Kiss Me If You Can Page 9

  And he wasn’t about to give Chris any more ammunition.

  The other man laughed. “Of course I read the blog. Hey, I sit at a desk for eight-plus hours a day. What do you expect? Even if you’re not engaged, at least you’re getting some action.”

  “I take it you’re not?” Coop asked his friend. From Chris, Coop knew how hard it was to date women when you had an impressionable kid around, not to mention the fact that Chris’s mother practically lived with them to help out.

  “Nah. You’re definitely getting more than me if that photo is anything to go by.”

  Oh, no. “What photo?” Coop asked warily.

  “You haven’t seen today’s paper?”

  Coop shook his head. “Been a little busy.”

  Chris handed Coop today’s edition, already folded open to the Bachelor Blog page. Bachelor Gets Lucky, read the headline and beneath it, a photograph of Lexie and Coop kissing.

  “You live an interesting life,” Chris said.

  “Only recently.” Since Lexie had come into it.

  Coop stared at the grainy photo of the kiss. There were only two places that had happened, one when they were alone in his apartment and again when they thought they were alone in her grandmother’s foyer. Apparently, Charlotte had a sneaky side.

  He shouldn’t laugh, but he couldn’t help it. The old lady had guts, nabbing a photo and sending it off to the Blogger. Lexie would probably kill her.

  The rest of the Bachelor Blog went on to mention how Coop had been seen entering Web designer Lexie Davis’s grandmother’s building, leading to speculation that he was already meeting the family. Nothing but truth in the facts reported. But the insinuation in the words, that Lexie and Coop were engaged and moving quickly toward marriage, couldn’t be further from reality.

  Coop felt a sudden sympathy for celebrities who were hounded, followed and roasted by the press, giving him a new appreciation of celebrities’ resentment of the news media. He’d take gritty crime reporting over glitz, glamour and innuendo any day.

  “Do me a favor,” Coop said to Chris. “Don’t believe everything you read in this particular section. Have fun at the game and say hello to Junior for me.” Coop picked up the heavy box and headed for the elevator bank and his office upstairs.

  At his desk, he slit open the package, shocked to discover his laptop inside, well protected in bubble wrap.

  “Well, well, well.” Instead of touching it, he immediately called the cops, hoping the police would find evidence that might lead them to the culprit. Sara was off, but the officer on duty promised to send someone over. Like Coop, however, he doubted they’d find any clues in a plainly wrapped package that had been through the postal service and God knew how many hands.

  By the time he finished up with the police and sat down to write his article, Coop realized he’d be late getting back to his apartment to meet Lexie.

  When she didn’t answer her phone, he called Sara and asked her to let Lexie in with his spare key. The whole idea of Sara and Lexie together put him on edge. Sara was closemouthed on the job, but off was another matter. And he could only imagine the tales she’d tell. Unfortunately, with a deadline looming, Coop didn’t have a choice.

  LEXIE SPENT THE MORNING on a call with Claudia, working on implementing ideas for the Hot Zone and the Athlete’s Only sites. In the afternoon, she toyed with ideas for Coop’s author Web page, but she’d struggled with how to approach Coop’s site. Her lack of knowledge about Coop and his work made it hard for her to nail down any sort of theme for the site.

  She needed to immerse herself in his world, something she looked forward to doing tonight. Not that she’d grill him, but she needed to learn much more about the author and his work—and the man behind them both.

  Lexie arrived at Coop’s on time, only to find that he wasn’t home. Her stomach twisted for a moment. Had he forgotten? Neither of them had spoken this week, but she hadn’t thought anything of it. Holding back disappointment, she knocked on his door one last time.

  Sara peeked her head out of her apartment as if on cue. “He’s running late and asked me to let you into his place.”

  “Thanks,” Lexie said, relieved that he hadn’t forgotten about her.

  “He said he’d tried your cell phone but no one answered, so he called me.”

