Chapter 10
W hen they awoke the next morning, Cole was again wrapped around Regan, though she must have moved during the night, since they were in the middle of the bed rather than on the sides they’d started on.
“Um, Cole?”
“Hmm?”
“We need to get up.” She tried to move out of his arms, but he tightened them around her.
“Too comfortable. We can sleep awhile longer.”
She sighed and took in his scent. Even in the early morning, he smelled wonderful. Like sandalwood and fir forests and man. The aroma soothed her soul, and she tumbled back into slumber.
When she awoke again, she was alone in the bed.
Cole’s side was still warm, and she heard the shower running.
How did he manage to get out of bed without her having the faintest inkling?
She was losing her edge when it came to Cole.
Her feelings were coming into play, and she couldn’t afford that.
How could she keep herself safe from…herself?
His charm crashed through every one of her defenses. She’d told herself she would never love anyone but Danny, and he’d found someone else to love. He’d married a Korean woman on his first tour there.
Regan joined the Rangers. She couldn’t think of a better way to get him out of her system than to concentrate on being the best Ranger she could be.
And she was, but then she fell in love with Kip and they married.
He was killed less than six months later.
She didn’t want to make the Rangers a career after that, so she’d resigned her commission and retired last year.
The long and the short of it was she wanted children…eventually, and the life of a Ranger didn’t lend itself to that.
When she got out of the shower, she dressed and then repacked her go bag. By then, she smelled the coffee.
Cole had brewed some in their little four cup pot, and it was hot and fresh just waiting for her.
“You didn’t have to wait for me to have coffee.”
He laughed. “I didn’t. I drank the first pot. I’m somewhat of a coffee junkie.”
“Ugh. I’m aware. I don’t guess we’ve had any leisurely mornings to indulge in our caffeine addiction.”
Cole shook his head. “We really haven’t. We’ll remedy that when we get home.”
Home. “Oh, we definitely will.” She poured a cup and leaned against the small counter the coffeepot was on. “What is on the agenda for today?”
“Most of the day will be spent traveling. When we get back we’ll order dinner in and wait to find Sykes until tomorrow.” His jaw clenched. “And I will find him…one way or another.”
“Hopefully Mason will discover something that will help in our search.”
Cole’s phone, lying on the counter by the coffeemaker, started buzzing. He picked it up. “Speak of the devil, Mason, what do you have?”
Regan kept her gaze on Cole. She’d learned to pick up a lot of what a person didn’t say by their body language.
“Who was Jasmine Brandon? Am I supposed to know her?”
Regan watched as Cole paced and ran his hand through his hair. The result looked like he’d been in a tornado with the hair spiking in all different directions.
“Ah, yes, now I remember. She stalked me. If I remember correctly, she was hired as an assistant to John Cataloni, Vice President of Platform Operations. Then, not long after, I found her waiting at my home in Castle Pines, then at the apartment. I finally had to let her go and get a restraining order against her. She was showing up everywhere I was, every event, every charity. What does that have to do with Sykes?”
Regan closed her eyes. She was afraid of where this conversation was going. As his bodyguard, Cole should have told her about this threat.
“Ah, gees. And Sykes holds me responsible for that?” Cole ran his hand down his face and released a deep breath.
“This just keeps getting worse and worse. He’s not about to give up, we both know that.
” He listened to Mason for a moment. “Well, that’s not good.
Okay, keep searching. And get in touch with Captain Bradshaw at the twenty-fifth to let him know what’s happening and what we suspect.
Regan and I will be home later today.” He ended the call, then turned and sat on the end of the bed.
“So, let me guess. Something happened to that woman and he blames you.”
Cole released a sigh. “First, Sykes made bail. Second, apparently, she’s his sister and worked for my company for a while. She developed an unhealthy crush on me and stalked me after she was let go…for stalking me.”
“How did she die?”
He swung his gaze to hers. “What makes you think she’s dead?”
“Jerry wouldn’t want you dead if she was just in jail or in a care facility somewhere. No, I figure she committed suicide, and he blames you for that. How am I doing?”
“Spot on. She died six months ago. Jerry was already working for me on the platform when he had to go back to Denver and deal with the arrangements.”
