Free Ultimate Surrender by Lydia Rowan Page B

out.
    “Hello?” Cassandra said again.
    She hung the phone up quickly and then put it back on her desk. It wasn’t uncommon for her to get telemarketing calls and random hangups because she made no secret about her contact information.
    She shifted in her seat and began to roll her shoulders, trying to stretch out the long-unused muscles, but a moment later she stood, stretched, and then decided it was time for a drink.
    It was well after three, far too late for tea, but Cassandra had several more hours of work yet, and the drink would give her the boost she needed to get through the afternoon.
    She turned down the hall and walked the couple dozen feet to the break room.
    When she saw the combination tea-coffee machine, she smiled.
    That machine brewed a perfect cup every time, and she always said a little prayer of thanks for Sloan having the good taste to pick it out and for Lucian paying for it.
    As her tea brewed, she leaned against the counter and waited. The office was quiet, but that wasn’t uncommon either.
    Silver took up three stories of the building, but only she, Lucian, and Sloan worked here consistently. The guys dropped in on the occasion when they needed an office, but the bulk of the staff worked on the other two floors.
    It was funny because the floor would be dead silent in the afternoon, but there had been more than a few two a.m. meetings where the break room had been stuffed to the gills with every manner of soldier.
    This afternoon was one of those quiet ones, so Cassandra stood, thinking about what she would do after work, when she heard footsteps approaching. She stood up straight, girding herself for whatever Lucian might bring her.
    She knew it was him. She didn’t know how, but she was always aware of his presence, even when he was silent, which he usually was, though Sloan often made a fuss about how the guys sneaking up on them scared them.
    When he turned and entered the break room she stood up straight, at the ready.
    “Getting your tea?” he asked.
    She wondered why Lucian was asking about something so mundane. In the years they’d worked together, he’d never made that kind of observation, treating her with distance when he wasn’t directly contravening her.
    “So, Cassie—Cassandra,” he said, walking closer to her.
    Even more surprising. He relished calling her that name, so she’d never heard him correct himself of his own volition, which was a concession in itself. Though she disliked it, there was something special about it coming from him, a little sign of the intimacy between them, a connection she found herself missing.
    “What’s up, Lucian?” she asked, wary but also concerned at the change in his behavior.
    He locked eyes with her and said, “I’m sorry. About earlier—I was out of line.”
    “Thank you,” she said. “I’m sorry, too. I overreacted.”
    “Well, having dinner with me tonight would be a good way to make it up to me,” he said, his hands tucked in his pockets as he watched her.
    “You asking me out, Silver?” she said.
    “Trying to,” he replied. “What’s your answer?”
    She covered the two steps between them, stood on tiptoe, and brushed her lips across his. Then she stared up into dark blue eyes that glittered with promise.
    “I’d love to,” she said.
    ••••
    “Dinner is served,” Lucian said later that night, presenting the tall glass to her with a flourish.
    Cassandra crinkled her eyes and looked down at the glass and then back up at Lucian. “Is that orange juice?” she asked.
    He nodded shortly, his face turned up in a smile. “Yup. Got it fresh for you. Told you that was my specialty,” he said.
    Cassandra reached for the glass and took a sip before she set it down and chuckled. The laughter died in her throat when she looked at Lucian, his dark blue eyes glittering with desire.
    “Looks like you’re done with dinner,” he said, his voice a rough whisper.
    Cassandra nodded and pushed the glass away. “I’ve