Their Ex's Redrock Serial Bundle 1-4 (20 page)

Vincent hit the foyer without comment, but when he reached the front door and pulled it open he looked back and up at Coronado. “Man, I hope you like her, I really do. I’ll give you the fucking house if you’ll just keep her.”

Vincent didn’t wait for a reply, he just left, shutting the door. He walked to his truck, assessing the events ... seemed his blackmail of Luna was shot. It’d been Coronado in those pictures. Seeing him up close and personal had proved the grainy picture ID. But he wasn’t going to give up. He would come up with a way to keep Luna on a short leash if he had to toss all his money at it to do it.

Since he was stalled getting his belongings, he went to WTSF for a few hours to catch up on paperwork. He wasn’t officially back, but time off or not, paperwork never stopped. When he walked into the main reception area, he saw WTSF’s office manager, Carly, sitting behind the reception desk.

“Hey, Olive Oyl,” he greeted, walking toward her. They had a running joke.

“Hey, Popeye,” she called, smiling back at him.

“We lose another teenage receptionist?” he asked, leaning on the side of the desk beside her.

Carly looked up at him with sparkling gray eyes. She had wavy, long blond hair, and an asshole husband she’d dumped earlier that year. “One a week, I swear,” she muttered. “But this last one was pregnant and she’s having her baby.” Carly filled him in, then they talked about a security gig he was going to have to be the lead on, when he came back.

“You bill for the wife I caught with the masseuse?” he asked, watching Carly’s gaze track someone in the offices to the right side of them.

He knew by the look in her gray eyes who she was looking at. It had to be Cabe. Cabe never saw or maybe never “got” the looks she gave him when she thought Cabe wasn’t looking, but Vincent did. He didn’t have to turn to look and know Cabe was back there.

“Yeah, I did,” Carly answered his question, then she whispered, “Cabe took her back.”

Vincent raised an eyebrow, seeing the sadness reflected on Carly’s face. If Cabe hadn’t been married, Vincent sure as hell would have informed him that Carly, who Cabe had known since their oil days, always had, still had, and always would have a thing for him.

Vincent shook his head, disappointed ... for his friend. But he’d keep his opinion to himself. It just took a man as long as it took him to give up on the promise of what was really
not
there.

***

I
t was noon when Tess heard the bell on the door to her shop ring. She swiped at her eyes, looking up to see Vincent striding toward the front counter. Wow ... he was in her shop, she should be excited.

“Beautiful, what is it?” Dang, she couldn’t hide anything from him. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Shannon was in the walk-in cold locker as Vincent rounded the counter and arrived next to her. For a second she thought about fibbing, because he had enough problems with Luna.

But Vincent curled her into his embrace and the words just fell out of her mouth. “I’ve lost the shop, unless I want to send Steven to prison.” Then, horribly, she burst into tears and burrowed into Vincent.

“Let me guess,” he said. “He forged your name and double mortgaged it.”

She nodded against him, crying harder, while praying Shannon or even worse a customer wouldn’t walk in. Then Vincent rocked her world, shaking it to the core and rearranging it.

“It’s
you,
baby, not the damn building.
You’re
the business.”

Why that made her cry harder, she didn’t know, but Vincent took it all with his hand cupped to the back of her head, while holding her tight. She didn’t know what she’d do without him.

Her sobs finally quieted into the shoulder of his thermal, wet from her tears. Then he did a pure Vincent thing. “Here, use the end of my shirt to wipe your eyes.”

That was how Shannon found them, with her pulling up Vincent’s thermal, exposing his ripped abdomen, while she bent forward as if she were drooling over his six-pack abs.

“Sorry!” Shannon squeaked. She was a tad shy.

Tess unbent from Vincent and the bottom of his shirt. “It’s okay, Shannon. This is Vincent.”

“Hey, Shannon,” Vincent said, pulling her back into his side, where his arm crossed her back, then his hand fitted into the waistband of her jeans skirt.

“Hey, Mr. Whitehorse,” Shannon answered.

Okay, so Shannon did know Vincent. “I’ll be back in time to close, Shannon. You call if you need anything, okay.”

“Sure, Tess.” Shannon did a small wave, then marched back into the cooler.

“Good kid,” Vincent said. “I know her dad.”

