Falling For My Dad's Friend: A Steamy Standalone Instalove Romance Read online

  “She did,” I answer, moving forward hesitantly. “She said you needed me.”

  He looks up and I want to cower away from the intensity of his gaze, but I don’t.

  “Did my mother perform a background check? Did you pass?” Magnus stares hard at me.

  “I’m Renner's daughter,” I tell him as if that will save me. “I didn’t need a background check.”

  Apparently, I’m struggling with my word vomit. I hadn’t meant to sound so entitled.

  “You’re a lot older than I thought you were,” Magnus murmurs. His voice is so low that I have to move closer to hear him. “Renner painted you as a young girl— when he did speak of you, I mean.”

  My cheeks burn at his words. All I can do is just shake my head at him.

  “He would think of me that way,” I mutter, letting out a long breath to quell my nervousness.

  “You don’t see him very much,” Magnus remarks, staring at me without blinking. “Do you?”

  The burn of his dark gaze on me is enough to make my toes curl.

  “I lived with my mom, so no,” I say, clearing my throat.

  “I remember her,” Magnus says, adjusting his tie. “She was a beautiful woman.

  Suddenly, I feel embarrassed for being attracted to him. Of course, he would want an older woman. I must look like a kid to him, stumbling over my words.

  I say, in a quiet voice, “I didn’t know you ever met her. I actually didn’t know about you for a while.”

  “Well, that makes two of us,” Magnus tells me with his mouth quirked into a half-smile.

  “Was there anything else that you needed from me?” I ask him, standing up straight, trying to project the confidence I don’t feel.

  Magnus looks as if he’s weighing me in his mind, checking me over for any flaws.

  “That ring on your finger,” he says, raising an eyebrow as he stares at me with deep brown eyes. The flames in the fireplace make his dark eyes shine. “You’re married, then?”

  I glance down at my hand and then back up at him, confused. How had he even seen the little opal on the slim, silver band?

  “It-It was my grandmother’s,” I stutter for a second, absentmindedly rubbing a finger over the ring. “She left it to me when she passed. She told me it had magical powers. She said it was meant for love.”

  My cheeks burn. Why did I say that? I want him to see me as an adult, a woman, not some kid who still believes in magic and destiny, but the thing is I do.

  Magnus smiles slyly though, running a hand through his graying black hair. “Well, maybe she was right.”

  “Maybe she was.” I walk forward and stand in front of the fireplace, leaning a hand there.

  I can feel Magnus watching me from behind his desk, but I just stare into the flames. I don’t want him to see the thoughts inside my head, the ones that revolve around him and only him. I’m scared that he might think of me as a little girl who has a crush on an older man, and not the woman I know myself to be.

  There’s just no way that what I’m feeling for Magnus is anything as careless as a crush. It feels like so much more, like my heart will explode with an emotion I’ve never felt before.

  “It gets cold in the manor at night,” Magnus tells me. “The maid should keep the fire high.”

  “The maid that comes into my room is Alice, I think,” I say. My hands are shaking and I squeeze my fingers on the polished wood of the banister. “She does a good job.”

  Magnus lets out a breath and I feel it ghost over my neck. I can’t help but shiver, realizing he’s standing right behind me. I didn’t even hear him move. For such a tall built man he moves silently on his feet, like a panther stalking its prey.

  “I’m sure she does, but if she doesn’t, let me know. I’m just down the hall,” he says.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I reply, swallowing hard.

  I’ve never felt a pull so strong as the one that’s tugging me toward Magnus.

  For a moment, I allow myself to imagine Magnus coming into my room late into the night as the moon pours a halo of pale light onto my bed. I think of my fire burning low and Magnus closing the door behind him, just the two of us, as he brings a thick fur throw to my bed. In the end, it’s his body that keeps me warm, though, and he slides in behind me. In my mind, he kisses my—

  I can feel my face growing hot and I’m thankful he can’t hear my thoughts.

  A knock on the door makes us both turn in a hurry, and the spell is broken.

