Kiss Me if You Can (Most Eligible Bachelor Series Book 1)

by Carly Phillips

  Charlotte couldn’t worry about matchmaking at the moment. She and Sylvia had something else to take care of first. Ricky, the cheating bastard, had items that belonged to each of them. The night of their last caper, Charlotte already had found the necklace, while Ricky had located the ring and the bracelet in another closet. They were supposed to meet outside, where he’d hand the bracelet over to Sylvia, completing the ritual of each of them coming away with a trinket for their trouble. But earlier that evening, Charlotte had given him another item to hold for safekeeping, one of both monetary and sentimental value. He’d never showed, disappearing and taking both items with him.

  The no-good, rotten son of a bitch had Charlotte’s wedding ring. And she wanted it back.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lexie woke up in a cramped position on the family room couch, her neck crooked and aching, along with her head. The first thing she did was to check on her grandmother, but Charlotte was nowhere to be found. She called Sylvia’s, but no one picked up the phone there, either. She’d just have to assume her grandmother was feeling more like her old self this morning and had gone out with her friend.

  She showered, letting the warm water rush over her sore muscles, washed her hair and blow-dried it, then dressed and headed to the kitchen for some much-needed coffee. By the time she’d finished one full cup and started on another, she was finally beginning to feel human again.

  She opened the newspaper, scanned the pages and when she came to the Bachelor Blog section, she groaned aloud. Apparently, the Blogger’s fame had spread to the suburbs because someone had told the Blogger that Lexie and Coop had been at the hospital last night. She’d long since given up having privacy when it came to her relationship with Coop. She just did her best to ignore the fact that anyone she passed could be taking notes and forwarding them to the Blogger. Lexie just hoped her grandmother was no longer the Blogger’s source.

  Between the caffeine and the reality check brought on by reading the paper, Lexie’s brain began to function, too, and the events of last night came flooding back. From her parents’ stiff demeanor to her grandmother’s incident, the memories nearly caused her headache to return. Until she remembered that there had been something different about the whole miserable evening. Coop had been by her side, holding her hand when her parents’ disapproval of her trip choices were mentioned, and keeping his reassuring touch on her shoulder throughout the ordeal at the hospital. She hadn’t been alone.

  And she’d been alone for most of her life.

  Her cell phone rang suddenly, distracting her from what could have been a very risky thought process. She grabbed her BlackBerry from the counter by the coffee machine.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Lex.”

  At the sound of Coop’s voice, her stomach fluttered with a warm, fuzzy alien feeling. “Hey, yourself.”

  “How are you feeling this morning?” he asked.

  The vague memory of him leaning over her and removing her glasses flitted through her mind. “How long did you stay?”

  “Long enough to watch you sleep,” he said, his voice gruff.

  “Oh.” Swirling pools of desire circled inside her. “Sorry I wasn’t good company.”

  “Says who?” He chuckled. “I like listening to you snore.”

  “Hey! I don’t snore!”

  “I say you do and it’s pretty darn cute if you ask me.”

  She smiled and hoped he was doing the same. “We need to talk some more.” About her grandmother and the jewels.

  “I know. Unfortunately, I have to work. A meeting I can’t cancel. How about dinner tonight?”

  She wouldn’t mind having the day to work on her designs. Maybe she and Claudia could have an impromptu get-together as well. “Sure. Dinner sounds good.”

  “Great. How’s our favorite almost-octogenarian this morning?”

  Lexie sighed. “I wish I knew. She was gone by the time I woke up. No note, either.”

  “Think she’s avoiding you?”

  “That’s exactly what I think. She’s afraid I’ll ask more questions about how she really got the necklace.”

  Coop cleared his throat. “We need a plan.”

  Lexie nodded. “I agree. We can figure it out over dinner.”

  “My place?” he asked.

  She remembered what happened the last time they had dinner at his apartment. So did her body, and a tingling arousal settled between her legs. She squeezed her thighs together to stop the sensation, but that only served to heighten the feeling.