Ah, yes,
Tess thought, she remembered then that Shannon’s dad might work at Redrock. She picked up her purse from under the front counter, and then Vincent guided her outside. Once in his truck they sat to talk.

“So if you sell the building will you get out from under?” he asked quietly.

She sighed heavily, nodding as he reached over and clasped her hand, and she answered, “It should sell for at least the amount of the mortgages.” She tilted her head, glancing at him. “I’m surprised you aren’t advocating I send him to prison.”

Vincent squeezed her hand. “I thought about it. But it’d break that sweetness you got and I want that for me.”

Oh my God.
Tess sucked in an amazed breath. “Okay,” she whispered. She never thought she could find a man that would make her feel so good even in the midst of an awful situation.

“I’ve got space at Redrock. For a bigger flower shop.”

“Vincent!” she gasped, then he pulled her across the seat until he had his arm around her and his hand on her chin lifting her gaze to his. He studied her astonished gaze for long moments.

“I’ll give you a really good break on rent, until you sell this place.”

“I can’t believe ...” she started to say. “You, you can’t. Not with us ... together. It won’t look right and—”

“Hush,” he all but ordered, and her lips pressed shut. “I’m doing it for me and I can do for me what I want to. But, beautiful, it’s really good business for Redrock. I know once you calm down, you can see that.”

Doing for me.
Oh my God. Her fingers curled against his side. Maybe he was right if she could think straight about it. But right then tears started filling her eyes.

“Aw, baby,” he murmured, and his lips touched hers lightly.

“For me,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” he breathed against her mouth, then he kissed her deeper and her tears dried into the beginning heat of passion.

But at just a slow burn, Vincent pulled back, let go of her chin, and sifted his hand through her hair. “Went to my place,” he said out of the blue, making her blink and regroup.

“Your place?”

“Silver Canyon.”

“Oh.”

“Coronado was there. He came out the bedroom.” His hand fisted in her hair as her eyes grew wide. “I should have fucking checked the garage for cars, before I went in. Next time, I will.”

She stroked his hard jaw, cupping it. “Sorry, honey.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I don’t give a damn, just pissed I can’t use those photos to keep Luna’s ass off us.”

She rubbed his jaw, liking the feel as she made understanding sounds. Then he leaned back more, turning his gaze down to her. “Burgers before we go get your stuff?”

She smiled. “Yeah.”

F
riday afternoon, Rusty was lying on her stomach across the master bed in Vincent’s house. Tess came out of the bathroom wearing her fifth set of heels.

“These?” she asked Rusty.

“No. I keep telling you the gold ones.”

“But they look like slut heels and this dress is so short already.”

“Uh huh.” Rusty nodded. “That’s why!”

“You’re not helping,” Tess scolded her.

“You
so
owe him, babe,” Rusty said with a smile and a wink.

Tess had spilled everything to Rusty, about Vincent, about Cabe,
the oops kiss
, her flower shop, and more about Vincent. Rusty had taken up Vincent’s side, agreeing Tess owed him a night out with her wearing the Vegas dress.

In the last three or four days, she and Vincent had been living a kind of normal life. Although it was like the new stages with any new boyfriend. There were exciting moments, warm moments, and “wow” moments.

Still no sex.

Vincent was a man of his word.

Lots of phone sex, though.

Wow.

But that left days and partial nights, before the hot cell phone sex ensued, to get to know each other and do things like make dinner (she had twice for him) (he had once for her).

She’d started going to WTSF after work for an hour self-defense session with Tag. He was Vincent’s main bounty hunter, PI guy. And the reason Tag was training her was Vincent had a hard time keeping his hands off her with the no-sex thing going on. Training sessions were all about body contact and she had to admit it was difficult not to get aroused and distracted when in full-body contact with Vincent, while he put her in body holds, and then told her to get out of them.

Vincent finally called Tag in after one session where she might have accidentally elbowed Vincent’s erection. That shouldn’t be erect ... but was. He forgave her, after she kissed him into it.

But that was okay, Tag was cool. Ex-military with dirty blond hair and a sarcastic mouth. Tag was also a drill sergeant, not taking it at all easy on her. But she learned quicker that way.