  Lexie frowned and pulled her cell from her oversize work bag, which held not just her personal things but her mini-laptop and notes as well. She glanced at the screen and poked at a few buttons before meeting Sara’s curious gaze.

  “Dead,” Lexie explained. “I must have forgotten to charge it. It happens when I get wrapped up in work.” It happened more often than she liked to admit.

  Sara nodded. “Interesting. Coop’s the same way. He tends to get involved in a story and forget what time it is. Frankly, I was surprised he remembered to think about his plans tonight. Which means they must be important to him.”

  Lexie wasn’t normally the type to get tonguetied, but this woman’s bluntness caught her off guard.

  “Hey, why don’t you come in and hang out here until he comes home?” Sara offered.

  “Thanks, but I don’t want to bother you. And I really don’t mind waiting by myself.”

  Sara waved her hand through the air. “No bother. It’s my day off.”

  “Okay then, sure. Why not?” She didn’t want to insult Coop’s friend and neighbor.

  Once inside, Lexie glanced around. Sara’s apartment showed all the personality that the woman in uniform had lacked on their first meeting. Lexie stared at the frilly, lace décor, shocked at how feminine Sara’s taste was. Then again, her choice of clothing on her day off, a summer skirt and tank top, which showed off voluptuous curves, should have given Lexie her first clue.

  “What’s wrong?” Sara asked, staring at Lexie in that coplike way she had, in a blatant attempt to understand what was going on in her mind.

  Suspects probably broke under that stare, Lexie thought, drawing a deep breath. “Nothing’s wrong. I was admiring your furnishings. I’m surprised. I have to admit I pegged you wrong.”

  “Thought I’d be a tomboy, huh?”

  “Guilty,” Lexie said, laughing.

  As if to reinforce the point that she was no such thing, Sara pulled her long blonde hair back and wound it into a knot on top of her head like a true girl. “My AC doesn’t always blow cold enough. I have a call into the super and I’m waiting for him to come up and take a look.”

  “I’m dressed lightly enough, so I’m comfortable.” Lexie’s grandmother didn’t exactly keep the apartment like a refrigerator, so Lexie had learned to adjust.

  “Can I get you a cold drink?” Sara asked.

  “No, thanks.”

  “Then just take a load off.” The other woman pointed to a comfortable-looking chair and Lexie did as she suggested, settling in.

  Sara chose the sofa across the way. “I’m sorry I was so rude the other day. I’d worked a double shift and I was exhausted.”

  “You weren’t rude at all,” Lexie lied.

  “Liar.”

  “I’m sorry if I’m keeping you from anything,” Lexie said again.

  Sara shook her head. “You’re no trouble. Any friend of Coop’s is a friend of mine. Unless you’re really one of those Blogger groupies looking to snag the man and his ring into holy matrimony?” She leaned closer, her defenses clearly up on Coop’s behalf.

  Instead of feeling threatened, Lexie was able to laugh at the accusation. “God, no. Anything but.”

  Sara visibly relaxed, her shoulders dropping low. “Then you can stay as long as you like. I just wanted to make sure if Coop got serious about anyone, it wouldn’t be someone after him for the wrong reasons.”

  Lexie and Coop weren’t getting serious, but she didn’t see the need to confide in Sara about that.

  Sara stretched her bare feet out onto the couch across from Lexie. “He deserves better than some female looking for the catch of the day.”

  Lex
ie nodded. “Agreed.” Coop did deserve someone genuine and real.

  “Just as long as you realize that Coop’s not a guy you can toy with and walk away from, we understand each other.”

  Lexie shifted in her seat, straightening her shoulders and looking Sara in the eye. She could go toe to toe with this woman and not back down. “You seem very protective of someone who’s just a friend.”

  Sara paused, clearly digesting Lexie’s comment. Then she cracked a grin for the first time, taking Lexie by surprise. “You actually feel threatened by me!”

  Lexie opted not to comment.

