Nine
Kiki marveled at the small pools dotting the landscape before her that seemed to blend perfectly with the red and tan mountains and sagebrush that led to the Colorado River past the spa’s fence. Country music played quietly over speakers, which Kiki wholeheartedly approved of. Everything about the facility screamed relaxation. Even the larger swimming pool fit the whole rejuvenation vibe with its curved shape and waterfall wall at the far end.
Excitement had bubbled out of her as she had gathered her things at home to come. She hadn’t wanted to waste a moment, so she’d dressed in her bathing suit under her sundress to quicken her entrance into luxury. Now, though, she was ready, and Derrick wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Should she hop into a soaking pool and hope he found her?
She bit her lip as a group of guys approached. She should just find the nearest pool and get in. She could always wave like mad when Derrick finally came out from the bathhouse.
One man from the group walking toward her stopped and smiled. He had defined muscles, a killer smile, and what she’d imagine romance writers would consider smoldering eyes. He wore a cowboy hat that was the complete opposite of his swimsuit, but somehow he pulled it off. He was exactly the kind of guy she’d be flirting with back home, trying to get a first date from. Yet, since meeting Derrick, her usual specimens of attraction paled in comparison. Didn’t that just suck since Derrick was a no-go for her if she wanted to stay at the ranch?
“Hey, darlin’. You lost?” Handsome-in-a-hat’s forehead scrunched up like he was concerned.
“Nope, thanks. Just waiting for a friend.”
“Well, anyone who’d keep an angel like you waiting isn’t much of a friend.” He stepped closer, and Kiki rolled her eyes. “I was just leaving, but I could hang out. Show you a good time.”
The man winked. Kiki snorted. Was this guy serious? Derrick’s familiar scent surrounded her and a warm hand spread across her back, sending shivers of delight up her spine.
“Sorry I kept you waiting.” Derrick’s voice held a slight tightness she’d never heard before.
His jaw clenched as he smiled down at her. Kiki’s eyebrows pushed together. Was she missing something? His words were just a friendly apology, but his arm around her waist and his tight smile to the eager cowboy made it seem like there was something more between her and Derrick.
Her eyes widened, and her fingers tingled. Was this a date, like a date-date? She hadn’t gotten that vibe on the way over, but then again, her judgement around him seemed to fly out the window.
He turned his gaze to her, his eyes softening. “Ready?”
He flexed his fingers on her back, shooting sparks along her skin. What in the world was happening? She stood there frozen. All rational thought vacated, leaving only confusion and joy battling in her head.
“Yeah. Sure,” she squeaked out from her parched throat.
“Come on. Let’s go relax.” He nodded to the group of men and stepped past the cowboy who Kiki had forgotten still stood there with a glare on his face.
“Okay,” she whispered.
Once they got past the rest of the guy’s friends, Derrick let go of her waist and threaded his fingers through hers. Kiki’s pulse beat painfully against her throat, and she worried she’d pass out on the way to the water. Wouldn’t that be ironic, fainting at a rejuvenation spa? Though, she probably didn’t need the healing waters now. His touch dulled all the pain in her body, like some kind of magic pill.
Derrick glanced over his shoulder at the bathhouse and dropped her hand like it had burned him. “Sorry about that.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve seen guys like that before, lurking and pouncing on every unattached woman.”
Reality washed over her like she’d jumped in the cold Colorado River. He’d just been protecting her after all. Their status quo hadn’t changed, and she was foolish to think it had.
She glanced away, blinking quickly to hide the silly tears that had sprung up with his words. Don’t make this awkward, Cookie. Don’t be a cream puff.
She gave him a weak smile. “Thanks, though I probably could’ve handled it. I’m kind of used to guys hitting on me.”
Why’d she have to say that? She didn’t want to act like some entitled, pouting diva. She cocked her eyebrow and crossed her arms. Maybe if she acted perturbed, he wouldn’t see her hands trembling.