Glad she did, but it didn’t help for the run-in she had with Luna on Wednesday in the thong section of Cha-Cha’s Fashions and Lingerie.

Tess had been there updating her underwear selection as Vincent had encouraged her to do. She was also looking for some lounging lingerie to maybe drive him wild with when they camped out after dinner, spooning on his big couch, to watch a movie or the cooking channel. Vincent was a tad obsessed with the cooking channel, even though he didn’t cook. His night of cooking consisted of Chinese takeout, and then he heated some egg rolls in the oven. After, she’d showed him how.

Still, when Tess heard the woman’s growly voice behind her, she knew she was in trouble.

“I’ll take ten of those hundred-dollar ones. Put it on my man’s card.”

Tess looked over her shoulder, from toying with some emerald-green thongs, to see Luna at Cha-Cha’s counter, but Luna was glaring directly at her.

Umm? Ignore her or ...

“
Nothing
you get, hon, is going to make that round booty of yours attractive to Vincent,” Luna snarked, throwing down right there in Cha-Cha’s.

Tess cringed inwardly, instantly remembering taunts from her school days. But outwardly she turned toward Luna, squaring her shoulders. She had training behind her now. Right. Yeah, like two days. Oh well ...

“Man, I hear Coronado’s like
very
hot and
very
rich!” Tess exclaimed, adding some gushing in there. “I see why he latched on to you.”

Inwardly, Tess cackled at the comical look on Luna’s beautiful face. It was as if she’d been smacked with surprise, then dawning pleasure.

“Well, umm, yeah,” she stuttered.

Tess walked closer, but not close enough she couldn’t run if she had to, and then she lowered her voice.

“Steven could
never
get you as far as Coronado will.” Tess leaned closer as Luna’s eyes brightened. “You’ll make Coro-man
famous
.”

“I
will
,” Luna breathed, conceitedly agreeing.

Tess nodded. “I’m so jealous. But talent, you either have it or you don’t.” She’d heard that blather from Steven often enough, she could spout it in her sleep and lie as slick and convincing as, say ... Steven could.

“Girl, you are
so
right!” Luna exclaimed.

Just then, the sales clerk was handing Luna her bag, and Tess backed up to the emerald thong section.

Luna turned toward her and waved. “You want an autograph, hon, anytime, you just ask,” she gushed.

“Oh, wow, that’s so cool,” Tess exclaimed, watching Luna strut her stuff out of Cha-Cha’s.

Tess would have expected to feel ill after lying so much, and to such a bitch. But she realized the prize of playing to Luna’s ego was Vincent, and he was
so
worth it. After that she put a really expensive deep purple baby doll that had no back just tiny straps crisscrossing, and some pink animal-print silk PJs, and a black satin floor-length nightgown on Vincent’s credit card. Along with a bunch of sexy panties.

Then, over lunch with Vincent, sitting in his truck with deli takeout and after she’d shown him her purchases, and then they’d made out, until he stopped them, she told him about Luna.

“Tess.” His voice, which was always so deep, just purred her name as she sat sideways on his lap, playing with the ends of his hair. He looked puzzled, then impressed. “Can’t believe you did that.”

His hand tugged her hair, bringing her mouth to his. “Kill ’em with kindness,” she murmured, right before Vincent showed her how impressed he was. That left her slumped on his chest wanting to toss out their “no sex” agreement.

She could see in Vincent's inky eyes how affected he was and could feel the hard erection in his jeans beneath her bottom.

“Sweet and wise, baby. You’re amazing.”

She cupped his jaw. “Don’t we know each other well enough
yet
,” she whined.

That got Vincent to chuckle. “Finding amazing things out about you every minute, beautiful. Don’t know too many women could set their ego aside for their brains.”

Tess beamed. Of course. Now
this
was worth it.

That was the night Vincent did takeout and she was nice to him, because he’d been so spectacular to her, and she gave him a break. She wore the least-revealing pink animal-print PJs to spoon on the couch after dinner, instead of the backless baby doll. But he was all about that baby doll nightie, and when was she going to wear it.

Until she was giggling, trying to watch
Chopped
. She was lying on her side with Vincent behind her and she flung out her arm with the remote in her hand. She pushed pause so she could laugh. Luckily, she had the DVR set up to tape the shows.