Page 12 of The Tycoon

Chapter4

The following morning, Regan showered and dressed in black pants with an army green t-shirt.She wanted to move, if necessary.Then she pulled her long, blonde hair back into a neat braid before putting on her combat boots.

Finally dressed, she walked out into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee from the Jura Automatic Coffee Machine.She’d seen this kind of coffee machine at her general’s home and knew it ran about three grand.But it made a dang good cup of coffee.

She admired the kitchen with its oak cabinets and granite countertops.The room was painted white and gray, with black appliances.It was modern and…crisp was the best word to describe it.

“I see you found the coffee maker.Give you any trouble?”Cole’s deep baritone voice sounded behind her.

“None.”She turned and stared.

He wore pajama bottoms and nothing else.His stomach was chiseled with an eight-pack.He had a sparse covering of hair on his upper chest.The man was as hot as Fort Hood, Texas, on an August day.Unfortunately, it appeared he’d been doing headstands in his sleep.His hair was sticking out all over the place.

“You look like you slept with a bear.What do you do when you sleep?Wrestle with something?”

He ran his hands through his hair.“Not that I know of.I tend to sleep with my head buried in my pillow and my arms over my head.It’s a habit I got into when I was in the Navy and trying to keep out the noise so I could sleep.”He pulled a mug from the cabinet above the coffeemaker and poured himself a cup.Then he retrieved a jug of milk from the fridge and poured a splash into the mug before returning it to the refrigerator.

“I can relate to that.I used to do the same sort of thing, but I broke myself of the habit.”

“I haven’t been able to…yet.I’m working on it.How did you do it?”

She shrugged.“Pure willpower.I forced myself to learn to sleep on my back with my arms crossed over my chest.”Regan chuckled.“I look like I should be in a coffin, not a bed.Kind of like Lily Munster from the old TV show.”

He grinned.“I watchedThe Munsterswhen I was a kid.I’ll have to give it a shot.”Cole sipped his coffee and then looked her up and down.“Is that what you intend to wear to shop for gowns?”

Regan looked down at her attire.“Yeah.What’s wrong with it?”

Shrugging, he took another sip of coffee.“I’d think you’d like something easier to get into and out of.”

She glanced at her clothes again and supposed she should, at least, take her heels.“Fine, I’ll change.”She set her coffee on the counter and went into her bedroom, where she donned a turquoise sundress in a tiny, white-flowered print with spaghetti straps.The dress hit her mid-calf.Then she put on her three-inch heels in black patent leather.She supposed that, as far as fancy shoes went, they were as comfortable as any.“When will you be ready to go dress shopping?”She picked up her cup and took a sip of her black coffee.

“I thought you’d go with my assistant, Amelia.”He sat at the oak table in the nook with his tablet and his coffee in front of him.

“Nope, you said you’d come with and either you come or I don’t go either.”

Cole took a sip of his coffee and then placed the cup on the table.“Having a bodyguard is a pain?—”

“Maybe.But the fact is, you need one.I’ve only been with you for a day, and already you’ve had one credible murder threat and been attacked in the garage.I can’t believe that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is the reason behind these threats.It doesn’t feel right.”

“We’ll be going to the Gulf.I want to check into the spill myself.”

She took her coffee and sat across from him.The small round table had two sides that lowered.It sat a maximum of six people but comfortably sat only four.“Are you still planning on going to the Gulf platform?”

“Yes, I have to see, firsthand, what they’ve done so far.”

“To do what?”she asked as she leaned her elbows on the table and peered over the rim of her cup.

“To find the answer to what caused the spill.”

“Don’t you have people doing that now?”

He nodded.“I do, but they aren’t making much headway.Perhaps I can light a fire under them.At least that’s my hope.”

“Maybe we don’t need to get another dress yet.”Please don’t let me need another dress yet.

Cole grinned.“You don’t get out of it that easily.I have two benefits to attend before we leave on Monday.”

“Ugh.You couldn’t just be a homebody, could you?”