“Oh, ask me. Anything to do with the financials, just ask me.”
Cassie smiled. It had only been half a day since she’d started at Tellman Galleries and she was already certain she would love it there. Everyone was friendly and helpful, especially Bronwyn, who was incredibly approachable for a busy boss.
They walked into an inviting French-provincial-themed café and were seated in a cosy corner. Cassie found out that Bronwyn had recently divorced from her husband after five years of marriage and was currently single.
“We should go on a singles’ night out,” Bronwyn said.
“Sure. But I’m afraid I’m not on the lookout for a man at this time. Between trying to finish my MBA and working full-time, I don’t have time to date.”
“Really? You should find time, Cassie. All work and no play might burn you out.”
Cassie laughed. “It’s refreshing to see a boss encourage her employees to chill. My old boss certainly didn’t understand the concept.”
“Well, it’s not all altruism,” Bronwyn said with a chuckle. “I believe in treating people right so they’ll give me their loyalty.”
“And I like giving my loyalty to people who treat me right,” Cassie responded. “I really think I’m going to love working with you, Bronwyn.”
Bronwyn gave her a smile, her eyes scrutinising. “Good. I’m glad.”
They were enjoying their lunch when Bronwyn received a text message. Her brows furrowed as she read it.
“I’m so sorry, Cassie, but I have to go. Will you excuse me?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll pay for this on my way out. Take your time. And, by the way, I’ll be away for a couple of days. I’ll be in Perth for my grandmother’s eightieth. I’ll see you Thursday.”
“Okay. Thank you. Bye.”
Cassie sat back to enjoy her food. She never minded eating alone. It was a great opportunity to relax her brain before getting back into the intensity of her work.
A server came to top up her glass of water.
“Thanks,” she said with a smile.
“You’re welcome,” said the young woman. “So you work at the gallery next door?”
“Yes. It’s my first day today.”
“Wow. Congrats. You wouldn’t happen to be the new financial controller, would you?”
“I am, actually. How did you know?”
“I was friends with the previous one,” the waitress said with a small smile.
“Oh, right. I heard she’s decided to work at her mother-in-law’s business.”
The waitress frowned. “Really? She told me she was let go.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Oh well, maybe they just didn’t want you to know that,” the server said. “I heard that your boss is really strict and exacting,” she added in a hush before walking away.
Cassie frowned. Why would Bronwyn lie about the reason her predecessor had left? Or maybe she hadn’t lied. Perhaps the previous employee was indeed sacked and then went to work with her mother-in-law. Regardless, it didn’t matter.
As for Bronwyn being strict, it wasn’t her impression. But, yes, she could imagine Bronwyn demanding her to do a good job. She was getting paid very good money plus outstanding perks, after all. She didn’t have problems working her butt off, especially for someone as generous as Bronwyn.
Ah, she was really grateful to be working at Tellman Galleries.
*****
Cassie walked back to work, relaxed and replete after her delicious lunch. Her heart skipped, then galloped, when she spotted a familiar man talking to Susan Sanchez. She grinned as she slowed down her pace, waiting for Carter to notice her.
Carter finally looked her way and did a double-take.
She chuckled. “Hi,” she greeted, noticing that Carter was wearing a grey long-sleeved shirt that did nothing to hide his hunkiness.
“Cassie,” Carter said, his eyes wide with surprise.
“You know each other?” Susan asked.
“Yes,” she answered. “We’re friends. His sister is my flatmate.”
“Well, fancy that,” Susan said. “Carter’s looking after the electrical works for the extension.”
“I see. That’s great.”
“And what are you doing here, Cass?” Carter asked.
“I work here now. I started today.”
Carter’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t realise you’ve found another job.”
“Yup. I’m happy,” she said grinning at him. Heck, she was even happier at seeing him unexpectedly.
“Well, Bronwyn won’t be pleased when I tell her Carter’s news,” Susan said. “Apparently, he needs to check the electrical for the whole building because some of the old wiring might have deteriorated. Too technical for me to understand.”
“It shouldn’t be too disruptive,” Carter said. “I’m just going to plug a device into all the power outlets to do some diagnostics. But I might need to pull some apart if an area needs work. It’s better to get those done first before starting on the extension. It will avoid costly problems later.”
“Okay,” Susan said with a sigh. “I was told by the building manager that you do need to do it.”
“Thanks. I’ll start on it now,” Carter said with a smile before walking away.
Cassie sighed, disappointed that Carter didn’t give her a special goodbye.
“He’s dreamy, isn’t he?” Susan whispered.
Cassie glanced at Susan, who was watching Carter’s backside. “Yes, he is,” she murmured, unwelcome jealousy surging within her.
Was Susan single too? She was probably only a couple of years older than Cassie, but more beautiful and stylish. Suddenly, Cassie felt dowdy in comparison. Had Carter noticed?
“Does he have a girlfriend?” Susan asked.
“No.”
“Are you interested in going out with him?”
“No,” she lied. Well, she wasn’t about to admit that she didn’t think she stood a chance.
