Best Friends With the Billionaire (The Rochesters) (6 page)

She hadn’t totally disregarded his wealth, though. The fact that Kirk was so insanely rich had been another reason she’d never been game enough to put herself out there for him—because hot billionaires like him usually dated super-gorgeous women oozing with style and sophistication, not girls like her. And she’d been proven right when he’d married one of California’s richest heiresses, the incomparable Alison Hancock. Kirk might have ignored his privileged background at college, but when it came to marriage, he’d stayed close to home. Mean of her to think that, but she couldn’t help it.

But now the hot billionaire was sitting opposite her, looking more delicious than the dinner he’d cooked for her. A tiny smudge of pasta sauce graced the corner of his mouth, and a sudden urge to lean over and lick it off gripped her.

“You’re sure about the credit card?” Kirk asked.

Cassie pulled her gaze away from his lips. “I’m sure.” She scraped up the last bit of pasta and eyed her empty plate regretfully. “You don’t have to worry, except for sewing up this deal with Hank Parnell.”

Kirk rested his chin against his hand. “Yeah, I’m determined to land this deal.”

“You haven’t had it easy at work, have you?” Cassie said, remembering the rumors she’d heard from her friends. “Not with that ruthless uncle.”

Kirk nodded. “He sidelined my dad and pitted me and Lex against each other at every opportunity. He wanted Lex to succeed him, which he did. For years Lex and I were rivals.” His hand on the counter closed into a fist. “Guess it didn’t help that I married his ex-girlfriend.”

Cassie remained silent. She’d known from the gossip columns that Alison had first dated Kirk’s cousin. Not that
she
read gossip columns, but her mom did and repeated everything to her. It wasn’t clear whether Alison and Lex had officially broken up when she and Kirk had gotten together, but after two months of dating they’d suddenly gotten engaged.

At the time, Cassie had been on a three-month work assignment in San Diego. She’d returned home to find a wedding invitation waiting for her. The next day, red-eyed and nauseated, she’d emailed her Aunt Betsy in Sydney and told her she’d be visiting sometime soon.

Kirk’s hand remained fisted mere inches from her. She wished she could place her hand over his, but she didn’t want to touch him when he was thinking about Alison. She’d learned her lesson the hard way.

Kirk’s hand gradually relaxed. “Anyway, that’s all in the past.” He sounded more upbeat. “I’m having Lex and his wife Jacinta over for dinner Friday night. Holly, too. You remember my little sister?”

That dollop of pasta sauce on his lips was killing her. “Yes, of course.” Holly was a spunky elf, a ball of energy who’d always made Cassie feel like a slow giant. “What about your dad? Will he be coming?”

Kirk shook his head. “No. He’s away at the moment.”

His shuttered expression caught her attention. Kirk rarely talked about his father. She knew his dad was a widower and that Kirk’s mom had died when Kirk was a teenager, but that was about it. From Kirk’s silence on the subject, she intuited that he and his father were fond of each other but not particularly close, and maybe that was another contributing factor to Kirk’s emotional distance from other people.

She had to say something about that sauce on his lips before she pounced across the table; it was driving her hormones out of control.

“You’ve got some sauce over there,” she said, indicating the spot on her own face.

“Here?” He swiped a finger over his lips. As he licked his finger, she imagined his tongue flicking over her body, and her stomach clenched. “Uh, you missed a bit… Here, let me get it for you.” Unable to resist, she stretched an arm out and wiped the last fleck of sauce from his mouth. It took only a second, but the feel of his warm, kissable lips sent a shaft of lust through her.

Their eyes locked, and the atmosphere between them pulsed with tension for a moment before a look of confusion came over Kirk.

“Thanks,” he muttered, then began cleaning up their plates.

When he wasn’t looking, Cassie surreptitiously sucked the sauce off her fingertip, and it seemed to have extra flavor because it had touched Kirk’s lips.

…

Cassie’s mom crossed her legs and fixed Kirk with a blue-eyed stare. She was thin and elegant, a green silk dress draped over her coat-hanger frame, a Hermes scarf casually knotted around her neck, stockinged feet in narrow leather pumps.

“Cassie’s never told me how you two met in college,” Audrey said.

“We were roommates in the same share house,” Kirk replied.

“Oh, you didn’t belong to one of the fraternities?” Sitting beside Audrey, Cassie’s sister Lillian looked intrigued. The striking similarities between Lillian and Audrey only highlighted how different Cassie was from them.

