Ridley woke with a stiff back and a desperate need for coffee. There were no familiar sounds. Sunlight poured in through the thin curtains over a small window.
It took her a second to orient herself, and then she realized she was in the cramped loft of Phoenix’s new digs.
God, the mattress—if you could call it that—was just too lumpy.
She turned over and found that Phoenix had already ditched, leaving her alone, and she hadn’t heard a thing.
That shouldn’t have surprised her. After all, she’d always been an owl to Phoenix’s rooster, but last night they’d been so physically close in the bed; every time she’d moved, she’d bumped Phoenix. Little sis hadn’t complained. Ridley had, repeatedly, but Phoenix had stoically concentrated on sleeping.
Or more likely, she’d been concentrating on that big, hot-and-sexy hunk she called a boss. Whew. Cooper Cochran had that indefinable thing that drew women like flies. Call it machismo or a sexual aura; it gave him the power to dominate a room.
It made a woman ultra-aware of his presence...but could also make her feel safe.
In Ridley’s opinion, he was exactly what Phoenix needed—and the last man Ridley would have expected to draw her interest. Clearly, big men were no longer off the list for little sis.
She smiled, seeing that as a positive sign, an indication that Phoenix was getting back to her usual self.
Now, if only they’d capture the bastards who had savaged her...
With an effort, Ridley unclenched her fists and turned to her back, staring up at the exposed boards of the loft ceiling. It was so low in some places that she couldn’t stand upright.
This is where Phoenix has chosen to escape—rather than come to me.
It broke her heart to know she’d let down the person closest to her, that, for some reason, Phoenix wasn’t comfortable using her for support and backup when she needed it most.
Even though she’d gone running to Phoenix when her scum ex had dropped her like a hot, barren potato.
Groaning, Ridley forced herself to sit up and, using both hands, shoved her wild hair out of her face.
First things first: she needed coffee.
Where had Phoenix told her she could get a cup? Oh, yeah, the camp store. Hopefully that wasn’t too far away, or too crowded with other people.
They’d talked for a while last night, after Ridley had insisted on sleeping where Phoenix slept, not only so they could talk, but because in the rustic resort with woods all around and numerous big trees, any number of bugs could be lurking.
Ridley didn’t do bugs. Not ever.
It had seemed far more likely that the ground floor might suffer a bug attack, so she’d gone to the loft.
Did bugs climb ladders?
Still sluggish, she crawled across the awful mattress and peered over the side.
The bathroom was down there.
Her clothes, her makeup...everything she needed so she could then go fetch coffee, which she needed the most, was down there.
Resigned, she turned and carefully descended the ladder. The wooden floors were cool against her feet, but once she stepped out of the air-conditioning, it would be smothering hot, probably muggy too from all the rain last night.
Wearing only her nightshirt and panties, she went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and looked at the disaster of her reflection in an oval mirror over the sink.
She was contemplating the phone-booth-sized shower when the knock came at the door.
She stared at it for a full ten seconds before deciding to answer. It could be Big Sexy and if so, she had some questions for him.
Glancing down, she saw that her shirt covered all things vital; no need to delay while she dug through a suitcase.
Shoving her hair back again, she turned the knob and opened the door—then gawked. “Lord have mercy. You might be better than coffee, and that’s saying something, you know?”
More than six feet of tanned, chiseled body stood before her. If that wasn’t enough, nature decided to go for overkill with dark blond wavy hair, a sensual smile and laughing, vivid green eyes. My, my, my.
She’d had a lot of conquests, but none as stunning as this walking turn-on.
“Thank you—I think?” The vision grinned down at her. “And actually, I have coffee, too.” He lifted a foam cup. “Phoenix sent me, so I assume it’s the way you like it.”
“Delivered by a gorgeous man? Oh, Phoenix knows me so well.” She took the cup and sipped, her eyes closing in bliss as the warmth and taste—and yeah, maybe the caffeine, too—penetrated the fog surrounding her. “Wow, that’s good.”
Tall, blond and sexy propped a rock-hard shoulder on the door frame. “So you’re Phoenix’s sister, Ridley?”
“Mmm.” She was functioning, but not enough for manners. “And you are?”
“Baxter McNab, the scuba instructor.”
Her eyes flared. “This joint has scuba diving?” More to herself than him, she whispered, “Fascinating.” Maybe it was time she took up lessons.
“We have a great many entertainments, Ridley.”
Oh, there was something quite delicious in the low, suggestive way he said that. She stepped back. “I probably shouldn’t keep standing in the doorway.”