“Oh, good,” Susan said with a sigh. “But unfortunately, we can’t just stand here ogling the guy all afternoon. Work’s waiting,” she said, slipping back into her professional character.
“Yes. I better head back to my office,” Cassie said, her spirits a few pegs lower.
*****
“Hey, Cass.”
Cassie took her attention off the online systems training she was doing. “Hi, Carter,” she said.
“Mind if I do some checks in here?”
“Of course not. Go right ahead.”
Carter walked in, looking around for the power outlets in her office.
“They’re over here,” she said, pointing down to the corner behind her. “Do you need me to get out of your way?”
“No. I have plenty of room. As long as you don’t mind me glancing at your beautiful legs,” he said with a wicked grin.
She rolled her eyes. She was used to Carter being flirty, and she’d never taken him seriously.
“We’re in a corporate environment, Carter,” she said with a mock frown.
“And?” Carter said with a raised eyebrow, his lips twisting.
“And I could report you,” she responded, narrowing her eyes as she watched him settle himself on the floor next to the power points.
“Report me for what? For saying you have beautiful pins? I’m just telling the truth. Look at them.” Carter eyes roamed her stockinged legs.
Unbidden, the thought of parting her thighs wide for him popped in her mind. She flushed furiously.
“So what do you have to do with the outlets?” she asked, changing the topic.
Carter looked into her eyes and smiled. Did he guess what was going through her mind? Surely not!
“I just need to check the old wires for safety,” Carter said. “What are these things that are plugged in?”
“My laptop and this external monitor.”
“Can I unplug them for a minute?”
“Sure.”
Fascinated, she obs
erved as Carter fitted a device on the wall socket and pressed some buttons. Not that there was anything special with what Carter was doing. But watching him was more exciting than going back to her work. Besides, his being in her office was too distracting.
“Seems like I’ll need to check behind these,” he said, writing something down on a chart.
“Why? Are they dangerous?”
“Not exactly. But I don’t like the reading I’m getting. I’ll probably just need to adjust some loose connections.”
“So you’ll be hanging around and annoying me some more?” she asked teasingly.
“Can’t think of anything better,” he said, winking at her before plugging back her devices and standing up.
“So where are you going?”
“To check the other rooms. I’ll fix these tomorrow.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Disappointed I’m leaving?” he asked with a cheeky grin.
“Always,” she said, making a face at him.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll be back.”
A thrill went through Cassie and she shook her head at herself.
Goodness. Just one word—sweetheart—and her stupid heart overreacted. Sure, he’d never called her that before, but it meant nothing. Didn’t it?
“Get back to work, Cassandra,” she muttered under her breath, annoyed. How many times did she have to remind herself that guys like Carter meant heartbreak? No point hoping for a fairy tale.
But...
Fairy tales did happen, didn’t they? Look at her new job. She hadn’t expected to receive the salary she was getting at this stage of her career. She’d thought in five years, maybe, and with a big company. But not now, with a two-year-old firm.
She sat back on her chair, tapping her lip with a forefinger. What if she just needed to be courageous, like Lexie had been when she’d decided to let Rick know how she felt?
She heard Susan’s laughter ring out from outside her room and let out a loud sigh. If Susan decided she liked Carter enough to entice him on a date, what chances would Cassie have of winning Carter’s interest? The other woman was a lot prettier than her.
Don’t be such a pessimistic coward, Cassie.
She filled her lungs with air. She did tell herself this was a time for new beginnings, didn’t she? So why not be open to the possibility that Carter might want to sleep with her?
Her career dreams were coming true. Why not see if she could make her ultra-hot Carter dreams come true, too? She’d love to experience him in real life. Surely, something casual between the two of them wasn’t such an impossibility.
And so what if he turned her down? Wouldn’t it be like going for job interviews and getting rejected? She’d handled a couple of those really well. They were good practice that had helped her in subsequent tries.
Besides, it wasn’t as if she’d be trying to capture Carter’s heart anyway. She knew that was beyond her reach. So, yeah, why not at least ask him for just one night? No pain, no gain and all that.
CHAPTER FIVE
Carter walked out of Cassie’s office, the delight he’d felt joking around with her fast replaced by concern. How freaky was it that Cassie was now working at the gallery that had ties to the person who’d tried to kill his best friend?
His phone rang and he went outside the building to answer it. “Hi, Vera.”
“Hey, how’s everything going?”
“Good. The electrician cover is working well. I have the chance to go into the relevant offices and plant bugging devices. But”—he took a deep breath—“I just found out that a friend of mine started working here.”
“Did she almost blow your cover?”
“No. She doesn’t know I’m a detective. She actually thinks I’m an electrician, so it’s perfect in that regard.”
“Is it gonna be a problem?”
Carter ran his hand through his hair. Yes. He had to act like some sort of Casanova to smoke out the criminals, and Cassie would no doubt witness some of his actions. That was a problem.
“Carter? Is it gonna be a problem that she works there?” Vera asked.
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Do you think she could help us with some information?”
“She only just started today, so I doubt it.”
“Well, I don’t think you should tell her you’re undercover, Carter. We don’t want to risk her getting involved by her knowing about this. That will put her in danger.”
