The Trouble With Coco Monroe (12 page)

Jacob was watching her too closely and she realised her hand was holding his too tightly.

Forcing herself to relax, she sent him a tentative smile.

‘They do say time heals, don’t they. Unfortunately they don’t tell you how much time it takes.’

His thumb rubbed the skin on the back of her hand.

‘I think it is different for each one of us.’

‘I’m sorry about the break-up of your engagement. Gabriella Dolman is a beautiful woman. Had you been together long?’

In his eyes she watched sympathy for her slide away to be replaced by a mixture of emotions; deep hurt and bitter fury.

‘A year. I knew as soon as I saw her that she belonged to me.’

She blinked at his choice of words.

‘Everyone has a basic human right to self-determination, to decide for themselves if a relationship is working for them or not. No person owns another,’ she said gently, even as she recognised her words had wounded him.

The pain in his dark eyes, the lines of anguish around his mouth, pierced her heart.

Poor man.

He was suffering so much.

‘
Si
. I understand that. What I cannot forget is how she felt in my arms, in my bed, just two nights before she left me for someone else. That I cannot understand. And when I find her I will expect her to explain herself. I have questions that need answered. Until then I am trapped.’

‘Don’t you know where she is, who she’s with?’

He shook his head.

‘We think she’s living in Europe. But we can’t find her. It’s as if she’s dropped off the face of the earth.’

‘We?’

His face flushed but his eyes held hers.

‘Private investigators, and my brother Lucas has put out feelers, but we’ve heard nothing.’

‘But what about her family, her friends, her agent? Gabriella Dolman has a famous face, someone, somewhere must know where she is.’

‘
Si
. But her agent has no idea. I flew to New York to speak to Tobin Gillespie and he is as confused as I am. All she said to him was that her life had taken an unexpected turn and she wanted to concentrate on a new career. Her sister Sophie is working in Kenya, studying mosquito colonies for the World Health Organisation. She told me Gabriella wants to move on, that she is fine and to leave her in peace. Since then Sophie has not returned my calls, my messages.’

Janine placed her other hand over his.

‘After a year don’t you think it’s time to move on?’

‘Until I speak to Gabriella face to face to understand what happened, how it went wrong, where it went wrong, I cannot do that.’

And that was how Joshua Erichsen found them, with Janine’s swimming eyes gazing into Jacob’s, with their hands holding across the table, and with his heart being torn from his chest.

His date tugged at his arm.

‘Josh, we’re being shown to our table. Are you okay?’

‘What? Yeah, sure. Sorry, was miles away.’

How fair was it that the first night he’d taken a woman out in months he had to pick the Bar and Grill?

Christ, Janine looked amazing.

Her hair had grown over the past few weeks. The softer style suited her high cheekbones and feminine jaw. His body reacted as it always did around her, with a roar of arousal. Again, his date tugged his arm to attract his attention. A small part of his brain reminded him that he wasn’t behaving well. Another part couldn’t give a damn.

‘Hang on,’ he told her as she took her seat at their table. ‘I’ll be back in a minute, I just want to say hello to a couple of friends.’

He ignored the hurt pout, the big brown eyes. And he even ignored his conscience telling him that abandoning his date, not introducing her to his friends was incredibly bad manners. But again he didn’t give a damn.

Sliding through the tables he finally reached Jacob and Janine.

Jacob stood and he shook his hand.

Janine stayed right where she was.

Normally he’d buss the cheek of a woman acquaintance or give them a hug. But this woman had
Do Not Touch
written all over her.

Why couldn’t he behave like a normal human being in front of her?

So like a pussy he just raised his hand.

‘Hi,’ he said as Jacob sat, reached across the table and took Janine’s hand in his. ‘We’ve just arrived and I thought I’d come over and say hello.’

Christ, how pathetic did that sound?

The whole time he couldn’t take his eyes from Janine.

She’d gone tense the way she always did around him and Jacob was looking at him as if he’d lost his mind.

‘Small world,’ Jacob drawled.