He made no move to leave. “Looking like you look, probably not.”
She wrinkled her nose at his rudeness. “It’s called bedhead and lack of caffeine. Since I just woke, and I’ve only drank half the coffee, it’s to be expected.”
“Not exactly what I meant, but okay.”
She eyed him. What had he meant, then? She enjoyed confidence in a man, but his was a bit overblown. “Did you want to come in?”
“One hell of a temptation, but I’m making up a scuba class that I missed yesterday. I’ve only got a few minutes—and that wouldn’t be nearly long enough.”
If dictionaries were picture books, cocky would have an image of this dude next to it. “What did you say your name was?”
“Baxter McNab.” He gave her a knowing smile. “Feel free to ask around about me—or to look me up.”
She planned to do exactly that. “I’m not usually good with names, but I doubt I’ll forget yours.”
“Good to know.”
Waggling her fingers at him in dismissal, she said, “Run along, then.”
Instead, he straightened away from the door. “I take it you’re used to giving orders?”
Cocky and sexually charged. Her temperature rapidly rose a few degrees. “As a matter of fact—”
“Because I’m not great at taking them,” he said softly, deliberately interrupting her.
“Is that so?” She hadn’t been awake long enough to accept a challenge—but accept it she did. “Strong women threaten you, do they?”
His gaze went over her. “Is that what you are?”
She stiffened at his skepticism. “Yes.”
As if placating her, he nodded. “Orders tend to get lost when they come from half-dressed women who look like you—and no, in case you’re still not clear, that’s not an insult.”
Obviously, he was a player.
Since her divorce, so was she. Trying not to look affected, she cocked out a hip and sipped more coffee. “Okay, I’ll bite.”
“Better and better,” he murmured.
She had a little trouble breathing. “If it’s not an insult, what is it?”
“It’s me trying to figure out how a woman wakes up looking so fucking hot.”
Well, damn, he just might be better at this than she was. More dangerous, too, given the provocative glitter in his stunning green eyes. “You have me at a disadvantage,” she said—and hastily gulped more caffeine.
The smile turned predatory. “In what way?”
Setting the now-empty cup aside and donning her best, boldest smile, she stepped toward him. “I have no idea how sexy you might look first thing in the morning.” She braced one hand on the doorknob, the other on the door frame where he’d been leaning.
He reached out and touched a long lock of her hair. “We could remedy that.”
Against her intent, she swayed toward him. “I suppose we could.” She eased the door halfway closed. “As a strong woman, I’ll let you if—or when—I’m interested.” She grinned. “Goodbye, Baxter. Thanks for the coffee.”
She shut the door in his face—but not before she saw his eyes narrow...and his mouth curl into a smile.
If she wasn’t mistaken, he’d just accepted the challenge, too.
* * *
Phoenix felt utterly limp. After coffee with the gang this morning, she’d gotten right to work. Hour after hour, the temps rose and the sun baked down through a cloudless sky. The humidity was through the roof, but she still had an area to work on.
Most of the vacationers were in the water—either the pool or the lake. Even from where she worked near the more primitive tent camping, she could hear the splashing and laughter.
More than ever, she wished she felt comfortable taking a quick dip.
Twigs and branches were everywhere they weren’t supposed to be, flowerpots were overturned, some plants damaged. She had at least two more hours to go before she could call it a day.
Waking before Ridley had given her a chance to have coffee with Cooper in relative privacy. They’d sat on the picnic bench out by the lake and talked quietly. That hadn’t lasted long, though. They both had a lot to accomplish today.
“There you are.”
Phoenix glanced up and saw Ridley walking toward her. Her sis had her hair gathered at the top of her head in a casually sexy topknot that no matter how she tried, Phoenix couldn’t replicate. She looked great in a loose sleeveless top with a floral print, light blue shorts, flip-flops and big sunglasses.
As Ridley went past, vacationers stared. Her sister had always gotten that reaction. There was just something about Ridley that drew immediate attention.
Standing, Phoenix used the back of one glove to wipe her brow. “Did you get the coffee?”
“Yup, thanks. The delivery boy was nice, too. At least, nice to look at.”
Uh-oh. “Did Baxter do something?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
Phoenix couldn’t see Ridley’s eyes, but she had the odd feeling her sister was insulted over something. “He’s always been really nice to me—”
“He’s nice to you because Big Sexy already staked a claim.”
“—but I understand he flirts with every woman.”