  “Oh, I didn’t realize—” Alice says quickly, a little flustered. She looks away from us.

  “It’s alright, Alice,” I say, waving her over to where the fireplace is burning low.

  My heels click on the hardwood floor as I leave the room, and I can feel Magnus staring after me as I leave him.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Magnus

  From the moment I laid eyes on Cassandra I knew I wanted her to be mine. I wanted her like I’ve never wanted anyone in my life.

  Women have come and gone from my life, but none have ever interested me, none have ever touched my heart, but I can feel that she might just be the one for me.

  For some damn reason, she sticks to my consciousness like glue. I can’t shake her. When she leaves my office in a flurry of soft perfume, I want to ask her to come back to me, but I don’t.

  I need to get my head on straight.

  Cassandra, or Cassie, which I’ve heard Renner call her, which feels more intimate, is like a strange sort of kryptonite for me, even though I’ve really only just met her. I always knew Renner had a daughter, but he always kept her separate from us. I wonder why he’s involving her now, but it’s not a problem. It is a problem that I can’t keep my mind off of her, though.

  I can smell dinner cooking sometime later, the savory scent of spiced carrots and baked chicken. The cook has prepared my favorites and I know my mother must have instructed him, or at least my new assistant on what to prepare. When she wants to have a serious conversation with me, my mother always has the cook make foods that I’m fond of to keep me happy.

  The dining room is set with glittering plates and fragile-looking glasses. I don’t much care for the splendor of decor, but my mother insists we keep up the tradition. You won’t ever catch Piper St. James eating from a plastic plate or scooping cereal from a ceramic bowl with her sterling silver spoons.

  At the head of the table, I sit down heavily in my chair. My mother sits primly in her seat at my side, tapping her fingers over the expensive, custom-made European dining table.

  A mousy-haired maid pours her a cup of tea, mother’s before-dinner ritual, and stirs in cream and sugar. My mother adds a slosh of whiskey when she’s done, and she sips the tea like it’s not shot through with alcohol.

  The maid fixes our plates and my stomach grumbles at the sight of the chicken, carrots, and sautéed asparagus stems on the shining plate. When our plates have been set in front of us my mother sets down her teacup and stares at me, her fingers drumming on the delicate porcelain.

  “Whatever it is,” I tell her, sighing. “Just say it, why don’t you?”

  She looks at me with eyes that have seen far more than I can ever fathom.

  “You know I can’t let you sell your father’s estate,” my mother says frankly, though I can hear the minute tremble in her voice. “It was the one and only place he was truly happy.”

  I want to roll my eyes, but I don’t. My respect for my mother is too high for that.

  “You’re not going to sway me with sentimental memories, mother,” I tell her, staring down at my fork as I stab it into my savory carrots. “I never saw him in the way that you did.”

  She brings her hand down on the table hard and sighs. I’m surprised she would treat her precious dinnerware in such a way and when I look up, her gaze could cut me up into pieces. She looks like she wants to bury me in the backyard and forget about me. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit.

  She points at me and the glittering diamond ring on her long finger glimmers brightly.

  “Magnus William St. James—” she begins, looking like a storm that’s about to break.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” a voice says from the doorway. “Am I interrupting something?”

  Cassandra stands in the doorway like some kind of heaven-sent boon of good timing.

  I glance down at her hand, at the ring glittering softly there, and I recall our conversation. I was so relieved to find that she didn’t belong to anyone else. That she is free of hangers-on, though I’m sure she has her fair share of men following her like loyal dogs waiting at her beck and call. She’s much too alluring to think otherwise.

  Cassandra is a catch and I ache for her.

  “Cassandra—” I begin but she shakes her head, giving me a small smile.

  “It’s just Cassie,” she tells me, blinking her big green eyes at me. “I mean if you want, sir. I’d like you to call me Cassie, but it’s up to you.”

