Sex, Lies and Designer Shoes

“Could’ve fooled me. In my world, when a woman says no, it means exactly that. Didn’t seem that your friend was getting the message.”

Her cheeks burned at the mere possibility that Drake might’ve taken things too far. Drake was pretty drunk. He probably wouldn’t even remember getting tossed outside.

“Still choking on that thank-you?”

Smart-ass. “If I had something to be thankful for, I wouldn’t have a problem saying it. But as I said, I had things under control,” she maintained stubbornly, even if there was a niggling doubt that maybe Drake might’ve been a little too jacked up to listen to reason. “However, since you seem stuck on the need to hear it...thanks for handling a mildly embarrassing situation,” she said stiffly. “Now answer my question... Just who are you?”

He sighed as if she’d just responded exactly as expected and found it disappointing, then said, “Glad you asked.” He produced credentials and a business card, which she accepted with open confusion. Elite Protection Services, Rian Dalton. She regarded him with a faint frown as he continued. “Your father has hired me to watch over you for the next couple of days while the FBI figures out who’s been threatening him.”

She returned the card with an irritated exhale. “Chill out on the panic button. Your services aren’t required. I don’t need a babysitter. My father is just being overly protective.”

“Your father started receiving death threats about a week ago. In the interest of your safety, your father has hired me to make sure that no one gets any bright ideas about kidnapping his only heir for ransom.”

“As if that would happen,” CoCo said, bored. “People don’t get kidnapped. That happens on television and in the movies but not in real life.”

“And here I thought you were smarter than that but apparently, you’re pretty comfortable with the blonde stereotype.”

She stared. Okay, that was definitely an insult. What a jerk. When her father had told her about the threats, she’d tried to reassure him that it was nothing but he’d been so freaked out. Now it seemed she should’ve worked harder to talk some sense into him. But first, she needed to send this prick packing. “As I said, your services aren’t required. Thank you for your assistance earlier but I think we’re done here.”

“I don’t work for you, sassy pants. I work for your father.”

“Well, I’ll call my father tomorrow and let him know that I can take care of myself.”

“Fine by me, but until then, I’m your shadow.”

She narrowed her gaze. “And just what does that mean?”

“Exactly what you think it means.”

CoCo shook her head. There was no way she was going to be trailed by this man for the next few days. He was already stomping on her nerves. “That’s not going to happen. I refuse. What then?”

“Then the next few days will be awkward and uncomfortable for us both. The fact is, your daddy paid me a shit-ton of money to watch over your spoiled ass and, pardon me, frankly I’m not sure you’re worth the money, but it’s his dime so here I stay.”

“How dare you!” She’d never been so boldly dissed in her life and she didn’t like it. “You don’t have the right to talk to me like that.”

Rian smirked. “Yeah, I call ’em as I see ’em and that’s a fact. I know all about you, CoCo Abelli. For that matter, who doesn’t? You’re a spoiled heiress with daddy issues and you’re always in the spotlight for doing something dumb. Usually getting drunk and falling all over yourself or something like that. Made quite a reputation for yourself and, to be honest, I didn’t want this job. In fact, I tried to refuse, but your daddy seems to think that his daughter deserves the best so here I am. Far be it from me to refuse good money even if I think it’s a fool’s errand. So do us both a favor and march your butt into your room and stay there for the rest of the night, because this party is a security nightmare. You don’t really think all these people are your friends, right?”

CoCo could only stare. No one spoke to her like that. No one! And it hurt. She was more than just a paparazzi payday. “Are you finished?” she asked. When Rian simply folded his arms across his chest and waited, she stared him down with all the European disdain she had flowing through her veins and said, “Not only are you finished with this job... I’m going to see to it that you never work in this town again.”

“Good luck, honey. Better people than you have tried—and failed. But don’t do me no favors. Being let go from this detail would be the biggest blessing of the year.”

What could she say to that? He wasn’t pulling any punches and she had no doubt that he was being truthful. He truly didn’t want the job, which only made her feel like a boil on someone’s butt. She wasn’t going to win any arguments with him at the moment and she wasn’t going to waste her time trying, especially when she was a bit dulled from all the alcohol. “I won’t lower myself to your level, Mr. Dalton,” she said icily. “Stay if you choose but I am not going to my room like some child. I have people to entertain.”