Ridley pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and scowled. “You mean I’m not special? Gee, I’m crushed.”
She said it sarcastically, but Phoenix suspected there was a hint of truth behind the words.
Had her sister finally met her match?
That is, her match since the divorce?
Before that, before Robbie shredded her confidence and stomped on her devastated heart, Ridley had been a fun-loving, happy, very sweet woman.
With a sarcastic wit, sure.
But there’d been more to her than that. Now it felt like the sarcasm was all Ridley cared to share. It was almost as if she packed away her other, softer emotions...and only unpacked them for Phoenix.
“Last night was nice.”
Ridley smiled. “Smooching with Big Sexy?”
“I meant talking with you in bed, just like we used to do as teenagers.” Growing up, they’d equally squabbled and confided, competed and shared. In the end, though, no matter what, she knew Ridley was her backup.
Ridley dusted off a landscape boulder and sat down. “It felt like old times, especially with you falling asleep first, and getting up earlier than me.”
Memories had her mouth twitching with humor. “You were always a terrible slug in the mornings. I remember how hard it was to get you up for school.”
Ridley grinned. “It was cruel of Mom to go off to work and delegate the chore to you.”
“I think that’s why she liked the early shift.”
They laughed together. Ridley sobered first. “It really was nice. I’ve missed you a lot.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I just... I needed that time alone.”
“You’re feeling better now, though?”
Lifting a hand to shield her eyes, Phoenix looked up at the blazing sun. It was easier than looking at her sister. “I’m not yet where I want to be, but I finally feel like I’m getting there.”
In a burst of anger, Ridley growled, “It’d help if they’d catch those miserable—”
“It might.” Phoenix bent and started picking up the debris she’d raked into a pile, dropping it into her wheelbarrow. Knowing the men were still out there, still a possible threat, plagued her. She couldn’t deny it, but she didn’t want to think about that right now.
Usually, she didn’t want to think about it at all.
Sometimes she didn’t have a choice.
Maris drove up in a golf cart, pausing beside the sisters. “I hate to interrupt your visit, but with all the rain, guests need extra towels and we still don’t have a damned housekeeper. I swear, if Coop doesn’t hire someone soon, I’m going to do it for him.”
Phoenix grinned. “He’s been trying, right? But no one works out.”
Ridley cocked her head to the side. “I can help. Just tell me what to do.”
Alarmed, Phoenix said, “No, you don’t need to—”
At the same time, Maris said, “Seriously? That’d be terrific. Hop on and I’ll show you what to do before I have to get back to the store.”
Ridley got to her feet. “I’d hug you, Phoenix, but, yeah...you’re a mess.”
Phoenix looked down at her dirt-stained shorts, her sweat-stained tank and dirty work boots. “Truth.”
“Will we be able to have dinner together?”
“Shouldn’t be a problem.”
Ridley blew her a kiss. “Then I’ll see you tonight.”
With a sinking feeling, Phoenix watched her sister and Maris ride off on the golf cart, chatting like old friends.
Ridley was wonderful—everything a sister could ask for and more. Caring, supportive, hilarious, always there when needed... She possessed all the very best qualities, but she was not a manual labor-type worker.
Thinking of all the things that could go wrong, Phoenix got back to her own chores. If she could finish early, she could check up on Ridley.
Forty minutes later, she was in her own golf cart looking over the rest of the resort when Cooper flagged her down.
The sight of him quickened her pulse and made her lips curl in an automatic smile. She stopped beside him.
To her surprise, he climbed into the passenger seat. The small cart swayed before settling again.
“There’s a tree down at the edge of the woods, caught up in the branches of other trees but hanging over a play area. I closed that section off for now, but I want to go by the supply shed to get the chainsaw, then we can remove it before it falls and hurts someone.”
“Wow, I’m sorry I didn’t notice it.” She drove the golf cart with the attached trailer toward the maintenance building. “I did a cursory check of the area and started in the places I thought were worse, but I never thought to check the woods.”
“No reason you would.” He relaxed beside her, one arm along the backrest, his face tilted toward her. “You’re a little sunburned.”
Phoenix wrinkled her nose. “I put on sunscreen, but that was a while ago. I thought I was almost done.”
He reached out to tuck back a damp wisp of hair, loose from her ponytail. “We’ll be shaded in the woods, and afterward, you should call it a day.”
“I don’t have that much more to do.” Tomorrow she could get back to her regular routine. Driving straight into the maintenance building, she parked the golf cart and started to step out.