‘Isn’t it? Er... I’ve the approved plans for The Grange, they need a signature. When can I drop them off, Janine?’

With a reluctance that made his teeth ache, she turned to him and looked up.

And what he saw there in her eyes, as if he was a turd on her shoe, made him want to howl at the moon.

‘Tomorrow morning at Sweet Sensations would be good.’

Okay. That was fine, tomorrow was fine.

She turned those big blue eyes on Jacob as if he was her favourite person in the whole universe, squeezed his hand.

And Josh felt that squeeze in his lungs. He could hardly breathe with the pain of it.

So much for,
There’s nothing between us
.

Yeah, right.

For an unending moment he couldn’t take his eyes away from their joined hands.

Then he realised Jacob was watching him as if he was a grenade with the pin pulled.

‘Your friend is looking for you, Josh.’

Shit.

‘Ah, yes. I’ll see you tomorrow for our run.’

Jacob’s eyes met his, held.

‘I look forward to it,’ he said in a silky voice. The tone making it loud and clear that he was to
back off
.

Bastard.

What the hell was she doing looking at Jacob like that?

And why the fuck did he care?

He had a gorgeous, willing woman waiting for him.

And by Christ he was going to get laid this night.

Josh stood up straight and tall.

‘See you in the morning,’ he said to the Spaniard. Then he turned to find Janine’s wary blue eyes staring up at him. ‘And I’ll see you tomorrow too.’

Count on it, baby.

Tomorrow he was going to clear the air between them once and for all. Or Janine Faulkner could find herself another architect. He’d had enough of her looking at him like that, treating him as if he was Hannibal Lecter.

‘Have a nice evening,’ Jacob said.

‘You too.’

Keeping an eye on his date, Josh made his way towards their table and deliberately sat with his back to Jacob and Janine.

He was damned if a woman was going to treat him like shit.

He’d had enough.

He was at the end of the rope, the end of his tether.

For the rest of an endless night he did his best to entertain his date by focusing his attention purely on her.

Shame that at the end of the evening he couldn’t recall a single word he’d said.

And he went to bed alone.

Chapter Thirteen

On their way to Coco’s house Rafe could almost hear the wheels turning in her complicated mind.

He’d need his wits about him.

If she didn’t trust him enough to tell him what was going on, he’d take control of the situation. The first thing he needed to do was to remove her from the threat. Ideally, take her out of the country, but she’d never agree to that plan.

So he’d simply take her ability to choose out of the equation.

His contact had told him Kandinsky was being investigated for running Internet fraud, identity theft, on a massive scale with links to organised crime. His many homes were bugged. Coco’s name had been mentioned as someone Olivia was close to and it wasn’t only Coco he was looking at either; the man had a long list of people to investigate.

Apparently the Russian was not prepared to go to the authorities for help to find his missing family, which said it all as far as Rafe was concerned.

Coco’s reaction in the car told him she was up to her neck in it.

The trick would be to get the information out of her.

She was stubborn in that respect, just like her father.

The car swung through electronic gates of a private estate and sped uphill.

A mile later, they emerged from a thick forest to a bluff over which he could see a lake. A full moon hung suspended in the night sky reflected on the water and he made out a single storey building.

Coco rummaged around her purse, brought out an electronic sensor. She clicked the button and a solid metal gate slid into the high wall surrounding the house.

Rafe got out of the car.

He wasn’t sure what he expected, but it wasn’t this unimpressive facade.

It looked like a concrete box.

Opening her door he took Coco’s hand, helped her out.

Keying in the number on a digital door lock she opened a vast modern door made of bleached oak.

As she stepped through into an enormous entrance hall motion sensors switched on lights throughout the building and grounds.

Coco sank onto a chair, untied and kicked off her shoes and padded into the space.

She crossed to a wide staircase constructed of bleached oak and leaned over the tempered glass balcony.

‘Honey, I’m home,’ she yelled. And grinned at Rafe’s bland stare.

A deep woof came from below.

Tail wagging like crazy a St. Bernard the size of a small pony lumbered up the stairs.