“Ah, yes, the nip-slip hasn’t quite occurred yet, right? Don’t want to miss out on that.”

She glared. “Screw you.”

“No, thanks. I don’t mix business with pleasure.”

Her blood boiled but she wasn’t about to make a scene. Lifting her chin, she turned on her heel and deliberately left him behind. She had to get away from that man. What was her father thinking hiring a thug like him?

She went straight to the bar and ordered a whiskey sour. She’d just managed to down it when Stella sidled up to her, nearly falling down drunk. “Who was that hottie you were talking to in the kitchen?” she slurred. “He’s the freshest meat in this place. I call dibs!”

“You can have him,” CoCo muttered even though she knew Stella wouldn’t remember a thing they were saying. She was nearly at puke level.

“Have you seen Drake? He was looking for you. You two are so cute together...”

“Drake is a slime,” she said, her thoughts still centered on Rian and how she’d like to wipe that smirk off his smug face. Stella giggled and CoCo wished her friend were at least halfway sober so she could tell her what’d happened, but she knew it was pointless to try to get Stella to focus right now. “Are you staying here tonight?” she asked.

“Only if I don’t get lucky,” Stella answered with a drunken giggle, swiveling around to survey the crowd with bleary eyes. “Now, where did Mr. Hottie run off to?”

She ought to sic Stella on Rian. That ought to keep him busy for a bit. But even as the uncharitable thought raced through her mind, she discarded it. The last thing she needed was Stella hooking up with the man her father had hired to protect her. It was bad enough he was here at all, no sense in making things worse.

Besides, if CoCo wasn’t getting lucky—neither was her jerk of a bodyguard.

3

HE PROBABLY SHOULDN’T have come down so hard on her—she was the client’s daughter after all. If Kane were here, he’d knock him in the head for running his mouth when he ought to keep it shut, but there was something about the woman that unhinged his jaw.

He wasn’t a stranger to spoiled heiresses but CoCo Abelli took the ever-loving cake. The girl wouldn’t know how to be grateful if someone had saved her life, which is exactly what her father was trying to do. Personally, Rian thought Enzo ought to cut his losses with this one, because she was clearly ruined beyond repair. The only thing CoCo cared about was herself or the next party. Maybe it would do her some good to have a little scare. But that wasn’t his place. Maybe with some luck CoCo would convince her father that his services weren’t needed and he could go on with his life. One could hope.

Throughout the night he kept an eye on CoCo as she partied until the wee hours of the morning, as if purposefully thumbing her nose at him, and by the time the sun rose and everyone had left Rian felt as wrung out as he had during a night watch in Afghanistan. Watching over this girl would be no picnic.

CoCo, her eyes red from a night of hard alcohol and who knew what else, ignored Rian and stumbled to her bed. He rounded up the rest of the stragglers and booted them from the house, finally able to breathe a little easier. The Malibu beach house wasn’t the most secure location. Too many points of entry to defend. If someone were looking to kidnap CoCo, they could practically waltz in and snatch her without breaking a sweat. So that meant they weren’t staying here for the next few days. He figured that news was going to go over like a turd in a punch bowl. He kind of relished the idea of giving her that news. He got the impression not many people told CoCo what to do and when. That was her problem. She’d been indulged way too much in her life. Time for a reality check. The fact that she didn’t believe she was in any danger went to show just how naive she was.

He did another perimeter check and secured all the doors and then decided to take a catnap. He was a light sleeper by nature but his years in combat had trained him to sleep with one eye open. If anyone tried to get past him, he would know it.

He rarely dreamed or if he did he didn’t remember the details. Sometimes when he woke he was left with a hazy idea that he’d dreamed of something but most times it was just a blank canvas. So why did he have the most vivid dream of CoCo? Sun-bronzed skin, a tiny bikini and that achingly beautiful body—correction, it wasn’t a dream, it was a nightmare. He didn’t want to be dreaming of CoCo like that. He didn’t want to think of her in any way except as an annoying client. It was bad business to mess around with the clients.

