I’m not the only man in
your life that you lie to.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You can go now.”
“Uh, no. Get dressed. I’l be escorting you out.”
She held out the swimsuit cover-up. “Would you mind
helping me? This cast is such a pain.”
He tightened his mouth, then held the flimsy garment over
her head. She lifted her good arm and shimmied as he
pul ed it down over her head and helped ease it over her
shoulders, her breasts, her cast. She moved slowly,
undulating into the garment. When it fel into place she
looked up to find his golden eyes hooded and smoky.
She smirked at him. “Is that chain stil dangling?”
He sighed. “You are so bad.”
Carlotta pushed her feet into the jeweled sandals. “Oh, no.
You said I was good. I heard you with my own ears.” She
shouldered her beach bag, plopped her big hat on her
head and marched past him.
“I said you were good at being devious,” he said, fol owing
her out.
She stopped to allow him to open the outside door for her,
and walked through when he obliged. “You heard one
thing, I heard something else.”
They walked to the elevator together and Jack stabbed the
down button. “So…this business trip of yours.”
“What about it?”
“Are you and Coop sharing a room?”
She raised her eyebrows, then said, “Right back at you,
cowboy.”
“Liz and I are just friends.”
“Uh-huh. I hope your shots are up-to-date.”
“Meow.”
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. She walked in
and he fol owed. When they closed, he asked, “What does
Ashford think about your weekend fling with Coop?”
“I didn’t ask. Peter doesn’t own me.”
Jack shook his head. “One of these days, Carlotta, you’re
going to have to decide what you want.”
“Are you throwing your hat in the ring, Jack?”
He looked at her, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “You know I
can’t.”
“One of these days, Jack, you’re going to have to decide
what you want.” She squared her shoulders, which sent a
pain shooting down her arm. “Meanwhile, I’ve been alone
for a long time, looking after Wesley, hanging on by a very
thin thread. Forgive me if I want to explore my options and
maybe even, God forbid, have a little fun before I dry up
and blow away.”
He was quiet for a few seconds. “I’m sorry,” he said finally.
“You’re right. I guess I’m regretting not allowing you to
come down here with me. You have a way of making me
say things I don’t mean.”
“It’s a gift,” she murmured.
The elevator doors opened and they walked through the
lobby in silence, his hand at her waist.
He signaled a taxi, and when it pul ed up, he opened the
door for her, then handed the driver a twenty-dol ar bil .
“Take the lady back to her hotel, please.” He looked at her.
“See you in Atlanta.” Then he shut the door.
Carlotta rol ed down the window. “Jack.”
“Yeah?”
“If you find Randolph, wil you at least call me before you
call the D.A.?”
He hesitated, then nodded. “Count on it.”
He stepped away from the taxi and she lifted her hand in a
wave, feeling oddly comforted that Jack was on the case
despite their conflict. No matter how much he blustered
and pounded his chest, she trusted him to do the right
thing. Carlotta settled back.
Then she withdrew the extra copy of Karen Wel s’s
employee record that she’d made.
What was the old political saying? Trust…but verify.
13
“It’s about time,” Coop called, waving from the big straw
mat where he and Wesley sat playing cards amid hundreds
of other beachgoers. Carlotta waved and smiled, but when
Coop stood to brush the sand off his trunks, the breath
caught in her throat.
Plus ten.
His torso was bare, his shoulders wide, his arms and chest
surprisingly muscular. His skin was already brown, perhaps
from those weekly hikes he referred to…which might also
explain his long, lean legs.
The man was gorgeous.
As witnessed by all the
your life that you lie to.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You can go now.”
“Uh, no. Get dressed. I’l be escorting you out.”
She held out the swimsuit cover-up. “Would you mind
helping me? This cast is such a pain.”
He tightened his mouth, then held the flimsy garment over
her head. She lifted her good arm and shimmied as he
pul ed it down over her head and helped ease it over her
shoulders, her breasts, her cast. She moved slowly,
undulating into the garment. When it fel into place she
looked up to find his golden eyes hooded and smoky.
She smirked at him. “Is that chain stil dangling?”
He sighed. “You are so bad.”
Carlotta pushed her feet into the jeweled sandals. “Oh, no.
You said I was good. I heard you with my own ears.” She
shouldered her beach bag, plopped her big hat on her
head and marched past him.
“I said you were good at being devious,” he said, fol owing
her out.
She stopped to allow him to open the outside door for her,
and walked through when he obliged. “You heard one
thing, I heard something else.”
They walked to the elevator together and Jack stabbed the
down button. “So…this business trip of yours.”
“What about it?”
“Are you and Coop sharing a room?”
She raised her eyebrows, then said, “Right back at you,
cowboy.”
“Liz and I are just friends.”
“Uh-huh. I hope your shots are up-to-date.”
“Meow.”
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. She walked in
and he fol owed. When they closed, he asked, “What does
Ashford think about your weekend fling with Coop?”
“I didn’t ask. Peter doesn’t own me.”
Jack shook his head. “One of these days, Carlotta, you’re
going to have to decide what you want.”
“Are you throwing your hat in the ring, Jack?”
He looked at her, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “You know I
can’t.”
“One of these days, Jack, you’re going to have to decide
what you want.” She squared her shoulders, which sent a
pain shooting down her arm. “Meanwhile, I’ve been alone
for a long time, looking after Wesley, hanging on by a very
thin thread. Forgive me if I want to explore my options and
maybe even, God forbid, have a little fun before I dry up
and blow away.”
He was quiet for a few seconds. “I’m sorry,” he said finally.
“You’re right. I guess I’m regretting not allowing you to
come down here with me. You have a way of making me
say things I don’t mean.”
“It’s a gift,” she murmured.
The elevator doors opened and they walked through the
lobby in silence, his hand at her waist.
He signaled a taxi, and when it pul ed up, he opened the
door for her, then handed the driver a twenty-dol ar bil .
“Take the lady back to her hotel, please.” He looked at her.
“See you in Atlanta.” Then he shut the door.
Carlotta rol ed down the window. “Jack.”
“Yeah?”
“If you find Randolph, wil you at least call me before you
call the D.A.?”
He hesitated, then nodded. “Count on it.”
He stepped away from the taxi and she lifted her hand in a
wave, feeling oddly comforted that Jack was on the case
despite their conflict. No matter how much he blustered
and pounded his chest, she trusted him to do the right
thing. Carlotta settled back.
Then she withdrew the extra copy of Karen Wel s’s
employee record that she’d made.
What was the old political saying? Trust…but verify.
13
“It’s about time,” Coop called, waving from the big straw
mat where he and Wesley sat playing cards amid hundreds
of other beachgoers. Carlotta waved and smiled, but when
Coop stood to brush the sand off his trunks, the breath
caught in her throat.
Plus ten.
His torso was bare, his shoulders wide, his arms and chest
surprisingly muscular. His skin was already brown, perhaps
from those weekly hikes he referred to…which might also
explain his long, lean legs.
The man was gorgeous.
As witnessed by all the
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