Read Online The Trouble With Coco Monroe by C. C. MacKenzie - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: C. C. MacKenzie
Tags: Romance
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and the dark cloud in those vibrant eyes he studied her carefully.
‘Your heart might be broken now but one day you will learn to love again. You are a beautiful woman. The man who captures your heart will be very fortunate.’
She shook her head.
The light of fun no longer lit up her face, her eyes, and he was sorry for it.
‘It won’t happen again. I don’t have room in my life for a man.’
He dropped her hand.
‘Do you have room in your life for a new friend?’
She picked up her laptop bag and stood.
Jacob rose too.
Eyes the colour of a sunny sky held his.
She smiled. ‘A person can’t have too many friends. What time and where are we going?’
With his hand on the small of her back he walked her to the door, opened it.
‘I thought the new Bar and Grill in town. And it is casual. No need to dress up. We can relax. What do you think?’
She nodded. ‘Sounds good. Is seven too early?’
He took her face between his hands and stared into her eyes, relieved to see the dark clouds had lifted. Placing a platonic kiss on each cheek, he stepped back.
‘Perfect. I will book a table and pick you up at ten to seven.’
‘Look forward to it.’
She turned to leave just as Joshua Erichsen rose slowly from a couch in Elena’s office.
Jacob didn’t miss the way her stride hitched or the sudden tension in the atmosphere between Janine and the architect. He didn’t miss the man’s deep frown of annoyance as she barely said hello and moved swiftly past him and out the door.
They shook hands before Josh entered Jacob’s office.
He was carrying a tube of plans for a planning sign-off for the redesign and rebuild of an old stable block.
Usually the architect was pretty laid back and easy going.
Not today he wasn’t.
After ten minutes of curt responses, Jacob perched his hip on his desk and folded his arms.
‘Something is wrong?’
‘You don’t waste any time,’ Josh growled.
Bewildered, Jacob stared at him. ‘You have lost me.’
‘Janine. You’ve been here what? A few weeks? And you’ve got your hands all over her.’
The penny dropped.
Jacob grinned as his eyes went wide.
‘Ahh, you have feelings for her?’
‘She’s been through a very hard time. And she’s vulnerable.’
‘So you do have feelings for her.’
‘My feelings are my own and none of your business.’
Jacob merely shook his head.
No way was he going to get into a fight with a man he liked for no good reason.
‘There is nothing between us. She regards me as she does Alexander, as a friend.’
Now Josh’s eyes narrowed.
‘That was not a friendly kiss.’
Offended that his word was not taken as the gospel truth, Jacob strolled around his desk and sat in his chair.
‘There is no attraction between us. She is not in the market for a relationship and neither am I. And I do not need to account for my behaviour to you,’ he said in a tone that meant business. Josh held up his hands in a peace sign. He looked so miserable Jacob took pity on him. ‘If you feel that way why are you not taking her out to dinner instead of me?’
Now Josh scowled in a way that had Jacob bite down hard on his bottom lip.
‘She’s blown me off twice. Won’t give me the time of day.’
‘Hmm.’
‘I’m not being an asshat when I say women like me. I’m a nice guy. Janine looks at me as if I get my kicks by boiling live kittens.’
‘Perhaps it is because she senses you want more than friendship?’
Now Josh ran a hand through his hair, around his neck, before their eyes met.
‘Is it that obvious?’
‘ Si, andshe is not ready.’
Josh sighed. ‘I know. And it’s fucking killing me.’
‘You should come running with me tomorrow morning,’ Jacob said in a silky voice.
Josh picked up the challenge.
‘Yeah? How many miles?’
‘Five.’
‘Every day?’
‘ Si .’
‘Shit.’
Chapter Eight
Rafael Cavendish was not a happy man.
He liked women.
He did.
Most of the time.
But at the
‘Your heart might be broken now but one day you will learn to love again. You are a beautiful woman. The man who captures your heart will be very fortunate.’
She shook her head.
The light of fun no longer lit up her face, her eyes, and he was sorry for it.
‘It won’t happen again. I don’t have room in my life for a man.’
He dropped her hand.
‘Do you have room in your life for a new friend?’
She picked up her laptop bag and stood.
Jacob rose too.
Eyes the colour of a sunny sky held his.
She smiled. ‘A person can’t have too many friends. What time and where are we going?’
With his hand on the small of her back he walked her to the door, opened it.
‘I thought the new Bar and Grill in town. And it is casual. No need to dress up. We can relax. What do you think?’
She nodded. ‘Sounds good. Is seven too early?’
He took her face between his hands and stared into her eyes, relieved to see the dark clouds had lifted. Placing a platonic kiss on each cheek, he stepped back.
‘Perfect. I will book a table and pick you up at ten to seven.’
‘Look forward to it.’
She turned to leave just as Joshua Erichsen rose slowly from a couch in Elena’s office.
Jacob didn’t miss the way her stride hitched or the sudden tension in the atmosphere between Janine and the architect. He didn’t miss the man’s deep frown of annoyance as she barely said hello and moved swiftly past him and out the door.
They shook hands before Josh entered Jacob’s office.
He was carrying a tube of plans for a planning sign-off for the redesign and rebuild of an old stable block.
Usually the architect was pretty laid back and easy going.
Not today he wasn’t.
After ten minutes of curt responses, Jacob perched his hip on his desk and folded his arms.
‘Something is wrong?’
‘You don’t waste any time,’ Josh growled.
Bewildered, Jacob stared at him. ‘You have lost me.’
‘Janine. You’ve been here what? A few weeks? And you’ve got your hands all over her.’
The penny dropped.
Jacob grinned as his eyes went wide.
‘Ahh, you have feelings for her?’
‘She’s been through a very hard time. And she’s vulnerable.’
‘So you do have feelings for her.’
‘My feelings are my own and none of your business.’
Jacob merely shook his head.
No way was he going to get into a fight with a man he liked for no good reason.
‘There is nothing between us. She regards me as she does Alexander, as a friend.’
Now Josh’s eyes narrowed.
‘That was not a friendly kiss.’
Offended that his word was not taken as the gospel truth, Jacob strolled around his desk and sat in his chair.
‘There is no attraction between us. She is not in the market for a relationship and neither am I. And I do not need to account for my behaviour to you,’ he said in a tone that meant business. Josh held up his hands in a peace sign. He looked so miserable Jacob took pity on him. ‘If you feel that way why are you not taking her out to dinner instead of me?’
Now Josh scowled in a way that had Jacob bite down hard on his bottom lip.
‘She’s blown me off twice. Won’t give me the time of day.’
‘Hmm.’
‘I’m not being an asshat when I say women like me. I’m a nice guy. Janine looks at me as if I get my kicks by boiling live kittens.’
‘Perhaps it is because she senses you want more than friendship?’
Now Josh ran a hand through his hair, around his neck, before their eyes met.
‘Is it that obvious?’
‘ Si, andshe is not ready.’
Josh sighed. ‘I know. And it’s fucking killing me.’
‘You should come running with me tomorrow morning,’ Jacob said in a silky voice.
Josh picked up the challenge.
‘Yeah? How many miles?’
‘Five.’
‘Every day?’
‘ Si .’
‘Shit.’
Chapter Eight
Rafael Cavendish was not a happy man.
He liked women.
He did.
Most of the time.
But at the
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