Cooper stopped her with a light touch to her shoulder. When she turned toward him, he slowly smiled.
“What?”
“I don’t know how you do it, but you look really cute with a burned nose and sweaty hair.”
“Right.” She bumped her shoulder to his. “Don’t let the glasses fool you. I’m not that blind.”
Far too serious, he studied her face as his fingers moved from her hair to her cheek.
He looked so intent, she asked, “What?”
“I want to kiss you again.”
Her heart tripped. In case he didn’t realize, she whispered, “I wouldn’t stop you.”
That made him smile again. “It occurs to me that I should explain a few things first.”
Okay, so maybe she needed to get comfortable. Phoenix half turned toward him, crossed her legs and removed the clip-on sunglasses. “Ready.”
“Took some preparation, huh? I promise it won’t be anything too profound.”
During her and Ridley’s talk last night, they’d covered all the pros and cons of her getting involved with Coop, so Phoenix guessed, “Is this about me working for you?”
Surprise showed in his amber eyes. “In a sense.”
“I’m an employee.”
“Yes, but this isn’t a conventional boss/employee situation.”
“You don’t have to convince me.” It was her turn to touch his face. She traced the high angle of his cheekbone down to the firm line of his jaw. Light beard stubble rasped her fingertips, causing a bloom of heat inside her. He was so much a man, carelessly taking his strength for granted. Yet he was considerate, too.
Long-dormant instincts told her that he would never use his strength to hurt her. Until the attack, she hadn’t thought in terms of safety, but she did now, and she knew she was safe with Cooper Cochran.
He turned his face to kiss her palm. “I want you to know that no matter what happens between us, it won’t affect your status as an employee.”
Humor got the best of her. At first, she thought he might want to talk about his wife and how he still loved her. In comparison, this topic wasn’t so bad. “Honestly, I wasn’t that concerned about job security.” She fought off a grin. “Who else would do as good a job as I have?”
“No one. The place looks better than it ever has before.” Chagrined, he rubbed the back of his neck. “None of that came out quite as I meant it to.”
“I understood all the same, and I appreciate the reassurance.”
“Do you?” Before she could reply, he muttered, “Forget I asked.” Then he leaned down and put his mouth to hers in a kiss that managed to be both gentle and hungry.
It was perfect—except it didn’t last long enough.
His forehead to hers, he said, “Let me try this again.”
She thought he meant the kiss. “Yes.”
Instead, he drew a breath. “You’re smart and motivated. You could have a job anywhere. Doesn’t mean you want to start looking right now, not when it seems you’re settling in here.”
Settling in. Yes, she really was, settling into her job, her cabin—and the reality of what had happened.
Things were finally coming together for her again, and he was right, she didn’t want to have to change jobs. As long as they were in agreement...
She looked up at him through her lenses. She should probably explain that she couldn’t get too involved. She was working through a lot and a relationship would only complicate things. But maybe he wasn’t thinking along those lines anyway. After seeing the photo of his wife, she’d sensed that he was still grieving for her.
Most likely, they were both looking for the same thing: distraction, comfort, even companionship.
And sexual satisfaction.
Content with her internal rationalization, Phoenix closed the inch that kept his mouth from hers. His lips were warm and firm, slightly parted. She teased over his top lip, then the bottom, gliding her tongue just inside before taking the bottom lip between her teeth for a gentle tug.
He made a sound like a low, soft growl, but didn’t move or in any way attempt to take over.
Knowing she’d surprised him, she asked, “Anything else?”
His gaze burned. “Everything else.”
Everything else...carnal? She hoped so.
He said, “For now, we better get to that tree—before I convince myself that this is the most appropriate place ever to have sex with you for the first time.”
The idea gave her a shameless grin. If she knew they wouldn’t be caught, she wouldn’t mind at all. Then again, she definitely needed a shower first.
“Amazing.” He glanced at her face while he got the chainsaw and a few other supplies. “I think I read every thought, and that final decision.”
She should have been embarrassed but she only laughed. With Cooper, she felt free in a way she hadn’t even before the attack.
In a way she hadn’t with her fiancé.
That gave her a twinge of shame. She knew David had loved her, maybe loved her still, though she hoped he’d moved on.
“What?” Cooper asked. “You’ve gone too quiet.”
Shaking it off, she emptied the small trailer. “I was just thinking.”
He waited, but when she didn’t confide in him, he let it go. “Before I got sidetracked, I meant to ask if tomorrow afternoon would work for us to go pick out that mower? It’s a little sooner than I had planned, but Daron says he might not be able to keep the old one going. We should both be caught up by then.”