After about two hours Rian’s cell phone jerked him awake and he saw that it was Kane.

“Yeah, what’s up?” he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“I wanted to check and see how things are going with our newest client. I figured you were on the job last night. Everything cool?”

“I guess you could say that. She’s a nightmare just as I expected. I chased off some guy mauling her in the kitchen and did I get an ounce of thanks? No. She’s an ungrateful bitch and frankly, I’m thinking that giant payday wasn’t nearly enough. Maybe I can tack on a handling fee for my pain and suffering.”

“I thought you said that you tried to refuse the job.”

“I did. I’m just cranky from getting two hours of sleep.”

“You always were grouchy if you didn’t get your full eight hours. You’re such a prima donna. Do you have a plan for the next couple of days?”

“Try not to kill the woman myself?”

“Come on now, I’m serious. The Abelli account is a pretty big payday. Just treat it like any other.”

Rian didn’t need his big brother lecturing him. “This isn’t my first rodeo. I know what I’m doing. If I need your help, I’ll ask for it.”

“Well, aren’t you a bowl of cherries this morning? Get yourself together. Act professional. So what if she’s not the kind of person you want to go have lunch with. That’s probably a good thing—I’ve seen pictures of her. She’s not hard on the eyes. The last thing I need is you messing around with a client because she’s pretty.”

Rian scowled. “Now you’re just talking out of your ass. You know I don’t do that. If you don’t have anything worthwhile to add, I’m going to go.”

“Go get some coffee, you mean grouch. It’s just for a few days. You can handle this. Laci says hi,” he added and Rian grumbled but replied in kind.

His brother had married country superstar Laci McCall, but they’d known her before she’d hit it big and he’d always thought Laci was the best of people. How his brother managed to snag that diamond, he’d never know. Aw, hell, he was just being a surly jerk. Kane and Laci were the real deal and he knew it. If he weren’t in such a foul mood, he’d admit that Kane was the luckiest son of a bitch alive.

“Do you need any help with this case?” Kane asked, breaking into Rian’s thoughts.

“No, I’m good. Like you said, it’s just a few days. I think I can handle Miss Sassy Pants for that amount of time. Anything longer and I might need backup.”

“You got it.”

Rian clicked off and sighed. His head throbbed and the sunlight stabbing him in the eyeballs wasn’t helping any. He needed coffee and he needed it fast. After a quick check on CoCo, he found her dead to the world, lightly snoring and drooling on her pillow. Ha! If he were an asshole, he’d snap a pic of that and post it to social media. Instead he returned to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

Of course, as luck would have it, no simple coffee machine around. Just one of those fancy single-cup coffee things that he couldn’t make heads or tails of, which meant he had to make do with a glass of iced tea that he managed to make on the fly. It was better than nothing but it didn’t compare to the kind of brew he needed to wake up completely.

He was midway through the glass when CoCo stumbled in, bleary-eyed and looking like something the cat dragged in, and he couldn’t stop the smirk that followed.

“What are you smiling about?” she asked sourly, going to that fancy machine and popping in a pod on autopilot, because he was certain she could barely see two steps in front of her. “Why are you still here?”

“I told you why I’m here,” he answered, more amused than he should be to see her hungover. He saw an opportunity to get some coffee and acted on it. “How about a truce?” he suggested and she stopped to stare at him.

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, we got off on the wrong foot. I’m here to protect you for a handful of days and since there’s not much we can do about it, we might as well try to get along. I’ll tell you what...you fix me up one of those fancy cups of coffee from your pod machine and I’ll forget about what an ungrateful jerk you were to me last night after I saved your bacon. Sound like a deal?” He tacked on a smile for good measure. Time to make lemonade out of lemons. He was good at that.

Except CoCo didn’t seem to appreciate his peace offering. She grabbed her coffee and squared her shoulders, the scent of freshly brewed goodness teasing him in the worst way, as she said, “I’m pretty sure they sell coffee at the gas station down the street.” Then, blowing on her no doubt delicious coffee, she left him standing there.

Without any coffee.

Well. Hell.

