by Ciana Stone
Hannah cut Cooper a look sharp enough to draw blood and fled toward the office. Cody watched her go, then looked at Cooper. “You so fucked up, dude.”
“I swear on all that’s holy that I didn’t lie to her, Cody.”
“So you weren’t engaged to that Devina chick?”
“I was. Once. But I broke that off four months ago—a month before I even knew Liz was here.”
“And you haven’t seen or talked to her since?” Cody grabbed a bottle of top-shelf tequila and two shot glasses. She put the glasses on the bar and filled both. “Come on, have a seat, Coop.”
Cooper sat down in a slump. They silently clinked glasses and tossed back the shots.
“I haven’t spoken with her since we broke up,” Cooper said, then straightened. “Wait!” He pulled out his phone and diddled with it, then put it on the bar. “Go ahead, look. I saved all of the text messages from her just in case something happened. She was pretty threatening.”
Cody picked up the phone and started reading. It wasn’t long before she handed the phone back to Cooper. “Okay.”
“Okay what?”
“I believe you.”
“Will you talk to Hannah?”
She considered it for a few moments before nodding. “I will.”
“Thanks, Cody.”
“Don’t thank me yet. She’s got a strong case of mad on right now. No guarantee she’ll listen to me.”
“But you’ll try?”
“I will.”
“Thanks.”
“Yep.”
“Okay. I’ll get out of your hair.”
“See you, Coop.”
Cody watched him go then turned and headed for the office. It wasn’t going to be easy to get Hannah to listen, but she had to try. Cooper had turned out to be the one being wronged, and Cody had played a big part in getting Hannah mad at him. She had to try and make up for that.
*****
“Yeah, sounds like you fellas have your hands full,” Cade said and turned into the parking lot of the Honky Honk Angels Bar. He was on the phone with Jasper Weathers who had just told him some news about Wes Pursell and Cooper Quinlan’s families.
Herbert Pursell and Lucas Quinlan had formed a partnership with a venture capitalist with very deep pockets. As of this morning, they owned a building in Cotton Creek and their new company, King Oil, had offices in Cotton Creek, as well as oil rights from more than twenty property owners. And, according to scuttlebutt, acceptances from that many twice over to be finalized.
Jasper’s family, Wes, and Cooper were pissed to the gills. Not that there wasn’t plenty enough to go around, but the bad blood was bound to bring problems for both sides. Already Lucas Quinlan was trying to hire Jaxon Riggs from his son’s company by tripling the offer made by Cooper and Wes.
Cade could have started one hell of a high-roller bet on the upcoming battle between the fathers and sons of those families. It was a case of the old dogs trying to keep the young ones off the porch and it was going to be real interesting to see who ended up on top. He’d give Jaxon a call a later and see what the scoop was with him.
“Yeah, if I hear anything I’ll let you know, Jasper. Yep, you too buddy. Talk to you soon.”
Cade ended his call as he parked beside Cody’s truck at the back of the bar. Looks like she and Hannah were both already there. Funny, but he didn’t remember all three of them being scheduled for today. Well, maybe he’d made a mistake. His mind had been on other things lately.
Roxie. Damn if just the thought of her didn’t bring about a swell south of the belt and something warm and full in his chest as well. If this was love, then he was all for it, and planned on making their relationship permanent just as soon as possible.
He reminded himself to talk to Cody and Hannah about taking a few days, or even a week or so off. He and Roxie needed to get things settled with her husband and she needed to get a divorce. That would be an easy matter since she was still officially a resident of Nevada, but it still meant they needed to be away from Cotton Creek for a while.
Actually, Cade wondered if they shouldn’t just leave all together. It was a nice place, but neither of them had roots here, and it wasn’t like he would be walking away from a business he owned. Despite how interesting things were getting in Cotton Creek, he didn’t have a vested interest in any of it.
