The Lawman’s Blackmailed Bride (Billionaire Brothers 3): BBW Romance (8 page)

“
Of course,” the numismatist replied.

Taking a deep breath, Phoebe pulled out the tissue-swathed coin and carefully unwrapped it.

“Oh my,” Mr. Newton breathed, reaching for gloves and a magnifying glass. “Oh, yes.” He studied the coin closely, turning it over. “Quite remarkable.” He looked at them shrewdly. “Is this yours?”

“
It’s a client’s,” Phoebe replied, hoping her cheeks didn’t redden. It wasn’t really a lie. She did consider Mrs. Miller to be her client, even though she wouldn’t have a job to return home to. But she’d vowed to herself to do the best she could for the little old lady, even if it meant risking possible arrest.

“
Definitely Emperor Proculus, 280AD.” The expert turned the coin over again, then placed it carefully on the counter with a wistful
sigh. “Quite valuable.”

She exhaled with relief. Mr. Dawson had confirmed her instincts about the coin, but having her hunch verified by a reputable numismatist
made the whole journey worthwhile.
As well as meeting Cole.

“
Could you give me a written evaluation, please?” she asked.

“
Of course.” Mr. Newton smiled. “This is a very rare coin. I think it would easily sell for fifty thousand dollars at least.”

She couldn’t help beaming as the coin expert echoed Mr. Dawson’s estimate. Surely that amount of money would help Mrs. Miller buy whatever she needed. “That’s wonderful.”

“It’ll take me a few minutes to write out the evaluation.”

She nodded. “Of course.”

“Feel free to look around while you wait.” Mr. Newton started tapping away at a computer behind the desk.

“
I’ll stay here,” Cole murmured to her. “You look around if you want.”

Her pulse jumped at his nearness. “Thanks.” Although she was more interested in antiques than coins, it would be interesting to browse the numismatist’s store. And she knew Cole would never take his eyes off the coin until it was tucked safely away in her purse again.

Ten minutes later, Mr. Newton handed her the evaluation, watching as she rewrapped the coin and hid it in her handbag.

“
Be very careful with that precious coin,” he advised. “And be very prudent whom you trust.” He glanced at Cole.

Phoebe followed his gaze and furrowed her brow. Surely the expert wasn’t implying that Cole …
Of course not, she
chided herself. Although she might have wondered in the beginning if she could fully trust Cole, he’d proven himself to her. He definitely
was not
another Scott
,
her antique stealing ex-boyfriend.

“
I will,” she replied.

Her sexy P.I. shepherded her out of the store and back into the SUV. “You were right.” He grinned at her. “Fifty thousand is a lot of motivation to rip off an old lady.”

Phoebe wanted to do a little tap dance. She didn’t know how she’d been able to restrain herself in the store. She’d been right! “Now all I have to do is give the coin back to Mrs. Miller.” She couldn’t stop smiling.

Cole dug out his phone. “Why don’t we call her right now and let her know about the valuation? I bet she’ll be pleased to know how much her coin is really worth.”

“You can find her phone number?”

He winked at her. “Sweetheart, with this database I can find just about anyone in a few minutes.”

She watched his long, strong fingers punching the keys. What would it be like to be a private investigator? In a way, the antiques business had something in common with investigating. Antiques held the key to the past, but sometimes it was quite a puzzle to prove provenance of an item. She guessed a P.I. like Cole solved some puzzles in his line of work as well.

Cole handed the phone to her. “It’s ringing.”

Phoebe gulped. She was excited to tell the little old lady the good news, but would Mrs. Miller understand why she’d taken the coin?

A few minutes later, she ended the call and handed the phone back to Cole, a smile on her face. Mrs. Miller had been thrilled to hear how much the coin was worth, and had reassured Phoebe that she hadn’t for one moment thought she was a thief. Phoebe promised to return the coin to her as soon as she arrived in Cheyenne.

“Mrs. Miller’s looking forward to getting her coin back.” The phone call had proved to be easier to make than she’d thought.

The corners of his mouth tipped up into a grin. “Then we better head back to Wyoming.”

She nodded. “You’re right.” According to the GPS, it would take them around six hours to drive back to Cheyenne. And once she returned the coin to Mrs. Miller, she doubted she’d ever see Cole again. Just her luck to be falling in love with a man she couldn’t have.

Phoebe admired the scenery as they drove along the highway in South Dakota. The highway was twisty and steep in places, but the views were gorgeous - green-yellow pasture and distant hills.

Although she enjoyed driving around Cheyenne, she was glad Cole was driving right now. Some of the turns were scary.

“
Not much longer,” he said reassuringly as he expertly navigated another sweeping curve.

She smiled at him. How had he known what she was thinking, apart from the way she clutched her purse at particularly steep inclines or nervously sipped from her water bottle? He seemed to be well-versed in reading body language.
Just as well he doesn’t know you’ve got the hots for him.

Phoebe settled back in her seat, determined to relax. A moment later, a red car came toward them, screeching up the steep hill.

The car veered toward their lane, then corrected itself.

“
Jerk,” Cole muttered, his eyes on the road and his hands gripping the steering wheel.