Burying her face in the thick fur Coco rubbed the dog’s massive head.

‘Come and say hello to her,’ she instructed a stunned looking Rafe.

He crouched, delighted when Honey dropped to her butt and offered him a paw.

‘You’re a honey all right.’ His dark eyes caught hers as he rubbed the dog’s chest. ‘She’s a beauty.’

When he smiled like that it changed his face from intimidating to fabulous.

Her heart responded by fluttering madly as she led the way down two flights of wide stairs.

They moved through a causeway constructed of clear glass into the main part of the building. Walls of glass showcased the gardens and the lake lit now by carefully placed up lights among the trees and shrubs.

His eyes went wide and he blew out a long low whistle.

‘Wow, this place is amazing.’

‘The architect Joshua Erichsen designed it. I love it.’

She moved into a cavernous open plan area with a circular kitchen placed slap bang in the middle.

On one side there was a seating area with three comfortable seven-foot sofas in deep velvet the colour of bone, groaning with jewel coloured velvet cushions. Each couch was draped with lightweight cashmere throws, edged with what looked like feathered beads. Very girly, Coco. The plate glass coffee table was the size of a family sedan and held a collection of books on design and a vast glass bowl containing what appeared to be ostrich eggs.

Glowing in the corner was a futuristic stainless steel wood burner suspended from the ceiling. On the other side of the kitchen consoles was a tempered glass and steel dining table, big enough to sit twelve and surrounded by tall backed dining chairs in jewel coloured suede. The table held two immense six-foot high candlesticks in solid silver. Each one held a candle the size of a football. And in the centre sat a fat glass vase crammed with a stunning arrangement of fragrant flowers in vivid greens and creams with spikes of raspberry. The whole set up might be brutally modern but it was a space made for comfort and relaxing. He could see himself stretched out on one of those sofas reading or even better, having a nice long nap after Sunday lunch. As far as he was concerned the only thing that was missing was a huge wall hung flat screen TV.

Coco opened a refrigerated food drawer and took out a selection of cheeses.

She moved to another and set out a platter of fruit.

‘I’m going to have a quick shower and change.’ She pointed to him, gave him clear instructions. ‘Open the wine, and set out the cheese and fruit. Make yourself at home. Explore the other floors. You’ll find the guest wing downstairs, choose whatever bedroom you want.’

Honey moved to follow her, but she gave a hand signal for the dog to stay.

Intrigued, Rafe poked around her amazing kitchen.

It was ruthlessly organised with thick glass worktops, two spacious sinks with weird looking expandable taps and stainless steel appliances. The eight-ringed gas hob told him she was serious about food. She didn’t have a kettle; instead she had a fancy tap that produced boiling water.

He found a selection of delicate plates of white porcelain in glass cabinets, modern solid silver cutlery in slick drawers and clear Swedish crystal wine glasses. The whole set-up was one of understated luxury.

With a glass of wine in his hand he took himself on a tour with the St Bernard for company. And found four spacious bedrooms on the floor below with panoramic views over the lake.

One had a super king-size bed and he snagged that one. At six foot four he needed all the space he could get.

As far as he could see the house wasn’t overlooked, no neighbours. He noted the motion sensors that switched on lights, along with the state-of-the-art alarm system. He checked the solid dead bolt locks on the folding floor to ceiling doors and couldn’t help but be impressed. When it came to security, somebody knew what they were doing.

The en-suite had a fabulous black marble walk-in shower and separate bath in the shape of an egg.

‘Your mistress likes quality, doesn’t she?’ Rafe muttered to Honey.

The dog merely cocked her head and looked at him.

He’d kept an eye on Coco’s activities from a distance and hadn’t taken an interest in the house. And realised the property was built into the rock in a semi-circle on a hill over looking the lake.

Honey gave a soft woof, and made a beeline for the stairs.

Rafe followed her as the dulcet tones of The Fray whispered from the kitchen.

When she said a quick shower Coco meant it.

He received another surprise when he saw a slim woman in bare feet with her back to him.