Page 124 of Rags's Awakening
The cold slammed into her like jagged ice, biting sharper than it had earlier in the day. She looked down the street at the brightly lit Savory Stacks sign reflected in the snow surrounding it. A cup of mushroom bisque and their signature gourmet grilled cheese, made with Gruyère, sharp cheddar, and fontina, tugged at her, but the thought of walking another two blocks in the frigid air held her back.I’ll just open a can of soup when I get home. At this point, she’d already made up her mind to take off early. She turned toward the theatre.
By the time she reached her office, her fingers ached inside her gloves and her cheeks were numb. As she untied her scarf, the wool brushed her throat, and she absently pulled it loose, suddenly aware of how tight it felt. A sliver of unease crawled up her spine, and she frowned. Then she hung her coat, shook snow from her boots, and dropped her purse beside the desk. The quiet was familiar and steady. She suspected most of the crew had already taken off, eager to avoid being caught in a major snowstorm.
Casey packed what she needed to work from home: grant folders, her laptop, a notebook already half-filled with notes. The snow came down harder, thick flakes tapping against the windows. It was better to finish up at home where it was warm, quiet, and safe. She could even take a break and curl up with a glass of chardonnay and one of the books she’d checked out from the library.
After she packed everything up, she slipped on her coat, stuffed the scarf into her briefcase, switched off the lights, and headed out.
The drive home took longer than usual due to the ice-slicked roads and the number of traffic lights knocked out by the storm. She entered through the garage door, discarded her boots andcoat in the mudroom, padded across the kitchen floor, dropped her briefcase on the breakfast counter, then headed upstairs to change into her favorite fuzzy lounger.
After a glass of wine and a small plate of cheese, crackers, and dates, she settled into her desk chair and began to work.
Dusk sneaked in without warning, the last weak rays of sunlight snuffed out by a dense layer of clouds. Not even the moon or early stars made an appearance. Casey stretched in the chair, then stood and walked toward the window. The snow had eased since she’d left work. The trees lining her street were silhouettes against the creeping darkness, their branches swaying and creaking in the gusting wind.
She leaned against the wall, rubbing the back of her neck. It had been a long day, and it didn’t help that she hadn’t eaten anything since the night before. She pushed away from the window and walked into the kitchen. After pouring another glass of wine, she stared at the cans lined up in the cupboard. She wished Savory Stacks delivered, but even if they did, she doubted they were still open. With a sigh, she snagged a can of corn chowder with poblano peppers.
While the soup heated on the stove, she took a deep drink of wine and thumbed through an interior-decorating magazine. Casey loved the feel of a printed magazine: the glossy pages, the way the words sat on the paper. Zoe and Raven thought she was crazy for keeping a subscription, but it was one of her guilty pleasures, along with dark-chocolate almond clusters and a couple of shots of amaretto once in a while.
She jumped when her phone chimed. Expecting Zoe’s name, her stomach fluttered when she sawRagson the screen.
“Hey,” she said, pressing the phone to her ear.
“Hi, beautiful. You at home?”
“I am. I left early and brought work with me. It’s nasty out there.” She took a sip of wine.
“Good. I wanted to make sure you made it home okay.” His deep, low voice caressed her.
“You’re sweet. How’s Throttle doing with his rehab?”
“Bitchin’ and fightin’ it every step of the way.” A low laugh melted over her.
It had been a little over three weeks since Throttle had been hurt. Casey still didn’t know the details or the extent of the injuries, but she never expected to. The outlaw code shut her out. She’d known that going in. She chose to get involved with Rags, so she couldn’t exactly throw a fit when he didn’t share parts of his world. She figured it was club business, and if she were a gambler, she’d bet it had everything to do with what went down at that biker clubhouse in the Peaks district. She’d heard about it on the news, but never mentioned it to Rags.
“At least he’s not in the hospital anymore,” she said.
“Yeah. He’s cooperating with his physical therapy. He just loves to bitch.”
“I bet you’re swamped tonight and tomorrow clearing the snow.” She turned the stove knob to low. “Do you have enough people helping you?”
“Yeah. I got a good crew.”
She heard hard rock beats in the background, the rumble of men’s voices. “Are you at the club?” she asked.
“Yeah. I miss you, baby.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
“I gotta head out soon to clear the roads. We already did a pass earlier today.” His voice dropped. “If I were there, I’d have my arms wrapped around you, kissing you and pinching your sweet tits.”
A spike of desire shot through her.
“Hang on,” he yelled. “Sorry, Case. A couple of the brothers are helping with the plowing. They’re saying we gotta go.”
“No worries. Go do your job and be safe out there. I’ll be thinking of you.”
“You’re always on my mind. You’re the fire in my blood, darlin’.”
His words, and that gravelly voice, stroked her.