  “Lexie?”

  “Your place sounds perfect,” she murmured. Private, too. She doubted she’d survive the day anticipating what was to come.

  “See you later, sweetheart.”

  Sweetheart. At the endearment, her mouth ran dry. “Later,” she said, the words barely audible before he hung up.

  She dragged a deep breath into her lungs. She had a long day ahead of her and wouldn’t be productive if all she thought about were his rich voice and sexy hands. Nope. She needed to work if she wanted those hours to pass quickly.

  He was right. They needed a plan. But what would it be? Confront Charlotte and risk upsetting her? Or let it go, in which case the mystery would remain unanswered forever. The latter was unacceptable to Lexie, and there was no doubt in her mind that Coop would never agree to just pretend an unsolved jewel theft had never happened.

  And if their digging confirmed her grandmother’s guilt? Lexie closed her eyes, knowing in her heart that Coop the reporter couldn’t possibly bury such a story. Right now they shared a mutual interest. Dig up the story, uncover the truth, figure out what had happened in the past. Afterwards? That mutual interest would be torn in two.

  Clearly, the end was near. Sooner than she had hoped. In which case she had to make the most of the time that remained, which meant that when she saw him tonight, seduction first, discussion later.

  Charlotte and Sylvia, scarves covering their red hair and Jackie O sunglasses perched on their noses, stood across the street from the Vintage Jewelers and waited for their prey. They’d already walked in and talked to Ricky’s daughter. She’d told them that her father had gone fishing and hopefully would be back soon.

  Ricky had never been a man who liked to get his hands dirty, and the story seemed suspicious. So they’d agreed to case the joint until he returned. On the off chance that, like them, he knew there might be trouble and was playing it safe. He might show up on off hours and try to sneak in without being noticed. They didn’t call him a snake for no reason.

  History had given him that name.

  While watching for the man, Charlotte couldn’t help but reminisce about how they’d come to this point. She and Sylvia had grown up together in the same poor Bronx neighborhood. Neither woman wanted to follow the traditional route of marriage and family in an era when that was the norm, which left them with no real means of support. They both took odd jobs to make ends meet, serving in local eateries, and yes, occasionally reverting to thievery so they wouldn’t starve.

  Who knew ancient history could come back to bite Charlotte in the butt this late in life?

  Sylvia had met Ricky on a blind date when he was working part-time at a jewelry store. Later, he’d hired her and eventually he’d gotten the idea to rob from the rich to give to the poor—Ricky being the poor one. He must have sensed a kinship with Sylvia because he’d tapped her as his sidekick and she’d brought Charlotte along for the ride. Sylvia had always been in love with Ricky, but as soon as he’d laid eyes on Charlotte, he’d started viewing Sylvia as more of a friend. The unrequited-love business had always made for a risky partnership and friendship between the three, but somehow they’d made it work.

  Until that fateful night when Charlotte had caught the two of them in bed. She’d stopped speaking to them both. A short time later, fate interceded in the form of her beloved Henry. She’d waited on his table, and he’d asked her on a date. Being around him made her feel alive and happy, and Charlo
tte decided the time had come to live a normal life. She hadn’t been able to conceive a child right away. Then came the draft and the Korean War.

  Charlotte had been so bored and lonely that when Ricky showed up on her doorstep, begging her to go along for one last heist, she’d agreed. Along with Sylvia, whom he’d also found, they’d hit the Lancaster house. A place that Charlotte knew from her husband’s days as their part-time chauffeur. That part of the story she’d told Lexie had been real.

  “I still don’t see how such a low-down snake could have such a sweet, beautiful child,” Sylvia said, pulling Charlotte’s mind from the past.

  She glanced up to see Anna step out of the store, probably for lunch. She’d had another young salesgirl with her, and she was probably watching the shop.

  “You didn’t think he was a snake when you jumped into bed with him.” Her mind had obviously still been in the past when the words slipped out, despite their agreement never to discuss their romantic history with Ricky again.

