“You’re welcome.” Brant wanted to do a victory dance or at least a fist pump, but he controlled the impulse. “I thought you should at least meet the little guy.”
“Yeah, well, I intend to do a hell of a lot more than that. He came right over to me, like he knew me. I’m sure that’s because of the way you’ve socialized him in these first couple of days, but still...” He swallowed. “It was very cool.”
“Horses choose who they like just like people do.”
“I’ve always thought so.” He took a deep breath and glanced away. “I guess I was worried that he wouldn’t like me.”
Probably because he didn’t like himself much these days. But that could change. Maybe the process had already started.
Aria approached and he realized she’d been waiting until Josh had said his piece. Her quick little sniff told him she’d been crying, too, but he suspected they were happy tears. “Thank you, Brant.” Her voice quivered and she paused to take a breath. “We can go back now.”
Once again he let Aria and Josh work out the logistics of getting into the van. They seemed to have a system. After he stashed the wheelchair in the tack room he got behind the wheel and started the van.
Aria reached over and squeezed his arm. She let go immediately as if she’d had the same thought about excluding Josh, but he treasured that brief contact. He liked making her happy. He hoped she’d let him do that for a very long time.
In sharp contrast to the silent drive out, the drive back was filled with animated conversation as Josh described Linus’s behavior in great detail and Aria added footnotes. Brant joined in with his own anecdotes about Linus and they all agreed that he was the most amazing colt that had ever lived.
“You were right, Aria,” Josh said. “I needed motivation to get out of that damned chair and Linus is it. I want to help halter-train him and later on I want to introduce him to a saddle. How cool is it to be there for every stage of his development?”
“I think it’ll be great.” Aria looked over at Brant. “Do you ever check back to see how your other foals are doing?”
“Not really. I’ve had reports from the owners, but they’re not my foals, so I make myself turn loose of them when the training’s over. Better for them, better for me.”
“Hmm.” She gave him a little smile but didn’t say anything more.
Back at the apartment complex, he carried Josh in because it was simpler than bringing his wheelchair out.
“I’ll make you a promise,” Josh said as Brant settled him in his chair. “This is the very last time you’ll have to do that.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Yeah, but I do. I’ll be out of this thing in no time. You may know this already, but when someone in our family sets a goal, then that’s it. The goal will be accomplished.”
Brant glanced at Aria standing in the doorway smiling at him. “I do know that.”
“Yes,” she said softly. “But sometimes we need a little help from our friends.”
“Thanks for being there for Aria.” Josh held out his hand again. “Sorry I’ve been such an a-hole.”
Brant shook his hand and smiled. “Hey, any friend of Linus’s is a friend of mine.”
“Ditto.” Josh looked from Brant to Aria. “Okay, get out of here, you two lovebirds. I know you’ve been keeping your hands off each other for my sake, and I appreciate that. But I’m sure you have business to take care of and I have strengthening exercises to do.”
Crossing the room, Aria leaned down to give him a hug. “Will you go out to the ranch with me tomorrow morning?”
“I will.” He sighed. “I’m tempted to wait until I’m back on my feet, except I’d miss so much.” He glared at Brant. “But don’t you dare treat me like a cripple.”
“I won’t because you’re not.”
Josh held his gaze. “Thank you for that.” Then he waved them off. “Now beat it, both of you.”
They’d barely made it out the door before Aria grabbed his face in both hands and kissed him for all she was worth. She knocked off his hat in the process and he let it fall as he gathered her close and delved into her hot mouth. He wanted her with a ferocity that defied all reason.
He lost track of where they were and who might come upon them. He simply had to get as close to her as possible. Their clothes became an unacceptable barrier and he reached under her shirt, searching for the hooks on her bra. No telling what might have happened if she hadn’t wiggled against him and nudged the panic button on the keys he’d shoved in his pocket.
They both started laughing and he had a devil of a time silencing the alarm, but eventually he got it turned off. They hopped in the van so he could park it where it belonged. With that done, she grabbed his hand and tugged him up the outside staircase to her second-floor apartment.
She wasted no time getting in and hurrying him through her living room. But in the hallway outside her bedroom, she suddenly stopped and stared at him in dismay. “We can’t. I don’t have any—”
“Never mind.” He caught her by the shoulders and propelled her through the door. “Your keys weren’t all I had in my pocket.” After that, clothes flew and he made love to her without pulling back the comforter, without foreplay, without finesse of any kind. She didn’t seem to care. Her eagerness matched his and they both came in a noisy, jubilant rush.
At last they quieted, their bodies slick and flushed with pleasure. It was time. Taking a deep breath, he propped himself on his forearms and gazed into her eyes. “I love you, Aria Danes.”
“I know. I love you, too.”
“I’m sorry I just blurted it out when I was talking to your brother, but—”
“Shh.” She placed a finger against his lips. “What you did tonight, including what you said to Josh, was the most romantic thing I can imagine. You blew me away.”
