by Lori Foster
“I take it he was wealthy?”
“Disgustingly rich, yeah.”
Phoenix moved closer to Ridley, as if in support. “What Robbie Rhodes had in financial riches he completely lacked in character.”
Coop wondered what had happened, but he didn’t ask. “I see. Then it sounds like you came out ahead in the deal.”
“Absolutely,” she said with conviction.
But he heard the hurt.
Frowning in worry, Phoenix hooked her arm through Ridley’s, saying, “Maybe a nice long visit is a good idea after all.”
Rolling her eyes, Ridley turned to Coop. “See, now that she thinks I’m the one who needs to unload, it’s all fine and dandy for me to be here.” Sotto voce, she added, “Phoenix doesn’t like to look needy.”
“She mentioned that once.”
Eyebrows raised, Ridley pulled back. “She did?”
He nodded.
“Well, well, well.” She slanted a look at a silent Phoenix. “Looks like you’ll be riding that bike in no time.”
Phoenix tried to frown, but ended up laughing, and that got Ridley laughing, too.
Coop smiled. He didn’t understand the joke, but he liked the sound of their mingled amusement. “Here’s Phoenix’s cabin.” He gestured at the small wood structure just ahead.
“Oh, uh...” Ridley stared in horror.
Phoenix hauled her on. “There’s no backing out now.”
To ensure they got inside safely—or so he told himself—Coop followed. When they got to the front door, he frowned at an excess of mud on the deck boards. “What happened here?”
Phoenix slanted him a look. “What do you mean?”
“It looks like you entered a mud wrestling competition.”
Ridley looked back and forth between them.
After clearing her throat, Phoenix said, “I assumed you stopped by—”
“And cleaned my shoes on your deck?” Not a good impression to give her sister. “I wouldn’t do that.”
Now she frowned, too. “Well, I didn’t do it. It was like that when I stopped by here earlier to grab a shower.”
Suspicion brought his brows together. “Stay put a second.” He stepped off the small deck and cautiously walked around the building. Where there used to be a dirt border circling the lattice skirt, Phoenix had planted flowers.
Beneath one window, those flowers were trampled.
More quickly now, Coop finished the inspection. Though most vacationers left the windows open for the fresh air, Phoenix had them secured. If that was because of the rainy weather or her past, he wasn’t sure.
He returned to the women and saw by the porch light that Phoenix’s expression had tightened with some unnamed emotion. As casually as he could, he asked, “Mind if I take a look around inside, just to be sure...?”
“That no muddy-footed goons broke in?” She handed him the keys with a grand gesture. “Be my guest.”
Ridley, no longer teasing, put her arm around Phoenix, and together they stepped back to wait.
There weren’t many hiding places in a cabin so small, so Coop unlocked the door, flipped on an inside light, and glanced around. Tidy, just as he’d suspected it would be.
She’d brought the outdoors in by placing plants on all available surfaces, including the mantel over the small fireplace, the shelf at the bar-type eating nook and the counter between the sink and the microwave.
In the bathroom, she’d exchanged the utilitarian shower curtain with a puffy one the shade of butter that matched the towels and floor mat. In the corner, another plant hung from the ceiling.
He went two steps up the ladder to the loft and saw she’d also exchanged the bare bedding with a soft quilt and matching shams on fat pillows. Other changes were obvious in the loft, like the hanging light and lap desk with a book still on it, the low storage trunk she used as a nightstand and the wicker laundry hamper.
Phoenix Rose had taken a small vacation cabin and turned it into a cozy and functional home.
“Do you see something?”
He glanced down and found Phoenix standing very close by, her face turned up to his, her eyes worried behind the lenses of her glasses. “Only a decorator’s touch.” As he climbed down, she moved back—and almost fell over one of Ridley’s suitcases.
The cases alone crowded the small space. With a muttered complaint, Phoenix moved them to flank the fireplace, clearing them from the center of the floor.
She’d have her hands full tonight getting her sister settled—and that on top of a busy day.
Plus a brief foray into lust.
If he thought about that much, he’d get primed again. Not good with two women standing there watching him in such close quarters.
“Everything looks secure. Maybe it was Daron looking for you...” Although he couldn’t imagine any of his employees leaving mud tracks behind. It was almost as if whoever had come up on her deck had first tromped through the woods during the storm.
He didn’t like that notion at all.
“Well.” Phoenix laced her fingers together and smiled up at him. “Thanks for checking.”
“Seriously,” Ridley said. “It’s always nice to have a big stud around for the dangerous stuff.”
Phoenix looked horrified, but Coop found her hilarious.
“Been a long time since anyone called me a stud.”
“Bull.” Ridley had been peering into the bathroom, but now she turned his way. “You’re too confident to be unfamiliar with outrageous flattery.”
“And you, Ridley? You’re rather confident yourself. Does that mean you get outrageous flattery heaped at your feet?”
She gave him a shark’s smile, all teeth, attitude, and yes, confidence. “Absolutely.”
Before the banter could go any farther, Phoenix dove in. “I guess we should call it a night.”