  She’s unsure of herself, obviously, and it makes me want to lay her down and worship her. Cassie is the kind of woman that men start wars over. She is Helen of Troy, commanding the undivided attention of the king and his followers. I can’t imagine she might want an older man, someone who isn’t even close to her age, but it doesn’t really seem to matter even the smallest amount.

  My mind is stuck firmly on her.

  “Cassie,” I say, waving a hand. “Did you need something? Come in and eat with us. I insist. Alice, please fix our Cassandra here a plate.”

  My mother gives me a warning glance but I wave her off.

  “You know, I’m going to be inspecting some property tomorrow and I find myself needing someone to go along with me,” I tell her.

  I can feel my mother’s hard gaze on the side of my face
, burning into me, but I ignore it.

  “You’re going somewhere?” Cassie asks me, sitting down on my other side hesitantly. She smiles and our maid, Alice, smiles back as she fixes Cassie a plate.

  “Yes, this is the first I’ve heard of this, Magnus,” my mother says with her thin mouth pinched.

  I take a long drink of my rich, red wine, enjoying the slightly tart taste on my tongue.

  I wonder how Cassandra might taste in my mouth and I relish the thought of it.

  “Well, I need to inspect the old estate, don’t I?” I ask my mother in a faux-cheery voice. “What better way to decide if it’s worth keeping in the family after all these years.”

  “And you— I’m sorry, but you want me to come along with you?” Cassie questions, wrapping her thin fingers around her wine glass. She takes a sip, making a face.

  At least I know she’s old enough to drink. That has to count for something, doesn’t it?

  “You’re my assistant now,” I tell her, spearing an asparagus stalk with my fork. “Of course, I want you with me.”

  I want her at my side at every moment of the day, but I won’t say that much out loud. Not yet.

  “My dear Alice,” my mother says, calling the maid over. “Won’t you ask Renner to come?”

  I look at my mother quickly. By the look on her face, she’s enjoying herself.

  “My dad?” Cassie asks her. “You want him to come to dinner?”

  “Oh yes,” my mother says, nodding. “Unless my son has some issue with his presence.”

  She looks between me and Cassie. I know what game she’s playing and I won’t be baited.

  “There’s no problem and besides, it gives me a chance to discuss my weekend plans with him,” I tell my mother, who just smiles like a mischievous fox who’s got the chickens' insight.

  She must think that I’m going to sell the old house either way and she’s trying to make sure she has some sort of leverage over me if worst comes to worst. My mother is a crafty woman, I’ll give her that much. I know that she won’t give up so easily.

  “Renner,” my mother says once Alice brings him into the dining room. “Won’t you sit with us?”

  I look back and forth between Renner and Cassie, accessing them both. Renner just nods at his daughter and then at my mother. My mother gets up and sits by Cassie so Renner can sit on my right.

  “Magnus,” Renner says automatically. “I was looking over the documents—”

  My mother raises a hand. “Renner, please. No work at dinner. Let’s talk about your daughter.”

  I look sharply at my mother, narrowing my eyes.

  “Me?” Cassie says, looking up quickly. She nearly chokes on her chicken. “W-Why me?”

  “Our dear Renner has kept you so secluded from us,” my mother says, resting her chin on her hands. “Tell us, do you have a boyfriend?”

  Cassie blushes, tucking her hair behind her ear. I feel myself soften as I watch her, but then I register my mother's words and I feel an anger I've never felt before rise inside me at the mention of a man in Cassie's life.

  “Oh no,” Renner tells her, shaking his head. “Not after the last one, right Cassie?”

  Cassie blushes and my jealousy for the unknown man flares like a burst of flame.

  “What happened with the last one?” My mother asks, ever the curious cat.

  “Oh, it was nothing,” Cassie says, looking uncomfortable. “He just wasn’t a great guy.”

  “Yeah,” Renner comments in a growling voice. “That’s an understatement.”

  My mother seems to have some semblance of sympathy for the girl because she doesn’t ask any more questions. Though I can tell she is determined to have something over me, I can tell that she genuinely does like Cassie. She wouldn’t have hired her if she didn’t like her as a person, Renner or no Renner. She’s a good judge of character.

