Page 59 of Rebels and Roses

“You kind of make me glad that my parents weren’t rich.”

“I’m not the type that says money is evil or anything. Money has its purpose, and it can be a lot of fun. With money, you still have problems. Just different ones. You’re not worried about paying the power bill or how little Johnny is going to get that expensive surgery.”

“Okay, so you’ve identified some people that might possibly have wanted Tom dead. Although I have my doubts about the loan shark. Dead people can’t pay their debts.”

“That’s a good point,” Cooper replied. “Let’s put that lower on the list of possibilities.”

“What are we going to do with this list? Are you going to talk to Finn?”

“I’m headed there next,” he agreed. “I also have another errand that I need to run.”

He certainly didn’t look too happy about it. His normally relaxed vibe was missing in action.

“Do I dare ask? Do you need to return something to the store? Yell at a mail clerk?”

“I’m going to stop at my father’s office. He and I need to have a chat about the deal he offered Fiona last night. I knew he was up to something, and I was right. I want to let him know that he’s failed. Again. And I want to look at his face when I say it.”

“A deal?” Jane asked cautiously. “What kind of a deal? Is that a bad question?”

“My dad offered Fiona money to reconcile with me, and then bring me back into the family’s loving arms. Honestly, I should have expected this. He has a history of crap like this. Originally, he paid Fiona to keep tabs on me when I was traveling around after college.”

That was so much information all at once, Jane’s brain wanted to explode. Surely, she must have heard wrong. Joel was trying to buy Cooper a woman? Who was an informant? No, she had to clean her ears out, because that could not be happening.

“Can you repeat that, please? You lost me somewhere along the line.”

Cooper repeated what he’d told her, going into more detail this time. She hadn’t heard incorrectly. Joel had, indeed, hired the daughter of a business acquaintance to tag along and make friends with Cooper so that she could report back about what he was doing.

Insanity. And…creepy as shit.

“Your dad is something else,” she finally said when he was finished the story. “You’re going to confront him?”

“It won’t change anything, but it might make Joel try harder next time. He’s not as smart and clever as he thinks he is. Frankly, he’s getting sloppy in his old age.”

“I just do not understand the Winslow family.”

“Don’t even try. We’re too dysfunctional for the rest of humanity. Can we meet for lunch at Tate’s later?” Cooper asked, levering to his feet. “I should probably get over to see Finn. And I should let you get ready for your study session.”

Reaching up, she touched the bath towel that was still wrapped around her hair. She’d completely forgotten she’d been sitting here looking like hell.

“I forgot?—”

“Fuck that,” Cooper said, sweeping her into his arms. Their bodies were pressed together, and he dropped a kiss on her bareshoulder where her robe had been pulled aside. “You’re fucking gorgeous like this, just out of the shower. And you smell…”

He nestled his face into the crook of her neck and breathed deeply, making her shiver in delicious anticipation. His mere touch could send her into the stratosphere. He knew just what to do with a woman’s body.

“Amazing,” he sighed, giving her soft skin a tiny nip with his teeth. Somehow, he’d insinuated his arms inside her robe so that it was almost falling off of her, her naked body on display. “If I didn’t know you had someplace to be this morning, I’d throw you over my shoulder and have my wicked way with you. But I will do this before I go.”

She was practically a puddle of goo already, but then he tugged at the towel around her hair so that it fell to the floor. Her long, damp hair came free, and he smiled triumphantly as if he’d wrestled a bear or maybe a gator. She, on the other hand, was pretty sure she looked like she’d been caught in a windstorm, her hair a tangled mess around her shoulders.

“Perfect,” he said, plunging his hands into the damp strands as he bent his head to capture her lips.

Time seemed to slow as he explored her mouth thoroughly, taking his own sweet time. He liked to drag it out and make them both crazy with want before giving in to the desire.

But there would be no satisfaction this morning. This was madness. She was supposed to be calm and composed when all she wanted to do was ravish this too-sexy-for-words man currently standing in her apartment.

Eventually, he lifted his head, his eyes gleaming with a heat that she recognized all too well. Desire had never been a problem for them. Could they make this something more? She wasn’t sure that it was possible.

She recognized that she wanted it. She simply didn’t know if he did.

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