“Did you prevent somebody in town from leaving her a death threat on her truck?”Ben gave his screwdriver a hard twist.
“You know something, Paxton?You’ve got a smart mouth.We don’t like that around here.Not sure you’re gonna be of much use.”
Ben used his screwdriver again to finish attaching the camera mount.“You can relax, Butler.I’ll be sticking real close to Sarah from now until she’s free of this dude who’s after her.”
“Maybe you should know something,” Butler said.“Sarah and I have an understanding, got it?She and I arereal close.She don’t need anyone else for that.Savvy?”He leaned forward in his saddle.
Ben faced the other.His perch on the ladder put him at eye level with the mounted man.Only the fence separated them.
“Is that right?Funny, she hasn’t said a word about a Travis or a Butler or a guy on a gelding with a quarter crack.”
“What?”
“Your horse.”He pointed his chin at the gelding’s front hoof.“Looks like a quarter crack.Or maybe navicular disease.Too bad.You should get a vet to look at that.Seems funny, but Sarah never mentioned you at all.Strange, huh?”
Butler’s face darkened.He looked dangerous.His hand drifted to prop on his hip, hovered near his holstered pistol.“My horse is fine.And don’t test me, Paxton.I won’t take any shit off you.I was a Ranger.Served in the 75thRegiment.Operation Iraqi Freedom.”
“Really?”Ben lowered his screwdriver.“How sweet.I served, too.SEAL Team Three.Iraq, Afghanistan.South America.Africa.”Casually, he resumed his work.“Back then, we SEALs ate baby Rangers like you for breakfast.Have a nice day.”
A tense moment passed while Ben turned his tool.
After several seconds, Butler said in low tones, “I’ll be seeing you.Just remember, I live here.After you leave, I’ll still be here.With Sarah.”With that, he reined his mount and rode away.
Ben knew he hadn’t seen the last of the antagonistic neighbor.He didn’t think he’d mention this particular meeting to Sarah.What was it with the men in her orbit, anyway?Old, young, middle-aged—were theyallin love with her?
****
It took Ben the restof the day, until late afternoon, to install all the cameras he wanted and connect their feeds to the house.Cameras were only one tool in keeping a better situational awareness around the ranch, yet they could prove valuable.Piling the empty boxes and tools into the cab of his rental truck, he saw Sarah wander down the front steps of the house and glance around.
Was she looking for him?He straightened and his heartrate sped up.While he needed to maintain professionalism, he found it increasingly difficult to focus on anything else when she was in view.His body reacted, his mind reacted, and everything became pinpointed onher.These hard-ons were nearly ever-present, demanding he take action, claim her.Make her truly his.This ferocious desire for her wasn’t going to be a secret much longer.Nature wouldn’t allow it.
Slamming the truck door, he started for her.
At the noise, she turned to him and waited.
He stopped before her.“Need something?”
She hesitated.“Dinner’s in the oven, so I have a little time.”She pushed a few papers into his hands.
He shuffled through.They were the emails she’d told him about.Each had a single line, mostly telling Sarah she was going to die.He’d get them to the police chief.“Thanks,” he said.
“I thought ...if you’re not busy ...you could teach me something.”Dipping her head, she twisted her fingers together.
Instantly, he thought of things he’d like to teach her, to learn about her, to show her, and even be shown by her.All of them involved bare skin, groans of pleasure, and a large bed.It was already incredibly difficult to push down thoughts of taking her nipples into his mouth.To deny his desire to stroke her between her legs, bring her to pleasurable heights.How he wanted that.Low in his belly, he felt a fire burning.He fought the impulse to reach out and touch her, to smooth her shoulder, to take her hand.
“Sure,” he forced out.“Like what?”
Bareheaded, her hair spilling in burnished waves around her shoulders, she sent her gaze over the corral and the placid cattle inside.She continued wringing her hands and a line formed between her eyebrows.“You know how I said I’m nervous around knives?How I had that stupid meltdown just because I saw one on Donovan Sinclair’s desk?”
“I remember.But you didn’t melt down.”
“Oh, please don’t sugarcoat it.I lost it.”
He didn’t reply.
“Well, I guess that you’d be skilled in knife use.Isn’t it part of your training as a SEAL?Rio told me that when you two were in service, you were taught how to ...how to use one to fight.”
Surprised, he studied her.“You want to learn how to knife fight?”
