Rhys laughed and swatted Alex. “Just seeing if you’ve been paying attention.”
Alex said, “Lucky, lucky Coco. What I wouldn’t give for a night with that Latin lover.” He quickly amended his statement. “If only he were as handsome as you.”
They both laughed. “I hear ya. Have you ever seen anyone so goddamn gorgeous?”
“So what the heck does he have to do with Canyon Ranch?”
“What he has to do with it is this …”
He leaned into Alex.
I leaned into the living wall.
“Coco and I had a bet that she couldn’t get that sexy Brazilian to bed her in five psychic sessions or less.”
Alex sucked in his breath so fast that I thought he’d pass out. “What the hell? How much did you say you drank that night?”
“I didn’t.”
My body turned completely cold. I set my coffee mug down, and the contents of my stomach felt sour. A bet? What the fuck? My hands clenched into fists as I listened.
Rhys clutched Alex’s arm. “You can never breathe a word of this to anyone.” He laughed. “That woman is good. I told her she wouldn’t get him to break. You’ve seen what he’s like. Never has a girlfriend, keeps to himself, runs that business of his, takes care of his daughter, surfs. I thought for sure there was something wrong with him. Like maybe he was a grieving widow or some shit. But nope. Turns out he’s a hot blooded man to hear Coco tell it. A very hot blooded Latin man.” He slapped his thigh. “She got him to screw her brains out in the back of his truck on the fifth session. Damn, I thought I was going to win the bet.” He sighed theatrically.
I stood up so fast I thought I would pass out. Heat filled my body, the back of my neck on fire. Stars appeared before my vision but were quickly replaced with clarity as a shot of adrenaline coursed through my body.
Blood thrummed through my ears, and my fists clenched.
A goddamn bet? That’s all I was to Coco? A cruel prank? My nostrils flared, my breathing rushed.
I almost made my way over to Rhys and Alex to give them the surprise of their life, but I had other plans.
Coco Bennett.
My lips curled into a sinister smile as my hands clenched and unclenched. Fuck! I needed to punch something.
My breathing came fast as I pushed through the glass door and ran back to the hotel fueled by adrenaline and rage.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Dominick
“Good morning Mr. Cortes,” the bright-eyed concierge said as I trotted through the thousand-dollar-a-night hotel lobby.
I glared at him and made for the stairwell. No way was I waiting for the elevator. I took the stairs two at a time, my heart banging in my chest.
I made it to the second floor of the stairwell, my throat dry from rushed breathing. I thought I would hyperventilate as blood pulsed behind my eyeballs, my vision tunneling.
A potted palm stood in front of me, and I kicked the basket container so hard that my shoe got stuck. “Fuck!” I wrenched it free.
That’s when I spotted the window.
My breath came fast as I eyed the glass. I swung with violence, my fist making contact with the glass. The window shattered, and the impact felt goddamn fantastic as rage pounded through my ears. “Burro de merda!” I punched again, and blood spurted out of my knuckles.
I held my bleeding hand, yanked the stairwell door open and headed for our room.
I wanted to slam my fist against the door, but instead, I threw it open.
When I burst into our suite, Coco was sitting up in bed, her black hair cascading over her bare breasts. Damn, the woman was gorgeous. No wonder she felt she could win the goddamn bet.
She smiled when she saw me. “Well, good morning, lover.” She patted the mattress. “Why don’t you come back to bed? I’ve got just the thing to replace your morning coffee.” I stood at the foot of the bed, my body energized by testosterone and adrenaline. I was having trouble controlling my breathing as I stared at Coco, my nostrils flaring. She reached for the sheet and covered her breasts. “Dominick? What’s wrong?” Her gaze flicked to my hand. “What happened to your hand?”
I smiled sweetly. “Just a little accident with a window.”
When I spoke again, my voice took on a sinister quality. “I’ve got a question for you, meu amor.” I dragged the endearment out in a long, taunting manner. “Why don’t you tell me all about Canyon Ranch?”
She hugged the sheet tighter to her body. “Canyon Ranch? That’s that place in Arizona, right?”
