Blake’s POV
It was 9:14 p.m. when I finally made it back to the penthouse.
I’d meant to be home earlier, by seven as promised, but a last-minute crisis with a project headline had kept me at the office for hours longer than planned. Part of me had been relieved for the excuse. After my conversation with Melissa and lunch with Ford, I needed the distance from Cassie and the tension that crackled between us every time we were alone together.
The penthouse was dark except for a single light spilling from the kitchen. I’d expected everyone to be asleep, or at least in their rooms by now. Hoped for it, if I was honest with myself.
I moved silently through the living room, my rubber-soled shoes barely making a sound on the marble floors. As I approached the kitchen, I saw her.
Cassie was kn
