AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh.” I pressed my lips together. The tightness in my gut loosened. “A graduation is important to celebrate,” I added because I wasn’t sure of what else to say.
“Maybe, but he should have asked,” he muttered. I shrugged.
“True.”
“How about I go change and help?—"
“Oh no!” I cut him off and accidentally reached for his arm. My hand touched his forearm, and his body locked up tight. He didn’t seem to like being touched. Or maybe he doesn’t want to be touched by you, goof! I quickly removed my arm. “Sorry! I just mean. umm, a mess is a mess. I got this. But thank you for the offer.” I could read the frustration in his gaze, and when he touched the spot I’d touched with his other hand like he was trying to wipe me away, I took a step back.
“Careful.” His hand reached for me, and I looked behind me. I hadn’t realized how close I was to the hot tub.
“Oh, thank you.”
I stepped aside and away from his touch. He exhaled slowly and, without releasing me from his gaze, he asked, “Can I get you something to drink? Eat?”
“Mr. Brooks?—"
“Can you please call me Casey, Rosie?” I pressed my lips together and nodded slowly. I didn’t like it. Calling him by his first name would only make how I felt for him and his two business partners and roommates worse.
“Sure,” I mumbled but dropped my eyes to the ground. “I should get started on all this.”
“You got in late,” he noted. My brows burrowed together, but I didn’t dare look up at him.
Casey Brooks was hard to read.
One moment, he was offering to help me clean when that was what he literally paid me for, and then he was bringing up the fact I’d been late for the first time in six months. If anything, I was always early.
“I missed the bus, I texted, though,” I explained. I could have sworn he moved in closer.
“Bus?” he asked, and I nodded.
“My sister’s car isn’t running the greatest, so I told her to take mine today.”
“Oh, that’s a shame. We have a great shop that could help.” There he went, offering his help.
“Thank you, but I’m sure she knows someone.” Elena always knew someone.
“For next time, you can call me. I can always pick you up. Or Jett and Mal could.” His offer sounded genuine, and it was sweet.
And that was the last thing I needed from my sexy bosses.
“It’s okay.” I shook my head. “You shouldn’t need to?—"
“But what if we wanted to?” he asked, cutting me off. I blinked and stared at the man in front of me, fighting tooth and nail everything inside of me that was dying to read into what he was saying.
But I was nothing if not a realist.
Casey, Malcom, and Jett were not men who would see me as anything more than the hired help. Maybe an acquaintance since I basically lived in their home in one of the back rooms far from everyone and everything.
“I, umm, thank you,” I said softly. “That’s really sweet of you.” And it was. He was my boss. He didn’t need to offer me anything.
“Shh.” He winked, and my heart rate picked up with the mischief that twinkled in his azure stare. “Don’t tell anyone. It’ll mess with my street cred.” He grinned, and I laughed.
“It’s our secret." I shook my head and stilled again when another deep-sounding throat cleared.
I looked behind Casey only to find Malcom Jennings dressed to the nines in an impeccable suit I knew cost more than my and my sister’s car combined. He glared in our direction.
“What secret?” he asked. I felt my stomach drop to my feet.
