Rini finally sat down at one of the many picnic tables that had been gathered from the neighboring houses. Cole slid onto the bench across from her.
"How'd it go?" she asked.
His face split in a smile from ear to ear. "Great. Jeff and Billy are both still in shock, but I can tell they're going to hit it off like chili and cheese." He tipped his chin toward a table where the two were sitting, laughing and talking, but never taking their eyes off each other.
Her heart melted. "What a perfect ending."
"Beginning, I'd say."
She looked back at him and her heart melted a little more. "Oh, Cole. What a beautiful thing to say."
And speaking of beautiful… He was still without a shirt, his bare chest drawing the eye of every woman from nine to ninety. His hair was tousled and he had a cute smudge of barbecue sauce on one cheek. A warm curl of love wound around Rini's insides. He was so damned sexy. And so damned...good. And she was so much in love with him it hurt.
Unable to stop herself, she leaned across the table to wipe off the barbecue sauce, but found her fingers lingering over the masculine angles of his cheekbone and jaw. He winked.
He was the kindest, most honorable, and best-looking man there by far, and he was all hers. She sighed. Let the other women flirt all they wanted. She knew she'd be the one going home with him.
As if he could read her thoughts, he reached up and caught her hand, caressing her palm slowly with his thumb. Heat pooled in his eyes. She couldn't have torn her gaze from his to save her life. She was utterly mesmerized by the look of desire in it, even as she sensed the people around them grinning and poking each other in the ribs.
Slowly, he brought her fingers to his mouth and lingeringly kissed each one in turn. Every bone in her body grew weak with yearning for this deeply sensual man. He wanted her; it was plain. There was something very primitive and powerful about a man laying such intimate claim on her in front of all these people. If he swept her away to bed at that very moment, she doubted she would have the will to stop him. Lord knew she wanted him desperately.
Should she give in? Could the secret to his love be that simple? Had the one thing that could ensure his love been staring her in the face all along? It hadn't helped with David. But she was realizing more and more each day that her husband bore no resemblance whatsoever to her former fiancé.
An hour later, Rini was still dizzy from the impact of Cole's heated looks and the questions in her heart, when Chance woke up demanding to be fed. Excusing herself, she took the opportunity to retreat with her whirling thoughts into the house.
In a back bedroom, she settled on the bed and tried to concentrate on feeding Chance.
A quiet knock sounded and several female heads peeked in. Oh, no! It was them—the girls who'd been flirting with Cole earlier. What should she do? Could she face them?
"May we come in?"
Without waiting for her answer, five or six young women tumbled into the room and approached her on the bed. Exposed as she was, she felt terribly vulnerable. Fear and uncertainty reared up, unbidden.
In her panic, it didn't quite register that they were all smiling and chattering cheerfully, until they plopped down around her and started oohing and aahing over Chance.
"He is the cutest baby! He looks just like Uncle Cole!"
"Thank you," she murmured, frowning in confusion. They were also much younger than she'd first thought. Why, they were barely out of high school, if that. Suddenly, it struck her. "Uncle Cole?"
"We call him that out of respect. He's not really our uncle."
"He's my second cousin," declared a plump girl with glasses and a long braid. "I'm Marie."
"Well, he's not my cousin, for all the good it did me," said an older girl with a pout. "Rini, you are so lucky to have caught him. He's the dreamiest."
Rini's brows raised. "Well, I—"
"I'll say," said another with a sigh, a row of silver hoops in her ear glittering in the sun streaming in the window. "Such a hunk." She glanced up and smiled. "For an old guy."
Rini nearly choked. "He's not really all that old—"
The girl with the earrings nodded solemnly. "Oh, yes. He's over thirty, you know. Didn't he tell you?"
She couldn't help grinning. Her foolish jealousy evaporated in a puff of welcome, and, she hoped, permanent sanity. "He did mention it, yes."
"Well, I still think he's sexy," persisted the pouty one.
"Tell us how you met?" asked another girl.
"Oh, yes! It's sooo romantic!"
