ENZO RUBBED AT his chest, trying to ease the ache that seemed to get more intense each time he thought of the situation facing his family. He had no idea who was threatening his family and his business but the fact that the threats had become more violent frightened him more than he wanted to admit.
“Here are your designs for the upcoming Lusso line,” said Georgina, his personal secretary, as she entered his office. Young and pretty, Georgina was also sharp as a tack and kept his business running smoothly. She was also his lover. She frowned as she noted his distress. “What’s wrong?”
He sighed and pushed away the paperwork that he’d been staring at but hadn’t actually read a word of. “Nothing, nothing. Yes, let me see the mock-ups,” he said, trying to focus. The Lusso line was his signature design, something that he was proud of, perhaps the pinnacle of his established career, but even the joy of seeing his new shoe line come to fruition wasn’t enough to overshadow the worry in his heart. His thoughts strayed and he exhaled a short breath as he confessed, “My mind is unruly today. Forgive me, my love. Perhaps I can look at these later.”
“Of course, Enzo,” she said, smiling. He leaned back in his chair and invited her to join him. She promptly settled on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Something is bothering you. Are you worried about the new line? If so, don’t be. It’s your most innovative design yet. People will be clamoring to own an Abelli Lusso.”
He smiled briefly. If only that were his sole concern. At one time, his business had consumed his life—something he regretted now as it seemed he’d missed out on a lot with CoCo—but today, he was more concerned that the threats were getting more vicious and the most precious thing in his life wasn’t shoes as it turned out. “These threats...they get more cruel, more taunting. What am I supposed to do?”
“You are doing everything in your power,” Georgina said, not the least bit concerned. “This will blow over and then there will be nothing but people singing your praises for this new line.”
Ordinarily, he enjoyed Georgina’s flattery, but today it only served to irritate him. “Woman, this is serious. There is more at stake than just the latest shoe design to hit a bloated market,” he said, encouraging her to leave his lap. She slid off with an uncertain expression and he softened. It wasn’t Georgina he was upset with. “My apologies. I am in a terrible mood today. I am, perhaps, feeling my age.” Georgina nodded but she still seemed wounded by his curt words. “Let me make it up to you... Perhaps something to brighten that beautiful neck?”
“You are too good to me,” Georgina said, casting her gaze demurely before scooping up the plans and hugging them to her bountiful chest. “Please stop worrying. Everything will work out. You will see.”
Ah, the blind confidence of youth. He wished he was comforted by her assurances. Unlike Georgina, who had nothing to lose, he had everything to lose. He kept their relationship private so it wasn’t public knowledge that they were intimate. Not even CoCo knew of his intimacies with his assistant and he wished to keep it that way. Somehow, he knew his opinionated daughter would have something to say about that and he didn’t wish to hear it. Georgina kept him young, which at his age, he valued more than he should.
He thought of CoCo’s mother, Azalea, and for a moment lost himself to nostalgia. Perhaps one of his biggest regrets was letting her go. He’d been a brash, hotheaded idiot back then but by the time he’d figured out that he’d screwed up, Azalea had moved on. Burying himself in work had been his salvation. He should’ve worked harder to save his marriage. He should’ve been a more attentive father.
A single tear snaked down his cheek and he wiped it away in surprise. He wasn’t prone to tears. It was the situation, pressing down on him. He couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
Hopefully, the FBI found this crazy person before his bad feeling turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
* * *
ONE DRINK SHOULDN’T be too bad, Rian told himself even though his nerves were drawn taut. That dress was doing terrible things to his resolve and he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes where they belonged. Sweat popped along his brow and he wiped it away before the she-devil bewitching him saw it. That’s all he needed, her knowing that she was doing a number on him. He’d never live it down. He wouldn’t put it past her to prance around naked just to get his goat.
She sidled up to the bar and he followed after a quick look around the place to get situated. He always made sure he knew where all the exits were in case things went sour. True to her word, the place was small enough, not too crowded and didn’t make him want to leave the second he stepped over the threshold.
“See? It’s nice, isn’t it?” she prompted him for his opinion and he grunted an answer. “I’ll take that as a yes, though I’m not exactly fluent in caveman.”
“Yes, it’s fine,” he said, looking to the bartender. “A beer, whatever’s on tap.”
“Beer? That’s some sophisticated palate you have,” she teased, then said, “How about this...I’ll order for us both.”
“I like beer,” he said, not trusting her choices. “I don’t like sweet, froufrou drinks.”
“And you make the assumption that I do? Actually, I’m a whiskey girl. Jameson, actually.” At his open look of surprise she smiled and said, “I got a taste for it when I was traveling abroad in Ireland. Don’t tell my father, though. He’d fall over in a faint. He’s a wine snob.”
