by BJ Wane
Cracking the door only as far as the safety chain allowed, her eyes widened when she saw the sheriff on her doorstep, his sheepskin-lined leather jacket doing little to disguise the breadth of his shoulders, his lowered black Stetson revealing only a gray/green sliver of his eyes. The respectful title of Sir trembled on her lips without conscious thought as she swung the door open in surprise, and she needed a moment to get her jumbled reaction under control.
“Are you ready?” Grayson asked. At her puzzled silence, the corners of that sexy as sin mouth curled. “I’m headed out to the ranch as well. No sense in both of us driving, and you may have trouble finding it.”
Excitement warmed Avery against the chill of standing in the open door without a coat. It wasn’t another invitation to join him at the club, but she wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity to spend time with him in any capacity. Being with Grayson in yet another environment would give her more insight into the type of man she was still debating over how far to trust.
“Okay, thanks, that’s… nice of you,” she replied lamely, flustered and thrilled all at the same time. Pivoting, she reached with a jerky hand for her coat and knocked her purse off the small table next to the hook. “Crap, sorry. Come on in while I…”
Grayson’s large body stooped down next to her as she scrambled to pick up the fallen items out of her bag, his voice rough and close enough she could feel his warm breath on her neck as he said, “Relax, sugar. You should be more at ease with me by now. Is there some reason you’re not?”
You mean other than having to deal with the sexual frustration you’re responsible for along with wondering how far I can trust you to help me return home safely? At least she could answer him this time with complete honesty. “I’m sorry. A bad experience has taught me to take my time getting to know people.”
Grayson handed Avery her purse then they stood at the same time as he replied, “It never hurts to be careful, but don’t let one asshole who has made you so wary negate your chances with someone else. If you do, he wins.”
“And if it’s not a game I can afford to lose?” she blurted without thinking.
Nudging his hat back, Grayson eyed her with grave concern from his towering height. “Then maybe you should let someone else in on it. You never know who can be of some help.” When her eyes skittered away from his, his sigh revealed frustration with her, but all he said was, “Let’s go. The sun is never up high and warm enough for long once it peaks and I, for one, want to be back at the house before it, and the temperature starts to dip. Is that your warmest jacket?”
“Yes. I’ll be fine in it.” Avery couldn’t very well tell him she’d packed so fast trying to flee before Darren came by her apartment looking for her that she’d grabbed the closest coat at hand on her way out. Although lined, the denim jacket was better suited for fall than winter.
“You’ll ride up with me, so I can be sure.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to argue over the high-handed order, but the fact he’d issued the dictate with her welfare in mind and with him was exactly where she yearned to be kept her quiet.
Forty minutes later, Avery stepped inside a working ranch’s barn for the first time in her life, the mingling odors of hay and manure tickling her nose as two collies came bounding straight up to Sydney. The beaming redhead greeted the dogs with scraps of bacon and sausage as Caden released an exaggerated huff of disapproval, which she ignored. Four horses stood near the open back doors, saddled and ready to ride, but as Grayson tugged on her hand, prodding her toward them, she slowed her steps the closer she came to the huge animals. “They’re uh, bigger in person, aren’t they?” The sleek black stallion tossing his head and nudging Grayson with his long nose towered over her, just like his master.
“That was my first thought too.” Sydney smiled, patted the collies and then stepped up to the large bay to stroke its muscled neck. “But they’re sweet, aren’t you, baby?” she crooned. Caden swatted her butt and rolled his eyes behind her.
“Anything covered with fur, and walking on four legs is sweet to Sydney,” Connor drawled as he swung up into the saddle of a stunning Palomino. “I have to say, Avery, I’m sorry you won’t be riding with me.”
“Deal with it,” Grayson returned.
Avery flushed, unused to rivalry between two men over her, even friendly, innocent banter. Before Darren, she mostly went unnoticed by the opposite sex, and the lesson she’d learned from his sudden attention was still keeping her at arm’s length from Grayson even though she trusted him now more than anyone else.