His dark brown eyes gazed down at her with an intensity she didn’t understand. He blinked and nodded, a mask of calm replacing the emotion. Oh, for the ability to read minds.
“Yeah, I bet you are.” He jerked his eyes away and pointed at an empty pool. “How does that one look?”
“Perfect.” She stalked over, dropped her towel and water bottle in the rocks surrounding the pool, and stepped into water, all without looking at Derrick.
She couldn’t. Not until she got her emotions under control. This was supposed to be a fun and relaxing outing with a friend. Not a torturous trip to Want-But-Can’t-Haveville.
She sank into the hot water with a sigh. She just needed to chill out and let the minerals leech all her frustrations from her. Derrick scanned the area, then stepped into the pool. Her eyes skirted across his dark skin, admiring his muscles that rippled with each move.
Oh, dear Lord in heaven, help me.
This outing proved more treacherous to her heart than she imagined possible. Her face heated, and not from the steaming water. As she willed her brain to turn her eyes away from ogling his bare chest, her gaze stumbled over the scars that riddled his body. A cluster of puckered skin right above his hip bone. A line slashing across his chest. What looked like a burn on his thigh and lower back.
She jerked her gaze to her hands distorted under the water so she couldn’t see the reminders of his violent past—couldn’t imagine the possibility of future injuries with the job he had. Why had her friends continued to put themselves in danger after they got out of the military? Weren’t they tired of the risk, of the chance of not coming home from a job? What was it that made them different from her? She could hardly watch a movie about war without feeling ill and having nightmares, and yet Derrick and his friends continued to run into danger like there was nothing to it. They wore honor like a second skin. With the taint of her family and her scaredy-cat nature, she doubted she’d ever have even a semblance of what they had.
He positioned himself next to her on the river side of the pool, facing the walkway. He’d picked the pool closest to the property line and the smallest one there. It wasn’t a romantic move, though she wished it was, but a strategic one. He’d situated them where it’d be hard to sneak up from behind, and only about two more people could fit without crowding. Would he even be able to relax, or would he be on alert the entire time they were here?
She closed her eyes and laid her head against the rounded edge of the pool. She’d leave with muscles more sore than when she got here if she didn’t put the worry behind her. If Derrick wanted to stand guard, that was his choice. At least with him around, she wouldn’t be called to use her new defensive skills, not that she’d had to use them before or since her cousin’s attack.
The fright of that day and the pain that had radiated from her feet for weeks assaulted her brain. Why’d she have to go thinking about that? She dunked her head under the roasting water, washing away the troubling memories with a shake of her head. When she came up and wiped the moisture from her face, she found Derrick staring at her.
“You okay?” Of course, Derrick, aka Mother Goose, would notice her discomfort.
Nothing ever got past him. That thought stalled her brain to a halt. Had he noticed her little crush? If he had, he hadn’t let on.
“Yeah. Just thinking.”
“Must not have been a very good thought, from your expression.”
She shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it. She hadn’t ever talked about it, at least not past telling the district attorney what had happened. Her father’s lawyers would keep the case locked in a perpetual hold as long a
s feasible. Heck, she might never testify, but maybe she shouldn’t keep it all bottled up anymore. That whole challenge to face her fears and become a stronger person really sucked sometimes.
She settled her head back on the edge, closed her eyes, and allowed her body to float to the surface of the water. “I was just thinking how you’re always on guard, how I won’t ever get to use those new skills you and Lena are teaching me with you around.” She shrugged. “The only time I’ve ever needed to defend myself was against Garrett. We all know how that ended up. I guess the memory of that day and the weeks after kind of overwhelmed me for a moment.”
“You were strong, Kiki.” Derrick’s soft voice settled in her bones, relaxing her even more. “You fought like a wildcat and didn’t give up even with your feet covered in blood and swollen.”
“Yeah, well, now I’ll be stronger.”
