“And how exactly do you have it handled? Because the chemistry you were throwing at the table was enough to catch the linens on fire.”
It wasn’t his fault that CoCo made his eyes cross. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. “I don’t need a lecture from you. I understand the consequences.”
Kane disagreed, not willing to let it go. “I don’t think you do. Because I can’t imagine that you would’ve risked everything for a piece of ass.”
Rian’s temper flared. “She’s not a piece of ass. Don’t talk about CoCo that way.”
“Well, I can’t imagine why you would do something so stupid. For crying out loud, Rian, you couldn’t have waited until the job was over? There are plenty of fish in the sea but this one was off-limits.”
“I know that!”
“Then why did you cross that line?” Kane wasn’t letting him off the hook. And maybe that was a good thing but it was really pissing Rian off. “Just how do you see this ending? I don’t see it ending well. What’s going to happen when you move on? What if she gets jealous and starts making trouble? What if she wants to get even when you break things off and goes and tells her dad that you two were messing around? This is our company’s reputation on the line.”
“Why would you think that she’d do anything like that?” Rian scowled. “She’s not that kind of person.”
But then he thought of CoCo and his first impression of her and he paused. Was that the real CoCo and what he was seeing now was an act? He didn’t want to believe that but maybe he was being a fool. “She and I already made an agreement that once we return to Los Angeles it’s over. Just leave it at that. Can’t you trust that I would never put our company in jeopardy?”
Kane shook his head, angry. “Before this moment I would’ve agreed with you but now that I know you’ve been sleeping with a client, I don’t know what to think. You screwed up, Rian. Take responsibility.”
“I am taking responsibility. I won’t let anything happen to our company.”
“See that it doesn’t. You need to end this now. Don’t wait until Los Angeles. End it today.”
Rian knew Kane was right. He never should have acted on his impulse but there something about CoCo that sparked a fire so intense that it burned with delicious heat. Still, he’d known all along that they were on borrowed time. He glared at his brother. “Don’t say anything to CoCo. Let me handle it,” Rian said gruffly. “You’re not exactly known for your tact.”
“Fine. But by tomorrow, it better be done.”
Kane left the barn and Rian stood there feeling like a chastised child. His dignity was trashed and his pride was definitely bruised. But there was something else, something beneath all of that, that bubbled and churned. He simply didn’t want to end things with CoCo. That was the bald truth—the truth that he held back because he knew Kane wouldn’t understand. Kane would never mess with a client. Until now, neither would Rian. But there was something about CoCo that made him want to throw every rule he’d ever held for himself into the trash. He looked to Amelia, who was slowly chewing on her hay, nickering with satisfaction. “You got any suggestions, girl? Because I think I’m screwed.”
Amelia flicked her gaze away from Rian as if to say, You’re on your own, kid, and returned to her meal. He sighed. “Yeah, that’s how I feel, too. Now I have to find a way to tell CoCo that whatever we had has to stop.”
Yeah, he was really looking forward to that conversation.
He walked into the farmhouse, his steps as heavy as his heart, but the minute he saw CoCo’s flushed expression and the open look of delight and joy in her eyes the words died on his tongue.
She came up to him in a rush. “Oh, my God, you’re not going to believe this but I showed my sketches to Laci and she absolutely loved them! She says I have talent! Can you imagine that? Me! Talented! I mean, my dad has always said that I was talented and so did my teachers but I never knew if they were just saying that because of who I was. But Laci has no reason to lie to me. And she said she would be honest. She said that she’s going to show my sketches to her costume designer. If I can have a prototype made in a few months, she’ll test them out on tour. I mean, there’s a lot of work that has to be done before now and then but I’m just so excited because she thinks that I have what it takes to make it in this industry. And she would know, she has so much experience.”
He couldn’t rain on her parade. There was no way. And he liked seeing her so happy. Telling her it was over could wait until tomorrow. And since there was no sense in hiding their relationship now, he looped his arms around her and pulled her in for a tight hug. “See? I told you you have nothing to worry about. How about you let me see those sketches? I’ve never worn a heel but I’ve certainly appreciated plenty.”
She giggled and sagged against him, curving her body to his in the sweetest gesture as she rose up and buried her nose against his neck, murmuring in a private voice, “Let’s call it a night. I have a few things I can show you.”
He groaned as her nimble fingers burrowed behind his fly to find his cock and grab a handful of his quickly swelling flesh. A low, throaty laugh followed as he scooped her into his arms and sealed his mouth to hers.
Hell, bad news didn’t have a shelf life. No sense in ruining an otherwise great day with news that could wait.
He took her to the bedroom and tossed her on the bed. She wiggled out of her clothes faster than he managed to fly out of his jeans and within seconds he was on her, kissing, touching, tasting. He couldn’t get enough. He refused to listen to the little voice in his head warning him off his current decision. Hell, life was short and when a naked woman was pushing you to the bed and straddling you, you went with it.
Sure, it’s just about the sex, that damn voice mocked. If that were the case, he could’ve easily turned CoCo down because he could get sex anywhere. It was about the feel of CoCo bearing down on his cock, the way her eyelids fluttered shut on a feminine moan as her sweet pussy swallowed his thick length and the feel of her shuddering as he hammered her G-spot with single-minded intent.