Kirk hadn’t been in Audrey’s apartment fifteen minutes before he saw why Cassie had difficulties with her family. The living room where they sat was a showcase for Audrey’s interior decorating skills. Everything was tastefully done—slick couches and chairs, modern rugs, color-coordinated accessories—and he could see why Cassie wouldn’t feel comfortable here. It wasn’t a room where you could kick off your shoes, put your feet up, and watch TV with a beer in one hand and a bowl of nachos at the other. It was more a room you’d find in a designer magazine.

Audrey clearly put a lot of stock in appearances, as did Lillian. Both of them wore dresses and dainty shoes and silver jewelry, while Cassie had shown up in jeans, sneakers, and an oversize Giants T-shirt. Audrey hadn’t approved. He’d seen it in the tightening of her lips and the darting frowns she aimed at Cassie. Kirk had come straight from the office, so his Italian business suit, hand-tailored shirt, and silk tie appeared to make the grade with Audrey.

Cassie sat next to him on the couch, hands tucked under her thighs, palpable tension radiating from her. She’d barely said two words while her mom and sister dominated the conversation.

“So sorry my fiancé couldn’t make it tonight,” Lillian said. “Mark works at Gordon and Smith, so he has to put in long hours. Maybe you could meet him next time.”

“Oh,” Cassie broke in. “You and Mark are way too busy with the wedding, and afterward you’ll be away on honeymoon, and by the time you get back I’ll have returned to Sydney.”

Lillian pursed her lips at her older sister. “Aren’t you getting tired of that place?”

“No, I’m happy there.”

“And being a construction worker?”

“I’ve told you before, I’m a building manager.” Cassie sat up, hands pressed between her knees. “And I like my job.”

“I hope you wear sunscreen.” Audrey tutted. “Outdoors all day, and that Australian sun is so strong. You’ll end up prematurely aged.” She narrowed her eyes at her daughter as if inspecting her for wrinkles.

As Cassie sighed, Kirk glanced at her, and the suppressed dejection in her brought him up short. Her mom and sister were so dismissive of her choices, and even though she’d grown up expecting this attitude, he saw it still hurt her. And seeing Cassie hurt made his gut burn with acid.

“I think it’s incredible what Cassie’s achieved,” he said. “She’s made a new life for herself in a foreign country, and she has a job she’s good at and enjoys. Not many people can say they’ve done all that. I really admire her.”

Cassie let out a tiny gasp while her mom and sister stared at Kirk.

Audrey eked out a polite smile. “Yes, well, she’s gone her own way.” She turned to Lillian. “Honey, could you lend me a hand in the kitchen?”

When they were alone, Cassie nudged him in the side with her elbow. “‘I really admire her?’” Amusement bubbled in her voice. “Laying it on a bit thick, weren’t you? But thanks, anyway.”

“Any time.” He tilted his head toward her. “I think I get why you went through that up-yours-Mom phase.”

“That’s over. I know my mom and Lillian aren’t people I’d want to mix with, but you don’t get to choose your family, and they’re all I’ve got.”

“I understand.” He knew all about difficult family members, what with his competitive cousin, his remote father…even his rebellious little sister gave him cause for concern.

“And it’s nice of you to put up with them for my sake. We only have to make it through dinner, and then we can leave.”

“Relax, will you? I want to sing your praises a bit more.”

“They won’t believe you if you overdo it. It’s like perfume—a little goes a long way.”

As she led him into the adjoining dining alcove, he mused that Cassie wasn’t used to praise from her family or him. He wasn’t joking when he’d said he admired her achievements. He did. It wasn’t easy moving to a foreign country and starting all over again, but Cassie had succeeded. Not for the first time he wondered what had prompted her to do it. She’d never expressed any burning desire to visit Australia before she’d abruptly picked up and left.

They dined on salmon, asparagus, and baked potatoes. At least, Kirk was served baked potatoes, while the women had a pile of boiled spinach each. Beside him, Cassie sighed as she longingly eyed his baked potatoes, but Audrey was watching her like a hawk.

“I’m taking you shopping tomorrow for wedding shoes,” Audrey declared to Cassie. “Let’s hope we can find something in your size.”

Cassie rolled her eyes at Kirk. “As you can gather, I’m something of a freak in my family.”

