Caballo Security Box Set

by Camilla Blake

  And it had saved me from having to face my own drama back in Hereford.

  What would Skylar think if she knew she wasn’t the first woman I’d married for reasons other than a sense of commitment? That was a dark alley I didn’t particularly want to walk down anytime soon.

  The bathroom door opened, and Skylar emerged, her face scrubbed clean of her dark makeup, her hair falling down around her shoulders in smooth strands that created something like a halo around her face. She’d exchanged her oversized shirt and heavy slacks for a skintight dress with cutouts on the sides and a deep plunge at the neckline. Her legs were covered in white tights, dark shapes marking the slender turn of her calves, her thighs, in a strange pattern that was the only homage to her unique style. From mid-thigh up, she looked like a different person, like a beautiful woman.

  Who knew her dark hair was that long, that silky? Who knew her perfectly pale-blue eyes were that beautiful when not surrounded by thick lines of black eyeliner? Who knew she had curves hidden under the bulky, unconventional shape of her unusual wardrobe?

  “You should get changed. They’ll ring for dinner soon.”

  I heard the words, but I couldn’t make myself move. All I could do was stare as she moved around the room, grunting in irritation every time her hair fell forward and got in her way. I didn’t even realize she was speaking to me when she straightened up and stared hard at my attire.

  “Change, Prescott! Great-Gran expects slacks and dress shirts at dinner!”

  “You look amazing!”

  She glanced down at herself. “I look like a child playing dress-up.” She grabbed a pair of heels from her suitcase and sat on the edge of the bed to put them on. “Please put on a pair of pants, at least!”

  I snatched a pair of slacks from the dresser and went to the bathroom, catching sight of myself in the mirror. What the hell was the matter with me? The woman puts on a dress and I suddenly find myself speechless? It was ridiculous!

  I quickly changed and ran a comb through my hair, joining her as she waited impatiently at the door. We walked out together and were greeted at the stairs by her friend, the butler’s son.

  “Mother was thrilled to hear you were here! She didn’t have time to make a roast, but she threw together those garlic mashed potatoes you like.”

  Skylar smiled, the worry lines that had taken over her face since we came upstairs wiped away with his simple words. It annoyed me for reasons I didn’t care to analyze that he could make her smile that way. I used to make her smile that way, back before this farce of a marriage changed everything between us.

  “She certainly likes her mash,” I said, moving up behind my wife, sliding my hand over the small of her back. Skylar looked up at me, a little startled. But the dark look of annoyance I got from the little butler’s kid was well worth it.

  “We should get downstairs before it gets cold.”

  He bounced off ahead of us. Skylar glanced at me again, but didn’t pull away as I followed her downstairs. The house was something of a maze, all these rooms that led into just more rooms. But we found our way to the dining room where several more people sat waiting for us. A woman and two men stood as we came into the room, all but the younger man beaming like their long-lost daughter had come home. I supposed it was a little like that.

  “Skylar, my love!” the woman cried, rushing around the table to hug her. “You get more beautiful every time I see you!”

  “Thank you, Hannah.”

  Hannah. That must be the cook.

  “You’ve always been beautiful,” said the older man as he joined them. “You look just like your father.”

  “You’re the only one who ever says that, Johnny.” Skylar blushed, but she seemed pleased by the comparison. “I heard about your hip. I hope you feel better.”

  “Good as new,” he said, slapping his right hip. “Nothing can keep me down for long.”

  “It will if he doesn’t stop pushing himself so hard.”

  The younger man who’d been seated at the table spoke, his voice a little grating with its slightly girlish tones. But then he smiled, and Skylar fell into his arms like he was the one person she’d come here to see.

  “Nolan,” she said softly, giggling a little as he kissed her neck.

  I’d never kissed her neck like that. What made him think he had the right to do that?

  When Skylar stepped back, there was a bit of an awkward moment as she stared at this young man, but the others were looking at me, wondering who the hell I was. I stepped forward and held out my hand to the older gentleman, figuring he was the paternal figure around here, therefore the one I should offer my respect to first.

  “Prescott Armstrong,” I said, shaking his hand with confidence. “Skylar’s husband.”

  “So I’ve heard.” The man looked me over, judgment in his old, rheumy eyes. “We hadn’t realized Skylar had married.”

  “It was a private ceremony, just the two of us. We work together, so we thought it would make things simpler if we didn’t complicate things by telling everyone.”

  “A secret wedding?” Hannah’s eyes lit up. “How romantic!”

  “Well, Skylar does have a bit of a romantic streak,” I said, smiling in her direction. She turned, her eyes guarded as she faced me. “It was her idea that we run off to the justice of the peace and have a simple ceremony. I wanted something big and fussy—you know, one of those weddings people come from all over to attend? I’m still hoping we’ll do it, maybe on our anniversary.”

  “Where are you from, Prescott?” Zander asked. “You have a bit of an accent.”

  “Hereford, England. But I’ve been in the States for a little more than ten years, so I guess I’ve picked up quite a bit of your American colloquialisms.”

