For one, he shouldn’t even be looking at her like that—he never messed around with clients, that was bad business. For two, there was nothing about CoCo that encouraged a casual hookup and he didn’t have the time or the interest for anything beyond a superficial good time.
He fell back on the bed, listening as the shower started. Great. Now he was thinking of her naked. He rubbed his eyes, trying to remove the images his imagination gleefully threw at him. She had a smoking-hot body—there were plenty of pictures on the internet of CoCo in a bikini—and she had that European mystique coupled with a California sass that was hard to forget about. As if he needed another complication, his cock tried to get in on the action by suddenly tenting his jeans. Good gravy, that’s all he needed—CoCo seeing that he was rock hard. That would horrify them both. He pushed at his cock with an irritated growl. Settle down, not gonna happen. He popped up from the bed and gathered their trash from lunch and stuffed it into the small wastebasket, then slid the chain across the door before taking his gun and double-checking his rounds. He hated to admit it but CoCo was right—they might die from boredom in this hotel room.
He’d never been so out of control of his emotions before. He knew how to keep it together under most circumstances but CoCo seemed to tip him on his head without even trying. If he’d been thinking clearly, he would’ve holed up with some puzzle books or something, anything to pass the time. But he’d been so hell-bent on taking CoCo someplace that would make her miserable that he hadn’t actually thought things through. That was dangerous. He’d done screwed the pooch. Kane would slap him silly if he knew. Okay, so time to get back to basics. They’d cool it here for the night and then tomorrow they’d leave for a different place. Maybe the Ojai ranch. When his brother married Laci, she’d come with a nice spread in Ojai and they often used the ranch when they wanted to get out of the city. It was remote enough without being in the sticks and close enough to Los Angeles to be convenient. It was far nicer than this place for sure.
But first, he had to see if it was available.
He dialed Kane. “Hey, man,” he said once Kane answered. “Is anyone at the ranch right now?”
“Yeah, sorry. While Laci is off tour we’re letting her hairdresser and costume designer stay there. Why?”
Disappointment colored his voice. “I was hoping to use it for a few days.”
“Sorry, man. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said a bit too quickly and Kane caught it.
“Let’s pretend that we went a couple of rounds where you continue to deny anything is wrong so we can actually get to the point and find out what’s really happening.”
He didn’t need to hear what he knew his brother would say so he cut it short. “Nothing. I just wanted to get out of the city.”
“You can come here,” Kane offered. “Laci and I are going to Montana for a few weeks. You could hole up here if you want.”
Head back to Woodsville? Not a chance. Just because Kane and Laci had built a love nest on the Bradford ranch didn’t mean that Rian had an itch to do the same. He loved them all but he didn’t love Woodsville. Too many bad memories.
“I’m good,” he told Kane. “Enjoy Montana.”
“Well, if you change your mind, the spare key is under the pump.”
“I won’t but thanks.”
“Suit yourself. See you in a few weeks, little brother.”
Rian clicked off and sighed, wondering what he was going to do. Just keep your hands to yourself and everything will be just fine, he told himself.
Should be easy enough, right?
* * *
COCO STEPPED GINGERLY into the tiny shower, grimacing as she glanced around, trying not to imagine how many germs and cooties were bouncing around just waiting to climb onto her skin. A tiny sliver of soap rested on the ledge and she stared unhappily at the obviously used toiletry. Her revulsion nearly sent her screaming from the shower into a full-fledged diva meltdown until she remembered what Rian had told her about his childhood. Had he really eaten from the trash? Was he just saying that for effect?
She didn’t know him at all but she sensed that he’d been totally honest. Maybe it was the way he’d seemed slightly ashamed once the hot words had escaped his mouth, or maybe the way his eyes had flashed with rage at the indignity, but it’d felt real. He probably hadn’t meant to share so much, she realized. That’s probably not something she’d want to share, either.