He moved from her side, and Kiki dared to open her eyes. His hand skimmed along her calf, shooting fire up her leg. Holy moly, this man lit her on fire and didn’t even know it. He gently cupped her heels in his giant hands, and she forced herself not to move, to just float there as he examined her feet.
“You could do some damage to anyone attacking you now, that’s for sure.” His mouth tweaked up at the side and her head about slipped from the pool’s edge. “When I’m done with you, you’ll be deadly.”
That image both terrified and exhilarated her. Could little ol’ her really have the power to hurt someone that badly? She rolled her eyes and snorted. Not likely.
A wicked smile pushed his lips up. “Don’t doubt my training ability.”
He grabbed both her ankles with one hand and tickled her feet with the other. She shrieked, her head dunking under water as she tried to get away. She came up sputtering and laughing, desperate to get out of his hold.
“Sir. Miss.” A wide-eyed pool attendant rushed up to the water’s edge. “Rough housing needs to be taken to the family pool, please.”
“Sorry.” Derrick snickered as he dropped her ankles, giving her a little push under.
Her head submerged beneath the surface with the sudden release of her legs. Why that—he’d pay. She tried not to laugh underwater. Derrick pulled her up, his arm anchored around her back. Merriment rushed from her in one tangible whoosh. Oh, the fates were evil, giving her a friend who stole her heart. He reached up with his free arm and clumsily pushed her hair out of her face. She couldn’t breathe, not with him pressed so close to her.
“I don’t want you to worry about being able to defend yourself anymore.” His voice sounded husky and deeper than normal. “You’re good, getting better every day.”
She nodded, not knowing what he meant or how she should respond. She licked her lips, suddenly parched like she trekked through the desert instead of being surrounded by water. His eyes darted to her mouth.
He cleared his throat and stepped away, sitting on the pool’s underwater bench and closing his eyes. “No more horsing around, Kiki. We’re here to relax.”
Kiki laughed, swatted him on the arm, and settled in next to him. Maybe he wasn’t as unaffected by her as she thought. The possibility buoyed her more that the healing waters ever could.
Ten
The following morning, Derrick finished adhering his fake scar to his back. Now that he had retired from the Army, he would probably never need the razor blade and handcuff keys he glued to his body every day and concealed beneath the silicone scars on his back and calf. Two years after getting out, he still took the time each morning for the ritual.
He glanced at the clock. 0530 “Shoot.”
He was late.
He rushed out of his room and dashed up the stairs. He’d have to eat something later. He didn’t want to keep Kiki waiting any longer. He bypassed the kitchen, taking the stairs to the second story two at a time.
His eyes widened as he stepped into Kiki’s office. He hadn’t been upstairs since the women took it over, and the change to his old bedroom surprised him. His style was pretty basic. Bed with a dark comforter, nightstands, and a dresser was enough for him. The pictures of his family on his dresser were the only decorations.
His old bedroom under Kiki’s hand had transformed completely. Four plasma screens hung from the wall painted a pale yellow over a desk with a bright turquoise pencil holder, matching file folders neatly displayed in a rack, and a diffuser shooting steam into the air. On a table on the opposite side of the room, coffee brewed in a French press, an electric tea kettle steamed, and a vase of freshly cut wildflowers brightened the already cheery space. The scent of peppermint and coffee energized him more than the jog upstairs had.
What surprised him most and threw him sideways was Kiki on her knees with her back bent in an impossible angle where her head sat on the ground between her feet. Her body was bent into a bridge on steroids. Man, she was incredible. She kept amazing him, kept him second-guessing his decision to just stay friends.
She smiled up at him. “I just have two more poses then I’ll be done. I’m a little behind this morning.”
He leaned against the doorjamb. “I didn’t know you were part pretzel. What is that pose anyway?”
“King Pigeon, and don’t talk about food. I’m hungry.” She chuckled as she effortlessly lifted from the pose and moved into an even harder position.