  “England?” Hannah slapped her hands together. “Skylar has always been fascinated with English culture. Leave it to her to find an Englishman in Texas!”

  “How lucky,” Zander said, bitterness dripping from his words.

  “I’d say it was more good luck on my part than hers. I never could have imagined finding a woman like her until she just walked right into my life one day.”

  “You work together?” Johnny asked. He tilted his head slightly as he regarded Skylar. “This isn’t that fellow you talk about all the time, is it?”

  “I thought his name was Ox,” Hannah said.

  “Prescott is a security operative for Caballo,” Skylar said, clarifying the misconception. “Ox Winn is my boss.”

  “I always kind of thought that was the guy you had a crush on,” Johnny informed everyone.

  Skylar blushed. I took her hand and pulled her against my chest, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

  “Ox is an impressive man. I think everyone who meets him has something of a crush on him. But infatuation and love are two very different things, aren’t they, love?”

  Skylar nodded, her face pressed against my chest for a long moment. She cleared her throat as she pulled back, her eyes unreadable as she looked up at me.

  “We should eat before it gets cold.”

  Everyone returned to their seats at the table, Skylar sitting across from Zander and gesturing for me to take the seat beside her. Nolan sat by Zander while Johnny and Hannah rose to serve.

  “Where’s Great-Gran?”

  Nolan took a moment to spread his napkin over his thigh before answering. “She’s started a new medication that leaves her exceptionally sleepy in the evenings. We’ve taken to feeding her in her bedroom for the evening meal.”

  “She’s already in bed?”

  Nolan lowered his head. Zander glanced at him, a dark cloud floating over his expression that quickly disappeared when he regarded Skylar again. Hannah sat a full plate of food in front of her son and he smiled, touching her arm lightly before she could pull away. There was something about this guy… I wasn’t sure what it was, but I didn’t like him.

  “You met at work?” Zander asked me. “You and Skylar?”

&nbs
p; “We did. She’s the boss’s assistant, so anything anyone needs, they go to Skylar.”

  “I bet. And you? What does it mean to be a security operative?”

  I shrugged, moving to one side so that Hannah could place my plate. The food—some sort of chicken covered in a cream sauce and potato smash—smelled heavenly. I picked up my fork as Skylar cut into her own chicken.

  “I do whatever the client requires. If the case is about protection, I act as a bodyguard. If it’s about some sort of illegal activity, I could act as an investigator. If it’s about trying to catch a cheater, I could play at being a decoy. It just depends on the case.”

  “A decoy. You mean you might be required to seduce someone’s wife?”

  “I’ve done that a time or two, yes.”

  “Really?” Nolan perked up, curiosity burning in his dark eyes. “Your boss actually asks you to do things like that?”

  “It’s not like I’m expected to become intimate with these people. It’s mostly about flirting in a bar, something we’ve all done a time or two, I’m sure.”

  “But you’re married.”

  “Yeah,” Zander added. “How does that work with a wife waiting for you at home?”

  “It’s not like I’m watching soap operas and eating bonbons while he’s at work.” Skylar waved her fork toward Zander. “I’m usually at the office, doing what I can to support these guys when they’re out in the field. I know what he’s up against.”

  “You don’t mind your husband flirting with some cheating wife?” Nolan asked.

  “He’s doing a job. It’s not like he seeks these women out for his own personal pleasure.”

  “Still, it would be an issue for me,” Zander announced. “I couldn’t stand the thought of the person I promised to love and cherish going out, flirting with other people.”

  “It’s not what you do outside the home,” I said, slicing into my chicken with the corner of my fork. “It’s who you go home to at the end of the day.”

  Skylar glanced at me, something like gratitude in her eyes.

  Johnny and Hannah took their seats, and everyone dug into their food, silence falling for a few minutes. But then the questions began again.

  “How long have you known each other?” Hannah asked.

  “Nearly four years,” Skylar spoke up, smiling politely. “Since I began working at Caballo.”

  “She was nervously waiting to interview for the job when I literally ran into her in the hall.”

  Skylar giggled. “You remember that?”

  “Why wouldn’t I? It was an important moment in my life, the moment I met you.”

  Her eyes softened slightly, and her smile slipped. She lowered her head, stared at her plate for a moment.

  “How long did you date before you got married?”

  I shrugged, taking a bite of chicken before answering. “We’ve been together almost since the beginning. How could I not grab her up before one of the other operatives got a chance to get to know her?”

  Skylar made a little sound in the base of her throat. I didn’t think anyone else had heard it, though.

  “Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to me,” Zander said.

  “I think it’s romantic,” Nolan told him.

  “You make a lovely couple,” Hannah told us. “I’m just happy Skylar found herself a good man to take care of her. With everything she’s been through, she deserves a little happiness.”

  “I definitely plan to make her as happy as possible.”

  “Good.”

  “You better,” Johnny added, “or you’ll have to deal with me. Skylar is like a daughter to me.”

