Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon Chapter 115

Caspar's POV:

"Audrey!" Noah exclaimed before I could answer.

He darted forward to wrap his arms around her legs.

"You promised we could have a sleepover! Remember?"

I watched her face carefully, catching the moment of realization in her eyes.

Audrey's gaze lifted to mine.

I merely shrugged, trying to appear more confident than I felt.

"He has an excellent memory."

"I..." She glanced down at Noah, then back to me. "That's very sweet, but I don't think my apartment is set up for guests. It's quite small, and you don't have any clothes or—"

Before she could finish, James appeared in the hallway behind me, two overnight bags in hand.

He looked between us, clearly uncertain about the situation.

"Sir, should I bring these inside or leave them by the door?" James asked.

I watched Audrey's expression shift from surprise to resignation.

She sighed deeply, stepping back from the doorway.

"Just... bring them in," she said with a wave of her hand.

James nodded politely, carrying our bags into the apartment.

"Anything else, sir?" he asked, clearly eager to retreat from the awkward situation.

"No, thank you, James," I replied.

He gave a slight bow before making a hasty exit.

To avoid the uncomfortable silence that threatened to follow, I immediately crouched down beside our bags, unzipping the larger one.

I began pulling out clothes and toiletries with unusual efficiency, arranging them in neat piles on her floor.

Noah quickly joined me, his small hands grabbing pajamas and toys from his bag.

As if slowing down for even a moment might give Audrey the chance to reconsider and show us the door.

Noah seemed to understand the stakes intuitively, working alongside me with determined focus.

Audrey stood watching us for a moment, arms crossed over her chest.

I could feel her gaze on us, but didn't look up.

"Do you... need any help?" she finally asked, her voice tinged with resignation.

"No, we're fine," I answered immediately, perhaps too quickly.

"We'll be done in just a minute. Noah knows exactly where everything goes, don't you, Noah?"

Noah nodded solemnly, already arranging his stuffed animals on a corner of Audrey's sofa as if they'd always belonged there.

Within minutes, we were ready for everything..

I stood up, surveying our handiwork with satisfaction.

Somehow, in the span of ten minutes, we'd managed to leave our mark on every corner of her meticulously kept apartment.

"Bathroom?" I asked, holding my toiletry bag.

She pointed down a short hallway. "First door on the left."

After helping Noah settle in, I excused myself to shower.

I finished my shower quickly, wrapping a towel around my waist before realizing I'd forgotten to bring clean clothes in with me.

Opening the bathroom door, I stepped into the hallway.

Steam escaped around me as I made my way toward the living room where I'd left my bag.

Audrey stood by the kitchen counter, a glass of water in her hand.

Her eyes widened when she saw me, her gaze flickering briefly over my chest before darting away.

A blush crept up her neck to her cheeks.

"I forgot my clothes," I explained, enjoying her flustered reaction more than I should have.

She nodded stiffly, still avoiding eye contact. "I can see that."

I moved closer, unable to resist teasing her a little.

"I'll go get dressed and meet you in bed."

The glass in her hand wobbled dangerously. "What?"

"Noah's already waiting there," I clarified, my lips twitching with suppressed amusement. "For his bedtime story."

"Right," she breathed, visibly relieved. "Of course."

Audrey set her glass down carefully and retreated to the bathroom to prepare for bed.

I walked over to check on Noah, who had already made himself comfortable among the pillows on Audrey's bed, arranging his stuffed animals in a neat row beside him.

The sudden chime of a phone cut through the quiet apartment.

Audrey's cell phone, left on the coffee table, lit up with an incoming call.

Noah, curious about the ringing, picked up the phone and glanced at the screen.

Then he looked up at me. "Who?"

I leaned over to see the name displayed. "Daniel Harrison. The kindergarten teacher."

The one who couldn't keep his eyes off Audrey earlier today.

Noah's face immediately scrunched into a frown.

"You answer it," he said, thrusting the phone toward me.

Despite the temptation to intercept this particular call, I shook my head.

"Noah, we can't answer other people's phones without permission. That would be rude."

