The Trouble With Coco Monroe by C. C. MacKenzie

it.’
    His brows rose as he took her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips.
    A move that shot another hot spear of arousal into her system.
    ‘You were a child.’ Those eyes went soft as he looked at her, reminding her now of dark velvet. ‘You’re not a child now.’ The words, a low throaty purr, had her heart kick before it picked up the pace. ‘Where are Olivia Kandinsky and her son?’
     
    She opened her mouth to tell him, and then closed it with a snap.
    Oh he was a smooth operator all right and a clever one too.
    She had to admire that.
    ‘I’ll tell you when you take me home.’
    The temper was back in his eyes.
    But he said nothing as he stood and closed his suitcase.
    While Olivia and her son had been whisked to safety, Coco was attending the opening of the Blue Lagoon Two in front of the world’s media. Anyone snooping around her schedule would see she’d had a jam-packed twenty-four hours. There was nothing to connect her with the disappearance of the Russian’s wife and child.
    She followed Rafe as he stalked down the stairs.
    Kandinsky might leave no stone unturned to get his family back, but she was confident he’d find nothing to link Louise or her to their disappearance.
    The question buzzing around her mind was how Rafe had got wind of the fact they were missing and how the hell he’d connected them to her?
    Reaction was setting in now, exhaustion replacing the adrenalin rush.
    With a flourish Rafe opened the car door, and she tucked herself into the corner of the back seat.
    Chewing on her bottom lip Coco decided she’d get answers once she’d settled him into the guest wing. And hid a little smile from the gimlet gaze searching her face. No point in provoking him further. She would drip-feed him information when necessary.
    He was in for a surprise or two that was certain.
    Of course, how he would react was quite another matter.
    That was the trouble with Rafael Cavendish, you could never tell which way he’d jump.
     
     

Chapter Twelve
     
    ‘You do not drink alcohol?’
    Jacob’s deep voice vibrated through her system. And once again Janine was relieved that she felt absolutely nothing for a spectacular looking man.
    ‘I’m still breast-feeding Boo. I suppose I could have a small one.’
    ‘White or red?’
    ‘I’ll have a glass of whatever you’re having.’
    Jacob studied the wine list, gave the waiter the order and then sat back.
    His eyes twinkled in appreciation as his dark gaze took a leisurely stroll over her blonde hair, her face and over her simple sleeveless top of ivory silk with it’s pearl beads stitched into the neckline.
    Wearing her best skinny designer jeans in black and open toed flat sandals, her sun kissed arms were naked of jewellery except for a simple timepiece in stainless steel and her grandmother’s engagement ring. An emerald set in twenty-two carat gold that sat on the fourth finger of her right hand. Her left hand was bare of her wedding band. She saw his eyes take note before they returned to meet hers.
    ‘I don’t wear my wedding or engagement rings,’ she stated the obvious and wondered what had possessed her to even mention it. No way was she going to open up that can of worms.
    Dark eyes studied her carefully.
    Again there was no sliver of awareness, no little tremble in her belly.
    ‘I imagine they bring back too many happy memories.’
    She managed to swallow a bitter laugh.
    Happy memories?
    If he only knew.
    But she smiled anyway. ‘Something like that.’
    ‘I heard he died in a car accident. What happened?’
    Oh God, were they going to exchange life stories?
    She hoped not.
    But decided to go with the truth.
    ‘A head on collision. He was killed instantly.’
    His brow rose fractionally at her clipped tone.
    ‘If it is too painful... I apologise...’
    ‘No,’ she interrupted. And paused while the waiter poured a sample of wine into Jacob’s glass. He inhaled the bouquet, sipped, nodded in approval. Once the waiter had