Coop hesitated, but with Ridley now inside the bathroom, complaining about the minuscule proportions of the shower, he scooped a hand around Phoenix’s nape and drew her up on her tiptoes to brush his mouth over hers.
The sensation was electric, especially now that he knew how good she tasted and how quickly she could ignite. He stepped back slowly, resenting the distance that had to be between them, even while knowing it was for the best.
He had a hell of a lot to think about, and she needed time to decide just how far she wanted the physical attraction to go.
To keep Ridley from knowing, neither of them said a thing until he reached the door and opened it. “Will I see you tomorrow at the store for coffee?”
She drew a slow breath and smiled. “I’ll be there.”
Hopefully, her sister wasn’t an early riser. Coop would enjoy the chance to talk to Phoenix alone...and if things went right, maybe taste her again, too.
5
Ridley woke with a stiff back and a desperate need for coffee. There were no familiar sounds. Sunlight poured in through the thin curtains over a small window.
It took her a second to orient herself, and then she realized she was in the cramped loft of Phoenix’s new digs.
God, the mattress—if you could call it that—was just too lumpy.
She turned over and found that Phoenix had already ditched, leaving her alone, and she hadn’t heard a thing.
That shouldn’t have surprised her. After all, she’d always been an owl to Phoenix’s rooster, but last night they’d been so physically close in the bed; every time she’d moved, she’d bumped Phoenix. Little sis hadn’t complained. Ridley had, repeatedly, but Phoenix had stoically concentrated on sleeping.
Or more likely, she’d been concentrating on that big, hot-and-sexy hunk she called a boss. Whew. Cooper Cochran had that indefinable thing that drew women like flies. Call it machismo or a sexual aura; it gave him the power to dominate a room.
It made a woman ultra-aware of his presence...but could also make her feel safe.
In Ridley’s opinion, he was exactly what Phoenix needed—and the last man Ridley would have expected to draw her interest. Clearly, big men were no longer off the list for little sis.
She smiled, seeing that as a positive sign, an indication that Phoenix was getting back to her usual self.
Now, if only they’d capture the bastards who had savaged her...
With an effort, Ridley unclenched her fists and turned to her back, staring up at the exposed boards of the loft ceiling. It was so low in some places that she couldn’t stand upright.
This is where Phoenix has chosen to escape—rather than come to me.
It broke her heart to know she’d let down the person closest to her, that, for some reason, Phoenix wasn’t comfortable using her for support and backup when she needed it most.
Even though she’d gone running to Phoenix when her scum ex had dropped her like a hot, barren potato.
Groaning, Ridley forced herself to sit up and, using both hands, shoved her wild hair out of her face.
First things first: she needed coffee.
Where had Phoenix told her she could get a cup? Oh, yeah, the camp store. Hopefully that wasn’t too far away, or too crowded with other people.
They’d talked for a while last night, after Ridley had insisted on sleeping where Phoenix slept, not only so they could talk, but because in the rustic resort with woods all around and numerous big trees, any number of bugs could be lurking.
Ridley didn’t do bugs. Not ever.
It had seemed far more likely that the ground floor might suffer a bug attack, so she’d gone to the loft.
Did bugs climb ladders?
Still sluggish, she crawled across the awful mattress and peered over the side.
The bathroom was down there.
Her clothes, her makeup...everything she needed so she could then go fetch coffee, which she needed the most, was down there.
Resigned, she turned and carefully descended the ladder. The wooden floors were cool against her feet, but once she stepped out of the air-conditioning, it would be smothering hot, probably muggy too from all the rain last night.
Wearing only her nightshirt and panties, she went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and looked at the disaster of her reflection in an oval mirror over the sink.
She was contemplating the phone-booth-sized shower when the knock came at the door.
She stared at it for a full ten seconds before deciding to answer. It could be Big Sexy and if so, she had some questions for him.
Glancing down, she saw that her shirt covered all things vital; no need to delay while she dug through a suitcase.
Shoving her hair back again, she turned the knob and opened the door—then gawked. “Lord have mercy. You might be better than coffee, and that’s saying something, you know?”
More than six feet of tanned, chiseled body stood before her. If that wasn’t enough, nature decided to go for overkill with dark blond wavy hair, a sensual smile and laughing, vivid green eyes. My, my, my.
She’d had a lot of conquests, but none as stunning as this walking turn-on.
“Thank you—I think?” The vision grinned down at her. “And actually, I have coffee, too.” He lifted a foam cup. “Phoenix sent me, so I assume it’s the way you like it.”
“Delivered by a gorgeous man? Oh, Phoenix knows me so well.” She took the cup and sipped, her eyes closing in bliss as the warmth and taste—and yeah, maybe the caffeine, too—penetrated the fog surrounding her. “Wow, that’s good.”
Tall, blond and sexy propped a rock-hard shoulder on the door frame. “So you’re Phoenix’s sister, Ridley?”
“Mmm.” She was functioning, but not enough for manners. “And you are?”
“Baxter McNab, the scuba instructor.”
