Just
A
Kiss
By Morgan Rayne
Copyright 2013 by Morgan Rayne
Dedication
This book has been a constant struggle with life throwing me one curve ball after another, and dedicating it to one person just wouldn’t be right. Pattie, Erin, Kimberly and Kaleigh. You have all probably wanted to strangle me at one point or another during this process. Every time I changed my mind on the story line, or deleted chapters that were done just to whine I wasn’t finished yet. You have all been great, and I appreciate the help in getting “Just A Kiss” finally finished. And I cannot forget all my amazingly patient fans for waiting as long as you have for the release. Thank you!
Chapter 1
“Good Morning Chicago! Tonya and Tom here to start your weekend off right. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and a lot of one night stands are doing the walk of shame on this fine Saturday morning.”
The morning radio talk show echoed off the walls as Victoria removed her robe and felt the steam from the shower surround her. Stepping into the glass-enclosed shower, she let the warm water cascade over every inch of her body. Enjoying the way the water worked its magic on her still tired muscles.
She had been up late again last night working on figures for a new line of organic products for the salon, and the lack of sleep over the last few weeks was starting to catch up with her. Between running the salon, going to photo shoots and award shows with other clients, and him, Victoria hadn’t been sleeping much.
Half listening to the morning DJ’s, Victoria reached for the shampoo and began to massage the floral scented liquid deep into her scalp. A small moan escaped as the action relaxed her and she even leaned against the wall and closed her eyes while the shampoo set. Catching a few extra seconds of sleep before she needed to get ready to join the rest of the world. Unfortunately her enjoyment was short lived as the chatter coming from the radio broke through her blissful haze.
“…and did you see the pictures of him partying with that brunette last night. All I have to say is if I were lounging by a pool today to beat this heat, I’d want it to be with Mr. Cooper Wilde. Meow! Ladies of Chicago, you have to agree Chicago’s new playboy is one heck of a specimen to look at. I almost feel like sending flowers to whoever let him go in L.A. Their loss is definitely our gain.”
Victoria pushed away from the wall so fast she slipped on the wet marble and had to catch herself on one of the bars.
Did that DJ just say pictures? As in plural?
Knowing she hadn’t misunderstood, Victoria quickly rinsed her hair and body and turned off the water.
So much for a relaxing start to Saturday she thought.
Barely slowing to wrap her hair in a towel, Victoria grabbed her robe and forced it on as she stomped out of the bathroom and headed straight for the dining room where her laptop was set up.
Pulling out the chair with a little more force than necessary, Victoria adjusted in the seat with one leg bent so that her chin could easily rest on her knee while she waited for the computer to load. After what felt like an eternity, the black screen finally gave way to a bright blue one asking for her password. Victoria typed in the word and was greeted by the picture of Stella, Lindsay and herself at Stella’s engagement party.
A smile tugged at her lips as two of the people she cared about most in the world stared back at her. Trying to use the joy that picture as a way to keep calm, Victoria double clicked the Internet icon and typed Cooper’s name and yesterday’s date into the search box. The blue circle turned and turned ––kind of like her stomach in that moment–– until finally a list of news articles and pictures flooded the screen. Clicking on the most recent, Victoria sat fuming. There, staring back at her were three pictures and a news article.
The first picture was of Cooper entering a downtown club with a striking brunette on his arm. It was only a profile picture, but she could tell the woman was extremely beautiful and it was obvious she was more than a casual date from the smile on Cooper’s face. A strange feeling tugged at her heart and Victoria worked hard to push away the unwanted feeling. It had to be the lack of sleep. It was the only explanation for what she was feeling. Shaking her head, Victoria went back to scrolling down the page.
The next photo was from inside the club. Cooper and the mystery woman were sitting at a private table near the back of the club, lifting shot glasses toward each other in what looked like a toasting salute, but so far there hadn’t been anything too terrible. Unfortunately the third photo, which appeared to be taken from a much farther distance, was the one that could cause the most damage.
Cooper and his date were exiting the club through what appeared to be a side door. Only this time the woman wasn’t walking. She seemed to have passed out by that point and Cooper was carrying her over his shoulder. Heading straight for his black Mustang, and the drivers seat that accompanied it.
“Damn it, Cooper.” Victoria hissed through clinched teeth.
Not only was he carrying a passed out girl in his arms, but he also got behind the wheel after drinking God knows how much. Victoria began reading the article that accompanied the photos and groaned louder.
“Cooper Wilde, Chicago’s newest playboy and voice of the Chicago Crush, was seen out clubbing late Friday night. He was spotted entering Hugo, one of Chicago’s premier nightclubs, with a young woman. Interesting to note, this is a different woman than the one he was spotted with last week. It seems aside from the commentary on baseball, Mr. Wilde likes playing the field as well…”
The article continued, but Victoria had read and seen enough to make her blood pressure rise to dangerous levels. She went to the top of the page and hit print before shutting down the laptop and making her way to the bedroom. She had put up with a lot from Cooper over the last three months, but this latest fiasco was the last straw.