  Sylvia straightened her shoulders, obviously upset. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black, missy! You knew I had a thing for him and you lured him into your web anyway. Can you blame me for taking what was rightfully mine?” Sylvia asked, her face flushing, her voice rising.

  Charlotte cocked an eyebrow. “Hell, yes, I can blame you, you shameless hussy! He was interested in me first!”

  “Ladies, is there a problem?” A uniformed police officer asked, interjecting his authoritative voice.

  “No, sir.” Unless he counted her best friend being a lying, cheating snake in the grass. “We were just discussing something that happened in the distant past,” Charlotte said, sweetly.

  “Apparently, we remember the situation differently,” Sylvia added. Behind her glasses, Charlotte caught the frosty glare.

  “You know how it is when time plays games with a person’s memory. Especially with age,” Charlotte explained.

  Sylvia nodded. “And she would know, as she’s a full year older than me, in case you missed the extra lines and wrinkles.”

  The officer shook his head hard. “All right now. I suggest you kiss and make up before this degenerates into a brawl,” he said, laughing at his own joke.

  “I can best her anytime,” Charlotte said. “I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again.”

  “As I recall, I had a hunk of your already-thinning hair in my hands!” Sylvia retorted.

  The officer sputtered, unable to formulate a coherent sentence.

  Finally, he propped both hands on his waist, one on a baton, the other on his weapon. “Leave the past where it belongs and find something else to do.” With a curt nod, he took off down the street.

  Charlotte exhaled hard. “Well, that was close. Imagine if not one day after I landed in the hospital, poor Lexie had to bail me out of the hoosegow!”

  “On that, I agree with you,” Sylvia said.

  Both women knew Lexie was the reason Charlotte was in such a panic now. True, she wanted her ring back, but she’d lived without it for years. If given a choice, Charlotte would prefer that the whole thing stay buried and Lexie continue to look at her with stars in her eyes. Charlotte rarely felt guilty for her past anymore, but at the thought of her granddaughter finding out, Charlotte’s heart nearly beat its way out of her chest. She’d lived a clean life ever since. She adored Lexie and Lexie idolized her. If she found out, would she ever look at Charlotte the same way again?

  In an effort to avoid finding out, any time Lexie mentioned the ring, Charlotte distracted her, usually with well-timed words. She also gave the Bachelor Blogger whatever tidbits she could, both in an effort to encourage Lexie and Coop to stay together and to distract them from the ring. But other than the photograph of them kissing, those two seemed oblivious of the Blog. And Charlotte couldn’t focus on Lexie and Coop until she wrapped up her own troubles.

  Last night, she would have resorted to faking a heart attack to avoid discussing the necklace, but she hadn’t had to go that far. At the time, she hadn’t known the difference between acid pain, pure panic and real heart trouble.

  Charlotte glanced at her friend. “Instead of us arguing over the past, we need to figure out how to keep ancient history where it belongs!”

  Sylvia slowly nodded. “You’re right,” she muttered. “Just promise me that you won’t fall for Ricky’s charm again. We have a good, solid friendship going and his reappearance can only mess it up.”

  Charlotte glanced at her wristwatch. “I don’t want anything to do with him! I haven’t since my beloved Henry!”

  Sylvia paused, then tipped her head to one side. “Fine.”

  “And you? Promise you won’t throw yourself in his arms at the first chance,” Charlotte said, her own arms folded across her chest.

  “Like there’s room with that huge stomach?” Sylvia shuddered. “We have friendship, someone to talk to in the evening, have dinner with or see a movie. Why would I give that up for the likes of him?” She waved a dismissive hand toward the store.

  “Then we understand each other,” Charlotte said. “It’s getting too hot out here. Let’s return around closing time and if we’re not lucky, again tomorrow morning.”

  “Deal,” Sylvia agreed.

