Chapter 11
T he ride in the elevator to the apartment was silent, thick with tension. When they arrived, Cole barreled out of the door and over to the apartment’s doors. He put in his code and entered, leaving her to trail behind him.
By the time she’d closed the door, he was over at the bar, his bowtie undone and the top two buttons of his shirt open.
“Would you like a drink?” His voice was steady.
But she heard the barely controlled anger there.
She could say no and just go to bed, but she probably wouldn’t be able to sleep, anyway. “Yes, bourbon on the rocks.” She sat on the sofa facing the west windows. The mountains were magnificent in the twilight, with the sun not quite down behind them.
Cole lifted his eyebrows at her order, then he just nodded. When he was finished, he brought her drink over and then sat next to her on the couch.
“Here you go.” He handed her the cocktail and stared at her.
He released a pent-up breath and then breathed a deep one in.
“Dang it, Regan. I don’t want to hurt you or use you.
I care for you a great deal. I respect you.
Who else do you think I would have slept on top of the covers for?
I would have charmed my way into their bed. ”
Was he not that attracted to her despite what he said at the country club? “Why didn’t you try to charm me? Not that you would have succeeded, but why didn’t you at least try?”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Because you were different…are different. I want more from you than just a night or two in bed.”
“I wouldn’t give you a night or two in bed. I’m either all in, or I’m not. Are you all in, Cole?” She took a sip of her drink, it was smooth for bourbon. And yet she felt the burn all the way to her stomach, while he thought about his answer.
He ran his left hand through his hair. “I don’t know, Regan. I can’t give you a definite answer. I want to be, but I just don’t know if I can be. I don’t know if I’m that guy.”
She set her drink on the coffee table and stood.
“When you know the answer to that, come see me. In the meantime, I’m going to get some rest. Tomorrow, we start looking for Jerry Sykes in earnest. Since he made bail, he could be anywhere now.
” She walked off down the hall to her bedroom.
She wasn’t sure what she was feeling. Disappointment?
Anger? Relief? Whatever it was she needed to sort it out before tomorrow morning.
She would not let her feelings for her boss, that were clearly not returned, sabotage her job.
Cole watched her go, cursing himself for not being able to ask her to stay. Why was it so hard to admit that he wanted more? That he might want it all…with her? What was it that made him hold back? He knew without thinking too much about it.
Erin.
She’d been the love of his life, or so he thought. Until he heard her on the phone with her mother.
“Yes, Mother. I think he’s going to pop the question. I hope he gets me one of those seven-carat stones like I saw on that actress, Natalie Johnson. She got to keep that ring even though she didn’t end up marrying the man.”
Silence.
“I know I could probably stay and marry him, but I love Paul. The ring is just what we need for a nest egg.”
Cole still felt as if the small box was in his jacket’s pocket.
The ring was exactly as she described it.
Just over seven carats and absolutely clear.
The nearly flawless stone had cost him close to one-million dollars.
But it would never see the light of day now.
I can’t believe she played me and that it was so easy.
I fell for every lie she told me. I will never get close to a woman again.
Thank God, I didn’t give her grandmother’s ring.
The following morning, Regan’s problems now were double.
What to do about her feelings for Cole and how to find Jerry Sykes?
The police had already released Jerry and, if he was smart, he was in the wind.
And since he was an engineer for oil well platforms, he was definitely smart.
But he’d made mistakes, too. Maybe she’d get lucky.
She went out to the kitchen and saw Cole reading on his tablet. “Good morning.”
He looked up and smiled. “Good morning.” He set down the tablet. “I wasn’t sure you’d be speaking to me after last night.”
She shrugged. “Last night is behind us. We need to work together to find Sykes and stop these attacks. Someone could get hurt or killed and not just you. I’m not saying he’d deliberately kill someone else, but they could be collateral damage. He’s lucky no one was killed on the platform.”
“I agree. I’ve got a call in to find out what the police know.”
“I would guess not much more than we did when we left.”
Cole nodded. “You’re probably right. But they might have contact info that my friend can get.”
Regan lifted one eyebrow. “Your friend ?”