“I’d like that.” It’d only be for a few hours, but by then Ridley would surely have realized she didn’t like stocking towels and cleaning cabins and she’d be at loose ends without much to do.
Then again, knowing her sister, she’d probably find a way to get near Baxter again.
A startling thought...but also entertaining.
* * *
It fascinated Coop, how easily he could read Phoenix’s thoughts. That she’d been tempted by the idea of sex in the maintenance shed told him that she felt the chemistry, too, and wasn’t hampered by foul memories. Like him, responsibility had guided her in the end.
That, and vanity.
She was sweaty, a little dirt-stained and sunburned. It hadn’t been a turnoff for him. Hell, she could be layered in mud and he wasn’t sure he’d want her any less.
Side by side, they worked to cut back the fallen tree so that it wouldn’t be a danger to anyone. Coop made a point of keeping her in the shade as much as possible, and he did all the heavy lifting. But it wasn’t easy to hold Phoenix back. Whatever she did, she did it to the best of her ability.
Made him wonder if she’d be that tireless in bed.
Actually, every damned thing she did or said sent his brain toward thoughts of sex.
They’d cleaned up the best they could when Phoenix paused. “Listen.”
“To what?”
“Do you hear water?” She turned to take several steps into the woods. “I know there’s a creek back here somewhere.”
“You haven’t seen it yet?” Cooper pulled the keys from the golf cart and stuck them in his pocket. Taking her hand, he said, “Come on. I’ll show you.”
And maybe, if they had some privacy, he could even coax her into the water.
He led the way. The trail had grown over, which wasn’t a bad thing considering the abandoned train trestle over the creek. The significant drop to the shallow creek bed made it a hazard for kids, not just those in the resort but from the local area, as well. Without a path, they were less inclined to find it.
Coop didn’t need a path. He knew the area well, having come to it multiple times when he’d first bought the resort. He’d walk the creek for hours, thinking about his life, what he’d lost—trying to find a way back from the anger.
Carefully, he moved aside branches and weeds, and one very nasty spiderweb, constantly aware of her smaller hand in his. She was a slight, delicate woman—and stronger than she realized.
The woods smelled rich, mixing with the scent of her heated skin, sending a pulse beat of need to thrum through his blood. He lifted aside a spray of wild roses from a prickly bush, and there it was.
“Wow.” Phoenix paused as she took it in. “This looks like a painting.”
Coop agreed. Sunlight glittered over the moving water of the creek. Wildflowers and small trees grew along the shore. High overhead, the trestle loomed, a profusion of ivy growing up the iron braces. Birds flittered around from branch to branch while insects sang.
Smiling, Phoenix moved past him and hurried down the slope to the water, sliding on loose dirt a few times. For a moment, Coop just stood there, watching as she paused to unlace her boots—inadvertently giving him a spectacular view of her ass in the snug shorts.
God, he wanted to explore those killer curves.
His palms twitched at the thought of holding her still beneath him while he thrust deep...
“Are you coming?” she asked.
From fantasizing...maybe. But he knew that wasn’t what she meant, so he said, “Let me know if it’s cold.”
She laughed, taking out her cell phone and a ring of keys that she set nearby on a rock.
Cautiously inching into the water until it came to midcalf, she said with a laugh, “It’s freezing.” She turned to face him. “Come on in—ack!”
Coop watched as her foot connected with a slick, moss-covered rock and she flailed. He was already hurrying down the slope when she landed in the water with a great splash.
Sure that she’d hurt herself, he reached the edge of the creek—and her laughter stopped him. She roared with it, reclining on her elbows, her head back with her hilarity.
His mouth twitched...but his gaze zeroed in on her body. The icy water trailed over her hips and waist, lapping at her breasts, making her shirt ten times more interesting because of how it exposed her figure.
Again, she reminded him of a luscious pinup.
Squatting down near her small, pale feet, he asked, “You’re okay?”
Flipping her toes in the water, she splashed him. “The shock of the cold about did me in, but now it’s refreshing.” She gave him a coy smile. “Care to try it?”
Yeah, he would.
Sitting back on the slight incline, he removed his shoes and socks, then waded in next to her.
Phoenix stared up at him, water droplets on the lenses of her glasses, her nose pink, her soft lips smiling. She lazily stirred the water with her hand. “Down here, Cooper.”
