Voices sounded from the other side of the dining room, coming from the kitchen she’d been in several times as a child when her mother had come to one of Ms. Dottie’s teas.
The voices grew louder as if they were coming toward them.
Drake handed her the key. “Go while I run interference.”
Cassie sprinted for the staircase and stopped with her foot on the first riser. “Which room?”
“Second door on the right. I’ll be up as soon as possible.” He turned away from her and hurried for the kitchen.
Cassie ran up the stairs and fumbled with fitting the key into the lock on the second door to the right.
Below her, Drake said, “Having a party without me?”
Another male voice responded, “Ms. Dottie broke out a bottle of Scotch whiskey. We couldn’t let her drink alone.”
“Murdock, I’ve never known you to turn down an offer of Scotch,” Drake said.
“Pretty damn fine whiskey, too,” another man commented. “Ms. Dottie has good taste in Scotch.”
Ms. Dottie’s laughter carried up to the second floor. “You don’t get to be my age without finding the good stuff. Care for some?”
Drake chuckled. “I would, except I’ve already had my limit for a work night. I’m headed for a shower and bed.”
Cassie twisted the key in the lock and tried to turn the handle. It didn’t move.
The voices and footsteps moved closer.
Cassie counted the number of doors. She had turned right at the top of the stairs and gone to the second door on the right. She tried again. The door didn’t budge.
Muttering a silent curse, she ran back to the top of the stairs and kept going as if she’d turned left instead of right and found the second door on the right. The key fit in easily, and the door opened.
She stepped through it and closed the door softly behind her, leaving it unlocked for when Drake finally came up.
A quick inspection of the room assured her it had everything they needed. There was even a stash of condoms inside the nightstand. A thrill of anticipation stormed through her. Making love once was all she could hope for, but the possibilities seemed endless with a drawer full of protection.
She considered slipping into the shower but wasn’t sure how noisy the pipes were or how many other guests occupied the B&B besides Drake and his teammates. If she fired up the shower, and they were Ms. Dottie’s only guests, they’d know for sure someone else was in the building beside them.
Cassie wasn’t sure why she cared whether they knew of not. But the secrecy and sneaking around really amped up the excitement to the point she was ready to get the party started.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs.
Her breath stalled in her lungs, and Cassie listened carefully, trying to decide if they turned left or right.
Definitely left and headed her way.
She stood in the middle of the room, her heart racing. What if she’d entered the wrong room? What if Drake had changed his mind?
The doorknob turned, and the door swung open.
Drake stepped through, calling over his shoulder. “See you in the morning.”
“Hey, Drake?”
“Yeah, Grimm,” Drake turned to address his friend in the hallway.
“You might ask your lady friend if she wants a glass of that damned fine Scotch whiskey.”
Laughter rang out in the hallway.