  As if the ice had been broken between them, Sara’s easy laughter suddenly filled the room. “There’s no reason to be worried. I’m just protective of people I care about. Even friends,” she said pointedly. “I know Coop pretty well. Unlike me, he isn’t into revolving-door relationships,” she said, another warning to Lexie. “He’s more the steady kind of guy.”

  “What do you have against relationships?” Lexie was more than ready to turn the conversation away from herself and Coop, and since Sara didn’t mind discussing Coop’s personal life, Lexie decided Sara’s was fair game.

  “That’s easy. I’m a cop who walks into danger daily and I come from a long line of cops with failed marriages because of the strain of the job. I’m not looking to repeat past mistakes. Then there’s Coop, who likes the idea of one woman, one man. A relationship.” Sara shuddered at the thought.

  “Somehow I can’t see Coop appreciating your telling me his secrets.” She held her hands tightly in her lap, determined not to fidget under all this scrutiny.

  “Maybe not, but someone has to look out for the man.”

  And Sara had definitely appointed herself Coop’s guardian. Though the other woman’s words were intrusive and blunt, Lexie still respected her candor. Good, solid friends—friends who understood you—were hard to come by and she was glad he had found one in this tough yet feminine cop.

  Even if Lexie hadn’t liked what Sara revealed.

  Just when Lexie had managed to convince herself that she and Coop could enjoy a fling that lasted until their mutual interest in the ring and his Web site ended, his close friend was warning her not to put too much of herself into this relationship if she wasn’t able to commit, should things between them work out.

  A firm knock on Sara’s door prevented any further conversation, but couldn’t stop Lexie’s thoughts. It wasn’t commitment Lexie had a problem with, it was staying in one place—something she knew Coop had definite issues dealing with.

  COOP HOPED LEXIE liked Chinese food. He stopped by his favorite take-out place on the way home, thinking that if he had dinner in his hands when he finally got there, she wouldn’t be as upset with him for being so late. When he put in his usual order, he realized he didn’t even know the basics, like her tastes. As a result, he had a huge brown bag with enough food for an army, but at least she’d have a variety to choose from.

  His plan was to mix work with pleasure tonight. As for whether he’d tell her about the chauffeur connection, he remained uneasy, wanting to be able to cushion the blow by looking into it further first.

  By the time he arrived home, he was wound tight and ready for the evening to begin. But Lexie wasn’t at his place, as he’d expected and he had to make small talk with his neighbor before they could be alone. And Sara, being Sara, was in a chatty mood.

  He waited until she paused for a breath, to take Lexie’s hand. “We really need to get going,” Coop said pointedly.

  “Reservations you’re already late for?” Sara asked.

  “Funny. Actually, I brought dinner home.”

  “You did?” Lexie asked.

  He met her gaze and nodded. “Yep. And I’m starving.” And after a look at her in a loose-fitting halter top, her long tanned legs peeking out from delicate white shorts, he was hungry for much more than food. Their one kiss had whet his appetite and fed his dreams at night, but hadn’t been nearly enough to satisfy him.

  “Me, too,” she said, her words bland. But her eyes darkened behind the frames, revealing her understanding of his meaning.

  “Go get a room,” Sara said, laughing as she headed around them, toward the door to walk them out.

  Coop placed his hand on the small of Lexie’s back, letting her precede him.

  “Thanks, Sara. I appreciate the company,” Lexie said.

  “Ditto,” Coop said to his neighbor. “You won’t take it personally if I don’t invite you to join us?”

  She shook her head and grinned. “Enjoy yourself,” she said, patting him on the cheek.

  He winked at her. “I intend to.”

  “Good, because this one passed inspection.”

  Which meant Sara must have interrogated Lexie the whole time they’d been together. Coop groaned and shot her a warning look. “You really need a guy of your own to focus on,” he muttered.

  “Good night, Coop,” she said, shutting her door behind him.

  Lexie waited patiently at his door. She didn’t look like a woman who’d gone through something akin to the Spanish Inquisition, but in case Sara had been rough, Coop looked forward to making it up to her.

