”

  “I’m Caasi.”

  “Are you coming to visit my grandma?”

  “I sure am.”

  The door opened and Gina called into the kitchen, “Mom, it’s Caasi.” Gina held open the screen door for her. “Come on in, we’ve been waiting for you.”

  “I’m not late, am I?” Caasi glanced at her watch.

  “No, no.”

  Anne Sherrill came into the living room from the large kitchen in the back of the house. She was wiping her hands on a flowered terry-cloth apron. “Caasi, we’re so pleased you came.”

  “Here.” Caasi handed her the flowers. “I wanted you to have these.”

  Anne looked impressed at the huge variety of flowers. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.” For all the cars parked in front of the house, the living room was empty. Caasi glanced around as Anne took down a vase from the fireplace mantel. The décor was surprisingly modern, with a sofa and matching love seat. The polished oak coffee table was littered with several magazines.

  “Come back and meet everyone,” Anne said encouragingly. “The men are involved in their card game and the women are visiting.”

  “Which is a polite way of saying we’re gossiping,” Gina inserted with a small laugh.

  Caasi followed both women into the kitchen, immediately adjacent to a family room which was filled to capacity. Children were playing a game of Monopoly on the floor while the men were seated at a table absorbed in a game of cards.

  A flurry of introductions followed. Caasi didn’t have trouble remembering names or faces; she dealt with so many people in a hundred capacities that she’d acquired skill for such things.

  Five of the six Sherrill children were present. Only Blake was missing. Caasi talked briefly with each one and after a few questions learned who was married to whom and which child belonged to which set of parents. Blake and Gina were the two unmarried Sherrill children. But Gina proudly displayed an engagement ring. Caasi’s eyes met Gina’s. Whatever animosity had existed between them in the beginning was gone. Several grandchildren crowded around Anne and Caasi, following them as Anne led the way outside so that she could show off her prize garden.

  “Roses,” Gina supplied. “My mother and her roses. Sometimes I swear she cares as much about them as she does about us kids.”

  “Portland is the City of Roses,” Anne said, as she strolled through the grounds, pointing out each bush and variety of rose as if these, too, were her children.

  The older grandchildren followed them, while Gina carried a two-year-old on her hip. Young Tommy had just gotten up from his nap and was hiding his sleepy face against his aunt’s shoulder.

  Todd, the eight-year-old who had introduced himself at the front of the house, linked his hand with Caasi’s.

  “You’re pretty,” he commented, watching her closely. “Are you my aunt?”

  “Does this mean only pretty girls are your aunts?” Caasi teased him, enjoying the feeling of being a part of this gathering.

  Todd looked flustered. “Aunt Gina’s pretty, and Aunt Barbara’s pretty.”

  “Then you can call me Aunt if you want to,” Caasi told him tenderly. “But I’ll have t
o be a special aunt.”

  “Okay,” he agreed readily. They heard another boy calling him, wanting Todd to play. Todd looked uncertain.

  “You can go,” Caasi assured him. “I’ll stay with your grandma, and you can come see me later.”

  The brown eyes brightened. “You’ll be here for dinner?”

  “Yup.”

  “Will you play a game of Yahtzee with me afterward?”

  “Sure.”

  “Bye, Aunt Caasi.”

  Todd’s words sent a warm feeling through her. She watched him run off and her heart swelled. This was the first time anyone had ever called her Aunt.

  The baby in Gina’s arms peeked at Caasi, eyeing her curiously.

  “Do you think he’ll let me hold him?” she asked Gina, putting her hands out to the baby. Immediately, Tommy buried his face in Gina’s shoulder.

  “Give him a few minutes to become used to you. He’s not normally shy, but he just woke up and needs to be held a few minutes.”

  “Is Donald coming?” Anne asked Gina.

  “He’ll be here, Mom—you know Donald. He’ll probably be late for his own wedding, but I love him anyway.”

  “Have you set a date?” Caasi questioned, as they strolled back to the house.

  “In two months.”

  “The wedding shower’s here in a couple of weeks, Caasi. We’d be honored if you came.” Anne extended the invitation with an easy grace that came from including everyone, as she probably had all her life, Caasi realized.

  “I’d love to. In fact, if you’d like, I could arrange to have the shower at the hotel. I mean, I wouldn’t want to take over everything, but that way …” She hesitated; maybe she was offending Anne by making the offer.

  “You’d do that?” Gina asked disbelievingly.

  “We wouldn’t want you to go through all that trouble.” Anne looked more concerned than dismayed that Caasi would take on the project.

  “It’s something I’d enjoy doing, and it would be my way of thanking you for today.”

  “But we can’t let you—”

  “Nonsense,” Caasi interrupted brightly, enthusiasm lighting up her expression. “This will give Gina and me a better chance to get acquainted.”