“Yes, you’re right.” He had to avoid that at all cost.
“Would you have a problem playing your role?”
“No,” he said definitively. This was about finding Gavin’s shooter and rounding up everyone belonging to this devious syndicate. He couldn’t afford to do anything that might jeopardise the case.
“Okay. Anyway, I rang to say that the lead given by the shopkeeper at the place where Gavin dropped off Emma was a dead end.”
“Right. So I better act fast.”
*****
“Hi, Susan,” Carter said, leaning on the door frame of the pretty HR manager’s office. He was ready with his act.
“Hey, Carter! Come on in. You’re here to check my outlets?”
“Yes. And you don’t need to go anywhere. You can keep me company,” he said with a charming smile.
“Who says I planned to go somewhere?” Susan asked, batting her lashes at him.
He grinned. He’d already noticed that Susan was attracted to him. Question was, how attracted would she be after she “learned more” about him.
He made sure he stared at the woman’s eyes for a few seconds before going to the back corner where her power points were.
Susan swivelled her chair so she was facing him as he stooped down to plug in his device. “So how long have you been doing this, Carter?”
“Oh, about fifteen minutes. I’ve only done a couple of rooms before this.”
Susan laughed. “No. I meant how long have you been doing this job?”
He chuckled. “I started my apprenticeship at sixteen, and I’m thirty now. So fourteen years.”
“Well, you seem very good at it,” Susan said in a softer voice.
“It’s not the only thing I’m good at,” he said with a lopsided smile, giving her what he hoped was a smouldering-enough look.
“Really? And what else are you good at?” Susan asked, placing an elbow on her desk and resting her chin on her hand.
“Perhaps instead of telling you, I can show you.”
Susan’s smile widened. “Show me what?”
“What do you think?”
Susan bit her lower lip as her gaze travelled slowly to his torso, then further down south.
An image of Cassie sitting in her office two doors down flashed in Carter’s mind, and he felt himself cringe at Susan’s blatant admiration. Sure, Susan was attractive and all, but sleeping with a possible suspect was never in the mix. But more than that, just doing this charade didn’t feel... right. Funny. He’d never had a problem with it before.
He pretended to touch his back pocket. “Ugh. My phone’s vibrating. It’s probably my boss. I have to answer it.” He excused himself and quickly walked out of the room while engaging in a fake phone conversation.
Hell, he couldn’t let Cassie distract him like this. Why on earth did she have to work for this gallery?
You have a job to do, Carter. For Gavin and Mark.
He nodded to himself. He just had to be careful where he took the conversation with Susan next time or he’d have a hard time extricating himself from uncomfortable situations. It was probably time to use Gavin’s trick, even though he hadn’t planned to take it out of the hat this early in the piece. But it would be interesting to see how Susan would react when she learned that he was “financially destitute and desperate”.
He cleared his head with his fake story and walked back into Susan’s office, pasting a deep scowl on his face.
“Looks like you had a bad conversation with your boss,”
Susan murmured.
“That wasn’t my boss,” he grumbled. “That was my so-called best friend.”
“Oh. Is everything all right?”
He let out a deep, heavy sigh as he dropped to the floor near the electrical sockets. “The bastard threatened to throw me out on the streets if I don’t pay my rent. What kind of friend would do that? And it’s not as if I have my own room. I only sleep on his damned couch, for fuck’s sake.”
He rubbed his face. “Sorry, Susan. I didn’t mean to swear in front of you. I’m just... I just don’t know what to do.”
“What’s the problem?” Susan asked with concern, touching his shoulder.
He shook his head as picked up his chart and stared at it.
Susan was quiet as she watched him, and Carter tried to read if she was keen for him to talk again or if she couldn’t wait for him to leave her office. But she was still leaning towards him, her body language suggesting she was still very much into this conversation.
He looked at her with bleak eyes. “I’m just having some financial problems, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Susan said sympathetically. “Is it really bad?”
“Three years ago I bought a house. I sank all my savings into the deposit. The house needed major renovations, but it was all I could afford. My tradesmen buddies agreed to help me fix it up for a fraction of the cost so I borrowed as much as I could from friends and family so I could do it up properly. But I got laid off from my previous job—the one I had before this. I only found odd jobs here and there and I wasn’t making enough to pay my mortgage. So the money I’ve borrowed for the renovations went instead to paying the bank. I eventually ran out of cash and I had to sell the place. With the downturn in property prices, and the almost unliveable state of my house, it sold for a lot less than what I’d bought it for. So now, I have debts coming out of my ears and none of my friends would help me anymore. They want me to pay them what I owe first before they would do anything else for me. And right now, I can’t afford it with the salary I’m on.”
“Oh, Carter,” Susan said in dismay. “I’m sure that if your friends were happy to help you out before, they’d extend their credit terms?”
“No. You see, I... uh... did the wrong thing to one of my friends. I’m not proud of it, mind you, and I’m not gonna do it again. But they all seem to be ganging up on me now.”
The Undercover Playboy (Captured by Love Book 3) Page 4
