The Renegade by J. R. Ward

Author:J. R. Ward [Ward, J.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460394465
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2015-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

On New Year’s Eve, Cass hit the directional signal and eased the Range Rover off the Northway and onto the Saranac Lake exit. Her time away from White Caps had gone by fast, but it had done her some good. When she’d left before Christmas, she’d been raw. Now she was just bruised.

“So, Cass, tomorrow’s your birthday, isn’t it?” Sean said, glancing across the seats. “New Year’s Day.”

Sean had proved to be a godsend over the holidays. He’d insisted she come to his place for all of Christmas day. His brother, Billy, had been there as well, visiting from their hometown of Boston, and the three of them had had a great time. Billy was a linebacker for the New England Patriots, and considering his size, he no doubt lived up to his nickname of Boneyard on the field. But around her he’d been a total gentleman.

And so had Sean.

“Cass?”

She smiled. “Yes, I’ll be thirty-one tomorrow.”

As they passed by the stone pillars that marked the White Caps driveway, her eyes lingered on them.

Sean cleared his throat. “Why won’t you tell me what happened that night you called me?”

“Oh, it was nothing. I was just a little emotional.”

“Over Moorehouse.”

“Sean—”

“I talked to him.”

Cass’s head whipped around so fast the car wobbled in their lane. “Alex?”

“None other. I called you on your cell first. Eventually he answered it.”

“What did he say?”

“Not much. But his tone of voice had been exactly like yours.”

Yeah, well, regret sounded the same, no matter whose mouth it was coming out of.

“Sean, I’m telling you, everything is fine.”

There was a pause. And then he said, “You and I are getting close. Right?”

She smiled. “You’re a good friend.”

“Damn straight. And I’d like to be more, except I know you don’t feel that way about me.”

“Oh, Sean—”

“Nah, don’t apologize for it. It’s better this way. I’ve got plenty of lovers, but I’ve never actually had a girlfriend before. Anyway, my point is, don’t lie to me. You shouldn’t have to, and frankly I take it as an insult.”

“Honestly, there’s nothing going on.”

Sean let out a disgusted noise, but he let the fib stand.

Cass pulled into Gray’s driveway. There were ten or so cars parked around the gravel circle and she was forced to take a spot right in front of the door. Lights glowed in the mansion’s diamond paned windows, and she could see people moving inside. She wondered which of the shadows was Alex’s.

She really didn’t feel up to the house party. Or being under the same roof with him again.

She turned off the engine and glanced at Sean. His hazel eyes were shrewd but warm. And that stare of his was seeing all the things she’d tried to hide behind makeup and haute couture.

“Cass, you should stay away from Moorehouse. That ‘nothing’ with him is killing you.”

Sean really didn’t miss much, did he?

And he truly was handsome, she thought, in a tough kind of way. Sure, his clothes were civilized; the black suit and the icy-white button-down and the red tie were very Wall Street/old school banker.

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