* * *

WHAT WAS HE still doing here? She sipped at her coffee, waiting for the caffeine jolt so her brain could function. She’d thought for sure he would’ve bailed last night after she’d given him the brush-off. He was like a cursed penny that kept showing up in her purse.

Grabbing her cell, she quickly dialed her father. Time to get to the bottom of this situation. She couldn’t have Captain Buzzkill shadowing her every move.

“Babbo,” she greeted her father warmly in Italian, “how are you this morning?”

“Malissimo, child,” Enzo responded with a heavy sigh that pinched at her earlier pique. “Have you met the man I’ve hired to watch over you?”

“Ah, yes, actually, I have,” she answered, biting her lip, wondering how to break the news that she wanted him to fire Rian. “About that... I don’t think he’s a good fit for me. I think I’ll be fine without a babysitter, Babbo. I’m a big girl now. Besides, I doubt we have anything to truly worry about. Perhaps you’re just being a little too cautious?”

“Contessa, I will not argue the point with you,” Enzo said sternly. Her father only used her given name when he was either fed up or very angry. She may have her father wrapped around her finger but she still shivered when he used that particular tone of voice with her. “Rian Dalton is the best and I trust you in his care. You will do as he says. I have the FBI here with me, working on who is behind this terrorism, but I don’t want to worry about you. Am I clear?”

Damn. That didn’t go as she’d planned. “But, Babbo...he’s such a...” She wrestled with the right word. Jerk came to mind but it wasn’t just that. He was...unaffected by her in any way. And she found that to be a flaw she couldn’t abide. “I’m sure there are plenty of other qualified professionals out there that we can swap him out for. How about I look around and take that load off your shoulders? I would be willing to do that for you.”

“Contessa! You will do no such thing. You will abide by my decision. End of discussion.”

Should she try again? Under most circumstances she could twist her father into a pretzel to get what she wanted but she sensed this was not one of those times. She’d never heard him so gruff with her. Maybe he was really worried. “Okay, Babbo, I’ll stick with Rian,” she said glumly. “But I think this is ridiculous. You’re going to realize you’re overreacting and then I’ll get the satisfaction of saying that I was right.”

“Perhaps. But until then...you stick with the man I hired and don’t give him any of your attitude.”

“I’ll do my best,” she replied, though she couldn’t promise. There was something about Rian that rubbed her wrong. Maybe it was the smug smile or the way he didn’t bat an eyelash at her looks or her body. She was an expert at wielding sex appeal and most men didn’t stand a chance when she put her mind to it but Rian seemed to look right through her. It made her grumpy.

“Grazie, dolcezza,” Enzo said with a sigh as he clicked off, and she genuinely wished her father wasn’t so burdened by what was happening. She adored her Babbo—Italian for daddy—even if she was, admittedly, spoiled rotten as some might say. She tossed her phone onto the bed and reluctantly returned to the kitchen, where Rian was trying to figure out the Keurig coffeemaker. She didn’t want to be nice but a handful of days would pass at a snail’s pace if they were constantly sniping at each other, so she pushed him aside and fixed him a cup of coffee, thrusting it at him with a glower when it was finished.

“Ah, thank God,” Rian said, taking a grateful sip. “That iced tea wasn’t going to work. I was ten seconds away from stuffing you in the car and driving to that gas station to get a cup.”

“I guess I should be thankful for small favors,” she quipped sourly, watching him enjoy his coffee with a critical eye. He was good-looking. In a smug sort of way. “So, apparently my father believes there is a credible threat and that you are the best person for the job in order to keep me safe. Personally, I think this will all blow over and all that will be at risk is my social life. But my father is really stressed and I don’t think he’s going to change his mind until he gets the all-clear from the FBI, so I guess we’re stuck together for the next few days.”

“Glad to hear you’re coming around,” he said from above the rim of his coffee cup. “And for what it’s worth...your father is concerned because the threats are becoming more personal. You’re his only child. It’s only natural for him to want to protect you.”

“Of course,” she said stiffly. “I’m just saying, this is all pretty over the top. People pop off their mouths all the time. It doesn’t mean they actually plan to follow through.”

“True. But then, sometimes they do. That’s not exactly something you want to take a chance with, you know?”

She nodded, grudgingly ceding the point. “So what now? I’m already bored out of my brain.”