“Freak is good. You were awesome at hockey.” He glanced at Audrey and Lillian. “Did you ever see her play? She was an incredible right wing.”

He and his housemates had often turned out to watch Cassie play. On the field she had displayed an athletic ferocity that belied her self-effacing nature. Even now he could picture her racing down the field, her figure lean and strong, her blue hair shimmering in the sun.

“Was she really?” Audrey dabbed her lips with her linen napkin.

Kirk gritted his teeth at her blasé attitude. “Yeah,” he insisted. “And she’s great at basketball, too.”

Leaning toward him with an ingratiating smile, Audrey said, “So tell us about your work. It must be
so
exciting running a family empire like yours.”

“It’s not always exciting, but it’s definitely challenging.”

“Challenging, yes, of course.” Audrey had stopped eating, focusing all her attention on him. “But you do have some compensation, like private jets and helicopters and limousines.”

Cassie made a choking noise, which she quickly smothered. “I enjoy my work,” Kirk said, trying to be diplomatic.

“And when you’re not working? I suppose being a Rochester means you’re a member at the Pacific Union Club.” Audrey let out a trill of laughter. “My father loved going there.”

“The PUC?” Lillian chimed in. “I’ve been to a dinner dance there. Such a beautiful place.”

As Kirk’s father was a PUC member, Kirk could have joined, too, but why would he want to spend his spare time at a stuffy men’s-only club? He chewed on his salmon for a while before answering, “When I’m not working I like playing basketball or watching movies or hanging out with my friends.”

“Oh.” Audrey’s lips pinched as if she was disappointed with his answer, before she lifted her shoulders philosophically. “Are you doing anything next Saturday? We’d love you to come to Lillian and Mark’s wedding.”

He sat back and looked at Cassie. She was plowing through her spinach with a grim expression.

“I’m sure you don’t want me at such late notice. I’ll mess up your numbers.”

“Oh, it’ll be fine.” Lillian waved her hand. “Bring a date, if you want. That’ll keep the numbers even.”

Beneath the table, Cassie trod on his foot. He was pretty sure that was her signal for “no frigging way.”

“I think I have something going on that day.” He reached for his wineglass.

Audrey’s face screwed up in disappointment. “Oh, that’s too bad. But if you change your mind, please let us know. We’d
love
to have you.”

Cassie’s heel found his toe again.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he muttered noncommittally, moving his foot out of harm’s way.

…

As Kirk put his Aston Martin into gear and drove off, Cassie uttered a half groan half splutter from the passenger seat.

“Oh my God!” She clutched at her hair. “I feel like I’ve been holding my breath for hours and now I want to scream my head off.” She flicked on the A/C and leaned her flushed face toward a vent. “How can you sit there looking so calm? Aren’t you glad it’s over?”

“It wasn’t that bad. I’ve had worse.”

“I have to apologize for my mom. Her family was rich once, and she grew up expecting to be rich, too, but my grandpa lost all his money, and my mom has never really adjusted to her plebeian status. I hope she didn’t embarrass you with her questions.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Kirk hadn’t cared about Audrey’s inquisitiveness, but he did care about her apparent indifference toward Cassie. At times it had verged on dismissiveness. Didn’t she realize what a fantastic daughter she had? And Lillian was just as bad, but she obviously took her cue from her mom.

“I can see why you never want to talk about your family,” Kirk continued. “But you don’t need their approval. They haven’t earned the right to judge you.”

Cassie shrugged. “That’s why it was easy to ignore them when I was younger, but it’s different now. I want to get along with them.” She ruffled her hair again, making it even more untidy. “Oh, let’s forget about them. Where are we going?”

“Home, I thought.”

“I don’t want to go home. I need to blow off some steam before I’ll be able to sleep.” She snapped her fingers, turning to him eagerly. “Let’s stop by Emilio’s place for a drink. I’m sure something’s happening over there tonight.”

Emilio was one of their old college friends who owned a string of bars and nightclubs. It was at his newest bar in North Beach that Kirk and their friends had met Cassie the previous week to welcome her back to San Francisco.

Kirk lifted his eyebrows at her request. “You sure you want to go there now?” Cassie wasn’t an all-night rager, and neither was he.

“One drink, that’s all.” She beamed at him. “Please?”

Kirk blinked, momentarily distracted by her smile. Cassie really had the sweetest smile. He’d forgotten how it lit up her entire face.