So damned tempting. Keeping his gaze on her body, he knelt down beside her, cupped his hands in the chill water, and slowly poured it over her belly. Phoenix shivered and went still, but didn’t protest.
Coop felt himself reacting and it amazed him. He hadn’t felt like this since the passing of his wife—the rush of churning desire caused by just a look. True, he’d eventually sought out physical encounters, but it hadn’t been like this. He’d been slaking a basic need only. There’d been no teasing, no laughter. No casual conversation, no real enjoyment beyond release.
He hadn’t gotten to know those women because he’d had no interest in knowing them.
Things were very, very different with Phoenix.
What had started out as sympathy, encouragement to help her heal—or so he’d told himself—had in no time at all morphed into something more powerful that overshadowed his altruistic motives.
Now, even the guilt he felt wasn’t enough to hold him back.
With one wet finger, he traced the waistband of her shorts beneath her shirt, trailed up to her navel, then further still until he brushed against the full under-curves of her breasts.
She inhaled a slow, shuddering breath.
“Okay?” He didn’t want to cause her even a twinge of uneasiness.
“Yes.”
At the huskiness in her voice, Coop lifted his gaze to hers. Her eyelids were lowered, her face flushed. “You are incredibly sexy, Phoenix Rose.” Sexy and more. So much more—but at the moment he couldn’t begin to define it.
Her eyes, filled with curiosity, held his. “It’s odd, but you make me feel sexy.”
Cold water washed around his legs, hot air drifted over his torso. Pebbles, smoothed by the current, shifted beneath his feet.
Her nipples were tight, taunting his restraint as he cupped a hand around her breast. Firm and full... Fuck, he wanted her. “Did you not feel sexy before?”
She idly lifted one shoulder. “Sometimes, I guess, but not like this. Not—” she looked at their surroundings with a smile “—in a stream after working all day.”
“You were sexy the day I met you, and every day since then.” Especially now, with the sunshine stroking her dark hair, and her relaxed attitude.
She hesitated, her gaze slipping away.
“Phoenix?”
“When I first met you, I was intimidated.” Her brows scrunched as she considered that, then she added, “And very aware, if that makes any sense.”
Because this was serious, he moved his hand to her shoulder, making it easier for him to concentrate. “I never want you afraid, not of me.”
“Intimidated,” she stressed. “Not afraid.”
Knowing the distinction was important to her, he nodded. “And since then?”
She slowly smiled, reaching up to touch his chest, her fingertips first lightly stroking before she flattened her palm over his heart. “I’ve been very, very curious.”
Coop held himself still. Her hand was small, wet and cold from being in the creek, and the simple touch sent tension spiraling through him. “About?”
Again she looked away—but her hand remained firm against him. “I’ve wondered about your life, why you moved to the resort.” Her gaze flickered back to his. “About your wife and how she passed.”
Automatically, he shook his head. He couldn’t discuss it, not now, maybe not ever.
“I think you must have loved her a lot.” Pale blue eyes searched his. “She was beautiful, and she had a gentle smile.”
Closing his eyes, shutting out her tender sympathy, he warned, “Phoenix—”
She half sat up, her hand gliding up to the back of his neck, the chill of her palm a shock against his sun-heated skin. “I’m not trying to pry. You asked and I answered. That’s what I’m curious about.”
“Not sex?” Even as he asked it, he felt like a coldhearted bastard.
But she grinned. “Oh, definitely that, too.” Her fingers stroked the nape of his neck. “That most of all, actually.”
He was contemplating ways to take her, how to make it work here, right here, when the baying started. They both looked up, searching for the source of the awful sound.
Laughter carried through the trees, followed by another pitiful cry.
Coop scowled, starting to stand, but Phoenix beat him to it. She was on her feet in an instant, trudging barefoot along the stream, going from rock to rock at a precariously fast pace.
He jogged after her.
They both spotted the dog on the trestle at the same time.
Some asshole was there, threatening it, laughing at its terror.
Phoenix stiffened on a sharp inhale, one hand covering her mouth. “Oh, my God.”
She whispered the words, so faint that Coop barely heard them.
But the man must have heard their splashing approach because he moved to the side of the trestle, scowling down at them. “Mind your own business.”
At the harsh words, Phoenix jerked back, her gaze jumping back and forth from the man to the dog, painful indecision in her eyes. She opened her mouth, but said nothing.
Abuse of any kind had always set him off, so Coop was already pissed. Seeing Phoenix like this, reserved in her fear, really pushed him over the edge.