A little devil sat on her shoulder, and she heard herself asking, “Did he date a lot in college?”
“He was a player,” Lucas said, and burst out laughing again. “No, seriously, he dated. I wouldn’t say he worked his way through campus or anything. He was too busy working and studying. Then the idea of Blink came, and busy became an understatement.”
Which reinforced her opinion of him as hardworking, dedicated, and ambitious. She and Lucas talked for a while longer, allowing Cassie to get a feel for their friendship, how they’d met, and how the deep bond between them developed and strengthened.
A knock sounded on the door and Derek walked in. “I’m going to steal her for lunch,” he said just as they were wrapping up.
“We were finished anyway,” Cassie said, rising to her feet. “Thank you. You were wonderful. I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.”
“My pleasure.”
As they walked through the main area, passing the assistants and other people, she took in the vibe in the office, the relaxed feeling, the laughter, noting it for more information she’d reveal about Derek West’s life.
Once they were in his office, he locked the door and she knew she’d passed from the professional area into the personal one. A blanket was spread out on the floor beside the window overlooking the city. On it were assorted Chinese food boxes and bottles of water. A makeshift picnic for two.
“What’s this?” she asked as she walked into the room.
“The last part of my apology and the first part of my seduction.”
She nearly tripped over her own feet before righting herself. “Seduction?”
“You heard me.” He swept his hands toward the setup on the floor. “But don’t worry. I don’t intend for our first time to be on the hard floor of my office. On the desk, once we’re in a groove … well, that can be arranged.”
“Who are you and what have you done with Derek?” she asked the easygoing man with sex on the brain.
“Have a seat, let’s eat, and we’ll talk.”
“Where’s Oscar?”
“I had Becky take him back to my place and gave her the afternoon off.”
“Aah.” She kicked off her shoes and lifted her skirt until she was able to lower herself to the floor, her legs bent to the side. “Awkward,” she muttered.
“Sorry. Guess I didn’t take clothing into consideration,” he said, his gaze zeroing in on the stretch of thigh she’d revealed. The lace on the top of her thigh-highs peeked out from the hem of her skirt.
“Quit staring,” she muttered.
“Want to move things up to the desk?” he offered.
She shook her head. “No, this is nice. I’ll manage. As long as you behave and keep your eyes where they belong.” Because if she shifted even a little, her skirt would lift so high she’d be baring her underwear.
As it was, she was warm from his heated, knowing gaze; those very panties were damp with arousal. Because he’d used the word seduction. And talked about their first time, something she’d thought about too. Often.
The smell of delicious food caused her stomach to rumble, and he began to open the box tops. From dumplings to lo mein, fried rice to shredded beef, they shared a variety of dishes.
“So how did things go with Kade and Lucas?” he asked as he lifted the lo mein, more adept with chopsticks than she’d have thought.
“They were very enlightening. I understand you were a hard worker back in your college days.”
“I had no choice. I needed to eat, so I needed to make money. And Blink was just an idea at the time, although one we were serious about creating.”
She nodded. “Your mom must be proud of you,” she said, pushing her boundaries with him—for good reason.
He swallowed hard but answered her quickly—and easily. “She is. She always believed in me, which I realize is a blessing not many people get from their parents,” he said, meeting her gaze.
“No. That’s true.” She took a bite of the last dumpling, pausing to chew and swallow before continuing. “Speaking of family, I ran into my brother after you dropped me off at the house this weekend.”
“Any chance he decided to leave you alone and let you stay in the guesthouse?” Derek asked.
She shook her head. “No, and I decided which apartment I want to move into. But we’ll get to that, okay?”
He nodded.
“I’m going to bring something up that’s bound to set you off. Except this time I want you to know I understand why.”
He narrowed his gaze, obviously unsure of where she was headed with the conversation.
“Spencer wanted to know who dropped me off, and I told him it was you. He told me your mother stole a necklace and my father fired her. I didn’t know. And I don’t believe it.”
She’d spent the weekend upset by the news. And no matter how many times she played out scenarios in her mind, she couldn’t come up with one where she believed his mother would take something that wasn’t hers.
Not the woman who had cookies and milk waiting for her in the kitchen after school—something the adult Cassie realized she must have wanted to do for her own son and daughter. But she’d had to work instead. Marie had been kind, caring, and giving. And Cassie considered herself a good judge of character.
Plus, she finally understood why Derek had such a difficult time putting the past behind them. Which meant it had to be discussed. Now, especially, that she knew he still wanted to be with her, despite their history.