Rini felt a tingle of alarm. "Met? I'm not sure—"
"Tanya said you met in a tepee and it was love at first sight," Marie said.
There was a chorus of giggles.
Rini could feel herself going crimson. She would have to kill Tanya for this.
"We were all at that powwow, you know, when he told everyone he'd met the woman of his dreams."
Rini's jaw dropped in dismay. "He said that?" She had run away and left him standing there alone after he'd told these women she was the woman of his dreams? Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Oh, yes. We were all so excited."
"But Uncle Cole had been in his war paint when you were together." Marie grinned knowingly. "So after the dancing you couldn't find each other," she continued in a fairy tale voice. The girls all gazed at Rini forlornly. "But he kept searching for you everywhere, for months and months. Finally, he found you by accident—"
Rini put a trembling hand to her mouth.
"It wasn't an accident," said Earrings, with all the conviction of youth. "He was meant to find her. It was Fate. Kismet."
The girls gazed up at Rini, stars in their young eyes. She could almost taste the dreams behind every pair that studied her with hushed awe.
Oh, Cole!
"Do you love him very much?" Marie asked.
The innocent question caught her by surprise. She struggled with the giant lump in her throat, swallowing down the need to cry. "Yes, I do. So very much."
The girls let out a long collective sigh.
The pouty girl's pout deepened. "I suppose this means he'll be too busy to keep giving us dance lessons." The fantasy mood was shattered by her accusing tone. "He hasn't been for ages."
Rini shook herself mentally. Dance lessons. Just as he'd said. But she hadn't believed him, not deep in her heart. Rini felt like crawling into a hole. Instead she wiped her eyes, drew herself up and looked squarely at the girl. "I'll make sure he starts coming again. Chance and I can come, too. I'd really like to get to know everyone here better. You all mean a lot to Cole."
The girls beamed with pride, and even Pouty perked up. "We like him, too. He's a great teacher."
"Rini, maybe you could talk him into moving back?"
There was a general buzz of excitement over that idea. "Yeah! You're a nurse, right?"
"Well, soon—"
"There's a job for a nurse at the health service that Dr. Redcloud can't fill. You could apply!"
Rini smiled warmly, shaking her head. "I don't think so. Cole has his practice up in L.A. But thank you for asking. You've all made me feel so welcome."
Two of the girls reached over and hugged her, and soon she and Chance were being hugged by all. Her heart was ready to burst. How could she ever have thought these sweet girls were out to steal Cole away? She was so ashamed of herself.
"Come on, let's take Chance for a walk and show Rini the sights."
Laughing, she allowed herself to be dragged by the giggling mob to the front door, passing an astonished Cole.
"Hey, where're you going?"
Rini lifted her arms in an expansive shrug and smiled. "We're off to see the sights."
The girls commandeered a baby carriage from the half-dozen sitting in front of the house, and settled Chance into it, all snug and cozy.
"Shouldn't we ask the owner?"
"Nah," Rini was assured. "This is Luz's. She won't mind."
Rini was beginning to get a feel for
what it was like with Cole's people. There was a real sense of community, of sharing, that she found herself unbelievably drawn to. For the first time in her life, she saw the possibility of belonging to something larger than one small isolated household. The thought was more than appealing. Too bad Cole's practice prevented him from moving back here. She would enjoy getting to know these people better.
The day was glorious. A cascade of sunshine tumbled over Mount Palomar into the narrow green valley that surrounded the lazy San Luis Rey River. A scattering of puffy white clouds floated by overhead as the group strolled along the gravel shoulder of the road, heading for Route 76. They passed a miniature orchard of stately trees filled with fragrant white blossoms.
"That's Tanya's macadamias," Mare said. "You'll no doubt get a bagful at holiday time. Tani hasn't bought a Christmas present in over ten years."
Rini chuckled. "I think I've already gotten a taste. Cole's mom sent me some delicious nut-covered cookies this year."
The plump cousin looked puzzled for a moment. "She sent you Christmas cookies?"