“I’m sorry, Connor.” She frowned at Grayson. “He didn’t give me a choice.”
Connor winked and turned his horse, tossing back, “As it should be, sweetie,” before trotting off.
Ignoring them, Grayson followed Caden in mounting up and then reached a hand down to Avery, his eyes steady on her face as he said, “Trust me.”
Those simple words curled around her heart and she took his hand before she could talk herself out of it. She never hesitated to admit what a coward she was. With a strong tug, he drew her up in front of him, her butt shifting around on the definite bulge between his legs as he turned her to straddle the horse and pressed her to lean back against him.
Daring a look down, she muttered, “Sheesh,” before cringing back from the height and sudden movement as he nudged the steed to follow the other three.
“Not so bad, is it?” Grayson murmured in her ear, tugging hard on her braid. “I prefer your hair down but can have fun with it pulled back too.”
The quick yank on her scalp drew a frisson of tickling goosebumps down her back, and Avery found herself grateful for the distraction as Grayson kicked the horse into a faster trot. Gripping the arm wrapped around her waist, she sucked in a deep breath of cold air, all the while conscious of the way the jarring pace bounced her up and down on his lap.
“Hold tight, sugar. Here we go.”
They took off with another booted heeled nudge to the horse’s sides, the ground and trees blurring as the chill whipping her face soon warmed from the sheer exhilaration and sense of freedom sweeping through Avery. She laughed outright, drawing Connor’s grin from up ahead and a thumb’s up from Caden who rode alongside Sydney. The clomp of pounding hooves against the dried earth and the horse’s heavy exertions echoed in her ears, the sounds so different from the constant cadence of traffic and crowds she was used to.
She could feel the heaving, muscled sides of the animal against her legs and the thick bunching of Grayson’s thighs against the back of hers. Between the comfort of his big body and the sun shining down on her face, she barely felt the nip of winter anymore, and when Grayson slid his hand down to press between her legs, a burst of fiery heat shot up her core, reigniting the quivering of unfulfilled lust he’d lit Friday night.
“Problem, sugar?” he asked. She shuddered against his wide chest as he slowed them down to a trot as they approached a small group of black cattle.
Swiveling her head around, Avery nudged her slipping glasses back into place, replying in a breathless tone, “You enjoy toying with me, don’t you?”
“I want answers. After I get them, I’ll enjoy toying with you.” Nudging her head back, he kissed her fast and hard, leaving her lips tingling along with her scalp by the time he released her and turned his attention to Caden’s interruption.
“More tracks that look similar to the others we’ve found.” He pointed down as Grayson and Connor joined him.
“Fucking bastards,” Connor swore, his congenial mood vanishing. “I’ve counted three head missing and one calf. God damn it, now they’ve gotten brave enough to hit us closer to home.”
“Calm down, Con. They could have just gotten separated,” Caden stated. “Let’s fan out but stay within sight of each other. I’ll phone Jim and get him to round up this group and bring them closer in.”
“Is someone stealing their cows?” Avery asked Grayson as they veered north at a slower pace.
“Cattle rustling never goes out of style. These guys have been plaguing ranchers for over a month now, despite our best efforts to catch them in the act.”
Avery remained quiet as they rode, not wanting to interrupt his concentration. She’d come to know how seriously he took his job as sheriff, an admirable trait and one that urged her to trust him with her secrets, as he kept asking. A shout from Caden reached them ten minutes later and as they trotted toward him and Sydney, Avery spotted a small calf lying down, its back leg stretched out at an odd angle. The mournful lowing the poor thing emitted caused her muscles to tighten and a lump to form in her throat. It sounded so pitiful.
The ice-cold rage in Connor’s eyes when he joined them didn’t bode well for the young animal. Swinging down, he dropped the reins and stooped to caress the calf’s head before running a light touch over the limb. Even that gentle probing caused the young male to kick out in pain. “Broken,” he clipped, pushing to his feet.