With her elbows supported beneath her belly and her hands on the floor under her hips, she balanced like a flat teeter-totter. After the day before, he knew she had strength, but he’d never seen anyone do moves like these so effortlessly. Was her air conditioning not working? Because he was burning up. He tore his gaze away from her as she folded into the only yoga move he knew, the child’s pose.
“There’s fresh coffee.” Kiki’s muffled voice pulled his eyes right back to her. “I brought up a mug for you.”
Was she always this thoughtful, or was she still vying for acceptance here? It hadn’t escaped his notice how she bent over backwards trying to fit in. She was subtle about it. The others might not even see it, but he had. Would she ever believe that they wanted her here because she was family, no matter what had happened in the past?
“Thanks.” He stepped in and turned his back to her.
He needed to get a grip. Today wasn’t any different from every other day since she’d arrived. His sudden inability to not stop thinking about her wouldn’t affect their friendship. He’d make sure of that.
“Want me to pour your mug?” He peeked over his shoulder as she rolled up her yoga mat.
“Yeah, thanks. There’s also yogurt and fruit in the fridge in the closet. Want me to grab you some?”
“Sure.”
She disappeared into the closet with her mat, and he took a deep breath for the first time since stepping up to the door. What if there was something between them? She hadn’t ever flirted with him beyond the playful joking of friends. The memory of her pulled close to him in the pool paused his hand as he stirred in Kiki’s creamer. The way her gaze had held his for that space of time when he’d wanted to bend down and kiss her said she might not be against a change in their relationship.
He shifted on his feet as he set down the spoon and picked up the mugs. He’d have to be cautious though, examine all the angles before he decided to pursue something more with her. He couldn’t risk making her uncomfortable here at the ranch. Being with Eva was important to Kiki, and he wouldn’t mess that up for anything.
She emerged from the closet with two yogurts, two apples, and a devious smirk on her beautiful face. “You ready for a crash course in day trading?”
“No. It’s too early for math.” He’d always hated school, and the thought of being stuck sitting at a desk all morning should’ve had him itching for open air.
Kiki tipped her head back, and her joyful laugh filled the space, soothing down his nerves. The outdoors were overrated. Staying inside with her would be worth missing the sunshine.
She nodded her chin toward the chairs at the desk. “Welcome to my battlefield.”
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They sat at the desk and for the next three hours she blurred his brain with trading mumbo jumbo. She showed him how she determined which trades to make, how a conservative approach—rather than the frantic image of traders on Wall Street—profited, and what she proposed to do with his funds. Her returns on her own trading were staggering, and he’d be a fool if he didn’t let her grow his funds for his rescue project.
“So, what do you think?” Kiki pushed back from the desk with her hands wrapped around her cold mug of coffee. She maintained eye contact, but the deep breath she took before continuing revealed her vulnerability. “It’s fine if you need time to think or you decide not to let me see what I can do. There’s definitely a risk involved, so I can understand if you don’t—”
“Kiki, you’re brilliant.” His words relaxed her tight expression. “It’s obvious you know what you’re doing. I’d be royally stupid not to let you have a go at it.”
“So, you want me to manage your funds?”
“Yeah, and if you’re up to it, I’ll give you my personal savings too.” He motioned to the screens and her paperwork. “What you’ve got going on is a heck of a lot better than my current portfolio.”
She sighed and relaxed into her chair. “Thanks, Derrick. I’ll do everything—”
Her phone rang, interrupting her. She looked at the screen, her forehead furrowing before she answered.
“Hey, Sam. What’s up?”
Derrick and Kiki sat close enough he could hear Sam through the phone. “Kiki, could you watch Eva today? Zeke and I are going to Aspen to meet with a potential client, and with Piper still so sick, I don’t want her and Rafe to have to mess with Eva.”
“Absolutely. Y’all know I love any time I get to spoil—I mean play with Eva.” Kiki’s face radiated excitement. “Maybe I’ll take her to that park in town and go for ice cream after.”
Convincing Derrick Page 5