Page 73 of Ruthless Wars

His lips leave a few tender kisses on mine, and when they pull away, I see the gorgeous man with dazzling gold flecks in his eyes that shine through the dimness of the room. The same man who played with me in a coffee shop and rescued me by the side of the road.

The man who made me believe that something more was possible for me for the first time in my life.

I cup his jaw with both my hands, whispering to his mouth, “I love you too.”

After a shower in what apparently is a pretty lavish spa level, we move to an area with a hot tub and sauna. Chilled champagne is waiting, and an assortment of chocolate-dipped fruits and another cup of pretzel bites, because the man obviously knows I’ve worked for it.

“It’s like you own the place,” I say, slipping into the warm, crystal blue water and resting my back against several pummeling jets.

Coop gives me a shy smile as he settles in across from me. “I do. I bought it last year. I wanted a full gym, and by the time I looked at the cost of putting one in the office, buying this place was a better deal because it’s revenue generating. It’s a quick walk from the office, and the spa is just a perk I never thought I’d use.”

He grabs one of my feet and starts massaging.

My head falls back as I sink into his kneading grip against the ball of my foot. “That’s amazing.”

“I owed you a massage,” he says as he works his hands up my calves. “So, you’ve been married? How many times?”

“Twice,” I say coyly. “You know about Roddie. Juan Carlo was a beautiful and expensive mistake I made while I was still in school.”

“I made one of those myself,” Coop says with a small frown. “Technically, it was annulled, so it never happened.”

“Oh,” I say thoughtfully. “Then I was only married once.” I giggle as Coop scoops up my other foot. “But I wouldn't change a thing. Diving in headfirst is who I am.”

“Me too. Is there anything you regret with your marriage or marriages?”

His thumb is pressing the perfect spot, and I melt with a small moan. It takes me a minute to respond.

“That my family wasn’t there.”

“Same here,” he says. “Mine was a quickie Vegas deal.”

“So was my first one. Wow, we might have crossed paths at the altar.”

“Maybe,” he says. “Who knows? We might again.”

I close my eyes, pretending I’m not making too much of his words. But my smile is unstoppable.

Chapter Forty

Coop

The next day, I rally the troops in my office and gesture for them to take a seat in the semicircle of leather club chairs arranged in front of my desk. I want my family to hear the news from me ahead of the press conference Margot and I will be giving later today.

Allison’s not completely recovered yet from Simone’s attack but is already back to work, ignoring my pleas that she take more time off. She gives me a curious glance as she sits gingerly.

Austin takes a seat next to her, partly at my request and partly to make sure Allison is all right. As much as he liked Simone, I think he would have gone after her himself had she not already been in police custody.

Avery sits on the other side of Allison and wraps one arm protectively around her daughter’s shoulders. I know my sister has doubts about re-upping after this. She loves the military, but not as much as she loves Allison. Which means she’ll need something to do.

Aiden arrives last, staring at his phone. He’s just come home for a visit from a deployment in the Middle East. The typical smartass, he drops into the last empty chair without a word and tosses his messenger bag on the floor. How he’s managed to be successful in the military, I’ll never know.

Once everyone has arrived and taken a seat, I stand up from my chair and move around my desk, leaning on the edge of it. “Hey, I need to have a serious conversation with you all.”

Aiden looks up from his phone with a big grin. “Oh no. Your sex-change operation was turned down?” He wipes a fake tear from his cheek, and everyone laughs.

“Bite me,” I say with a glower. I really want to tell him to fuck off, but Allison’s here. Avery’s certainly used to stronger language than that, but I’m doing my damnedest to prove to her that I can be a good role model for her daughter, so I stay on my best behavior.

Austin mistakes me reining in my emotions for bad news. “Just lay it on us. We can take whatever it is.”

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