"But I don't want him talking to Audrey," Noah insisted, his small brow furrowed with a protective expression.

"That's not for us to decide," I replied, even as the phone continued to ring. "We need to respect Audrey's privacy."

Noah looked at me for a long moment.

Then, before I could stop him, his small finger tapped the answer button.

Left with no choice, I took the device.

"Hello?" I answered, my voice deliberately casual.

There was a pause. "I... I'm sorry, I was trying to reach Audrey Lane?"

"She was taking a shower," I replied smoothly. "This is Caspar Thornton. Is there something I can help you with?"

Another longer pause.

"Mr. Thornton, I... I was just calling to share about Noah's first day and to discuss some observations with Miss Lane."

"I appreciate your dedication," I said, my tone calm but dangerous.

"But it's rather late for work calls, don't you think? "

"Of course, sir. I apologize for the interruption. Good night."

I ended the call just as the bathroom door opened.

Audrey stepped out, her hair slightly damp and pulled back in a loose braid, wearing simple pajamas.

Her eyes immediately went to the phone in my hand.

"Daniel just called," I said before she could ask.

She blinked, surprise flickering across her features. "Daniel? The kindergarten teacher?"

"Yes," I replied, setting her phone back on the counter.

"He wanted to share his observations about Noah's first day. I informed him that work-related calls can wait until daytime."

Audrey nodded, then paused as realization dawned on her face.

"Wait, why were you answering my phone?"

"I answered it!" Noah called before I could respond.

"Daddy was telling me not to, but I did it anyway. Come on, Audrey, I'm waiting for my story!"

Audrey seemed to accept this explanation without much thought.

I watched her awkwardly perched on the edge of the bed on the side Noah and I had left empty for her.

Without hesitation, Noah rolled across the mattress and nestled himself directly into Audrey's arms, looking up at her with complete contentment.

"Read me a story?" he whispered, already sounding drowsy.

Audrey began reading the book Noah had selected, her voice growing softer as his eyelids drooped.

Within minutes, he was fast asleep, a gentle smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

His small body curled trustingly against her, one hand still clutching the edge of her pajama top.

She carefully closed the book and set it aside, her eyes meeting mine over Noah's sleeping form.

"How long are you planning to stay here?" she whispered, careful not to wake Noah.

I shrugged slightly, the darkness of the room hiding my expression. "I haven't decided yet."

Audrey sighed, a sound of resignation.

"This apartment is too small for all of us. "

She glanced down at the sleeping child between us.

"I agree to move to the manor. "

"You're sure?" I asked, though I'd been angling for precisely this outcome since we arrived.

"Yes," she whispered, careful not to disturb Noah.

"I'll come help you pack tomorrow," I offered, trying to keep the satisfaction from my voice. "We can move whatever you need."

"Talk tomorrow," she said, settling back against the pillows.

Her fingers absently stroked Noah's hair as she added.

"It's getting late. We should try to sleep now."

I nodded, watching as she closed her eyes, her breathing gradually slowing.

Soon her breathing deepened and evened out, joining Noah's gentle snores.

A healthy flush colored her cheeks, and her hair spilled across the white pillow.

I found myself studying her with an intensity that startled me.

Before I could stop myself, I reached out and lifted a strand of her dark hair between my fingers. It was softer than I'd imagined.

I leaned closer, telling myself I would stop after the briefest contact. Just one taste.

My lips touched hers gently at first, a whisper of contact that I intended to break immediately.

But her lips were warm and pliant in sleep, and instead of pulling away, I deepened the kiss.

My self-control shattered when she made a small sound of protest as her breathing was restricted.

In her sleep, her lips parted slightly, and she breathed out a soft, "Cas..."

I froze, heart hammering against my ribs.

Had she awakened? But her breathing remained deep and even, her eyes firmly closed.

That fragment of my name had been unconscious, unintended.

I buried my face in the curve of her neck, a low laugh escaping me.

"What are you doing to me, Audrey Lane?"

I whispered against her skin, my words too soft to disturb her sleep.