“So why’d you leave Italy to be with your mom, whom you don’t really have a connection with?”
She sighed. “I was a young kid, dazzled by the LA lifestyle. Stupid, I know. But I was fifteen and easily impressed.”
Rian knew he had to tread carefully for the next comment he was about to make but he felt it needed to be said. “Are you still easily impressed? I mean, when I first met you, you didn’t come off as particularly deep. Now, granted, I didn’t really know you, but your reputation... I don’t know, seems to me that you came from different roots, and your foundation was a lot stronger than most.”
Instead of getting angry, she appeared reflective. “True. Honestly, I don’t know what happened. I got blinded by the glitz and glamour. I know it’s stupid but the fast-paced lifestyle is addictive. I like having fun and when you throw a party and everyone is there, it feels as if you’re loved and admired by everyone, even though deep down I think I knew that it wasn’t real.”
It was the most profound statement she’d made since he’d met her and he was rocked by how smart she truly was. He understood the need to fill an emotional hole with anything just to make the ache stop but he also knew that eventually nothing worked because he’d gotten to that place himself. If he were being honest, he kept his social circles superficial because he didn’t want to find himself overly attached.
He risked a quick glance at CoCo, loving how the light brightened her complexion and put roses in her cheeks. Her hair, loose and free, blew in the subtle breeze and he was struck anew by how beautiful she was. She was the kind of woman model scouts snapped up because she had the face and body to make millions. And she was here with him. “Some things are real,” he told her. “The love you feel for your father is genuine and he’s lucky to have a daughter like you.”
She cast a sweet, appreciative smile his way and he nearly fell from his horse. The emotion swelling in his chest was so powerful, it almost choked his airway. He wanted to sidle up to her and plant a kiss on those sensual lips but Kane’s voice echoed in his mind, Keep your hands off the client, and he deliberately turned his gaze away, needing to stay focused on what was truly important.
CoCo was a temporary player in this game. His job was to keep her alive.
Yeah, so try to remember that.
15
THEY KEPT AN easy pace for about an hour and then crested a beautiful rolling hill when Rian pointed at the gate. “There’s the south gate. Watch as you come down the hill.”
“I could handle this terrain at five years old.” To emphasize her point, she spurred Amelia into a run, laughing with abandon as the wind whipped her hair and she left Rian in the dust. Amelia had good legs and within seconds they were galloping down the gentle slope and into a grassy meadow. Her heart light, she came skidding to a stop as they reached the gate. She reached down and patted Amelia’s damp neck, crooning with approval. “You’re a good girl. I bet you could handle even more than that, can’t you?” She straightened and Rian sidled up to her, his eyes flashing with good humor, and she sent him a saucy grin. “I win.”
“No fair. I didn’t know we were racing until you shot off like a bat out of hell. Nice riding, by the way. You weren’t kidding when you said you were comfortable on a horse.”
“Did you think I was lying?”
“Well, maybe not lying but perhaps stretching the truth a bit. I mean, city girls aren’t usually ones for riding in the country.”
“Well, I’m only part city girl.”
“I see that.” He slid from his horse and grabbed his tools from the saddlebag to check the gate. She watched as he lifted the gate and started hammering the hinge. His biceps bulged with each clanging hit on the metal and she found herself shifting in the saddle, very aware of her body. “This shouldn’t take too long. If you want to pick a spot for lunch, that’d be good,” he said.
She nodded and slid from Amelia, giving the pretty horse a playful rub on the nose before unpacking the picnic cooler and the blanket strapped to the horse’s flank. She spread the gingham woolen blanket and began to unpack the cooler, humming to herself as she went. Birds flitted from the trees and bees buzzed. The metal clanging sounded out of place with the beautiful landscape, but CoCo was delirious with the simple joy of the moment. Nothing was perfect but this moment came pretty damn close.