The clock sitting on top of her dresser read nine fourteen, giving Victoria plenty of time to hunt down Cooper before he headed down to the stadium for today’s game. Taking into account the weather lately, Victoria dug out a pair of jean shorts, a hot pink tank top, and her favorite pair of wedge sandals. This wasn’t her usual attire for meeting clients, but today was not the day for being formal. She was pissed, and Cooper was finally going to know it.
After semi drying her hair and separating it into two long braids Victoria grabbed her cell phone, shoved the papers into her purse, and headed down to the parking garage. As soon as the elevator doors opened the summer heat nearly suffocated her. How can it be so hot at nine thirty in the morning?
Walking as quickly as possible, Victoria hit the unlock button and climbed behind the wheel of her baby. The bright yellow Camaro was decked out with an all-black interior and black pin striping down the sides. When the engine came to life it rumbled through her body head to toe. With the air turned on full blast, Victoria took a minute to enjoy the feel of her car before she checked the mirrors, backed the car out of her assigned spot, and eased into the crazy Chicago traffic.
Traffic surrounding Chicago on the weekends consisted mostly of minivans and other SUV’s packed full of families coming into the city for the day. With its museums, parks and restaurants Chicago was the perfect place to spend the day entertaining children of all ages. Victoria missed the days where she could just take time off and wander around the city. One of her favorite restaurants was on Navy Pier, but Victoria couldn’t remember the last time she had even been.
Thirty minutes later, bummed and still mildly pissed off, Victoria turned into the driveway at Kyle and Lindsay’s but the only car she could see was Lindsay’s old beat up Impala. Earlier Victoria had been ready to have it out with Cooper, but now that she was here Lindsay and Kyle’s didn’t seem like the best place to do th
at. Their friends didn’t need the drama. Especially after everything they had just went through.
Victoria gave serious thought to turning around and heading back to town, but since she had already driven all the way out here she turned off the car and grabbed her purse. Figuring she could catch up with Lindsay for a little bit before hunting down Cooper. Covering the short distance to the front door, Victoria knocked and was greeted by a sleepy-eyed Lindsay.
“Kyle, you’ve shrunk!” Victoria said sarcastically. Lindsay’s red eyebrows drew together in confusion, but then she looked down and smiled.
“I never knew how comfortable men’s clothes were to sleep in until the first night I spent here with Kyle. Now I steal his stuff all the time.” She said with a shrug, and gestured toward the living room.
“Come in. I was making breakfast, do you want some?”
“No thanks, I ate a little before I left home.” Victoria stepped into the small but homey house and followed Lindsay to the kitchen. Lindsay opened the refrigerator to grab some eggs and juice while Victoria took a seat at the table, but when she stood up Victoria noticed her wince slightly.
“Are you still sore?” Victoria asked, concerned for her best friend.
“A little, but please don’t tell Kyle.” Lindsay said quickly. “Since I came home two weeks ago, he’s been hovering so much I finally had to call his dad and tell him to make Kyle go back to work.”
Lindsay had spent a week in the hospital after her crazy ex tried to kill her for the second time. The coma had taken a toll on all of them, but Kyle most of all. Thankfully her ribs were only bruised and no other major damage was done. It was truly eye opening for how short life can be. Now home and on the mend, Lindsay was happily engaged to Kyle and the two of them were starting to plan their wedding.
“He loves you. He just wants to make sure you’re okay.” Victoria gave Lindsay a sympathetic look, but on the inside she longed for someone to love her the way Kyle loved Lindsay, or Alex loved her sister Stella.
Unfortunately after many attempts over the last several years Victoria had come to the conclusion that in order to get to the relationship part you need to get past the first date. A task that was proving easier said than done.
“I love him too.” Lindsay sighed. “But I’m glad he went back to work. With both of us off, I was ready to strangle him.” The two women shared a laugh as Lindsay started scrambling eggs.
“Well next time he starts hovering call me and I’ll take you out for a girl’s day, or down to the salon for a little pampering.” Victoria’s salon was only one of her businesses, but the one she loved the most.
The two of them chitchatted back and forth a little more before Victoria decided to do some subtle digging.
“Speaking of Kyle, where is he on this fine Saturday morning?” And your pain in the ass roommate wanted to add, but managed to keep that last question to herself.
“He was gone when I woke up. He left me a note saying he wouldn’t be gone long, but that was it. Now” Lindsay dried her hands on a towel and tossed it on the counter “why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”
“What makes you think something’s bothering me?” Lindsay raised an eyebrow and gave her a don’t-even-try-it look, so Victoria groaned and leaned back in her chair. “Ugh, fine. If you must know it’s your roommate.”
“What did Coop do now?”
The amusement in Lindsay’s voice was clear, and Victoria glared at her before digging into her purse and pulling out the pages she printed earlier. Handing them to Lindsay, she watched the smirk slowly fall from her friends face.
“That’s not good.” Lindsay said as she laid the papers on the edge of the table.
“No shit that’s not good.” Victoria agreed. “His boss is going to have my ass for this. The focus of a sports section should always be on players and the team, not on the commentator. Especially not when it’s stuff like bar fights and drinking and driving.”
A headache had already settled between Victoria’s eyes, and she pinched the bridge of her nose to try and dull the pain. It didn’t work.