  But as they slowly made their way back home, Charlotte couldn’t help wondering if Sylvia would be as immune to Ricky now as she claimed. She hoped so because she really didn’t want to spend her last few years without her best friend by her side.

  After finishing the concept she had in mind for Coop’s home page—going under the assumption he’d soon have more than one novel to offer the world—Lexie did something she rarely did. She went shopping.

  If tonight was her last night with Coop, she wanted it to be a memorable one for them both.

  She normally slept in any old T-shirt, so she wasn’t familiar with frilly lingerie or the best place to buy it. The first store that came to mind was Bloomingdale’s, a huge department store in midtown Manhattan. She left a note for her grandmother who still hadn’t returned and headed for the store.

  Stepping through the doors, Lexie was immediately assaulted by the overhead lights and assorted scents of cosmetics and perfumes. Overwhelmed was more like it. She began to walk around, feeling out of her element and decided to ask someone where she could find the lingerie department. The faster she found and purchased what she wanted, the quicker she’d be out of there.

  Catching sight of a salesgirl, Lexie stepped toward her.

  “Excuse me, where is the lingerie department?” she asked.

  “Intimate apparel is on four,” the heavily made-up woman said, directing her to the nearest escalator with perfectly manicured fingernails.

  “Thank you.” Lexie turned in that direction when she heard her name being called.

  She spun around, surprised to find Coop’s neighbor, Sara Rios, walking toward her. “I thought that was you!” Sara greeted her with a smile.

  “Hi!” Lexie couldn’t tear her gaze from the woman who once again exhibited an entirely different persona from the hard-edged cop or the casually dressed woman she’d met before. Wearing a miniskirt, a ruffled tank, delicate sandals, a full face of makeup and her long hair flowing around her shoulders, Lexie probably wouldn’t have recognized her even if she’d spotted her first.

  “Small world,” Lexie couldn’t help saying.

  “I’m a regular here. Days off and here I am.” She spread her arms around her.

  “I never would have imagined. Shopping really isn’t my thing.”

  “Then what is?” Sara asked while steering her through the store.

  “Travel. I like to save my money, so when I want to pick up and go, the cash is there,” Lexie explained.

  As they spoke, Sara would stop and browse at various cosmetic counters.

  “What sort of places have you been?”

  “Last month I went to Indonesia to see the area hit by the tsunami in 2004, then ended up in Darfur with some people I met.”
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br />   Sara dropped an eye pencil in her hand. “So you’re not what you seem, either. You have to be pretty brave to travel alone, and then to pick up and head to Darfur with strangers.”

  Lexie shrugged. She’d never thought of her traveling as brave. “The people I met were with an aid organization. They were safe enough.”

  Sara nodded. “So what started this love of travel?”

  It was funny. Of all the people who’d questioned her about her transient lifestyle, Coop’s friend seemed the most genuinely curious. Because of that interest, it was easy to open up to her.

  “When I was younger, my grandmother would take me to local sites. Usually, it was whenever life in my house got too intense,” Lexie said, remembering. “At first it was local parks, places to escape. Later it was major tourist sites like the Statue of Liberty and then the Empire State Building.”

  “She sounds special,” Sara said.

  Lexie smiled. “She is.” And probably a devious thief, she thought to herself. “Anyway, as I got older she encouraged me to travel and see the world while I could. I’d take these trips to amazing countries like France and Spain, and I’d realize what a breath of fresh air it was to be away from the pressure at home. Eventually, traveling just became a way of life for me. Something I craved and truly enjoyed.”

  “Sounds like life at home was tough.”

  “No more than for most people,” Lexie said lightly, suddenly embarrassed that she’d spilled her guts about more than just travel. “Hey, I don’t want to keep you, so it was great seeing you, and I’ll just go do my shopping.”

  She wanted to make a quick escape, but Sara’s hand on her arm stopped her. “I’m sorry if I pushed. It’s the cop in me.”

  Lexie shook her head. “Actually, you didn’t. Something about you is just easy to talk to.”