He followed orders and Dani closed the door behind him. She was still naked, clutching that man-killer dress to her chest. Cole buttoned up his shirt and gave himself a tour. It was like a spa—white marble and sleek fixtures, fluffy white towels, and a shower that might even be bigger than his.
“How many people does this accommodate?” he asked with a leading inflection, pointing to the spacious enclosure wrapped in clear glass.
Dani smacked him on the arm. “There’s no time to talk about that. Just finish getting dressed.” She pulled a robe from a hook on the wall, and he took his chance to drink in her luscious curves before she wrapped them up in terry cloth and cinched the belt tight.
Cole tucked his dress shirt into his pants, zipped them up and buckled his belt. “Is it okay for me to go out there? I can’t spend the whole day in your bathroom. Unless we get to use the shower. For that, I will rearrange my schedule.”
“Why are you being so cavalier about all of this?”
He didn’t want to tell her the truth—this was a good diversion from the stupid way he’d put his foot in his mouth a few minutes ago. Why he’d walked into the trap of discussing his departure from the Texas Rangers, he had no idea. He made a mental note to avoid the topic at all costs in the future. “It’s a little funny, don’t you think? Sneaking around and whispering in your bathroom? We’re adults.”
“And you know absolutely nothing about parenting. It’s my job to shield them from stuff like this.” Dani cracked the bathroom door and leaned out. Cole leaned against her, and they both craned their necks.
“Mommy? Is Mr. Sullivan here?”
“We saw his truck outside.” About a million tiny knocks accompanied the boys’ questions.
Dani closed the bathroom door. “See what you did?”
“What? I gave you a ride home. Last time I checked, that was not a federal offense.”
“I have to go answer them. You stay here. I’ll let you know when you can come out.”
Dani disappeared through the door, shutting it behind her. Cole finished putting his suit back on and neatened his hair, which was wonderfully disheveled after his afternoon delights with Dani. He fetched his shoes from her bedroom floor and was putting them on when Dani returned.
“Okay. The boys are out playing in the backyard with Elena. You can go now.” She’d changed into her bathing suit and was wearing a cover-up over it. “I’m going to go join them.”
“Maybe I can have them over to swim in my pool again?”
“We’ll talk about it.”
“Okay, then. I guess I’ll go.” Cole followed her out of her room and headed downstairs. He hated the cool turn things had taken, but thus was the state of their friendship, or relationship or whatever anyone wanted to call it right now. There were problems lurking in every corner of their past. Dare to poke at one issue and the rest would likely rush out for their hiding place.
“Cole,” Dani called from the top of the stairs. He turned and looked up at her, wondering if there was any way they’d ever get their act together. “I’ll see you on Tuesday? For the trip to Durango City?”
For once, the investigation had been the absolute last thing on his mind. “Yeah. I’ll pick you up at four.”
“Perfect.”
Cole merely nodded and walked away.Perfectwas about the last word he would’ve used to describe the current state of affairs.
Eight
Cole would’ve been lying if he said that he was feeling completely certain the sting would go off as planned. All of this effort—an entire team of people, a private jet, countless hours and resources, bringing Dani into it—it had to add up to something. If it didn’t, there would be no justice for Will or Megan or Jason. Cole couldn’t let this operation fail.
“Folks, we’ll be landing in a few minutes,” the pilot said.
Cole took Dani’s hand. “You got everything straight?”
“Yes. You’re Chet Pearson, one of the largest private investors in crude oil and natural gas in the US. I’m Melanie Skye, aspiring actress and your girlfriend of six months. I really wish I could’ve been a chef.”
“Too dangerous. We don’t want to remind him that he’s met you.”
“It was a lifetime ago. I mean, I’m memorable, but not that memorable.”
Cole managed a nervous grin. “Just stick to the plan, okay? You’ll give me a heart attack otherwise.”
She slipped her hand from his and picked a tiny piece of lint from her dress. “It’s pretty straightforward, isn’t it? I do everything I can to ingratiate myself to Sheriff Orson and try to get him to brag to me about how powerful he is and the sneaky things he’s done.”
