Total pages in book: 15
Estimated words: 13338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 67(@200wpm)___ 53(@250wpm)___ 44(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 13338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 67(@200wpm)___ 53(@250wpm)___ 44(@300wpm)
Xander sighed. “Sorry. I didn’t realize you were that upset.”
Dash raised an eyebrow. “Did you not read the headlines?”
“Don’t worry. Axel was here and I know from Sasha that he reassured her and calmed her down.” Xander flicked the signal, glanced in the rearview, then the side, and pulled into the left lane.
“It should have been me,” Dash muttered, then glanced at his watch. “I assume Cass is at work. Are you taking me to the office or the studio?”
“Neither. You won’t get any time with her at the studio. Too much going on. She should be finishing up soon, so I’ll drive you to the apartment and you can surprise her when she gets home.”
“You sure she’ll be there?” Dash asked. He’d had a house in the Hamptons before he married Cassidy, and they’d purchased an apartment in the city for her convenience when K-Talent took over office space there, as well. She could be at either place or have dinner plans or a meeting.
“I’m certain. I asked Sasha. She said Cassidy couldn’t wait to go home after work and crash.”
“Okay, perfect. That’ll give me a few hours to set the scene for when she gets home. I’ll order in dinner and flowers, get the table set, light some candles…” He nodded in approval of his own plan. “I can give her the ultimate surprise.”
Xander chuckled. “Dash Kingston, one-time playboy, is a romantic. Who knew?”
If his brother wasn’t driving, Dash would be tempted to slap him in the head. Instead, he folded his arms and leaned back against the seat, allowing his body to feel the exhaustion from all the stages and the five-hour trip.
* * *
Murphy’s Law, Cassidy thought as she dragged her weary body into the elevator of the New York City apartment she and Dash owned. If it could go wrong on set today, it had. From the broken air conditioner to not enough extras showing up for a crowd scene to one of their primary co-stars arriving drunk, the day had been an exercise in patience.
They’d had to sober up the actor with coffee and water and shoot scenes out of order until he looked and sounded ready to tape. Even so, when his time had come, he’d needed too many takes to nail his scenes. No air conditioning in the summer meant she’d sweated like crazy until the repairman had finally fixed the issue, and the stars of the movie had not been happy with the sweltering temperature. Cassidy wasn’t sure how she felt about being a producer.
She’d started as creative director at K-Talent. The first year had been a learning experience, but she’d soaked up the information. On the company’s one-year anniversary, Sasha and Xander had offered her a position as head of film and television, making her Sasha’s right hand. They’d always worked closely together, so the job was perfect for her. She’d also been able to pick projects and run them by Sasha. This past year, she’d moved into production, and the truth was, Cassidy missed her former role.
She’d hoped to be home by six for a change. Instead, she stepped out of the elevator on the penthouse floor shortly after nine p.m. If anyone had told her when she and Sasha were sharing a small place in Los Angeles that, one day, she’d be married to a rock star, living in the lap of luxury, and a producer in a film production company, she’d have laughed and called them crazy.
Yet, here she was, ready to walk into the luxurious apartment she and Dash had decorated together, alone, while her husband was clear across the country. She hadn’t even had a message or call from him this evening, not that she would have been able to answer while putting out fires at work.
Despite the tour, everything in their lives should have been perfect. She was confused as to why it wasn’t. From the time they’d gotten together, he’d been true to his word. He and the guys had cut back on the amount of time the band traveled. Twice in almost four years wasn’t much to ask, and the first time the band went on the road, she and Dash had talked often. They’d FaceTimed and phone sex had been fun and constant.
This tour was different because they had no time for each other, and that wasn’t the life she’d signed up for. If she was going to be married, she wanted a husband she felt connected to. The physical miles apart she could handle, but she hadn’t been prepared for the emotional distance she felt now.
She let herself inside and smelled garlic and the definite scent of something delicious. The lights were on in the kitchen, and dim flickering shadowed the wall in the dining room visible through the kitchen pass-thru. She wasn’t worried because a burglar didn’t make dinner or light candles, and her stomach did a flip at the possibilities waiting for her.