She bit her lip, trusting Cole’s driving, but wishing the red car had already passed them.

As they neared the other vehicle, it suddenly swerved into their lane again.

“
Hold on!” Cole wrenched the wheel.

The next few seconds happened in a blur. When Phoebe opened her eyes, she stared down the side of a cliff. Her gaze dropped to her torso. All her limbs seemed intact and apart from feeling shaken and jolted, she thought she was okay.

“Cole!” Her voice sounded rusty. “Cole!”

“
I’m okay, sweetheart.” Never had his voice sounded so reassuring, so comforting. “But I don’t know about the SUV.”

“
What … what about the other car?” she asked, hoping they’d avoided colliding with the idiot driver.

“
It’s fine,” he replied, a hint of disgust in his voice. “Or at least we didn’t hit it. We ended up here instead.”

“
Here” was the side of the road, at the edge of a cliff. She stared out of the windscreen, her stomach clenching. They were a long way up. If Cole hadn’t braked in time … She shuddered.

“
Was it Victor?” She couldn’t help the edge of panic in her voice.

He shook his head. “No. It was a kid.” He sounded disgusted.

But after her bad dream last night, the possibility their near crash was due to Victor’s machinations preyed on her mind. “What if he paid someone to run us off the road?” She twisted around in the seat to face him, suddenly wincing as her ribs protested.

“
I seriously doubt it. He doesn’t know we’ve swapped cars and since he doesn’t have a GPS tracker on us, I don’t see how he could organize something like that.”

Phoebe nodded, allowing Cole’s sensible reassurance soothe her.

“Let me check you’re okay.” Cole cupped her face, his eyes scrutinizing her expression.  “Where does it hurt?”

Wishing it hadn’t taken a car accident for him to touch her like this, she replied, “I think I’m fine.” She bit her lip as her ribs suddenly ached. “Mostly.”

“Where?” He lightly ran his hands over her, starting from her shoulders and ending at her knees.

“
Here.” She placed a hand on the seat belt above her plump ribcage. “Just a little.”

He touched her ribs underneath the safety belt, her nerves sparking at his touch. “I think they might be a little bruised.” At her inquiring look, he elaborated, “I took a first aid course when I was a cop.”

“What about you? Are you hurt?” Although the fleeting contact of his hands had felt professional and not sexual, she still felt bereft when he took his hand away.

“
I’m fine.” He smiled reassuringly at her.

“
But you’ve got a bruise.” She reached up and gently stroked his forehead. “Right here.”

He closed his eyes for a second, almost seeming to lean into her touch, before snapping his eyes open. “We better get going - if we can.” He turned the key in the ignition.

Phoebe held her breath, hoping the engine would start and they could get away from the cliff top. The vehicle purred to life, relief rushing through her. Cole was right - the sooner they got off this curving highway the better.

Cole reversed, then drove carefully, keeping well under the speed limit. “Is something wrong with the car?” she asked, glancing at his almost grim profile.

He shook his head. “I don’t think so, but I don’t want to take any chances. As soon as we get to a town we’ll stop and get it checked over. I’ll also call my buddy on the force in Cheyenne and see if he can dig up anything on Blackwood’s past.”

She nodded, thinking she’d be glad to stand on firm ground again. Although his expert driving had saved them from a head-on collision with the madman behind the wheel of the red car and flying off a cliff, she suddenly wished they didn’t have to drive all the way back to Cheyenne.

They finally descended and drove along the flat, gray highway. Phoebe let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“
Hastings View should be coming up in a few minutes,” Cole said, glancing at the GPS. “We’ll find a repair shop and make sure everything’s all right.”

They drove through the outskirts of Hastings View, Cole pulling up outside a small mechanic’s that looked neat and clean. She was surprised to find her hands trembled when she unfastened her seat belt. Her knees wobbled when her feet hit the ground.

“I’ve got you.” Cole quickly caught her shoulders, helping her regain her balance.

“
Thanks,” she breathed, wondering how he’d managed to be by her side so quickly. She straightened her shoulders. “I think I’m okay now.” More than anything, she wanted Cole’s touch, especially after the crash, but she didn’t want him to think of her as a clinging limpet. She was just glad he was all right. If he’d been seriously hurt … she didn’t even want to think about it.

Cole took her hand and practically towed her toward the interior of the shop, her hand tingling from his touch. Luckily, the mechanic had just finished eating his lunch and agreed to look at the SUV for them.

“There’s a motel down the road, if you folks need to freshen up.” He pointed to a single story brick building a block away. “It might take me a couple of hours to give this vehicle a proper going over.”

Cole nodded, scribbling his cell phone number down for the grizzled mechanic.

“Come on.” He grasped her hand and gently tugged her toward the street. “Let’s check out that motel.”

They walked side by side down the main street. She noticed Cole matched his stride to hers and couldn’t stop a small smile from gracing her lips. Although she still felt a little shaken, she couldn’t deny how good it felt to have her hand clasped in his.

Built of light brown brick, the motel
flashed a vacant sign near the small office. When the teenage clerk asked how long they’d be staying, Cole shrugged noncommittally, saying he wasn’t sure, before paying for one night in cash.