He walked into the bar and heard voices from the office. Cade didn’t think twice about entering in without knocking but one look at Hannah had him wishing he had. Her nose was red and her eyes were swollen and red as well. Clearly she’d been crying. He almost turned and left, but Cody spoke up.
“You know about that Devina chick, right?”
“The one who claimed to be Quinlan’s fiancée?”
“Yeah, that one.”
“I’ve heard the talk and seen her around town.”
“And?”
He shrugged. “Haven’t really spoken with her. Why?”
Cody quickly gave him the scoop. Cade listened and as he did, an idea occurred to him.
“So, you believe him?” he asked Cody.
“I do.”
“And you?” he asked Hannah.
“I’m starting to.”
“Okay then we need to call Roxie, Dini, and Cooper and have a sit down.”
“Why?” Hannah asked.
“Because I have an idea on how to get the truth straight from the source.”
“You do?” Hannah seemed to perk up a bit. “How?”
“Call Cooper. We’ve got a couple of hours before opening. Have him come over. I’ll go get Roxie and Dini.”
“Wait!” Cody called out as he turned to leave. “Can’t you at least give us a hint?”
“Nope,” he said and grinned. “I’ll be back in under an hour. Have Cooper here.”
With that he turned and left. No one in this town or his family knew, but in his younger years, Cade had fallen in with a couple of people who had taught him about more than finance and gambling. They’d taught him the art of the con.
It’d been a long time and he’d sworn never to run another con again. But this time was different. This time the goal wouldn’t be money. This time it would be to get at the truth and in doing so help his family.
That appealed to him. But then so did the planning of the con.
*****
Roxie laughed out loud when Cade laid out his plan. “You want me and Dini to be Cooper’s play for pay girls?”
“I want you to pretend to be.”
“I’m glad you clarified.” She gave Dini a wink and then looked at Cooper. “’Cuz no offense, but me and Dini all at once would kill you.”
Everyone burst out laughing, even Cooper. Cade grinned. No truer words had ever been spoken. Roxie was a firecracker and he got the feeling that Dini had a whole lot of heat behind that sweet smile and blonde hair.
“So, we pretend to be his hos and chummy up with this Devina lady,” Dini said. “Get her drunk and try to get her to admit that she’s either not pregnant or that it’s not Cooper’s. Right?”
“Right.” Cade looked around at everyone. “And you suggest that if she’s looking for a big score she’ll want to look at Cooper’s father, Lucas. Cotton Creek Energy is small potatoes next to Quinlan Energy and the new company Quinlan started with Pursell. If she were looking to get pregnant, the smart move would be to make Lucas the baby daddy.”
“I still say there’s a chance she’s working with him,” Cooper said. “My father would think of something like this, pointing Devina at me just to create a diversion and complications.”
“Then you need to find that out,” Cade said to Dini and Roxie.
“That’s going to take more than an evening of drinking, Beckett,” Roxie argued.
“She has a point,” Cody agreed. “She didn’t impress me as someone who’s going to let the cat out of the bag too easily.”
“Well, maybe we’re going at this the wrong way,” Roxie said.
“Oh?” Ca
de looked at her.
“Maybe we need to attack on two fronts instead of just one.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning while we’re working on Devina, someone needs to be working on Cooper’s dad.”
“Like who?”
“The pissed new girlfriend.”
Everyone looked at Hannah and Dini clapped her hands. “Yes, that’s perfect. It’s already all over town that Hannah threw Cooper out of bed in San Antonio and won’t speak with him because he didn’t tell her he has a pregnant fiancée.”
“Yep.” Roxie smiled and turned her attention to Cooper. “I’d be willing to bet that your father would expect Hannah to be as interested in revenge as Devina, right?”
“He always expects the worst of people.”
“So, let’s give him what he wants. Maybe he’ll slip up and tell Hannah something he shouldn’t and we’ll catch both birds.”
“No,” Cooper barked. “I don’t want Hannah anywhere near my father.”
“Well, it’s not your decision is it?” Hannah asked in a testy tone.
