you and Ben?”
“Of course.” Cassidy said immediately grabbing some plates from the cabinet and crossing to the pot on the stove. She heaped the vegetable pasta onto the plates and turned back to the table. Mrs. Owens was already gone leaving her alone with Ben again.
She carried the plates to the table and set one in front of Ben. He craned his neck to look up at her.
“Didn’t know you could cook, Miss St. Claire.” He said staring up at her with his scalding green eyes. He was uncomfortably close as Cassidy had leaned over him to put the plate on the table. She mentally schooled herself not to jerk back too quickly.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know ab out me, Mr. Riley.” She said coyly, slowly moving away from him and sitting at the table with her own plate.
“So there are.” He agreed with a smirk.
They ate in heavy silence both of them concentrating on their plates.
“How’s your head?” Ben asked, breaking the silence.
“Fine.” Cassidy said, subconsciously reaching up to touch her forehead. She winced. Ben noticed.
“I’m sorry. I’m not sure how that happened. I wouldn’t have sent you in there if I’d thought…” He trailed off.
“It really was my fault.” Cassidy interjected quickly. “I should have been paying more attention.” Was Ben Riley actually apologizing to her?
“I guess you’ll be heading home tomorrow?” He asked blandly.
“Why would you say that?” She asked surprised.
“Tomorrow is Monday, isn’t that when you told Mr. Woodard you would give him your decision?”
How did he know that? Had Mr. Woodard given him a transcript of the meeting?
“And why do you assume my decision is to leave?” Cassidy asked, deciding to deal with the more pressing matter.
“Isn’t it?” He scoffed.
She stiffened.
“If you were the only tenant then perhaps I would leave, Mr. Riley, and leave you to your own devices. But the fact of the matter is that you aren’t the only tenant who would be affected. I’m going to assume you know all the details of my inheritance, as you seem to know everything else about my dealings.” She added irritably. “The fact remains that Mrs. Owens is a resident of this house as well, and I simply couldn’t justify kicking that poor woman out of her home. Whether you like it or not, Mr. Riley, I will be staying here for the next month.” She hadn’t really made the decision up until that point. Well maybe she had, but this was the first time that she’d accepted the decision, and it felt like the right one.
“What’s different this time?” He challenged “Don’t you make a living out of kicking families out of their homes?”
“Of course not!” She exclaimed, flushing in anger. Who the hell did he think he was? He didn’t know a thing about her.
“Only their businesses then?” He pressed.
“Mr. Riley, I’m not sure what you’ve heard about me, but I work for a highly successful corporation that builds luxury resorts. I don’t kick anybody out of anywhere.”
“No, you leave the dirty work to someone else I suppose. You just convince families to turn over their hard earned businesses, their legacies, to some corporate conglomerate.”
“I buy property from businesses that are facing bankruptcy! I help them!” She practically shouted.
“Have you ever asked them if they see it that way?” He asked, his voice hauntingly calm.
“Obviously we have differing views on business practices.” Cassidy offered a truce. “It doesn’t change the fact that I’ve been faced with a responsibility and I’m not going to turn my back on it. For some reason my uncle wanted me to live in this house, and if that’s what it’s going to take to maintain Mrs. Owens home for her, then I guess that’s what I’ll do. You can stay or you can go , Mr. Riley. The choice is yours.” Cassidy had lost her appetite, she stood from the table and left her dishes and that infuriating man behind.
When Cassidy woke up
“Of course.” Cassidy said immediately grabbing some plates from the cabinet and crossing to the pot on the stove. She heaped the vegetable pasta onto the plates and turned back to the table. Mrs. Owens was already gone leaving her alone with Ben again.
She carried the plates to the table and set one in front of Ben. He craned his neck to look up at her.
“Didn’t know you could cook, Miss St. Claire.” He said staring up at her with his scalding green eyes. He was uncomfortably close as Cassidy had leaned over him to put the plate on the table. She mentally schooled herself not to jerk back too quickly.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know ab out me, Mr. Riley.” She said coyly, slowly moving away from him and sitting at the table with her own plate.
“So there are.” He agreed with a smirk.
They ate in heavy silence both of them concentrating on their plates.
“How’s your head?” Ben asked, breaking the silence.
“Fine.” Cassidy said, subconsciously reaching up to touch her forehead. She winced. Ben noticed.
“I’m sorry. I’m not sure how that happened. I wouldn’t have sent you in there if I’d thought…” He trailed off.
“It really was my fault.” Cassidy interjected quickly. “I should have been paying more attention.” Was Ben Riley actually apologizing to her?
“I guess you’ll be heading home tomorrow?” He asked blandly.
“Why would you say that?” She asked surprised.
“Tomorrow is Monday, isn’t that when you told Mr. Woodard you would give him your decision?”
How did he know that? Had Mr. Woodard given him a transcript of the meeting?
“And why do you assume my decision is to leave?” Cassidy asked, deciding to deal with the more pressing matter.
“Isn’t it?” He scoffed.
She stiffened.
“If you were the only tenant then perhaps I would leave, Mr. Riley, and leave you to your own devices. But the fact of the matter is that you aren’t the only tenant who would be affected. I’m going to assume you know all the details of my inheritance, as you seem to know everything else about my dealings.” She added irritably. “The fact remains that Mrs. Owens is a resident of this house as well, and I simply couldn’t justify kicking that poor woman out of her home. Whether you like it or not, Mr. Riley, I will be staying here for the next month.” She hadn’t really made the decision up until that point. Well maybe she had, but this was the first time that she’d accepted the decision, and it felt like the right one.
“What’s different this time?” He challenged “Don’t you make a living out of kicking families out of their homes?”
“Of course not!” She exclaimed, flushing in anger. Who the hell did he think he was? He didn’t know a thing about her.
“Only their businesses then?” He pressed.
“Mr. Riley, I’m not sure what you’ve heard about me, but I work for a highly successful corporation that builds luxury resorts. I don’t kick anybody out of anywhere.”
“No, you leave the dirty work to someone else I suppose. You just convince families to turn over their hard earned businesses, their legacies, to some corporate conglomerate.”
“I buy property from businesses that are facing bankruptcy! I help them!” She practically shouted.
“Have you ever asked them if they see it that way?” He asked, his voice hauntingly calm.
“Obviously we have differing views on business practices.” Cassidy offered a truce. “It doesn’t change the fact that I’ve been faced with a responsibility and I’m not going to turn my back on it. For some reason my uncle wanted me to live in this house, and if that’s what it’s going to take to maintain Mrs. Owens home for her, then I guess that’s what I’ll do. You can stay or you can go , Mr. Riley. The choice is yours.” Cassidy had lost her appetite, she stood from the table and left her dishes and that infuriating man behind.
When Cassidy woke up
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