“I’m all for keeping this casual.”
Double dick. “You have no choice in that.”
“But,” he added with emphasis, “you’re going to have to limit yourself to one man at a time.”
Her eyes flared. Wow, he had a hell of an opinion on her stamina. Leaning into him more, ensuring that her boobs squashed against his naked chest, she purred, “One man is fine—long as he makes it worth my while.”
His mouth landed on hers and before she had time to assess the impact, he had her lips open, his tongue dancing against her. The man knows how to kiss. Along with that thought she heard a laugh.
Baxter released her mouth, his expression dark as he looked off to the side.
Keeping her face hidden against him, not sure she had the strength yet to move, she asked, “People?”
“They’ve moved on, but the park’s getting busy.” He eased away from her. “I need to get down to the shop anyway. I have classes this morning.”
“Lots of little hotties waiting for you?”
“Right now I’m only concerned with one hottie,” he said.
Basically avoiding an answer.
She knew anyway. Baxter was always surrounded by admirers.
He stood there, breathing deepened, gaze intense. “Eight o’clock, Ridley.” He pressed one more quick kiss to her mouth, and strode away.
Soon as he was gone, she fanned her face and fell boneless into her seat. Oh, it was definitely going to be a long day—that’d be worth it in the end.
She hoped.
*
Later that morning, Baxter was in the shop before classes, doing an equipment check, trying—and failing—to think about something, anything, other than Ridley, when Coop stopped in. Knowing what he wanted, Baxter went to the door, flipped over a sign to read CLOSED, and turned the lock.
Since Gibb had been unable to catch the goons at any wrongdoing, Baxter had taken it upon himself to see what he could find out—after he’d gotten Coop’s reluctant agreement first.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have much to report.
“Phoenix is working?” he asked as he petted the little dog that now shadowed Coop almost everywhere he went.
“Yeah. She’ll be busy until five or later.” He unleashed the pup so it could explore. Hands on his hips, expression grim, Coop asked, “Anything?”
“Not much.” Baxter propped a hip against the checkout counter. “I found the guys, even talked with them some, at a local bar.”
“You didn’t find out anything?”
He shrugged. “Nothing you didn’t already know. They consider themselves badasses—which has to be the mystery of the year, because I doubt they have a complete spine between the three of them.”
“Or a brain,” Coop muttered.
He nodded in agreement. “After they left the bar, I chatted up a few other people. They claim Harry has been lying low, that some ‘big dude’ beat his ass.”
Coop snorted. “I tapped him once.”
“Apparently, it was enough of a tap to intimidate.” Baxter hated to disappoint Coop, but he needed to know. “One guy, commiserating with Harry, said a cop tried to blame him for some ‘shit he didn’t even do.’”
“The night Phoenix’s porch light was broken and she saw someone running?”
“I assume. Harry appears to be well-known in the bar, as an irritant to some and a buddy to others. But they all agreed that he’s been sticking close to home lately.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah, my thoughts exactly.” Baxter would have loved to confirm Harry as the culprit, which would have given Coop leave to revisit the punk. But it wasn’t to be.
“Did it cost you anything to get that info?”
With a grin, Baxter said, “Not really. A few drinks in a dive, a near brawl of my own, and some fast excuses to dissuade a couple of interested women. Overall, not a bad night.”
“I can repay you for the drinks.”
“The hell you will,” he said, still grinning. “I enjoyed it.” Except for the part about the women coming on to him. That had been awkward, and the cause for the near brawl.
Apparently, the locals didn’t like seeing their ladies rejected, no matter how nicely.
Rejecting them hadn’t made Baxter happy, either. Used to be that a one-night stand with a stranger would have suited him just fine. No strings. No familiarity. Satisfying sex, nothing more.
Unfortunately, he didn’t want anyone but Ridley.
Coop reluctantly nodded. “Thanks.”
“Anyway,” Baxter said, shaking off his odd preoccupation with a woman who insulted him as often as she turned him on, “it sounds like maybe it was all happenstance, just as Phoenix claims.”
“Maybe.” Coop headed for the door. “Or there’s another threat...one that could be more serious.”
Damn. Baxter didn’t like that idea at all.
If Phoenix was at risk, could Ridley be also?
11
Phoenix hummed as she raked, her mind on many things—like her sister and Baxter. Were they working out their differences? Jumping into bed right now?
Still playing cat and mouse with each other?
Or had Baxter walked away?
She wanted to see Ridley happy, but wasn’t sure which outcome would make that happen. There were times when Ridley could be very self-destructive. What she wanted wasn’t always what she needed.
But then, Phoenix was the same.
Every night she joined Cooper in his home. She’d play with Sugar while Cooper grilled dinner. She’d help him with the dishes, and then they’d walk the dog around the resort, or play with her in Cooper’s yard. Sometimes they watched TV, sometimes they just talked.
No matter how their evening went, they always ended up in bed and it was the most amazing thing she’d ever experienced, almost as if they were meant to complement each other. Every time felt new, hotter, better than the time before it.
And afterward, difficult as it might be, Phoenix insisted on returning to her cabin.
Her small home felt lonelier each time she did.
Yes, she wanted to stay with Cooper, to sleep curled at his side and wake with him in the morning. Share coffee. Share a shower.
Maybe share a life...
She wanted that a lot.
The sensible side of her brain, though, reminded her that she had important, personal goals, and they didn’t include relying on others. Not yet, anyway.
She didn’t need to prove anything to others...but she wanted to prove something to herself.
Needing a distraction, she pulled out her phone and texted Ridley.
How did it go?
While waiting for a reply, she put away the rake and tidied up the maintenance building, making sure every tool was in its designated spot. Organization was important to her because it made her job easier. She’d already lectured the high school boys who often helped with cutting the grass. Too many times, they’d left things out of place, always in a hurry to be on their way. They’d caught on quickly and now, almost by rote, they returned things to where they belonged.
Less than a minute later, her phone dinged. 8:00 tonight. Whoo hoo.
A smile twitched on her mouth. 8:00 you two are getting together?
Yup & I may just wear him out, so if he’s not at the job tomorrow, you’ll know he died happy.
Phoenix laughed aloud. What about you? Do you expect to expire with pleasure?
You betcha.
Still grinning, Phoenix shook her head. She’d always envied her sister’s daring and exuberance. LOL. Have fun!
Gotta go. I need to hustle so I can finish early. Need time to make myself ravishing.
With her innate sense of style and slimmer figure, Ridley always looked great. Phoenix rapidly thumbed in: Love ya!
You too.
She slid the phone into her pocket, warm with happiness for her sister.
“Let me guess—that was Ridley?”
Shock brought her around so fast, Phoenix lost her footing and fell back against a wooden support post. The world seemed to spin around her; her heart went into her throat then dropped into her stomach.
Her ex stood there in the open double doors of the building, sunlight haloing his body and making his face difficult to see. But she recognized him all the same.
It took her three tries to find her voice, and then she whispered, “David.”