“I think I should have a say.”
“Why?”
“Because…” He looked around at everyone, then back at Hannah. “Can we speak? In private?”
Hannah crossed her arms and stared at him for a moment, then blew out her breath. “Fine. The office.”
Cade and everyone else watched them leave. Cody got up to refill the pitcher with beer. When she returned to the table to fill the glasses, she cut a look over her shoulder before speaking.
“We may not have to set this plan in motion.”
“Why?” Roxie asked.
“Because of the look on Hannah’s face when Cade explained about you and Dini being all up close and personal with Cooper. Hannah didn’t like it.”
“She didn’t say anything,” Dini pointed out.
“She didn’t have to. I saw it on her face.”
“Ahhh,” Roxie said and grinned. “I get it. She might not be convinced that Miss Devina doesn’t have a bun in the oven but does believe that Cooper isn’t interested in Devina. And the idea of watching him carry on with me and Dini doesn’t exactly give her a case of the warm and fuzzies.”
“Can you blame her?” Cody asked.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Roxie said. “So what now?”
“We wait and see what happens with Hannah and Cooper,” Cody said. “And get ready to open this place.”
“On it.” Roxie got to her feet.
“I’ll help,” Dini offered.
“Only if you’re on the clock,” Cody said. “No working for free.”
“Works for me, but I don’t have a shirt.”
“I can take care of that,” Cade said. “We have a stack in the office.”
Roxie burst out laughing and everyone looked at her. “Sorry,” she said, stilling chucking. “I was just imagining the look on the faces of the dudes tonight when they get an eyeful of Dini in cut-off jeans and a Honky Tonk Angels shirt.”
“Oh girl, we’ve already christened that ship and let me just say…woo!” Cody said and grinned.
“Damn Skippy,” Roxie added and then pointed a finger at Cade. “And you. You watch where your eyes go mister. I know ways to turn a man from a rooster to a chicken in under ten seconds.”
Cade laughed, along with everyone else. “Yes, ma’am.”
Roxie smiled at him and he saw love shining in her eyes. It filled him with a warmth unlike anything he’d ever known, making him eager to get on with their own plans.
Namely getting her a divorce and making her his.
Chapter Twelve
Roxie rolled over, fumbling for the clock as the shrill, persistent beep shattered the silence. The past few days had been a whirlwind. She and Cade had returned last night and, despite the lateness of the hour, had spent most of the night making love.
“What time is it?” Cade asked as she rolled back over next to him.
“Five thirty,” she said with a yawn.
“Five thirty? God, who gets up that early?”
“Me.” She snuggled over closer to him. “I normally run, but this morning I think I’ll skip it. After an hour’s sleep I don’t think I have the energy for running.”
Cade yawned and ran his arm beneath her. “I don’t have the energy for anything.”
“Nothing?” She raised her head and looked at him with a suggestive smile as she ran her hand down his body.
“Well, maybe that,” he agreed and rolled over with her beneath him.
“Ummm,” she purred as his hands moved over her body. “That feels delicious.”
“You are delicious,” he murmured as he moved his lips down her neck.
Roxie sighed in pleasure, forgetting about the lack of sleep. All time slipped away as they explored each other with their hands.
Cade gently awakened her body with his touch. Roxie reveled in the sensations, riding the waves of pleasure his hands and mouth created. Her body was his to manipulate, his to explore. For the first time in her life, she had no fear of what surrendering control would bring. Love had changed all that. It changed the quality of a touch from mere physical pleasure to the pleasure that comes from an emotional connection.
His mouth moved from her nipple to the underside of her breast, causing her to arch toward him as she sighed. He ran his tongue up her cleavage to the base of her neck. There he feasted, fueling both their passions.
