Save the Last Dance (Stevens Book 1)

Chapter 20

It was a full dress rehearsal which meant that Cassandra got to wear all of her beautiful costumes. When she walked into the theater, a hush descended, and she swore the cast were all doing their best to avoid making eye contact with her.

She heard raised voices coming from Jasper's office, so she headed in that direction. She saw Mason and Jasper staring at each other across the desk.

"What happened?" Cassandra asked, closing the door behind her.

"This." Mason threw a paper in her direction and Cassandra barely caught it. When she looked down at it she saw the three of them. It was the moment Mason had stepped between her and Jasper.

Cassandra looked at it and saw what Jasper had mentioned the night before. The look in Mason's eyes was full of threat and warning as if he was protecting what was his.

She looked at Jasper and smiled.

He smiled back but masked it quickly when Mason turned around.

"I demand that you find out who took that picture and fire them. I have to trust those that I work with, and if someone is taking pictures and selling them to the press, there is no trust."

Cassandra tuned out their argument and read the headline.

'Jasper Fulton Loses, Mason Stevens Wins the Girl!'

"Well, it should sell more tickets," Cassandra mused out loud.

"What are you even doing here? I thought you quit." Mason shot daggers at her over his shoulder.

"Nope, Jasper and I made up."

"Well isn't that just peachy," Mason drawled.

Cassandra just grinned, suddenly very happy.

"What are you grinning about?"

"You, you're so cute when you're angry." Cassandra moved toward him, rising on her tiptoes, and placing a light kiss on his shocked mouth.

"Relax, Jasper will deal with it," she whispered in his ear, giving it a little bite before she pulled away. He caught her and pulled her to him looking down into her eyes, his gaze devouring her face as if he was wondering where she had been.

She smiled again running her hand through the back of his hair. "Let's go play."

Walking toward the door she turned back, "Jasper, do you have a few minutes? I have a question about the final scene."

"Sure," he said, joining her at the door.

Mason's eyes narrowed as he watched them leave.

*******

What the hell just happened? Mason rubbed his ear where she had bit it. She had been like the walking dead all week, and now it was as if she had a new purpose. She was almost the same Cassie she used to be except now she seemed to have a new found confidence.

What were she and Jasper planning? The about-face in their attitude toward each other was disconcerting.

In England he had just about had her, but something had happened to make her pull away, and she had been cold ever since. It was as if a light had gone out. Now it seemed the light was back on and she was ready for round two.

She was up to something, or he didn't know his Cassie.

His brain came to a screeching halt. His Cassie. Since when was she his Cassie?

He sat down stunned at that thought.

If he was honest, he was upset about the paper because of how he thought it would affect her not him, and yesterday, when Jasper had lunged for her, it had taken everything he had not to hurt the man. How could he have even thought about hurting Cassie?