  “Men can be insufferable,” she tells Cassie, reaching over to pat her hand gently.

  “It wasn’t so much the man,” Cassie says, and I’m hanging onto every word. “It was his actions.”

  “In this house,” my mother tells her brightly. “We poison abusive men, my dear.”

  Cassie’s eyes widen and she turns to me. I like that she looks to me for confirmation as if I’m already someone that she has chosen to trust. I like that I’m important to her already.

  “That was one time, mother,” I say with a sigh, shaking my head at Cassie. “And it was an accident. Aunt Cordelia didn’t mean to put rat poison in the cookies. She thought it was sugar.”

  “Of course she did,” my mother said with a quick laugh. “Just a little mistake, that’s all. The man never laid a hand on her again, and that’s what really matters, isn’t that right Cassandra?”

  My mother winks at Cassie and I want to bang my head against the table. The two of them joining sides is the last thing I need. Maybe my mother will teach her to be cunning, though.

  Cassie will need that skill if she’s going to be my wife and I’m very sure that she will be.

  “I think I’m good for right now,” Cassie tells my mother, clearing her throat.

  I look over at her, watching, taking her in, the long lines of her pale neck, and the soft curve of her breasts. She’s a vision, so fucking beautiful that it’s almost too much to take.

  “Renner,” I say to change the subject and make Cassie feel less uncomfortable. “I’m planning a trip in the morning to the old estate. I’m gonna stay for a few days, I think.”

  “Are you taking some of the staff, then?” Renner asks and I almost feel dirty that my best friend knows nothing of my heart-rending attraction to his only daughter.

  Cassie shifts in her chair, but her gaze drifts to me, and I can’t help but let my mouth tilt into a small smile. The thought of her attention on any other man, on not having the chance to claim her as my own, sends a rift of white-hot jealousy through me.

  I have to shake myself to clear my thoughts. It’s not the time to let myself feel so deeply and so obviously.

  Renner listens as I give him instructions for tomorrow, but I can only see Cassie.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Cassandra

  The next day dawns cold and dark over the manor house. The sun has barely risen over the thick copse of dark, wintery trees that shield the manor when Alice comes to my door, knocking quietly. She helps pack the clothes I’ve laid out while I get ready.

  All night I lay awake thinking of Magnus when I should have been packing, but I can’t seem to turn my thoughts away from him.

  “Alice,” I say to get her attention. “What do you know about—” I shake my head.

  “What is it, ma’am?” Alice asks as she tends to the fire. “Did you need something?”

  Suddenly, I feel embarrassed for even thinking of asking, but I can’t stop myself.

  “I just—” I steel myself for her to look at me like I’m crazy. “I just wanted to know about Magnus.”

  “Oh,” Alice says, suddenly perking up. “What do you want to know about him? I’ve been here a little while now and I can tell you anything you need to know.”

  “Okay,” I say hesitantly.

  I’m not even sure if I want to ask, but the question has been burning a hole in my stomach. “Does he ever bring… women around? I mean to the manor?”

  Alice seems to eye me up and I wonder if she’s guessed my intentions already.

  “He likes brunettes,” Alice tells me, absentmindedly running a hand through her short, dark hair. “I sometimes find the strands of hair caught up in his bedsheets, though I never see the women. He’s very discreet about his hookups, and none of them ever go any farther than that.”

  The disappointment that runs through me is like a shock of cold water. I reach a hand up to touch my soft, pale hair. Magnus isn’t the type to settle down with anyone, then.

  “Thank you, Alice,” I tell her, letting out a sigh.

  I sit on my bed for a few minutes, trying to push Magnus from my thoughts. It’s a difficult task. I must sit there for longer than I think because I’m dragged from my thoughts by Alice’s voice again.

  “Your bags are all packed,” Alice tells me. I hadn’t even noticed she was still in the room.

  “You’re good at your job,” I comment, braiding my hair quickly. “I didn’t even notice you were still in the room with me.”