He chuckled. “A kid, er, man I went to college with. He was my roommate for a while. He joined the force after college, and I went back to the ranch. Then we hit it big with our video game apps, and I guess the rest is history. Now, I concentrate on oil exploration. Anyway, I expect a call from him at any time. Then we’ll see if we can find Sykes. ”
She poured herself a cup of coffee and smelled the rich aroma wafting off the cup. Regan sighed…heaven. “I think we should go to your ranch?—”
“Why? Won’t we have an easier time here? He’s already proved he can evade my security measures.”
“Yes, and that’s exactly why. If we stay here, he’ll figure it’s a trap and won’t come around.
At the ranch, it’s more open…at least, I hope it is.
We can have more people on the ranch for security, but it’s still more open than the apartment.
Sykes will think it’s a better shot. I just hope his plans, or those of his colleagues, don’t include killing you on sight. ”
“I hope they don’t, either.” He was silent.
She thought he was probably considering her idea, and she didn’t interrupt.
He took a sip of his coffee and pointed at the chair across the table from him. “Have a seat. We’ll go get breakfast and then head out to the ranch. I’m trusting you because you’re my bodyguard, and I have to believe you’re good at your job or Mason would never have brought you in.”
“I am good at my job, and I don’t intend for you to blacken my record.”
They returned to the diner for breakfast and then gathered their things together for the trip to the ranch.
In the garage, a black SUV was waiting. Their driver was Raoul, the same man as last night. He held the back driver’s side door open.
Regan looked all around the garage and finally entered the vehicle.
Cole climbed in right after her.
Raoul shut the door and loaded their luggage before he slid behind the wheel. “Headed to the ranch, Boss?”
“Yes. But there is no hurry.”
“Sure thing.”
Regan put her weapon in her purse. Her clothing didn’t allow for any concealment.
The ride to the ranch was about forty-five minutes from his apartment. Raoul pulled up to the guarded gate.
“Mr. Kincaid returning home.”
The guard, a large man with arms that had muscle on top of muscle, nodded to Cole. “Go on through. They’re expecting you at the house.”
Raoul pulled through the gate and headed down a long driveway, which ended in a circular drive in front of a two-story mansion.
“This is your ranch house?” She couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows at the sight.
Cole chuckled and exited the SUV while Raoul held his door open.
Regan got out on her side and waited for Cole to round the rear of the car to her.
“Come on.” He took her hand. “I’ll show you around. Raoul will take your bag to the guest room.”
“Seriously, this is not a house. It’s a mansion.”
“What’s the problem with that? Are you afraid I can’t afford it?
I assure you I can. And I designed the house myself.
I wanted a home that would grow with me.
When I built the house I’d planned on marrying and having children.
” He stopped and took a deep breath, then let it out.
“Plans changed. Now it’s just me here, along with my live-in staff of Mrs. Underhill, my cook and Mrs. Fullwood, my housekeeper.
Both are widows and don’t mind living here full-time. ”
“That’s nice. Do you often bring home women? Will they find my appearance unusual?” I have no idea why I asked that question. It’s none of my business if he brings a different woman here every night. Though I don’t believe he does. He works too much for that. Why do I even care?
“Actually, I’ve never brought anyone here. So yes, they will find your stay quite unusual. But neither of them are gossips, so no one else should know you’re here.”
“Good to know. Now, I want you to be visible as much as possible. I want him to know you’re here and that he can come on the property. Tell your men not to notice when he crosses the perimeter. We want him to come all the way in. Then I need?—”
“ We need. You’re not taking Sykes down by yourself. You need help, even if it’s just as a distraction.”
That would make it a lot easier. She pulled her hand down her face. “Okay, I could definitely use a distraction when I confront him, especially if he’s armed.”
“So, I’m the bait. I’d really appreciate it if you could apprehend this guy before he shoots me.”
She lifted her hand and touched his arm, giving it a small squeeze. “That’s the plan.”
They entered the house into a grand foyer with a chandelier that looked like sparkling diamonds.
Regan followed him through the foyer into a living area on the right with two conversation pits.
They each had a huge sectional sofa, a coffee table, and two overstuffed chairs with lamp tables on a side.
On her left were two doors. One she thought was probably a coat closet.
She pointed at the two doors. “Where do they go?”
“The one on the left is the bathroom and the one on the right is a coat closet.”
“Ah, gotcha.”