Everything about CoCo turned him on. He loved the way her Italian roots showed as she argued with him, he found her sexy and alluring...and irritating as hell when she was being stubborn, but it was the entire package that he craved.
Having CoCo in his arms was like discovering sex for the first time. “God, CoCo,” he breathed, his voice a harsh rasp as she rode him hard, her beautiful breasts pearling as her hips rolled, sliding on his cock as she demanded her own pleasure.
He loved how she wasn’t shy about what she wanted and she took what she needed without apology. She was the hottest lover he’d ever had the privilege of having but even if she’d been a shy and sweet woman, he would’ve given his right nut to have her because it was CoCo.
His hands filled with her plump ass, guiding her as they both climbed that sexual peak together. Their breath quickened as sweat gathered on their bodies, the smell of sex and passion creating a hot musk that drove them harder. Ah, the smell of them together was an intense aphrodisiac and he wanted to flip her on her back and drive his tongue deep into her sweet core so he could taste on his tongue her unique flavor. He could spend a lifetime between her lovely thighs but he was too locked on target to stop, to even prolong the pleasure between them.
CoCo gasped, her cheeks flushed, and suddenly she stiffened, her thighs shaking as she came, and he quickly followed, spilling like a tsunami deep inside her, milked by the rhythmic contractions of her inner sheath as she fell forward with a satisfied sigh.
“Oh, Rian...you’re amazing,” she breathed and he swelled with manly pride. He cradled her in his arms and smoothed the damp hair from her crown. She settled more comfortably against him and murmured with a drowsy smile in her voice, “Best day ever.”
He smiled even though her simple sentiment pricked hi
s conscience. How was he going to walk away from her as Kane expected him to? CoCo was in his blood. And he liked it. How was he supposed to break things off now? He didn’t have a clear answer. And the fact that CoCo felt perfectly snug in his arms didn’t help.
Worrying about tomorrow’s problems only ruins today.
Cora’s voice sliced through his turbulent thoughts and he realized the old girl had never been wrong. He tightened his hold on CoCo and decided to enjoy the moment.
Tomorrow’s problems would come soon enough.
* * *
ENZO FELT AS IF ghosts from the past were coming to stake a claim on his future. The FBI agent in charge of his investigation had come to share news of the investigation so far. “Are you familiar with a man named Barto Calvino?” the agent asked.
Barto... The memory of a small boy bloomed in his memory. “I knew him when he was a child. His father was a business associate of mine many, many years ago. Why?” Enzo asked.
“We have reason to believe Barto is involved with the threats against your family. Do you know why he might have a reason to hurt your family?”
A flash of a heated argument held many years ago appeared in his mind and that familiar weight of guilt followed but he wasn’t about to share his private shame with strangers. “No,” he lied, lifting his chin. “I haven’t seen Barto since he was a boy.”
“Did you part on bad terms with his father, Vincent?”
Flustered, Enzo shifted in his chair and called for Georgina with irritation. “Where’s my coffee? My throat is parched,” he said when she entered the office, her sharp heels clicking on the fine marble.
Her expression professional, her fixed smile serene, she placed his coffee before him, along with several preliminary designs submitted by some of the designers hired to oversee the off-brand sold to discount stores under another name. “Your ten o’clock has cancelled,” she informed him. “Would you like me to reschedule?”
“Fine, fine,” he said, motioning for her to go as he lifted his cup, wishing this conversation was over. The agent waited for Georgina to leave before launching into his questions, undeterred.
“We traced the voice mail message to an old cell phone registered to Vincent Calvino but the credit card he used was listed under Barto Calvino. It’s clear he isn’t a criminal mastermind but we have reason to believe he’s not all that interested in covering his tracks.”
“Why would he do that?” Enzo asked, confused. “Either he’s the world’s worst criminal or he doesn’t care if he’s found.”
“That’s exactly what we thought, too. What person wouldn’t care? Unless they were living on borrowed time.”
Enzo stared. “What do you mean?”
“We subpoenaed Barto’s medical records on a hunch and it panned out—the man is dying. He has stage-four pancreatic cancer.”
“Cancer?” Enzo repeated, feeling sick to his stomach for the boy he’d once known. Barto had been a boy of only three years old when he and Vincent had parted ways. It was before CoCo had been born. That would make Barto around thirty-seven if his math was correct. Way too young to die of cancer. He knew Vincent had died several years back and he’d wanted to attend the funeral but hadn’t worked up the courage. “Where is he now?”
“We had him at a run-down apartment complex but he’s gone now and worse, he’s left a body behind.”
Enzo felt the blood drain from his face. “A body?”
“A mercenary drifter who had a reputation for doing favors for people. My guess is that Barto hired him to scare your daughter, or worse, kill her. But either way, he’s not talking now. However, that means that Barto is done waiting. We’re going to need the location of your daughter. I think it’s time to put her in FBI custody for her own safety.”