“Yeah?” He couldn’t help grinning.
“Yeah.”
Success made him bold. He had something to say and he might as well say it now. “You know, when we raced through your apartment, I didn’t notice whether you had a couch.”
“I do.” She frowned in confusion. “Why?”
“Is there room to stash a sleeping bag behind it?”
Her eyes widened and then they filled with tears. “Oh, Brant.”
Leaning down, he kissed the tears as they dribbled from the corners of her beautiful, violet eyes. “The truth is, I don’t have a sleeping bag. What I really want is to lie here with you in your bed every night I’m not on the road.”
“You do?” The tears flowed faster.
“I want to be with you, Aria. Just you, for as long as you’ll have me.”
Her voice was thick with emotion. “I hope you know what you’re saying because that could be a really, really long time.”
“I know what I’m saying.” Lifting his head, he gazed down at her. The sweet ache in his chest told him this was right. “I told you that I didn’t believe in this...in love. But now...” His throat tightened. “Now I do.”
Epilogue
WHEN LIAM MAGEE delivered his tired but extremely happy rafting clients to their hotel, he popped into the lobby long enough to flirt with Hope, the blonde at the concierge desk. One of these times he’d ask her out, but not today.
He had other things on his mind as he pulled away from the hotel entrance and found a shady parking space. The river always helped him think through a problem and he’d come to a decision. Taking his phone from the waterproof bag in his knapsack, he called his foster brother Damon in Sheridan.
The guy might not be available since he was getting married in two weeks. Plans for that major event at Thunder Mountain Ranch had been in the works since before Christmas, so Damon was probably going crazy with the details.
Luckily he answered his phone. “Hey, Liam! You’d better not be calling to cancel.” He sounded a little manic. “I’ll personally haul your ass to the ranch if I have to. This is important.”
“Damn sure is, bro. Ne
ver thought I’d see the day, so I’ll be there come hell or high water.”
“Grady, too, right? Philomena’s excited to meet you, but she’s ready to fan-girl all over your little brother.”
That was a bonus. He hadn’t realized the bride liked Grady’s sculptures. Not everyone was into recycled metal art. “He’ll be there along with his wedding present. That’s what I called about. He’s putting the final touches on it this weekend.”
“Are you saying we’re getting a sculpture?”
“Yep, and—”
“No way! Phil’s gonna go ballistic. She’s found several she loves but none of them fit our budget. I can’t wait to see her face when it shows up.”
“Me, either.” Or yours. “You might not remember, but Grady kind of idolized you when we were living at the ranch.”
“He did?”
“Yeah. He went to welding school mostly because you encouraged him to capitalize on his natural talent. I told him the same thing, but I think it meant more coming from you. He was inspired by your determination to become a master carpenter.”
“I didn’t know that, but it’s nice to hear. And he sure has done well for himself.”
“He has, and this wedding gift is his way of thanking you. I thought I’d better warn you that it’s...substantial.”
“Even better! Phil will be over the moon. She’ll give it a place of honor.”
“Damon, it’s not going to fit in your living room.”
There was a moment of silence. “Just how big is it?”
“Large.”
“How large?”
“Let’s put it this way. It won’t fit in the back of a pickup so we’re using a trailer to haul it up there.”
“Wow. What’s he building, the Eiffel Tower?”
“Not quite. I promise you it’s gorgeous, but I’m not saying anything more because he wants it to be a surprise. I’ve already spoiled that by calling you, but I thought you should be prepared. I’d appreciate it if we can keep this conversation to ourselves.”
“Understood.” Damon chuckled. “And you’re still watching out for him, I see.”
“Guess so.”
“Well, don’t worry. Doesn’t matter what size it is. It’ll be a hit and we’ll find the perfect place for it.”
“Thanks, bro. See you in two weeks.” He hung up with a sigh of relief. Grady hadn’t stopped to think that not everyone was prepared to display a nine-foot sculpture, but now Damon wouldn’t be caught flat-footed when it arrived.
Buoyed by the successful phone call, he almost drove back to the hotel to ask Hope for a date. But instinct kept him from doing that. She seemed special, which meant he should give the matter more attention than a spur-of-the-moment invitation. As soon as he came back from the wedding, he’d concentrate on Hope.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from A SEAL’S DESIRE by Tawny Weber.
Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
Get rewarded every time you buy a Harlequin ebook!
Do you want to earn Free Books and More?
Join Harlequin My Rewards points program and earn points every time you shop.
You can redeem your points to get more of what you love:
Free books
Exclusive gifts and contests
Book recommendations tailored to your reading preferences
Earn 2000 points instantly when you join—getting you closer to redeeming your first free book.
Don’t miss out. Reward the book lover in you!
Click here to sign up
Or visit us online to sign up at
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010001
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Blaze story.
You like it hot! Harlequin Blaze stories sizzle with strong heroines and irresistible heroes playing the game of modern love and lust. They’re fun, sexy and always steamy.