“And he never considered that she might have been stalking you? He thought you’d dated her and then left her after she’d fallen in love, right?”
Cole shrugged. “That would be my guess, but I never dated her. I didn’t even know about her until the stalking started.”
Regan patted Cole’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out when we see what else Mason has uncovered. In the meantime, we need to get off this platform. I’d like to be back in your apartment before nightfall.
“I’ll call the helo to pick us up in an hour we can eat in the cafeteria, if you want to while we wait.”
“As good as the food is, I’d rather just go home. And I’d like to read everything Mason sent.”
He nodded. “Me, too.”
I wonder what Mason emailed to Cole. Was there more than Cole told me?
A car was waiting at Centennial Airport when Cole’s plane landed just before four in the afternoon.
“I always forget about rush hour traffic.” Regan groaned when she realized the time. “Or should I say the rush hours traffic.”
“It will be fine. At least, we’re going south and will miss most of the traffic slowdowns, and you’re not doing the driving.” Cole jutted his chin toward the waiting black SUV. “Looks like we have Raoul today. He must have lost the contest.”
Regan widened her eyes. “Your drivers have contests to see who will be driving you? Isn’t that their job?”
“Yes, but these little games of chance make it more interesting. I don’t see any harm in them, as long as I get picked up on time.”
She stood with her arms crossed. “That would be like me and Mason drawing straws to see who’s your bodyguard each day.
That’s ridiculous.” Regan pointed her right index finger.
“And that will not happen except under dire circumstances. I’m your bodyguard.
” She tapped her chest. “Me. Not Mason. He’s your chief of security, not your bodyguard. Remember that.”
Cole watched her with a smile creasing his face and showing his dimples. Then he lifted his hands in the air to chest level. “I promise I’ll have them stop the practice. Will that suffice?”
Sighing, she gave him a single nod. “I work hard at this job. When I have plans with a driver, I expect it to be that driver, not someone he told the plan to and who might, therefore, get it wrong because they heard it secondhand.”
He released a deep breath. “Regan. Stop. Take a breather. I said I’ll stop the practice. I’ll make sure they know that unless there is an unforeseen tragedy, they are to report for work on the days and in the cars that are required.”
Regan dropped her arms to her sides and shook them out. When she looked at Cole again, she was in command of her temper. “Thank you. That’s all I ask.” Then she grinned. “For now.”
He barked out a laugh. “I can see that life with you will never be dull.”
Life! Does he plan on keeping me on permanently? I can see where that would be the best of all possible worlds for me, but what about Cole? Does he really want a bodyguard 24/7?
“I can’t imagine working for you will ever get dull, either.”
“I think we should take some time off from the case. Drinks. Dinner. Dancing. Do you still have that little red number you wore to the theater?”
A little surprised at the change of topic, she just shook her head. “It’s at my apartment. But I have three beautiful gowns. Can you find some place where I can wear one of those? Please.”
Cole grinned. ‘I’m sure we can figure out something.”
They went directly to Cole’s apartment from the airport. Regan showered and then dressed with care, pulling the red gown with all the sparkling crystals over her head and letting it slide down her body, shimmering with every movement.
She pulled the sides of her hair up with two clear combs that wouldn’t detract from her earrings.
When she stepped out of the shower, she found a small package on her bed.
Inside, she’d discovered a pair of the most exquisite diamond waterfall earrings.
They were the perfect accessory to her dress…
any of her dresses, which she was sure Cole was going for.
She had to tell herself that it was the job. The earrings were just part of the job, part of the disguise, part of fitting into Cole’s life.
Right now, she didn’t care about that. She was dressed like Cinderella at the ball, and she would enjoy herself…
to a degree. Dinner. Dancing. She tried to pretend she was just going as Cole’s bodyguard, but it felt like more.
He was doing this for her. She had no doubts about that, but why?
Was it just so she’d have somewhere to wear her dress?
Heck, she’d wear this to carry out the garbage, if she needed to.
But she would wear them. Every. Single. One.
She didn’t know how or where, but they would not just languish in her closet for years before finally being donated to charity.
Of course, who she was wouldn’t own three magnificent gowns, either. And yet, she did.