She grew wetter but he kept the movement of his hands slow and rhythmic. When his body moved up hers, she could feel his hardness against her hip. Her hand traveled down his hard chest and stomach. She stretched her fingers in the tight hair that surrounded the base of his shaft. She stroked his length with her fingertips, circling the pulsing head. Her rhythm matched his, touch for touch, stroke for stroke. As their mouths met and connected, they pleasured each other with their hands, lovingly fondling one another.
Soon it wasn’t enough. Roxie needed that ultimate connection. She needed him inside her.
“I need you…in me,” she whispered in his ear after her tongue traced his lobe. Her hand guided him into her as he positioned himself between her legs. Her body quivered as he entered her.
Hours later, the ring of the phone pulled her from a sound sleep. Untangling herself from Cade’s arms, she reached for the phone, seeing the lighted display of the clock on the nightstand announcing that it was after ten.
“Hello? Hey, Jasper. Yeah, it’s Roxie. You want to talk to Cade? Oh, okay. Yeah, tell her I’ll call her in a few minutes.” Hanging up the phone, she sat up and brushed her hair back over her shoulders. “Sorry. I didn’t even think before I answered. Anyway, that was Jasper. Dini was looking for me. I really need to talk to her and fill her in on everything.”
Cade pushed himself into a sitting position. “Are you nervous?
“Only that her feelings will be hurt that I didn’t tell them before now.”
“She’s your friend, honey. She’ll understand.”
“You’re right. I just don’t want her to be hurt. I’ll tell her—but not today. I need to make sure I do it at the right time.”
“It’ll be fine, baby. Oh hell, what time is it?”
“After ten.”
“God, I’m late,” he grumbled. “Got food and beer deliveries this morning. I need to call Cody and tell her I’m running late.”
Okay.” She stood and padded naked to the bathroom. “I’ve got to shower but there’s plenty of room if you want to join me.”
“As soon as I make this call.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Cade watched her firm ass as she crossed the room and blew out a breath. Damn if the woman wasn’t too tempting for his own good. And he couldn’t be happier.
*****
Hannah opened the front door and smiled at Cody. “Seriously? You brought coffee?”
“Well yeah.” Cody stepped inside the house. “What’s so weird about that?”
“Nothin
g except that I do have a coffee pot and know how to make coffee.”
“I didn’t know if the kitchen was completely set up yet.” Cody followed Hannah through the front room. “But this room looks great.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” Hannah paused and turned around to look over the room. “I just love it.”
“Me too. You and Pressley did good. And you really seem happy about renting the place.”
“Oh god, I am. You hungry?”
“No, I ate. What else have you done to the place?”
“Well, take a look.” Hannah led the way. “We’ve gotten the kitchen all set up, except we need a little curtain for the window over the sink.”
Cody looked around and nodded. Leave it to Hannah to make a place look like something out of a magazine. It was cozy and country but with a definite touch of class. Kind of like Hannah.
“It’s really pretty.” She put the two take-off coffee cups on the counter.
“Isn’t it? Oh, look what we did to the little den.” She headed across the hall.
Cody admired the new framed prints on the wall, the new drapes, and noted the pair of men’s shoes under the coffee table in front of the couch. She turned to Hannah with a smile. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve done new in the bedroom.”
“No!” Hannah sprang in front of her as she started for the door. Cody laughed.
“I guess those size twelves belong to Coop?” She indicated the shoes under the coffee table.
Hannah blushed but smiled. “Don’t you dare tell Mama.”
“Tell her what? That Coop spends five nights out of seven here?” She laughed at the surprised look on Hannah’s face. “Girl, ever since Cade came up with that plan to get Devina to fess up, you completely forgot to be mad at him.”
“I did not. I just—”
“Don’t want Roxie and Dini all over him. Girl, I get it.”
Hannah smiled and headed back for the kitchen. “I do believe him, you know.”
“So do I.”
“You do?” Hannah picked up one of the to-go coffees and sampled it.
“I do.”
“So, you think Devina is in cahoots with his father?”
Cody shrugged. “Could be. But it doesn’t matter. If she can’t cause Coop trouble, then she might as well leave.”