Enjoy four new stories from Harlequin Blaze every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
A SEAL's Desire
by Tawny Weber
1
“RIDE ’EM, COWBOY.”
The cheer rang out across the sun-fried desert, making Petty Officer Christian Laramie grin as he blinded the second security camera perched high atop a rocky cliff.
Of course, his grin was only on the inside. On the outside, he was too busy rappelling down a hundred-foot vertical drop. With nary a crease or crevice in the sheer stone, he had to rely on the soles of his boots to control his descent.
He barely saw the laser flash in time to jerk to the left and kick into a spin. He circled too fast to see where the shot had come from, so could only judge by its trajectory. Close. Too close. Instead of wasting time trying to figure it out, or worse, having to dodge more fire, Laramie unhooked the D ring from his harness, tightened his grip and risked fast-roping the last twenty feet.
Not as easy as it would have been if nobody were shooting at him. Granted, the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement Sensor gear meant the hits wouldn’t be fatal. But that wasn’t the point.
Because he was already free from his harness, the minute Laramie’s boots hit the ground, he rolled for cover. Crouched behind a large boulder, he jerked his shoulders to shed some of the sand. This was a communication-free maneuver, so he had no headset, couldn’t ask his teammates for input. Instead, he listened carefully.
There. To the west, the sound of fabric on stone. Laramie angled his head around his boulder, assessing. Miles of hot sand were interspersed with rock formations, some tall, some wide. He watched the grouping to the west, eyes narrowed. Not on the rocks themselves, but on the sand to their left.
And booyah.
A shadow.
Grinning this time, Laramie kept to the rocks, skirting around behind the shadow’s cluster and coming up behind.
He didn’t need to see the man’s face to know who he was up against. The man’s size said it all. Laramie took a second to calculate how he was going to take down a man a good thirty pounds heavier and a hell of a lot more experienced than he was.
He had no doubt he could do it.
The calculations were simply to figure out how to do it fast, before he lost the element of surprise. He didn’t have a clear shot from here, and if he moved he’d be spotted. So he went for the dive, low and fast to hit the man’s knees. The element of surprise didn’t last more than that, if the fist that swung around at his face was any indication.
The fight was down and dirty, each man struggling to hold the other and reach for their weapon. Laramie got a grip on his, pulled the SIG from the holster strapped to his thigh, but a swift chop to his hand sent it flying. He let it go, and using that brief moment of distraction, Laramie used an armbar manipulation to bring the other man’s face to the ground, where he pinned him with a choke hold.
Knowing a captive was worth twice as many points as a dead body, Laramie dug in his heels and, choke hold still in place, shifted to bring himself and his combatant to their feet. About halfway up, though, the guy made as if he’d lost his balance. The move pulled them both forward into a roll, with Laramie hitting the ground, back first. He was on his feet in time to watch the other man finish his own flight through the air, land with a thud, then twist to roll to his feet in a single smooth move that Laramie had to admire.
Until he saw the pistol in the guy’s hand.
For a guy with the call sign Auntie, Castillo was one hell of a fighter.
Laramie grinned.
His eyes locked on the weapo
n, he anchored his hand to the rock, bending low and taking a deep breath as if the fight had left him winded.
He came up with a jump round kick, sending the gun flying. He feinted a palm heel strike to the face, wrapped his arm around the man’s neck and took them both to the ground. Before they hit, he had the knife out of his boot and carefully pressed the dull side to the man’s neck, tapping the sensor on his laser-engagement device to sound the hit.
As he did, a loud beeping sounded, then an air horn blared loud and shocking in the gritty air.
“Calling the win.”
“That means you’re dead,” Laramie said, as he reached out a hand to the body on the ground. “And you owe me a beer.”
“Dude, what’s with the backup blade?” Clasping Laramie’s outstretched hand to lever himself to his feet, Castillo gave the dirt on his fatigues a quick slap, then threw his arm over Laramie’s shoulder.
Now that the battle was won, they were teammates again. The sixteen-man platoon had split into two, each side battling “to the death” to test some new equipment. Laramie, O’Brian and Eckhart had led their side against Castillo, Morelli and Thorne’s team.
“Know your enemy. I figured your team would have some heavy hitters and I’d need everything I could bring to the game,” Laramie explained with a shrug. “That, and I saw the sheath inside the new boots and figured I’d try it out.”
“Nice.”
The two men strode off the mock battlefield, collecting the bodies of the others as they went.
“You girls call that a battle?”
The challenge bellowed out from a husky man so short that even standing there on that boulder, half the men on the team were still taller than him.
“Can I help you with your critique?” As ranking officer on the team during this exercise, Castillo’s offer was both militarily correct in tone, and a clear screw you in message. Just one of the things Laramie liked about the guy.
“Warrant Officer Murdock,” the troll-like man snapped, his words as sharp as his salute. “Here to take over CQC training.”
Cowboy All Night (Thunder Mountain Brotherhood, Book 5) Page 19