Caden responded to his brother’s diagnosis with a curse and disgusted sigh before giving Grayson a pointed look. “Take Avery and Sydney back to the ranch, would you?”
Avery didn’t understand the glance the three men shared, or the tears welling in Sydney’s eyes, not until Grayson turned their horse around, Sydney’s mare falling in step with their mount. As they put distance between them and the injured calf, she jerked in shock from the sudden report of a gunshot reverberating in the air.
“There was no other choice,” was all he said, tightening his arm around her.
Grayson dropped the girls off at the front of the house and returned both horses to the barn to unsaddle them and rub them down. Fucking A. He’d been enjoying Avery’s company, her soft body swaying against his and the light of appreciation shining in her eyes as they rode, as well as a return of Connor’s good-humor. He swore heads would roll once he caught the callous bastards. Taking his time, he lingered in the barn until the brothers returned, the calf’s carcass draped over Connor’s horse. As cold as it sounded, they bred cattle for either sale or the butcher shop and he knew neither Dunbar would let their anger sway them from getting what they could from the tragic end of the young animal’s life.
“I’m ready for a beer and a big serving of whatever Sydney’s cooking,” he said as the three of them strolled up to the house.
“You and me both. She had potato soup already warming before we left.” Caden opened the front door of his sprawling home, releasing the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked homemade bread. “God, I never tire of that smell.”
They went straight to the kitchen where Sydney set down her stirring spoon to give Connor a silent hug before telling all three, “Five minutes. You have time to wash up.” She shooed them out with a wave of her hand.
“She’s gotten bossy lately,” Grayson quipped, looking around for Avery.
“I give her leeway in the kitchen in exchange for bigger servings.” Caden nodded toward the den. “She’s sitting by the fire.”
Connor remained sullen and quiet even though his face had softened when Sydney embraced him. With a mental head shake, Grayson padded into the high-ceilinged great room, his gaze zeroing in on Avery huddled before the blazing fire, holding her hands out to the heat, sadness reflected on her expressive face. He hoped she never lost the appeal of wearing her heart on her sleeve.
Bracing his forearm on the mantle, he stood next to her, liking how she looked kneeling at his feet, her eyes lifted to his, shining with both wariness and pleasure. The only thing that could make it better would be if she were naked, her soft flesh bared for his eyes and use, his to do with as he pleased. Soon, he vowed, and then it would be no holds barred between them, a surefire scene to prod her into spilling her secrets.
“What are you thinking about with such a solemn look?” he asked.
She hesitated a fraction of a second before answering. “I’m wishing I were a braver person.”
Pleased with her honesty, he held down his hand, squeezing hers as she clasped it and then pulled her to her feet. “There’s hope for you yet, sugar.” He kissed her and then pushed her toward the kitchen with a hand on her ass. “Come on. I’m starving.”
Avery entered the sheriff’s office connected to the courthouse the next morning, a thread of excitement prodding her forward. Not as much from getting yet another opportunity to use her IT skills as for the chance to spend more time with Grayson. His request to update the office computers when he’d dropped her off last night had pleased her so much, she’d been able to set aside the pang she still felt over the tragic death of that poor calf. With her mind on both the work and the sheriff, she missed catching sight of Cassie across the street, and the jealous glare the other woman leveled at her back as she slipped inside the two-story, brick building, the small bronzed plaque next to the double doors dating it back to the 1880s.
A wide foyer separated the courtroom from the police station and she pushed open the glass door marked Sheriff’s Office. A middle-aged woman seated behind the first of four desks looked up and greeted her with a smile.
“You must be Avery.” Rising, she held out her hand with a friendly smile. “I’m Rebecca. The sheriff’s waiting for you.” Leading the way, she tossed over her shoulder, “We’ll all be forever grateful if you can get our computers up-to-date.”
“I’ll try my best.” Eying the monitors, Avery wasn’t so sure they wouldn’t be better off starting over new.