He ushered Phoebe into the small room, three doors down from the office. Faded drapes tried to keep out the summer sun, while a large bed dominated the room. The carpet was shaggy beige that had seen better days, but looked clean.

“Want some coffee?” Cole held up the coffee pot.

“
Please.” Maybe sipping a hot drink would soothe away her ragged nerves
.
She entered the tiny bathroom, noting the sparkling shower cubicle, basin and toilet, before turning her attention to the mirror. Smoothing down a few strands of her hair, she was surprised to find she didn’t look like someone who had almost teetered on the edge of a cliff.

She walked back into the room, putting her purse down onto the Formica table. “Thanks.” She wrapped her hands around the black coffee mug, hoping its warmth would soothe her.

“We can see if we can find something to eat while we wait for the SUV,” Cole offered, swallowing a mouthful of the hot brew.

“
I’m not very hungry,” she murmured, taking another sip of her coffee before placing the mug on the table. She’d thought having something hot to drink would help make her feel better, but her stomach had started to churn after the second sip. “But I can stay here while you--”

“
I don’t think I’m very hungry either.” Cole smiled ruefully when they both spoke at once.

She looked into his dark brown eyes
,
feeling wobbly all over as the memory of the almost collision flashed through her mind. “What if that car had hit us?” Her voice cracked. “Or we crashed down the side of the cliff?”

“
Phoebe.”  He set down his mug and gathered her into his arms. “It didn’t. We’re safe.”

Telltale moisture clung to the corners of her eyes. “But what if you’d been killed?” Her voice muffled against his strong chest, she wasn’t sure if he’d heard her at first.

He tilted her chin up, his eyes glinting with tenderness. “I’m fine - we both are, apart from your ribs. Nothing happened to that idiot, either.”

“
But what about the SUV? Your brother--”

“
If there is something wrong with it, I’ll pay to get it fixed. Don’t worry, Garrett will understand.” He stroked her hair, while his other hand remained wrapped around her waist.

Phoebe relaxed into the caress. She’d never have forgiven herself if something had happened to Cole. A couple of minutes later, she finally felt ready to leave his arms - reluctant but ready.

“Thanks,” she whispered, taking a small step backwards. Cole’s arm tightened around her. “Cole?” Sexual tension simmered in the air.

“
I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you.” His jagged voice pierced her heart. His hand slid from her hair to her curvy waist.

Her mouth parted, but no sound emerged.

“How are your ribs?” He gently explored her ribcage. Before, when he’d checked her ribs in the SUV, his touch had been soothing and professional. Now, it was more than that - so much more. His fingers caressed her through the smooth cotton fabric of her blouse, sending shivers of longing down her spine.

“
I think - I think they’re fine,” she managed to say, her hands clasping
his shoulders.

“
Good.” He lowered his firm, sensual lips to hers.

Phoebe breathed in his masculine scent of cedar as she parted her lips in surrender. She just couldn’t fight her attraction, or her feelings for this man any longer. Her hands curled into his shoulders as he deepened the kiss.

She’d never been kissed like this before. Cole put her previous boyfriends to shame. Her lower body quivered when his lips trailed down her neck, nipping and laving her tender flesh.

“
If anything had happened to you …” he repeated in a tender growl, before capturing her lips once more.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, glorying in the sensuality of the moment. His fingers traced her rounded
ribcage, then cupped her breasts. Her pulse thrummed in her throat at his touch.

“
Cole?” There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice. Although she wanted to make love with him, she didn’t know if that was what he intended. She might as well face it - she was in love with Cole Trask. But even if he desired her enough to want to take her to bed, what would he think when he saw her nude? Would he still be turned on - or turned off?

“
I need you, Phoebe,” he muttered against her lips, before branding her with a searing kiss. Cole started to walk her backwards to the bed.

Desire screamed through her, although she couldn’t help feeling self-conscious. “Are you sure?” she gasped, when he gently bit her earlobe.

“Hell, yeah,” he growled, molding her to him, letting her feel just how much he wanted her. “Let me make love to you, sweetheart. I promise you won’t regret it.”

In answer, she kissed him passionately, tugging his head down.
This might be your only chance to love him.
Men like Cole didn’t come along too often. Why not live out the fantasy she’d had ever since she’d met him?

Flipping back the bed covers, he urged her to sit on the bed. “Let me look at you.” Cole unbuttoned her lavender blouse. Heat rose in her cheeks as he gazed at her pale pink bra hugging her generous breasts. “Beautiful,” he breathed, tracing circles around her stiffened nipples, clearly visible through the lacy
scrap of fabric.

His scorching touch sparked her nerve endings. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment.

“Look at me,” he commanded, ceasing his movements until she opened her eyes. “Do you know just how much I want you?”

She shook her head, her heart racing.

“More than you’ll ever know.”

Cole yanked off his t-shirt, dropping it to the ground. He unfastened his jeans, the rasp of his zip echoing in the sexually charged atmosphere. Her eyes widened as she saw the evidence of his desire.

Common sense suddenly flashed a warning
.
“Do you have …” she hesitated.