Privately? Cara had the deer in the headlights look as she held Coop’s gaze. “Uh, sure.”
Phillip gestured toward the beach and waited for Cara to lead the way. Coop should have stopped her. Phillip shouldn’t have anything to say to her that he couldn’t say in front of the others. Coop started to follow, but Betty grabbed his arm and shook her head. “She can handle herself. You’re both just pretending, remember?”
Knots twisted in Cooper’s gut as he watched Phillip and Cara stroll toward the water’s edge.
Chapter Twelve
“I’msorry all of this happened to you, and on your honeymoon.” Phillip held her gaze. Sincerity registered on his face.
“It’s not your fault.” She gave him a sad smile.
“Seeing you again, after all these years, was a shock. Seeing how smart and beautiful you are…I wish we would have stayed in touch.”
Wasn’t that how every man thought when seeing an old fling with another man? Did her marital status, even fake, make her more appealing? He could have reached out. He could have returned her calls all those years ago. She pushed the thoughts from her head. Men like Philliprealized a good thing only when it was gone. Would Coop be the same way?
“That was a long time ago. People change and grow up. I’m glad to see you’re doing well. Was there something you wanted to talk about?” Cara asked, glancing up to the cabana where Coop was talking to Aunt Betty.
“I don’t want to start any trouble between you and him, but I just wanted to tell you.” Phillip’s gaze bore into hers. “If things don’t work out, not that I wish you two ill, but you know, if you ever find yourself available or just need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
Was he serious? Cara’s mouth parted as she stared up at Phillip in disbelief. Talk about rude. Cooper would rip this guy a new asshole if she and he’d really been married. It was one thing to have a past, but he might as well have just come out and said that he was standing by as an option when things went south. Cara snapped her mouth closed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I can’t believe you just said that to me.”
Phillip held up his hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“I’m not sure Coop will see it that way. What makes you think he and I won’t last?”
Phillip’s brows dipped. “It doesn’t take a genius to come to that conclusion. Youtwo couldn’t be more opposite, Cara. He’s all business and you’re not. You’re a free spirit, at least you used to be. You saw things with your heart. That guy can’t possibly appreciate you, or respect what you have to offer.”
“I’m not the same girl I was when I was eighteen, and you don’t know him.” Cara balled her fists and planted them on her hips. His every word pushed her to the boiling point, until she thought she might explode.
Phillip pulled his phone from his pocket, hit a few buttons, turned it to face her. “Does this look like a man that values you?”
Cara watched the video. She didn’t need to hear the audio for the memories to come crashing back. She was on a chair in the private dining room, a blindfold around her eyes, and Cooper’s head was between her thighs. Cara’s heart somersaulted into her stomach as bile rose in her throat. This wasn’t happening. “Where did you get that?”
“I was in the security office when it happened, but don’t worry. I only recorded some so I could show you, but I deleted the original. No one but I saw what was happening. You’re lucky it was only me, Cara. If he cared, how could he put you in that predicament without being absolutely sure that you wouldn’t get hurt?”
Cara crossed her arm around her waist. She felt exposed, and it had nothing to do with the skimpy outfit she was wearing.
Phillip ran his hands over his face. “Listen, I’m sorry it had to come out this way. Just…” He shoved his hands in his pocket. “Just know if you need me, I’ll be there. It doesn’t matter why or when. I’ll just be there.”
“Are you going to delete that?” She gestured to his phone.
He clicked a few buttons and turned an empty screen back to her. “Done. Just be careful, okay?”
“Thank you.” Cara turned and walked away. She had no destination in mind as she followed the wet sand. All she knew was she needed to calm down before she talked to Coop. She was partially to blame for what had happened between them. She’d been eager for his touch, for the rush that had consumed her from the compromising position. He couldn’t have known there was a camera. He had to have been smarter than that.
Cara wasn’t the kind of woman to go running from her problems. She wasn’t the type to not take responsibility for her actions. It wasn’t as if the video would send her into hiding or hating Coop, but she’d be hard-pressed to trust that it wouldn’t happen again. Cara ended up ina hidden alcove. She sat on one the rocks with her feet buried in the wet sand as she watched the sun start to peek over the horizon. The vibrant orange and yellow hues did nothing to chase away her thoughts. She had no idea how much time had passed as she sat lost in thought. Coop was a good man. He wouldn’t have intentionally hurt her. Deep down she knew she was right.
“There you are,” Coop called out as he rounded the rocks that hid her from the beach-goers. “The forensic team is in our room. What are you doing way down here?” Coop asked, coming to stand between her legs and laying a gentle hand on her thigh.
“I…um…I just needed a bit of time to process. That’s all.”
Coop used his finger to lift her chin so she could look at him. “Everything will be okay. This thief messed up. He stole federal property when he stole my wallet with my badge inside. I just got off the phone with my partner, and he’s on his way to help find this creep.”
“That’s great.” She gave him a smile she knew didn’t reach her eyes. She couldn’t muster more enthusiasm. Her heart ached as she looked into Coop’s eyes. Every good thing eventually has to end.
“What did Phillip want to talk about?” Coop asked, as if he knew her talk with Phillip had something to do with how she was acting.
“He…” She cleared her throat. “He wanted to tell me that there was a video of us in the private dining room. He wanted to reassure me that he deleted it and no one else saw it.”