  RICKY USED TO BE A THIEF, but after fifty-plus years of retirement, the old tricks didn’t come back easily. His bones were weary and the rush of adrenaline just didn’t drive him the way it used to. But fear was a strong motivator. So when he realized his prized possessions, his trophies, had made an appearance on live TV, Ricky knew he had a problem.

  If the old accomplices he’d betrayed got a gander at the jewels and recognized the loot, they’d raise holy hell and come after him. His accomplices were scary bitches and there were certain items he’d never gotten around to turning over to them as promised. Ricky had no doubt that all these years later, if they found him they’d make him pay.

  Not that he blamed them. He’d whispered sweet nothings to each one, making promises he’d never truly meant to keep until the one night he’d slipped up and gotten caught in bed with one by the other.

  That incident had broken up their little group, ended relationships, and the three had spread far and wide. Ricky had hightailed it to California for a few years, where he’d met his wife. Once he figured that things had cooled off, he’d returned to New York, opened his store and lived quietly…until that damn robbery and his daughter’s reward threatened to blow his world sky high.

  Ricky had believed all the mementos of his former life had remained under wraps. Now he discovered that his daughter had been quietly selling things out from under him. So far none had come back to haunt him. But now that the ring had made a public appearance, Ricky had to get the piece back into his possession before that damn reporter tried to sell it. If a jeweler identified the ring, it wouldn’t be long before the unsolved crime pointed straight back to him.

  He’d tried asking for it nicely, or as nicely as he knew how, but he’d been rebuffed. Which scared him even more. Why would a guy who’d showed little interest in accepting a reward suddenly want to hang on to it so much? That’s when he’d returned to his old ways, breaking into the reporter’s apartment. He hadn’t found the ring, but he’d taken the laptop, hoping the cops would think it had been a simple robbery.

  But an unexpected thing had happened afterwards. He’d looked into his daughter’s and granddaughter’s eyes and realized that he wasn’t the same man who’d stolen from the rich all those years ago. He’d raised his family with morals and decency and, dammit, he felt guilty now for taking something that didn’t belong to him.

  Wearing gloves, he bundled up the laptop in plain brown wrapping, protected it in bubble wrap, boxed it and headed to the busiest post office in Manhattan. He disguised himself with a toupee, which gave him a full head of hair again, a walking stick and sunglasses. He’d asked a stranger to address the box for him. Paying cash, he mailed the laptop back to the reporter, alleviating his guilt somewhat.

  Then he returned home with the same two problems he’d
had when he started. The ring was still out there, waiting to lead some smart person back to him. And so were his accomplices.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “IT WAS NICE of Sara to let me stay with her until you came home,” Lexie said as they walked into his place.

  He tossed his keys onto the console table and locked the door behind them.

  “I hope she didn’t make you too uncomfortable.” He knew how Sara could get when she was in an inquisitive mood.

  “I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.” Lexie treated him to a smile he recognized as forced.

  In the short time he’d known her, he’d come to expect her relaxed grins and easy laughs. She wasn’t feeling at ease now. “Meaning she grilled you mercilessly, like the cop she is?”

  Lexie paused a beat. “Let’s just say she saw fit to lay down the law.” She glanced away, her gaze falling on the table by the couch in the living room. “Is that a new laptop?” she asked, obviously changing the subject.

  He’d have to find out what Sara said another time. “That’s my laptop. Stolen the other night and returned in the office mail today. Another reason I was late. I had to wait for the cops to dust it for prints and check it over. Not that they expect to find anything.”

  She glanced back at him. Behind the frames, her eyes opened wide. “Get out. Whoever stole it sent it back?”

  He nodded. “Sounds strange to me, too, and I write this stuff for a living. I thought for sure the hard drive had been wiped clean or the whole thing taken apart piece by piece and sold for scrap.”

  She strode over to the table where he’d put the computer. “Do you mind if I take a look?”