She nodded. "Cole delivered them Christmas Eve. We took a walk and I nearly went into labor."
They all wanted to hear the story, and by the time she'd finished telling of her and Cole's whirlwind courtship, they had passed a mushroom farm and a chapel with two tepee-shaped outhouses, and had reached a tiny grocery store. Some of the girls went in for sodas while Rini stayed outside with Chance and Marie. An older woman came out of the store.
"Oh, look! There's Mrs. Padilla. Hello, Aunt Lanie!" Marie called out, motioning her over to where she and Rini stood.
Leaning over the crib, the woman exclaimed, "Oh, what a beautiful little boy." She glanced up curiously, her eyes obviously comparing Rini's pale blond looks with Chance's dark coloring. "He's yours?"
Marie introduced them. "Mrs. Padilla, this is Rini Lonetree, Cole's wife. And this is their son, Chance."
"Cole's wife?" Shock and surprise momentarily paralyzed the older woman. Then her eyes strayed back to the carriage. "And his son?" They softened as she reached in to pull the blanket from Chance's face. "Yes. Yes, I can see that now." She looked up. "Rini, I am so happy to meet you and Chance. I didn't think Cole would ever get married again." Once again, her eyes were drawn to the carriage, and she reached out to stroke Chance's tiny arm. "May I?"
Rini nodded. "Of course."
Chance gurgled and cooed in Mrs. Padilla's arms as they chatted, waiting for the girls to come out of the store. He grasped the end of her long black braid, pulling it until Rini thought she would surely put him down. But the woman just beamed and hummed and rocked him in her embrace. She had the patience of a saint.
When they were ready to go, she handed Chance back with obvious reluctance. "He's such a dear one. If you ever need a babysitter, you call me, okay? Marie has my number."
By the time they got back to Tanya's, the sun was low in the sky, and Chance had fallen asleep again.
"What did you guys do, hike to the top of Palomar?" Cole teased when she came out after putting Chance down. He gave her a quick hug and kissed her forehead. "I missed you."
She melted into his embrace, breathing in the delicious male scent of him. "Missed you, too."
Her pulse quickened when he pulled her tight against his still shirtless body. She made a low purring sound into his neck, tempted to slip her tongue out and taste his smooth, dusky skin. He was as tantalizing as a mocha fudge cheesecake. She longed to indulge in his rich sinfulness.
Groaning in frustration, she pulled away. This would never do. The man was seducing her. Worse, she was seducing herself!
"Come on. Let's go for a drive." He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the door.
"But Chance—"
"I asked the girls to keep an eye on him. Come with me. There's a place I want to show you."
Rini relaxed as Cole steered the truck through the village, then turned onto a dirt road leading up into the rugged hills. Dark green chaparral covered the hillsides, interspersed with some kind of bright purple flowering shrub. The smell of sage and moist, clean earth permeated the air.
They parked at the side of the track and Cole slowly led her on foot up a steep, nearly nonexistent animal trail. They hiked past huge granite boulders that lay scattered about as if a giant had poured a bag of irregular gray marbles on the peaks and watched them roll down.
By the time they reached the top, Rini was panting. She flopped down on a clear patch of sandy ground below a giant marble and collapsed onto her back, catching her breath. Even Cole was winded. But as he lay down on the slope next to her she couldn't miss his peaceful expression.
"Did you come up here when you were young?"
"Yeah." He stacked his hands under his head and peered down over the valley. "After I found my biological family and moved to Rincon, life got pretty intense. Sometimes I just needed a place to be alone and think."
"Must have been tough for you, jumping into the middle of things like that."
He shrugged. "Yes and no. Tanya and my aunt and uncle were great. Billy, too. He made sure I was accepted and learned everything I needed to know. He was very protective of me." A smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. "He'll be good with Jeff."
"Who else looked after you?"
He laughed. "Pretty much everybody. I was a community project."
"What about your mom and dad? I mean your biological parents?"
His face went stony. "What about them?"
"Did they help you?"
"No."
"Are they still around?"