Her eyes flared. “This joint has scuba diving?” More to herself than him, she whispered, “Fascinating.” Maybe it was time she took up lessons.
“We have a great many entertainments, Ridley.”
Oh, there was something quite delicious in the low, suggestive way he said that. She stepped back. “I probably shouldn’t keep standing in the doorway.”
He made no move to leave. “Looking like you look, probably not.”
She wrinkled her nose at his rudeness. “It’s called bedhead and lack of caffeine. Since I just woke, and I’ve only drank half the coffee, it’s to be expected.”
“Not exactly what I meant, but okay.”
She eyed him. What had he meant, then? She enjoyed confidence in a man, but his was a bit overblown. “Did you want to come in?”
“One hell of a temptation, but I’m making up a scuba class that I missed yesterday. I’ve only got a few minutes—and that wouldn’t be nearly long enough.”
If dictionaries were picture books, cocky would have an image of this dude next to it. “What did you say your name was?”
“Baxter McNab.” He gave her a knowing smile. “Feel free to ask around about me—or to look me up.”
She planned to do exactly that. “I’m not usually good with names, but I doubt I’ll forget yours.”
“Good to know.”
Waggling her fingers at him in dismissal, she said, “Run along, then.”
Instead, he straightened away from the door. “I take it you’re used to giving orders?”
Cocky and sexually charged. Her temperature rapidly rose a few degrees. “As a matter of fact—”
“Because I’m not great at taking them,” he said softly, deliberately interrupting her.
“Is that so?” She hadn’t been awake long enough to accept a challenge—but accept it she did. “Strong women threaten you, do they?”
His gaze went over her. “Is that what you are?”
She stiffened at his skepticism. “Yes.”
As if placating her, he nodded. “Orders tend to get lost when they come from half-dressed women who look like you—and no, in case you’re still not clear, that’s not an insult.”
Obviously, he was a player.
Since her divorce, so was she. Trying not to look affected, she cocked out a hip and sipped more coffee. “Okay, I’ll bite.”
“Better and better,” he murmured.
She had a little trouble breathing. “If it’s not an insult, what is it?”
“It’s me trying to figure out how a woman wakes up looking so fucking hot.”
Well, damn, he just might be better at this than she was. More dangerous, too, given the provocative glitter in his stunning green eyes. “You have me at a disadvantage,” she said—and hastily gulped more caffeine.
The smile turned predatory. “In what way?”
Setting the now-empty cup aside and donning her best, boldest smile, she stepped toward him. “I have no idea how sexy you might look first thing in the morning.” She braced one hand on the doorknob, the other on the door frame where he’d been leaning.
He reached out and touched a long lock of her hair. “We could remedy that.”
Against her intent, she swayed toward him. “I suppose we could.” She eased the door halfway closed. “As a strong woman, I’ll let you if—or when—I’m interested.” She grinned. “Goodbye, Baxter. Thanks for the coffee.”
She shut the door in his face—but not before she saw his eyes narrow...and his mouth curl into a smile.
If she wasn’t mistaken, he’d just accepted the challenge, too.
* * *
Phoenix felt utterly limp. After coffee with the gang this morning, she’d gotten right to work. Hour after hour, the temps rose and the sun baked down through a cloudless sky. The humidity was through the roof, but she still had an area to work on.
Most of the vacationers were in the water—either the pool or the lake. Even from wh
ere she worked near the more primitive tent camping, she could hear the splashing and laughter.
More than ever, she wished she felt comfortable taking a quick dip.
Twigs and branches were everywhere they weren’t supposed to be, flowerpots were overturned, some plants damaged. She had at least two more hours to go before she could call it a day.
Waking before Ridley had given her a chance to have coffee with Cooper in relative privacy. They’d sat on the picnic bench out by the lake and talked quietly. That hadn’t lasted long, though. They both had a lot to accomplish today.
“There you are.”
Phoenix glanced up and saw Ridley walking toward her. Her sis had her hair gathered at the top of her head in a casually sexy topknot that no matter how she tried, Phoenix couldn’t replicate. She looked great in a loose sleeveless top with a floral print, light blue shorts, flip-flops and big sunglasses.
As Ridley went past, vacationers stared. Her sister had always gotten that reaction. There was just something about Ridley that drew immediate attention.
Standing, Phoenix used the back of one glove to wipe her brow. “Did you get the coffee?”
“Yup, thanks. The delivery boy was nice, too. At least, nice to look at.”
Uh-oh. “Did Baxter do something?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
Phoenix couldn’t see Ridley’s eyes, but she had the odd feeling her sister was insulted over something. “He’s always been really nice to me—”
“He’s nice to you because Big Sexy already staked a claim.”
“—but I understand he flirts with every woman.”
Ridley pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and scowled. “You mean I’m not special? Gee, I’m crushed.”
She said it sarcastically, but Phoenix suspected there was a hint of truth behind the words.
Had her sister finally met her match?
That is, her match since the divorce?
Before that, before Robbie shredded her confidence and stomped on her devastated heart, Ridley had been a fun-loving, happy, very sweet woman.