And that’s when I lost it. “Don’t fucking lie to me! You know exactly what I’m talking about.” I leaned over the bed as spittle flew from my mouth. “You want to know what happened just now? No? Well, I’ll tell you.” I pointed to myself. “I went down to the coffee house to surprise you.” My voice took on a singsong quality. “I thought it would be nice to get you one of those stupid vegetarian things you like for breakfast. And a goddamn rip off priced organic coffee that you think is so good for you. Fucking scam is what that is.” I jabbed a finger at her. “Just like you.”
Her face had gone white. “Dominick, calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down. I’m just getting started.” My body shook as I spoke. “I decided to enjoy one of their high-priced breakfast sandwiches myself. They’re not bad tasting. But you know what did put a bad taste in my mouth? I’ll tell you exactly how to ruin an appetite.” I narrowed my eyes and leaned in. “Listening to your best friend tell Alex all about the bet.” She flinched. “Your precious secret is out.”
She reached a hand out. “Dominick, I can explain.”
“I don’t want to hear your lying explanations,” I screamed.
She jackknifed up off the bed. “I didn’t even take the winnings! Who cares how we met?”
“You’re not even denying it?” My hands grabbed the side of my head, and I paced the room.
Her hair flew around as she kept pace. “Just forget about it. It was a dumb prank.”
Rage coursed through my system. “You want to know how I felt when I heard all about your prank?” I flinched remembering the taunting way Rhys had gone on in his gossipy way. I stopped walking and pointed in the direction of the coffee house. “That friend of yours is just as fucked up as you are. You should’ve heard the way he was going on with Alex about the bet.”
Coco placed a hand in front of her. “Stop! You’re working yourself up over nothing.”
“Nothing?” My voice took on a singsong quality again as I mimicked Rhys. “You know that sexy Brazilian? You know how he never has a girlfriend? Well, guess what Coco and I planned one night?” I stood stock still in front of Coco, my body vibrating with anger. I jabbed a finger in her face. “You used me! I knew I should’ve listened to my instincts. I should’ve never fallen for your cheap act with your short skirts and expensive perfume.” I turned on my heel.
Coco followed me around the room. “You’re out of control. Stop it. The bet was just a stupid thing Rhys and I came up with like we always do. That was months ago! Clearly you mean more to me than that.”
I laughed. “What’s your next stupid thing?” I squeezed my eyes shut tight. When I opened them again, my eyes were slits. “I opened myself to you. I told you about my father. I let you into my home. I gave up on celibacy. I let you meet my daughter.” I turned abruptly so I wouldn’t have to look at her. “Oh, my God! What was I thinking? I let you get close to Lola.”
I stood at the window taking deep breaths. I was coming dangerously close to punching a hole in the wall. The next thing I knew, Coco’s hand gripped my arm. “Are you really going to freak out over a stupid bet? It didn’t mean anything.”
I whirled around. “Don’t touch me! Don’t ever touch me again.” I stalked past her and grabbed my suitcase, hurling it onto the bed. I began slamming clothes into the bag. “You and I are through. I can’t believe you got away with this for almost three months. When were you planning on telling me the news? When we were sitting in our roc
king chairs? Was that your plan?” I paused and glared at her. “Or maybe when I was on my death bed? That would’ve been real nice.” I snapped my fingers. “Oh hey, before you take your final breath, I thought you might want to know that our entire relationship was a lie.” I raised my arms heavenward. “A complete and total lie.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Just thought it would be an easy way to get in your pants.” I narrowed my eyes as I looked at Coco. “And get a free trip to, what’s the name of that fancy resort? Oh yeah, Canyon Fucking Ranch.”
Coco zipped over to the bed, shrugged into a T-shirt and pulled on underwear. “You’re overreacting. Give me a chance to talk. I wasn’t thinking. After I got to know you I wished I could’ve taken it back. I—”
I grabbed Coco by the shoulders and stared into her blue eyes. “I hope to hell the sex was good because you, Coco Bennett, have had your last orgasm with Dominick Cortes.” I stalked into the bathroom to get the rest of my things. I caught my reflection in the mirror, my wild dark hair cascading around my face like a fright wig, my nostrils flaring. I wanted to shatter the mirror.
