Page 64 of Courting Trouble
But Petra noticed Cassie. And Delilah. And CassienoticingDelilah. And then she suddenly found had a bunch of fresh things to yell at her student.
Sixty-Three
The sun was high, glaring off the clay courts. Delilah gripped her racket tighter, sweat beading at her temples as she chased down the next ball from the machine. Cassie stood near the net, clipboard in hand, watching her every move. And Delilah was on it. Thwack, thwack, thwack. Despite a lack of sleep, she was feeling it today, meeting every ball confidently.
It wasn’t that she was trying to impress Delilah today. She felt it was more that things simply looked different today. Suddenly, hitting a ball didn’t seem so hard. When you’d managed to seduce Cassie Thorne, everything else was cake.
And yet, Petra’s shadow lingered, darker than before. Delilah had gone from fear to disgust at a dizzying speed. Now that she knew Petra had taken advantage of Cassie when she was barely an adult, she wanted nothing more than to brain her with a racket.
But Cassie didn’t need her protection; she’d made that clear. Delilah had to respect how she wanted to handle that vile woman.
‘Good,’ Cassie’s voice cut through the heat, calm and measured. ‘But don’t drop your elbow on the backhand. Keep it sharp.’
Delilah nodded. ‘Turn up the speed,’ she said.
Cassie smiled and approached the machine, twisting a dial.
‘Ready?’ Cassie called.
Delilah nodded. The balls came fast, and she met them with full force, sending them back across the net with satisfying smacks.
‘Better,’ Cassie said, voice low. ‘Your footwork’s improving. You’re getting sharper.’
Delilah’s cheeks flushed. ‘Thanks, Coach.’
Cassie nodded, and some understanding passed between them.Yes, right now, I’m Coach. And I’m going to do my job.
Delilah was grateful for her teaching. She really was learning and growing in confidence.
And when the day was done, and the racket put aside, Delilah was going to rip Cassie’s clothes off.
Sixty-Four
Cassie capped her water bottle and put it down on the bench. Delilah was still at the baseline, racket twirling loosely in her grip, waiting for the next round. There was a brightness in her eyes, hungry, eager. She was ready for more. But Cassie needed to pee like no one’s business.
‘I’m going to use the bathroom,’ Cassie said, tone brisk. ‘Two minutes. Keep your legs moving.’
Delilah nodded, jogging on the spot like a good student, though Cassie caught the faint curl of a smile that promised trouble later. Cassie pushed the thought aside. She was the coach now. She had to be.
She strode off toward the toilets. That was when Petra stepped out from the admin block, blocking her path. It was a jump scare Cassie didn’t need.
‘God! Would you get a bloody bell?’
‘Cassie,’ Petra said. ‘We need to talk.’
Cassie rolled her eyes but followed her inside the cramped office, closing the door behind them. ‘What?’ she asked brusquely.
Petra didn’t waste time. ‘I know who the girl is,’ she said quietly, triumphantly. ‘Delilah whatever. She’s an actress. And Ialsoknow there’s a biopic about Tamsin Rowe being made. She’s playing her, right?’
Cassie’s irritation flared. ‘So? You worked it out. Big deal.’
Petra was pleased with herself. ‘You didn’t want me to know.’
Cassie crossed her arms. ‘What can you really do with that information? Nothing.’
Petra’s tone shifted, colder, sharper. ‘I’ve noticed something else. You and Delilah. You’re involved.’
Cassie’s jaw tightened. ‘That’s none of your business.’