“I don’t mind a shot of Jameson,” he said, gesturing for her to go ahead. “But the deal was one drink.”
“Well, that was the initial offer. How about a counteroffer?”
“Such as?” Why was he encouraging her? One drink was all that was sensible. Anything after that was dangerous. But he liked the way her eyes sparkled with mischief and, again, that dress was messing with his head so he humored her. “What’s on the table? It’d better be good.”
“How about this...we will play a game. We’ll play I’ve Never. If you lose two out of three I’ve Nevers, you have to drink, but if you win, I drink.”
“That’s not a fair game. I know quite a bit about you, thanks to the tabloids. Plus, how are we supposed to know if either of us is lying?”
“I’ll be completely honest.” Her devilish smile was damn adorable. “Are you in?”
Well, hell, this was a bad idea, but he was intrigued. “One round,” he said.
“Winner chooses if we play again.”
He laughed. “Okay, prepare to lose, sweetheart.”
“We’ll see.”
“Ladies first.”
She wiggled on her bar stool, a happy smile curving her generous lips. “I’ve never...been in a threesome.”
Her opener was a doozy and it packed a punch. Going straight to questions sexual in nature was like throwing gunpowder on a fire. He licked his lips and chuckled, the sound a little strained. “You sure you want to go there first?”
“Is it true or false?” she said and he stifled a groan. How’d that girl manage to make innocent look sexy as hell? “Clock is ticking.”
“No one said anything about there being a time limit.”
“Ten seconds.”
She was a wild thing. At least, according to the tabloids. He took a chance. “False.”
CoCo laughed and shook her head. “Sorry, haven’t done that. What do you take me for?”
He laughed, not willing to touch that one with a ten-foot pole. “All right, you got me on that one. Next.”
“I’ve never...shot a gun.”
He didn’t hesitate on this one. “True.”
“Very good. I hate guns.” Her expression turned playfully serious. “Okay, here it goes...answer this one right and I drink...answer wrong and it’s down the hatch the whiskey goes for you.”
“Hit me. I’m just getting warmed up now.”
“So confident. Okay, I’ve never...been in love.”
Oh, that was easy. He couldn’t imagine anyone capturing this girl’s heart. “True,” he answered without a doubt but she shocked him when she shook her head.
“Sorry...false. I have been in love. Drink up, buddy.”
“I don’t believe you.”
She met his gaze. “And why not?”
“Because you don’t seem the type to fall for anyone. You’re like one of those wild birds that would go stir-crazy in a cage.”
She laughed but there was a slightly sad note to the sound as she said, “Well, you’re wrong. I did fall in love a long time ago. Now drink up.”
He wasn’t a quitter or a cheater so he downed the shot as directed. He lost fair and square. But the game did stir more questions. Who was this guy who managed to steal CoCo’s heart? He gestured for another round, then turned to CoCo. “Okay, so who was the guy?”
“Sorry, that’s not part of the game,” she said, grinning. “Your turn.”
She wasn’t going to spill that intel. He could respect that even if he was burning to know the details. Why? He didn’t really know but he wanted a glimpse into the real CoCo, not the tabloid princess, and there was something burning in his chest that felt a lot like envy for the mystery guy who’d been given an all-access pass when everyone else had to stand outside. He cleared his throat and said, “I’ve never...committed a felony.”
CoCo watched him from beneath a curtain of lush, dark lashes and then said, “True.”
“Are you sure?”
“Hey, no fair trying to make me second-guess my decision.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t see that in the fine print.”
A faint, playful scowl followed as she said, “Well, it’s there. No pressuring or making me second-guess. And yes, my answer stands. You’re not a bad boy, even if you try to come off as one.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. Deep down, you’re just a softie.”
That made him laugh. “Really? That’s how you see me? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re already drunk.”
“Okay, so spill...true or false?”
He relented. “True.” Her squeal of laughter lit up his insides and he was smiling before he could stop it. “But I came damn close once. That should count for something. If it weren’t for my brother pulling some strings...yeah, I might’ve had a felony on my record.”
“Oooooh, such an almost bad boy.”
“All right, all right, Giggles. Here’s your next one. I’ve never...worn women’s underwear.”
“Oh, that has to be true,” she said.
“False!” At her surprise, he said, “It was on a dare in high school and they were the head cheerleader’s bikini panties. And I rocked them, if I’m being honest.”
“Okay, you got me there. Next question.”
He thought long and hard. The whiskey shot was doing its job of loosening things up between them but he was having a bit too much fun. He grinned as he thought of his last statement. “I’ve never drank with a client.”
“That’s totally false.”