Coco scampered after me. “Dominick! Please, let’s work this out. I would’ve told you eventually.”
Blood pounded in my ears, and I turned on her. “Really? Well guess what? It’s too late.” I threw my hands up in the air. “And what exactly were you going to say? Sorry I sucked your cock so many times while all I really thought about was my hot stone massage.”
“You’re acting crazy. Why can’t we laugh about this?”
I let out a maniacal laugh as I pushed past her and threw the rest of my things into my bag. “Too fucking late, amor. You’ve given me your last blowjob. To think I let you unzip my pants. What’s the matter with me?”
The room became quiet. The only thing I heard was the booming of the ocean punctuated by Coco’s ragged breathing. She spoke in an urgent voice. “I … I’m sorry. I know this started out wrong. Dominick …” She reached out a hand to touch me. “I love you.”
Love?
How dare she?
Anger pounded hotly behind my eyeballs. My vision blurred. My muscles clenched, my body ready for a fight. I wanted to kill somebody.
I turned away from Coco and saw the dresser.
It was filled with knickknacks; shells, colored glass balls in a decorative plate, a huge fishbowl heaped with sea glass. With one mighty swipe of my arm, I cleared the entire bureau. A roar erupted from my mouth. “Filha da puta! Don’t lie to me.” The contents of the table spilled to the tile floor with the most satisfying crashing, splintering, and shattering sound. I turned to Coco, my body rigid. I pointed a finger at her. “Don’t you ever use the word love with me again. You’re just like Lola’s mother. She told me she loved me. When she had our baby, I thought we could be together. But no. She had other plans. You and I are through.”
“Dominick, no! We have to work this out.” Coco tried to touch me, but I shrugged her away and grabbed my suitcase. “Don’t leave. Please. Let’s talk.”
“Nothing left to say, lindeza. Unless you want to tell me more lies. Watch me leave, babe. You can read all about me at Cortes Bank.”
And that’s when Coco broke down. She fell to her knees, her body trembling, her long black hair hanging in her face. I could barely understand her when she spoke. “Please. Please don’t go out there and kill yourself on that big wave. I can’t … I can’t bear to lose another—”
My voice was so loud that I thought I’d wake the entire floor. “Don’t tell me what to do!” My voice took on a mocking quality. “Don’t go out there to Cortes Bank, Dominick. Don’t you care about Lola? Don’t you care about me?” My body shook with anger and adrenaline. “You want me to answer those questions?” I pointed a finger at her. “I don’t care about you. Not anymore.” I smacked my head. “To think I was actually going to propose to you.” I couldn’t wait to see the shock on her face.
I was rewarded when her skin turned white, and she reached a hand out to touch me. “You were? Please … please, let’s work this out.”
I backed up out of her reach. Through gritted teeth, I said, “I don’t want to hear one more word about Cortes Bank. I am tired of hearing you go on and on about how you think I’m going to die out there.”
The sound that came from Coco’s mouth pierced the air like a wounded animal. “You will! You’ll die.”
I raised my hands up to the ceiling and yelled. “I’m going out there, and I don’t care if I live or die.” I knelt down. Her pathetic gaze met mine and I forced myself to look at her one last time. “Listen to me real good Coco because these are the last words you’ll ever hear from me. I am going out there to Cortes Bank. I am going to ride the biggest wave of my life. And you haven’t got a goddamn thing to say about it. Got it?”
I stood up, turned on my heel, stepped over broken glass and slammed the door behind me.
My heart beat wildly as blood thrummed through my ears. I paused in the same stairwell where I’d kissed Coco the night before. I took in the ocean below through the broken window and forced myself to take slow deep breaths.
Love.
I was right about love.
It was a sham.
Just like Coco.
Chapter Forty
Coco
After Dominick left, I sat on the floor and cried for a good thirty minutes. The wind blew through the open window, chilling my body to the bone. I hugged myself tightly, my flimsy T-shirt doing little to warm my trembling body.