The forty-something receptionist nodded to the three young men wearing khaki police uniforms and deputy badges, offering a short introduction. “Adam, Jase and Doug, our deputies.” With one sharp rap on her boss’ door, Rebecca opened it a crack, announcing, “Avery is here.”
“Send her in.”
Would she ever stop responding with a warm gush every time she heard that deep voice? As Rebecca pushed open the door and stepped aside, Avery took one look at Grayson and doubted it. “Thank you,” she told her, entering the brick-walled office. As she crossed the tan carpeted floor toward where he sat behind a massive, wooden desk, he pushed to his feet and her entire body went molten under that penetrating stare.
Surely he didn’t intend for this meeting to go beyond her computer help, she wondered as he strode toward her, his face revealing the same intense regard as he’d shown at the club while tormenting her in one way or another. When he reached her, he raised his hands to push the door closed and she heard the distinct click of the lock turning. Bracing his hands against the door, he caged her in, his body held inches away from hers and yet she could still feel his heat.
Swallowing past the sudden lump in her throat, she mumbled, “Um, Grayson, uh, Sir… I mean, Sheriff…”
A wry grin twisted his lips. “Again, Avery, relax.” After subjecting her to a close scrutiny, he nodded and stepped back. “Why don’t you start with my console and then we’ll see how much time you have left. I don’t want to monopolize your entire day off.”
Funny, she mused, thinking she wouldn’t mind if he did even though he enjoyed flustering her with just a look or touch. Or by locking a door just to watch her reaction to being closed in with him while he kept others out. “Okay. I’ll need your passwords.”
She padded over to the desk, breathing easier until he replied with emphasis, “No problem. I trust you.”
Avery flicked him an uncertain look before taking the chair he’d vacated. “I see them here, thanks. I’ll… I’ll just get to work.”
He nodded, reaching for his hat and coat on a stand. “I have highway patrol and will be gone for a while. Rebecca can answer any questions you have. Thank you, Avery.”
“No problem. I enjoy the challenge of troubleshooting and updating.”
“Then have fun. I’ll be back.”
She wasn’t sure if his parting comment was a promise or threat. Settling down to work, she vowed to put him, and her decision to reveal who she was to Master Grayson out of her mind. She was still more comfortable talking to the man she’d met over the phone than
the law officer.
Avery became so immersed in her work once Grayson left she didn’t hear him return until another click of the lock caught her attention. Peering around the computer, she saw him leaning against the door, arms folded, his gray-green gaze on her.
“You have good timing,” she greeted him, glancing at the wall clock. “Two hours? I’m sorry; time flies whenever I get online. Almost everyone I’ve assisted in this town has had the same problem, outdated hardware and software, but I have you updated for now.” Pushing back, she rose and ran her suddenly damp palms down her jean-clad thighs, his slow, purposeful steps and predatory look in those enigmatic eyes sending her pulse skyrocketing.
“Excellent. I believe you could use a break now.” He crooked a finger, beckoning her to come around the desk to him.
Her gaze skittered to the door and back to him. “What kind of break did you have in mind?” she asked as she obeyed the silent order without thinking about it.
“A fun one. Don’t worry, no one can enter. As long as you’re quiet, they won’t hear anything either.” His look stole her breath; his next command robbed her of speech. “Bend over my desk.” Gripping Avery’s hips, he turned her and, with a hand pressed between her shoulder blades, urged her down. “I decided not to wait until Friday night at the club to continue your education. Ever play with beads?”
He held up two purple beads attached on a slim cord about a fourth of an inch apart. Avery shook her head, her mouth going dry as Grayson slipped his other hand around to undo her jeans. He didn’t hesitate to yank them and her panties down, the sudden naked exposure pulling a gasp from her. Her stomach muscles contracted as the cooler air wafting over her bare buttocks popped up goosebumps and pebbled her nipples into prominent pinpoints brushing the desktop from where she leaned on her elbows. Excited and uncertain all at once, she stuttered, “I… don’t know about this. What if…”