Enzo didn’t know how to handle this new information. Had his pride and ambition started this wheel in motion so many years ago? And now that Barto was twisted and vengeful, how could he not shoulder the burden of that responsibility? “Maybe if I could talk to Barto, get him to see reason,” he said, knowing that the time for that conversation was likely lost. He should’ve done the right thing. He should’ve made things right before it’d come to this. His heart heavy, he said, “He was a good boy. I don’t understand how things could’ve changed so much.”
The agent, not interested in the past, shrugged. “Who’s to say? Mr. Abelli, I know you hired a private protection service but they’re out of their depth at this point. Barto is using whatever resources he has left for one purpose—to destroy your life, and that puts your daughter right in his sights. We’d feel more comfortable if your daughter was in custody so we can focus on finding Barto.”
He sighed. The agent was right. He couldn’t take chances anymore, particularly if Barto was determined to go down in a hail of gunfire.
Enzo nodded slowly, wrote down the address Rian had given him and slid it over to the agent. “She’s there. Go get my daughter before Barto finds her.”
The agent nodded and departed, leaving Enzo with a deeply saddened heart and a weight he could barely stand. He pulled his desk drawer open and pulled out an old, faded black-and-white picture of him in his younger days, standing with Vincent, two dashing young men with the future in their eyes and ambition in their hearts.
“Mi dispiace, Vincent.” I’m sorry, old friend.
Was there any way to make amends before it was too late? He didn’t know how but perhaps it was time he tried.
22
COCO AWOKE, EAGER to start the day—a feeling she’d never actually enjoyed before—and rolled over to awaken Rian with a passionate kiss that ended with a mischievous smile. God, he was gorgeous. Those sleepy eyes and stubborn mouth were enough to send her into orbit. There must be something magical about the Bradford Ranch because since arriving she’d been nothing but happy.
“What’s that for?” he asked, smiling, still half-asleep. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“I can’t wait to get up, get moving and start the day. Want coffee?” She started to hop out of bed but he caught her hand and pulled her back. “Oh! Rian!” she dissolved into a fit of giggles when he rubbed his stubble across her neck.
“What’s the rush?” he asked, his arm wrapped around her belly and holding her close. She could get used to this. He squinted at the morning sun streaming into the bedroom and sighed as if remembering there was work waiting for him. “There are some things I don’t miss about the country,” he admitted.
“I figured you’d be out of bed already to feed the cattle.”
“That’s Kane’s job. I left him to it.”
She noted the subtle sour note to his voice and she called him on it. “Everything okay between you and Kane?”
He sighed and rolled away, surprising her when he climbed from the bed, fabulously naked until he jerked on a pair of jeans, concealing the view of his perfect ass. He turned back to her, all sense of drowsy softness gone from his gaze. He pushed his hand through his hair in an agitated manner before scooping up a shirt and pulling it on. “Look, we have to talk.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“Yeah, it’s...not a great conversation.”
She lost her smile. “What do you mean? What’s going on? Is it something with my dad? Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. I’m sorry, it’s not about the case. Well, it sort of is, but it really has to do with us.”
Now she was confused. They’d spent half the night exhausting each other and the rest of the night curled in each other’s arms but she got the distinct impression that he was...breaking up with her. “Okay...so out with it,” she told him, trying not to show that she was shaking inside.
“We both knew that this was a temporary thing and, well, it was all good as long as no one knew about it, but Kane knows and I can’t risk the company’s repu
tation by continuing to mess around with you.”
“Mess around with me?” she repeated, stung. “Stop calling it that. I’m not a booty call.”
“You know I don’t feel that way,” he said, with the nerve to glower. “But we both knew that this wasn’t anything we were going to publicize.”
“Yeah, I know, but I thought that maybe things had changed,” she said, cringing at how stupid she sounded. Of course things hadn’t changed. She was just a convenient way to dip his wick. Fabulous. Her cheeks flared with embarrassed heat and she wanted to cry. So much for her wonderful morning.
“Things did change,” he admitted, seeming caught between a rock and a hard place, but she was out of sympathy. “I like you a lot, CoCo, but you have to admit that our worlds just don’t mesh, so what were we doing? We were playing with fire and I can’t afford to let the company get burned.”
“How nice of you to come to that revelation after we had sex,” she said coolly. “You could’ve let me know last night that you’d come to this decision instead of waiting until after you’d gotten laid.”
He winced. “I know it’s bad timing. I was going to tell you last night but then you were so excited about your sketches and I didn’t want to ruin the night.”
“Thank you for leading me on,” she said icily. “I feel so much better knowing that you offered me a pity romp in the sack for the sake of preserving my good mood.”
“Oh, c’mon, it’s not like that. You’re twisting my words all up.”
“No, that was pretty much exactly what you said. You’re the one saying this shit. I’m just the one flabbergasted at your nerve.”
“It’s not as if we were dating,” he reminded her. “We were just having a good time, right?”
“Sure, Rian. That’s exactly what we were doing.” But tears sprang to her eyes and she hated that she felt so broken at the idea of breaking up that she couldn’t stay another minute in that room with him for fear of embarrassing herself further by openly bawling. “Thanks for the memories,” she said and then bolted.
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