“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.