Casey.
After his shower, he realized he didn’t have any clean clothes. He didn’t want to put his dirty ones back on, so he wrapped a towel around his middle. He’d have Mandy bring him some.
He picked up his phone and sent her a text. She replied and said she’d be right over. Starvation made him head for the kitchen to see what Dax had put there for him. When he opened the fully stocked fridge, he grinned. But then something on the countertop nearby caught his eye. A whole box of his favorite cereal when he’d been a kid stood there unopened. Casey must’ve told Dax to buy it for him.
He found a bowl and spoon, then poured the cereal out. After drowning all the little chocolate marshmallows and crunchies with milk, he took a huge bite and closed his eyes. A sugar explosion assaulted his taste buds, but in a good way. He’d never be able to eat all of it—it was way too sweet for him now—but he’d have a few more bites before he grabbed one of the wrapped turkey sandwiches he’d seen in the fridge.
A quiet knock sounded on the front door. Must be Mandy. He laid down his bowl and crossed the living room, maneuvering around all his equipment before he swung the door open.
“Hi, Casey. I was expecting Mandy. Come in.”
“If this is the way you usually dress to greet Mandy, then I can see why she had the wrong impression about you two.”
Her eyes did a slow up-and-down perusal of his body that made him want to drag her back to the bedroom. But he’d promised to take things slowly with her. “Mandy is bringing me some fresh clothes. I crashed here last night.”
“Most guys would’ve just worn the old ones again until they could change, Mr. Clean.” She moved past him and stepped inside. “But after seeing you in a towel, I’m going to regret what I need to tell you even more.”
Had she changed her mind about them? He couldn’t lose her. At least not before he had a solid chance to show her who he really was. Then maybe she’d see that underneath his fame he was just a regular guy, who didn’t get into the rich-and-famous scene like she assumed. That she was immune to celebrities just added to her appeal. He’d never met anyone like her. So he needed to do something. Quick.
Without thinking it through, he tugged her against him and kissed her.
She let out a soft sigh and wrapped her arms around him. Encouraged, he pulled her against his chest and deepened their kiss. Their bodies fit so perfectly together it was as if they had been made for each other.
Female throat-clearing coming from the doorway behind them made him reluctantly end the kiss. When he leaned back, Casey looked so sad it sent an arrow to his heart. Was she still thinking of backing out?
Mandy said, “Here are your clothes. Not that it looks like you’ll be needing them right away. I’ll let you two get back to it.” She dropped the clothes onto the couch and turned to go. “Oh, I almost forgot. The boys were looking for you earlier, Zane. They said you were going to help them look for something. But I told them you were sleeping and not to bother you, so they said they’d just go on without you. Whatever that meant. See you.”
Zane’s stomach dropped. They went out to the mine alone? “How long ago was that, Mandy?”
She shrugged. “About an hour ago, I think. Bye.”
After Mandy left, he grabbed the clothes from the couch and quickly started dressing.
Casey asked, “What are you helping the boys find?”
When he glanced over his shoulder he caught Casey checking out his bare ass. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you. But I’m worried they went out to that collapsed mine on their own. They’re looking for those barrels of whiskey. I’ll go find them.”
Her eyes widened in surprise for a beat before they narrowed in anger. “We’ll both go. I specifically told them to stay away from that mine. Why would you ever agree to help them do that, Zane?”
He tugged up his pants, threw a T-shirt over his
After his shower, he realized he didn’t have any clean clothes. He didn’t want to put his dirty ones back on, so he wrapped a towel around his middle. He’d have Mandy bring him some.
He picked up his phone and sent her a text. She replied and said she’d be right over. Starvation made him head for the kitchen to see what Dax had put there for him. When he opened the fully stocked fridge, he grinned. But then something on the countertop nearby caught his eye. A whole box of his favorite cereal when he’d been a kid stood there unopened. Casey must’ve told Dax to buy it for him.
He found a bowl and spoon, then poured the cereal out. After drowning all the little chocolate marshmallows and crunchies with milk, he took a huge bite and closed his eyes. A sugar explosion assaulted his taste buds, but in a good way. He’d never be able to eat all of it—it was way too sweet for him now—but he’d have a few more bites before he grabbed one of the wrapped turkey sandwiches he’d seen in the fridge.
A quiet knock sounded on the front door. Must be Mandy. He laid down his bowl and crossed the living room, maneuvering around all his equipment before he swung the door open.
“Hi, Casey. I was expecting Mandy. Come in.”
“If this is the way you usually dress to greet Mandy, then I can see why she had the wrong impression about you two.”
Her eyes did a slow up-and-down perusal of his body that made him want to drag her back to the bedroom. But he’d promised to take things slowly with her. “Mandy is bringing me some fresh clothes. I crashed here last night.”
“Most guys would’ve just worn the old ones again until they could change, Mr. Clean.” She moved past him and stepped inside. “But after seeing you in a towel, I’m going to regret what I need to tell you even more.”
Had she changed her mind about them? He couldn’t lose her. At least not before he had a solid chance to show her who he really was. Then maybe she’d see that underneath his fame he was just a regular guy, who didn’t get into the rich-and-famous scene like she assumed. That she was immune to celebrities just added to her appeal. He’d never met anyone like her. So he needed to do something. Quick.
Without thinking it through, he tugged her against him and kissed her.
She let out a soft sigh and wrapped her arms around him. Encouraged, he pulled her against his chest and deepened their kiss. Their bodies fit so perfectly together it was as if they had been made for each other.
Female throat-clearing coming from the doorway behind them made him reluctantly end the kiss. When he leaned back, Casey looked so sad it sent an arrow to his heart. Was she still thinking of backing out?
Mandy said, “Here are your clothes. Not that it looks like you’ll be needing them right away. I’ll let you two get back to it.” She dropped the clothes onto the couch and turned to go. “Oh, I almost forgot. The boys were looking for you earlier, Zane. They said you were going to help them look for something. But I told them you were sleeping and not to bother you, so they said they’d just go on without you. Whatever that meant. See you.”
Zane’s stomach dropped. They went out to the mine alone? “How long ago was that, Mandy?”
She shrugged. “About an hour ago, I think. Bye.”
After Mandy left, he grabbed the clothes from the couch and quickly started dressing.
Casey asked, “What are you helping the boys find?”
When he glanced over his shoulder he caught Casey checking out his bare ass. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you. But I’m worried they went out to that collapsed mine on their own. They’re looking for those barrels of whiskey. I’ll go find them.”
Her eyes widened in surprise for a beat before they narrowed in anger. “We’ll both go. I specifically told them to stay away from that mine. Why would you ever agree to help them do that, Zane?”
He tugged up his pants, threw a T-shirt over his
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