He met her confident stare and he said, “Nope. Sorry, princess. This is my first time.” And right about now, he had a good idea why he stood by that rule, because she was a heartbeat away from getting kissed.
* * *
HER HEART RACED and she leaned toward him, almost able to taste those luscious lips, but then Rian pulled back and the spell was broken. CoCo didn’t bother hiding her disappointment but she didn’t comment because she already knew what he was going to say and she didn’t want to hear it. Instead she gestured for another round but he put the kibosh on it.
“We’ve had plenty. Rounds of whiskey are a recipe for bad decisions. It was a fun game, though.”
She switched gears and slid from the bar stool. “Fine. I’m ready to go dancing now anyway.”
“Dancing? I don’t think so.”
“Oh, I do think so. In fact, I insist. We can pop over to my favorite club, Tinsel, and meet up with some friends of mine.”
“That’s a double no,” he said sternly. “A nightclub is a logistical nightmare.”
“Stop being such a worrywart. Everything will be fine. How could anything happen with hundreds of people watching?” She tugged at his shirt. “C’mon, it’ll be fun. I promise!” She ignored his protests and dragged him outside to hail a cab.
“What are you doing? We drove here.”
“Safety first. We’ve been drinking. And if we take a cab, we can drink some more. I suspect there’s a cool guy lurking beneath that suffocating layer of buzzkill you hide behind and I want to get to know that guy.”
“Yeah, well, that guy isn’t on the clock,” he said, gracing her with a stern look that oddly made him ten times sexier. Maybe it was the whiskey talking but CoCo wouldn’t mind sampling those lips or caressing that firm, set jaw. “We should get back to the hotel.”
“If we return to the hotel right now, these clothes are coming off. However, if you let me get a little club time, I swear I will docilely return to the hotel and promise to keep my hands to myself and my clothes on. Sound like a deal?” She waited with bated breath, half hoping he’d drag her back to the hotel, but when he grudgingly agreed with a black look, she smiled, happy to enjoy a win either way. “Great. You’ll love Tinsel. It’s filled with hotties almost every night.”
“I’ll keep that in mind when I’m not being dragged there against my better judgment.”
She laughed. “Such a sourpuss. Oh! Here comes a cab. Let’s go,” she said, moving quickly to the cab and climbing in before he came to his senses.
“This is a bad idea,” he muttered, mostly to himself until CoCo swung her long legs over his and stretched them out. He jerked his gaze away and she giggled. The fact that he continually pretended that he wasn’t affected by her charms was entertaining, even if it was a bit maddening. She wasn’t accustomed to being so blatantly ignored, much less rejected. It was a new thing—and while the novelty was something, she suspected she wouldn’t enjoy it becoming a trend.
“Why do you pretend that you’re not attracted to me?” she asked boldly. “I can tell when a man is interested. You’re not fooling anyone.”
“I don’t mess around with clients.”
Ah, the rules again. She’d never met a man so consumed with toeing the line. “What if I wasn’t a client?”
Rian swallowed but he kept his voice firm. “I don’t mess with party girls.”
Her smile froze, her former good mood dimming a bit. “Is that what I am? A party girl?”
Rian swung his gaze to meet hers. “Seems like it to me.”
“Perhaps I’m more than that and you just haven’t chosen to see farther than your nose.”
He graced her with a derisive look that stung a little. “Not likely, princess.”
CoCo swung her legs off him and tugged at her dress. What did she care what Rian thought? His opinion meant little to her. Still, she couldn’t keep the hurt from her voice as she said, “Well, I guess I’d better live up to that reputation.”
“Hey, don’t get hurt feelings now,” he said. “Who says there’s anything wrong with being a party girl? It’s the way you live your life.”
Was he trying to comfort her after basically calling her out? She didn’t want his pity. Screw this. She needed a drink and a good time. She shrugged. “I’m fine. Just looking forward to getting out of this cab and having a cute bartender put a drink in my hand. Time to get this party started.”
Rian looked primed to add something else but he held it back and she was glad. She didn’t want to hear any more condescension from that chronically handsome mug. He had the ability to make her feel bad and want to make a good impression at the same time, which wasn’t healthy. She didn’t need him. He was a temporary inconvenience. After this gig, he would be gone and she’d gladly say goodbye.
The cab stopped in front of Tinsel and she bailed, almost leaving him behind. Gotta be quick on your feet if you want to keep up with this party girl. She graced a smile to the bouncer, who recognized her as a regular and let her past the rope, but when Rian tried to do the same, the bouncer gave him guff. She could’ve smoothed the way for him but a mean part of her wanted him to wait his happy ass outside while she found her friends.
“CoCo!”
She sent him a short smile over her shoulder and then disappeared into the club, leaving him behind.