For the first time in what felt like forever, Kasey felt light and free. Like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. The burden of the secrets had been the albatross around her neck, holding her back, slowly eroding her happiness.

When her friends had shown up so unexpectedly, she had been terrified and hopeful. Never had she expected such a reaction as the one she’d gotten. Even now hours later, after they’d all gone home and she was still lying awake recounting everything. But if she was honest, the bathroom was the most vivid in her mind.

The blaring of the alarm the next morning was bittersweet. It pulled her from some of the hottest and most erotic dreams she’d ever had, but it was a sign that life was getting back to normal. She had to go to work to see her friends, and for that alone, she was excited the alarm had beeped its annoying screech.

She climbed out of bed with a bounce in her step, threw on a robe, and headed down the hallway to the smell of fresh brewed coffee.

“Morning,” Layla greeted. “I hope you don’t mind I made myself scarce last night. I didn’t want to intrude and figured you’d appreciate the privacy.”

“You could have stayed. They wanted me to tell you to come back to work and they looked forward to getting to know you better. But I do appreciate your thoughtfulness, even if it wasn’t needed.”

“Are you nervous?” Layla hesitantly asked a few minutes later. “I mean about facing everyone and going back.”

Kasey thought about it for a minute before replying, “Not at all, more embarrassed to see Brannon again than going back to work.”

“I’m not going to ask for details, but I do have to ask one thing. You don’t have to answer but remember, I’m your favorite cousin.”

“You’re my only cousin,” Kasey corrected with a laugh, “but what’s your question?”

“Did he make your world tilt on its axis? Did you see the moon, sun, and stars?”

Kasey could feel her face burn in embarrassment as she nodded. “We only kissed really, but even that was ‘holy mother of god’ amazing. I mean, make your toes curl and your clothes evaporate from the heat amazing.” With that, she stood and headed back to her room to get ready for the day.

She’d talked a big game earlier to Layla she realized as she walked toward the front door of Rakida Construction. Butterflies began dancing in her belly. Kasey grabbed Layla’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I think I lied. I am nervous; isn’t that stupid?”

“No, I don’t think it is at all. I’m nervous and I didn’t have to go through talking to them and explaining and all that. It shows you how much they love and value your friendship that they showed up last night. Just keep that in mind.”

Kasey felt better after she thought about that. It was true. She had nothing to be afraid of. As soon as she walked inside and saw nothing had changed, her butterflies left completely. She put her stuff on her desk and glanced around with a smile. It was like she hadn’t been gone at all. It was perfect.

The rest of the morning flew by as she got caught up on phone calls, emails, and the thousand and one details that needed checked. When lunch rolled around, she joined her friends at their favorite food truck for a quick bite to eat, just like they did once a week since she’d started working with them.

Kasey had just returned from lunch when her desk phone rang, “This is Kasey, how may I help you?”

A soft, seductive growl filled the phone before she heard his voice. “You can go out with me or just come home with me, so you can come for me and let me finish what we started last night.”

“I don’t think this is appropriate work conversation.” Kasey fought not to blush as his words once again brought images of his kiss to mind.

“Call it a business meeting. Tell Kira you need to bring some files by for review. I don’t care. I just want to see you, taste you, and be inside you.”

Kasey closed her eyes as she heard the decadent words flow over her like a hot blanket. She was going to need a cold shower soon if he kept talking like that.

“Brannon, if she turns any redder, she’s going to rival a tomato. Stop propositioning my employee at work,” Carly said as she walked by, causing Kasey to squeal and stutter in embarrassment.

“Forget coming here. I’m picking you up and we can go to dinner, how’s that? This way you can tell Carly that I backed off and behaved like she ordered. If we have dessert someplace else, well, who needs to know but us, right?”

“Dinner? Tonight?”

Brannon’s husky laugh filled the line. “You’ve got to eat, don’t you? I know you don’t find me repulsive, last night proved that. So, have dinner with me and get to know who I am. I promise I’ll behave, unless you don’t want me to.”

“My father’s calling on my cell. Let me call you back,” Kasey said quickly as she hung up and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She didn’t want her father to hear her panting for breath and ask why. That would be excruciating to explain.

She answered her cell with a worried frown. It wasn’t like her father to call during the day, especially now that he knew she worked. “Hey, everything okay?”

“Kasey,” Artemis’s shrew voice replied. “Your father had to go out of town unexpectedly on some business emergency. Anyway, I’m calling because as much as I hate to do this, I need a favor.”

“You need a favor from me? Has Hell frozen over and I missed the news?”

“Don’t be a smart ass. I wouldn’t ask if I had another option, but can you come over and help me? I’ll explain when you get here, but please…I can’t believe I’m saying this…but please come soon.”

Kasey wanted to say no, but she couldn't do it. As much as she hated the woman, she was still pregnant with her half-sibling, and her father for some fucked up reason loved the woman. “Fine, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

A quick check of the time revealed it was only two o’clock. If she left now, she could still meet Brannon for dinner and only dinner. As much as she wanted him for dessert, she wasn’t going to make things easy for him. He was a shifter. They saw something they wanted, and they took it.

That didn’t mean she was going to lie down and submit, though. Besides, she was no man’s plaything. She may have given in to a one-night fling with him, but that didn’t mean she would keep making the same mistake.

“Kasey, you have a minute I can talk to you about something?” Toni asked hesitantly.

“Sure. Anything for you guys.”

Toni led the way back to the conference room where to her surprise, Caelan sat waiting. “Hey, there, stranger. Just the person I came to see.”

Kasey glanced at Toni in suspicion, but her friend just smiled, closed the door, and sat at the table with Caelan. “What’s going on?”

Toni answered, “Carly told us about the phone call from Brannon and I happened to be here about something else. We thought it would be a good idea to tell you something that you don’t know. If you’re anything like Kira, Carly, and me, this will help you make the right choice.”

“Yeah,” Caelan said. “Brannon is in love with you, has been since the moment he met you. Even when you were hiding yourself from us, he kept insisting that it wasn’t malicious. That you had your reasons. Not that any of us doubted that, but my point is he never once faltered in his dedication to you. To figuring out what was going on so he could help you and protect you.”