Chapter 55
Even with all that incredible seafood spread before her, she could barely manage a bite. Eventually, she quietly texted Cassian, telling him not to send over any more food and that she’d just head home by herself after dinner. When Cassian saw the message, he let out a quiet laugh. Was being married to him really that embarrassing? Most women would be showing off about having such a powerful husband, wanting everyone to know they had serious connections. Only Anastasia insisted on keeping things understated. But honestly, that’s exactly what made her so different from everyone else, wasn’t it?
After putting her phone away, Anastasia finally managed to chill out a bit. When dinner ended, Anastasia said her goodbyes and grabbed an Uber home. She left Cassian behind—he was still out playing politics with clients.
Anastasia had just gotten out of the shower when she heard the front door open. She quickly threw on a silk robe and hurried out to the living room.
“Mrs. Rhodes, Mr. Rhodes is pretty wasted,” Philips said sheepishly. Hearing that made Anastasia’s heart jump, and she rushed over. Cassian was practically hanging off Philips’ shoulder, his face flushed red, eyes glassy—definitely hammered.
“Jesus, how much did he drink?” Anastasia frowned, worry clear in her voice. Cassian usually knew his limits pretty well.
Philips looked apologetic. “The clients tonight kept forcing drinks on him. He couldn’t really say no without being disrespectful, so he ended up way…”
Anastasia felt her pulse quicken, looking into those dark eyes that were clouded with alcohol but still somehow intense. She said softly, “I’m not going anywhere. Just let me grab you some water real quick—I’ll be back in like two seconds.”
Only then did Cassian release her hand, and Anastasia practically speed-walked to the kitchen. The second she was out of sight, Cassian’s eyes went completely clear and focused—zero trace of being drunk. He watched her walk away with a barely-there smirk on his lips.
Anastasia came back with ice water and a damp washcloth.
She handed him the glass. “Drink this—it’ll help you sober up.” Cassian took a few sips and set it on the coffee table. Anastasia used the washcloth to gently dab his forehead and cheeks, being super careful and tender. Cassian leaned back with his eyes closed, letting her fuss over him. His breathing slowly evened out, and the redness started fading from his face.
“Anastasia…” Cassian suddenly spoke up, his voice low and rough. Anastasia stopped what she was doing. “What’s up? You feeling sick?”
“How much longer do I have to wait?” The unexpected question, delivered in that deep, sexy voice, made Anastasia’s face go bright red. She stumbled over her words. “You’re totally drunk… not much longer…”
“You promised… no backing out…” Cassian sounded almost like a little kid as he held onto her hand. Anastasia smiled and played along. “Okay, okay. No backing out.”
Where she couldn’t see, Cassian’s mouth curved into a satisfied grin. If he’d known that faking being drunk would get him this kind of attention, he would’ve tried it way sooner.