When she finally decided to expand her stylist firm to include image consulting, Victoria had been more than a little excited. She knew it would be a challenge to tell people how they should and shouldn’t act in public, what to say to the press and how to present yourself to best represent your company, but she never expected the egos that would be involved. Now thanks to Cooper, it seemed her first client would be her first and last.
“So what’s your plan for all of this?” Lindsay asked on her way back to the stove.
“I’m going to quit.”
The spatula slipped from Lindsay’s hand and landed with a loud bang.
“You’re what?”
“Quitting. You know that thing people do when faced with an impossible situation. I called Mr. Richards secretary on my way here. I have a meeting set up with him later today.”
Lindsay started to say something; probably a long rant about how Victoria shouldn’t give up, but a commotion at the back door cut her off. Kyle, dressed in a pair of athletic shorts and a sweat soaked t-shirt, walked in with an equally sweaty Cooper right behind him. They were both laughing as Cooper tossed a basketball in a wooden box behind the door.
“Let me win my ass. You were dragging today buddy.” Kyle said to Cooper. Neither one of them paying attention to the two people already in the kitchen.
“The only thing I’m dragging is an eight inch…”
“Good morning boys.” Lindsay interrupted before Cooper could finish his rather revealing statement.
“Morning.” They said in unison, but refused to make eye contact with either her or Lindsay. Kyle eventually moved from where he had frozen near the door and walked over to give Lindsay a kiss that said more than good morning.
There weren’t too many places to look in the small kitchen, but Victoria refused to feel like a peeping tom and tried to avert her eyes from the happy couple. Unfortunately that only left one other place to look, and that space was currently being occupied by the bane of Victoria’s existence. Cooper Wilde. Just the sight of him standing there in his workout gear, wearing that damn smirk on his ridiculously handsome face, was annoying Victoria.
“I would love to stand here and watch the two of you make out all day.” Cooper began. “But if I don’t grab a quick bite to eat and get cleaned up I’m going to be late for work.”
Kyle and Lindsay at least had the decency to look sheepish as they finally pried their lips apart and moved over so Cooper could open the fridge.
“Sorry about that.” Kyle said as he ran his finger down the corner of his mouth. Victoria rolled her eyes at just how sorry Kyle wasn’t, and then wanted to laugh when she saw how bright red Lindsay’s face was.
“You’re forgiven since you saved my ass this morning.” Cooper slapped Kyle on the shoulder and started to walk toward the front of the house, but Victoria stuck her hand out to stop him.
“I need to talk to you.” Victoria said in her nicest voice. Trying her best to keep things as civil as possible for the time being, but Cooper obviously wasn’t in the mood to do that same because he lifted her arm out of the way.
“I don’t have time for whatever it is. We can talk later.” Then without sparing her a second glance, Cooper walked past Victoria and disappeared down the hall. The sound his door made when it shut grated on every one of Victoria’s nerves, and she had to bite her cheek to keep from screaming.
“Does someone want to tell me what’s going on or should I just call for an ambulance because right now you look like you could rip his head off with your bare hands?”
Not a bad idea Victoria thought, but managed to keep her temper under control as she grabbed the papers off the table.
“No need. I’m just going to have a quick word with Cooper then I’ll be heading back home to change for a meeting. You two enjoy your breakfast, and I’ll see you later tonight at Maxwell’s for Jessie’s goodbye part
y.”
Victoria had barely made it into the living room when she felt a hand grab her arm.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Positive.” Victoria stated admittedly. “If I wasn’t before, the way he thought he could blow me off a minute ago sealed it.”
“I’ve never seen him act like that.”
“Like what? An arrogant ass?”
“Well…yeah.”
“Look, this isn’t your problem and I don’t want it to become an issue between you and Kyle, so please just stay out of it. I promise to give you all the dirty details later, but right now I need to handle this and you need to go enjoy this time with Kyle. Okay?”
Lindsay didn’t seem happy about staying out of it, but nodded her agreement before disappearing back into the kitchen.
Once she was sure Lindsay and Kyle were distracted, Victoria started making her way toward Cooper’s room. The door was shut, but Victoria didn’t care. She wanted this conversation over with as soon as possible, and opened the door without knocking.
“What the hell?” Cooper yelped as he stumbled back. Catching the edge of the bed with one hand while his other hand began frantically clutching at the towel around his waist.
The collision had momentarily stunned Victoria, and in her dazed state the tan skin pulled taut over hard muscles she had briefly made contact with a second ago was reeking havoc on her body.
Victoria had known from weeks of working with Cooper that he had a great body, but nothing could have prepared her, or her hormones, for the perfection that was Cooper Wilde’s chest and abs. If the broadcasting position ever fell through he could be on the cover of any men’s magazine tomorrow guaranteed.
It wasn’t like he was overly muscled, but his broad chest and sculpted abs–– which had to be painted on to look that good–– were a thing of perfection.
Victoria’s eyes started to drift even further south, following the deep V starting just above each hip, when she noticed his towel was no longer laying flat against his body. It was as if the body on display had hypnotized her in some way, but a deep angry voice broke through that hypnosis quickly.