Finally, I hauled my pathetic self off the floor and trudged into the bathroom where I took a long hot shower, the needle spray hitting my face. I turned the water to a bracing cold and jumped back in shock at the temperature. The tears wouldn’t stop as I slid against the cold tile wall and crouched into the corner in a fetal position.
This served me right. Did I really think I could get away with my deception?
It had seemed so harmless the night that Rhys and I had drunk wine, danced around my condo, stuffed our faces with junk food and laughed. I had been excited about the prospect of having a roll in the hay with Dominick. The plan had been one glorious fuck. What was the harm? We lived in a free society. A place where women had casual sex anytime we wanted. So what if Rhys and I had placed a bet?
Yeah right Coco, try to convince yourself.
I had fallen in love with Dominick.
I thought of his quirky business, his sharp-witted mother with her tummy-and-heart-filling Brazilian meals.
I thought of Lola.
Sweet Lola with the trusting brown eyes and the naiveté that only existed in children.
Then, I thought of Rhys.
My eyes narrowed in anger as I realized that this was all his fault. Rage filled my body like poison, and I quickly jumped out of the shower, hastily dried my hair on the towel, pulled on a pair of jeans, T-shirt and running shoes and flew out the door.
“Good morning, Ms. Bennett,” said the entirely-too-happy concierge as I ran past him, my long hair flying behind me. “May I get you something? A taxi? A—”
He was already out of earshot as I made the turn out of the hotel lobby and started up the hill for Rhys’s house.
My arms pumped furiously as I made the mad dash up the hill. I could’ve qualified for the Olympics that day; hell bent as I was on getting to Rhys’s place and throttling him.
Five minutes later, I stood in front of his charming Victorian cottage with the white picket fence. Love and happiness. That’s what Rhys thought of his place. I thought of his annoying grating voice as he’d said, “A home where I can live happily ever after with my soul mate.”
I’d show him love and happiness.
My hands curled into fists as I pushed through the gate. It swung so hard that I thought it would splinter right off the hinges.
Without waiting for an invitation, I burst through his front door and stormed into his oh-so-perfectly-decorated living room with its monochromatic ocean theme.
Alex sat at the breakfast b
ar, and Rhys stood next to the stove wearing an apron that said: “Kiss the Cook,” a spatula in his professionally manicured hand. His eyes widened. “Coco! What are you doing here?” He laughed and set the spatula aside. “I thought you’d be in the throes of passion right about now. Didn’t you say you’d be at the hotel all day?”
My breathing was heavy, my heart hammering in my chest as a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I took one step toward Rhys and shoved him so hard he stumbled two steps backward, his arms pinwheeling.
“Hey! What the hell is wrong with you?”
I advanced on him. “I’ve got a better question. Why did I think you were my friend?” My body tensed. My hands flattened, and I shoved Rhys again. His hands flew in front of him. My body shook with anger. When I spoke, venom spewed along with the spittle that flew out of my mouth. “Dominick overheard you two talking about the bet at the coffee house this morning!”
Rhys and Alex both gasped so loud at the same time that it was like a scene out of a bad soap opera. Rhys’s face became pale. “No.”
“I’ll kill you!” I hurled my body at Rhys, my hands landing in his hair. He slammed against the wall, and I pulled his hair just like we were in some crazy high school catfight. My fingers curled into his mop, and I pulled so hard that I came away with a handful of dark hair.
Alex was instantly at our side. “Coco. Stop! You’re hurting him.”
I turned on Alex, my teeth bared. I jabbed a finger in his face. “Don’t start with me unless you want your balls in a vise too.” I returned my attention to Rhys, my fists pounding on his chest. The problem was, I fought like a girl. Why hadn’t I practiced on Dominick’s punching bag? “You ruined everything!”
Alex grasped me in a bear hug. My hands flailed for release, and I kicked him squarely in the shin. I was rewarded with a painful yelp. “Leave me alone! Let me at him.”
Alex lost his grip long enough that I was able to land a punch squarely on Rhys’s chin. His hand flew to his mouth as a trickle of blood seeped out. His hands flew to his face. “Coco stop! I’m sorry.”
Sea of Seduction: A Single Dad Sports Romance Page 20