“Not my job to entertain you, sweetheart...just to protect you.”

“Wrong. If you want to keep me out of harm’s way, you’d better find a way to keep me busy. Otherwise, I’ll have to find my own fun, and who knows what that might entail.”

“Do you have a death wish or something? This shit is real. Not some game.”

She shrugged. “Says you. I think it’s all a waste of time. A waste of my time. I’m only indulging my father because he’s a sweet old man and I adore him.”

“Your social calendar will recover,” Rian said drily, finishing his coffee and rinsing the cup off to leave in the sink. “But I have more bad news—we’re not staying here.”

“And just where exactly are we supposed to go?” she queried, her irritation ramping up. “I’m not about to hole up in some hovel if that’s what you’re thinking.”

He laughed. “Don’t worry about it, princess. It’ll be safe—that’s all that matters.” He shoved away from the counter and waved her out of the kitchen with a curt command of “Go pack,” and she cast a dirty glare his way before returning to her room.

Just where the hell did he plan to take her?

Good God, she hoped it was someplace five-star. She just wasn’t in the mood to rough it.

4

HE DIDN’T EXACTLY have a safe house but he knew a hotel that was fairly small and off the beaten path that would serve his purpose. The only problem? It wasn’t much to look at. However, that was the point. No one was going to look for an heiress at a two-star hotel that was built in the ’70s and hadn’t been updated since it was erected. And, okay, maybe he was just a little entertained by the idea of subjecting the spoiled brat to something a little less luxurious than she was accustomed to, but it was safe and that was his primary concern.

“Where exactly are you taking me?” she asked, returning with a designer rolling suitcase. “I prefer something along the lines of the Biltmore but I’ll settle for the Four Seasons.”

He chuckled. “I’ll take that under consideration. Are you ready?”

She looked at him with irritation. “I’m standing here with luggage. What do you think that means?”

“All right, then. Let’s hit the road.”

She grumbled something under her breath but didn’t repeat herself when he gave her a sharp look. They climbed into his Range Rover and took off.

“What are you smiling about?” she asked, suspicious. “You’ve been the picture of grumpy since the moment we met, yet you’re smiling like you just won the lottery.”

“What? A man’s not allowed to smile in your company?” he asked, smothering his grin when he realized he was borderline gloating in anticipation. Was he being a jerk? Possibly. But she deserved it. He was doing this for all the men out there who’d had the misfortune to snag this girl’s eye. No doubt, CoCo had left behind a string of men after she’d had her fun. “Just sit back and enjoy the ride. We’re almost there.”

She looked out the window with a frown. “Just where exactly are you taking me? This neighborhood doesn’t look safe at all. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“I know exactly what I’m doing.”

“So far, that’s debatable.”

“Just relax, princess. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s protect overprivileged, spoiled heiresses.”

“Exactly how do you get jobs? You have the manners of a pig. Just so you know, so far I haven’t been very impressed with your methods. And in case you haven’t noticed—people care about what I have to say. One bad review from me and you’re finished.”

“Have you noticed that you don’t have many friends? It might be because you’re unbearable to be around.”

Her indignant sputter was entertaining. “You don’t get to judge me. You’re no one. And when this is over my life will go on and yours will be ruined.”

Oh, she had balls. “Let me get this straight...you’re saying when I’m done protecting your ass, you’re going to ruin my career just because I don’t jump when you snap your fingers? Hmm, that’s not a glowing recommendation for protecting you at all. Maybe I ought to just dump you off at the nearest corner and let you fend for yourself.” He barked a laugh at the idea. “You wouldn’t last a day.”

She shrugged. “You’re the one who believes there’s a real threat out there, not me. This is all going to blow over. Just wait and see.”

“Maybe you’re right. But I’m getting paid either way and since you’re not the one signing my paycheck just zip your lip and sit tight.”

She jerked her gaze away from him with a delicate sniff of annoyance and he had to stop himself from chortling. Why was he baiting her? He’d never acted like this with a client. Not even with the snobbiest, but for some reason he just couldn’t shut it down. Her ego needed an ass-whupping in the worst way and he was more than willing to be the one to deliver.