  “I can see that. I’m glad I was finally able to make the trip up here to meet you all.”

  Zander opened his mouth to say something—probably something negative—but Johnny changed the subject, talking about some project he had going on the property. It was apparently something Skylar knew about because she asked all these questions, and everyone seemed to forget I was even there.

  After dinner there were drinks in the sitting room, but Nolan had to go check on the old woman, and Zander had something he needed to be up early in the morning to do. Hannah and Johnny went off to clean up the kitchen, leaving just me and Skylar.

  I can’t say I was unhappy with the arrangement.

  “I’ve never seen you drink,” I said as Skylar sipped at a tiny glass of sherry.

  “It’s a tradition thing. Great-Gran says a glass of sherry helps a lady sleep.”

  “And the brandy?” I asked, holding up the healthy slug she’d served me.

  “I guess it works the same for men.”

  Skylar walked over to the long windows at the back of the room and stared off into space. I moved up behind her, but she pulled away. Her expression was pensive. Worried.

  “I’m going to go check on Great-Gran. You should go up to bed.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Normally, that would get her to say something sarcastic, but not this time. She left the room without acknowledging my presence at all.

  Left on my own, I wandered the house, moving from room to room, at first because I was curious, later because I was lost. It wasn’t a gigantic house, but it was much bigger than any house I’d ever been in before. Finding a path from A to B was tougher than it might seem. Eventually, however, I found the stairs and those led to the bedroom Skylar and I were sharing.

  We’d lived together for nearly two years now, but Skylar and I had never shared a bed. We’d made it look like we had, several times. The INS had arrived at the condo once before we’d gotten out of bed, but I was on the couch. The blankets and pillows were shoved into a closet and I’d thrown myself onto the bed to make a dent in the pillow. That was as close as we ever got.

  I studied that big bed and wondered if that would change tonight.

  I unbuttoned my shirt and kicked off my shoes, snatching up my toiletry kit from where I’d abandoned it on top of one of the dressers, carrying it into the bathroom. The shower was a modern upgrade, one of those walkthrough things that was basically just two walls and shower heads everywhere. Skylar and I shared a bathroom back at the condo because it was the only full bath in the place and because we needed to keep our things mingled in the same room in case of a surprise visit by the INS. I was used to her things being scattered across the bathroom counter, her shampoo dripping all over my things in the shower. But somehow it was odd seeing her shampoo in this shower. And comforting.

  I undressed and turned on the jets, loving the way it felt when the sharp points of the water hit my skin. The water was coming from three different directions at four different heights. It hit every inch of tense muscle, working out the knots, leaving behind nothing but a bowl of jelly that wanted to lie down on the cold floor and sleep for a lifetime. I stood there so long that my nerves began to shut down, leaving my flesh numb. Everything turned off, even my thoughts. It was the most relaxing shower I’d had in a long time.

  I didn’t realize Skylar had come back into the room until I stepped out of the shower in search of the towel I’d forgotten to set out before I got into the water. I could hear her, the hiccups of a hard cry muffled by something. I wrapped a towel around my waist and went in search, finding her curled up in the same chair where she’d been sitting before dinner, her worry etched into every line on her face.

  “Hey,” I said, crouching down beside the chair. “What’s going on?”

  She shook her head, refusing to look at me.

  “Sky? Why are you crying?”

  She glanced at me, then sat up straighter, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re dripping on everything!”

  I brushed a hand over my head, dragging water from my hair. I shook it at her and she squealed, shrinking back further away from me. Then she punched me on the shoulder.

  “Quit!”

  “Tell me what’s going on with you.”

  “What’s going on with you? What was all that downstairs?”

&nb
sp; “What do you mean?”

  “You were so… all those answers to their questions… I wasn’t even sure what to say, but you were right on the ball!”

  “Did I say the wrong things?”

  “No. You were perfect.”

  “That’s a problem?”

  She punched me again before standing and moving around me, nearly tripping over the corner of a rug. That was the Skylar I knew, the awkward den mother that all the operatives counted on so much. That was my Skylar.

  I stood, pulling my towel tighter around my waist. She looked at me, doing something of a double take when she did. I could feel her eyes moving over the length of me, almost a caress on my chest, my arms, and hips. And then she turned around.

  “Put some clothes on.”

  “Why? Do I make you uncomfortable?”

  “Just put on some clothes. Please.”

  Feeling the desire to push her to her limits, I went to the dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers, let the towel drop, and calmly slid them on. She made a noise as she turned away from me again, waiting while I pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, too.

  “You had to do it in here? You couldn’t go into the bathroom?”

  “We’re married, Sky. You have to get used to seeing me in various states of undress eventually.”

  She snatched a book from the side table and threw it at me, narrowly missing the side of my head.

  “Hey!”

  “Two days ago you were flirting with a girl in a bar, trying to get into her bed. Now you want to be my husband?”

  “You’re the one who dragged me here, telling me that your grandma knew we were married.”