"I never asked."
Rini wondered at the venom in Cole's voice. As important as family was to him, it was strange that he hadn't attempted to see his own mother or father. But it was obviously not a subject open for discussion. "Do you miss living here?"
His expression softened a bit. "Yeah. Especially on days like today. But it's not always like this."
"No?"
"This place is like a family. We love each other, but we fight, and it can get nasty and petty. We gossip, get jealous. Mostly it's good, but it's like living in a glass house."
She chuckled. "Is that why you didn't have any curtains in your house? To make up for moving away?"
He shot her an amused glance. "Ha ha ha." He rolled onto his side and scooted closer. "But you fixed that, didn't you?"
She knew she was in trouble when she turned to him and his pirate's grin flashed back at her. She could practically taste the mocha fudge. Lord have mercy.
He reached out and drew a finger down her cheek. "You going to let your husband kiss you, Rini?"
She licked her lips. "I don't think that would be such a good idea…" Her gaze was caught by his sensual mouth—the corners upturned in a predator's smile, the bottom lip full and kissable—already parting in anticipation.
"Oh, I disagree," he murmured, pulling her onto her side to face him, running his hand down the length of her body and then back up again, turning her resistance to quicksilver. "I think it's a good idea." He slid his fingers into her hair and tugged her closer. "A very good idea."
Poised, waiting, searching her eyes, he held her there. Waiting while her limbs grew slack and her blood pounded. Waiting while her mind emptied of objections and filled with longing. Without realizing what she was doing, she lifted her face and moved toward him.
He tightened his grip and held her so she could go neither forward nor back. "Tell me, Rini. Tell me you want to kiss me."
His hot breath fanned across her face, tickling the nerve endings in her cheeks. Her throat tightened and she had to swallow to keep the desire from overwhelming her. "Kiss me, Cole," she managed to whisper. "Kiss me or I'll die."
With a low groan his mouth consumed hers. All her pent-up yearning and hunger exploded when she opened to him and tasted his tongue on hers. She moaned in surrender and fell back, twining her arms around his neck. He followed, covering her upper body, pressing her into the sandy ground.
&
nbsp; She closed her eyes and her world was reduced to the taste of barbecue and salsa and male. "Oh, Cole," she moaned.
One large hand cradled the back of her head, the other roamed her body, igniting blazes wherever it touched. She arched up when it skimmed her tender breast.
He broke the kiss, rubbing his finger along the lacy garment under her blouse. "Damn, I can't get used to you wearing a bra."
She dug her fingers into his shoulders and tried to pull him back. Her excitement settled right in the tips of her heavy breasts. "Trust me, it's better this way."
"Why's that?" His clever fingers were already unbuttoning her blouse.
"Never mind." She gasped when he pulled the front of her blouse out of her skirt and bared her to his ravenous gaze.
"So damned beautiful," he murmured hotly, bending down to run his tongue along the upper curve of her bra, dipping into the deep valley between her breasts.
It felt so good she didn't know what to do with the small voice telling her she shouldn't be letting him do this. It felt so right that when the voice said her hands should be pushing him away, she instead made them hold him tighter. It felt so arousing when he slid his fingers behind her back and unclasped her bra that the little voice was thoroughly drowned out by her moans.
"Cole…"
Her loosened breasts swelled and tingled. She glanced down and saw him watch a drop of milk seep from her nipple and run slowly down the side of her breast. The heated intent in his eyes was obvious even before he had moved a muscle.
Her eyes widened. "I don't think—"
He leaned forward and drew his tongue up her breast, gathering the droplet as he went. "Mmm. So good."
"Cole, stop," she murmured, mortified.
He nestled closer. "Every time I watch Chance suckle at your breast, I'm so damned jealous. I want to curl up beside him, have you stroke my head and sing softly to me, too."
His gaze burned into her eyes, igniting her to the core, making her forget all modesty. She slowly became aware of his fingers sliding up and down the sensitive skin of her inner thigh.
Lucky 7 Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Boxed Set Page 69