by Vonna Harper
“Jason told me you were here,” Maco had explained when he walked over to her. Instead of suggesting they go into the trailer, he’d indicated the ground. Now they sat cross-legged on the ground across from each other, separated by their folded legs and maybe a foot of space. Denim pressed against her crotch to increase her awareness of herself as a woman. Despite her mission, she loved being close to him. “Otherwise I would have stayed at the shop while the mechanics went through the loader.”
“Does that mean it can be repaired?”
Maco explained that a decision about what if anything of the engine might be salvaged would come down to money once the damage had been assessed. When they’d heard about what had happened, workers at the county’s only diesel repair shop had promised to put a rush on the work. Despite her attempts to concentrate on more than how wonderful Maco looked with his ever-present Colt, the Stetson framing his face, and his shirt sweat-stained, his words flitted around her.
“Let me know. Hopefully you have insurance to cover at least some of the cost.”
“Jason’s looking into that. We’re not sure how the company’s going to address the vandalism issue. I hope this won’t raise our rates.”
“I do, too. You don’t want to know what I pay for liability coverage.” When his gaze went to her breasts, she tried folding her arms only to wind up resting her hands on her knees. They both looked somewhat the worse for wear, hardly like a man and a woman trying to impress the other. “What does it feel like to be in control of one of those things?” She nodded at the aircrane, which now looked lumbering and tons too heavy to do anything except sit.
“I love it. In some respects it reminds me of working with a wild horse.”
His exuberance made her smile, and the life simmering in his eyes reinforced his simple words. What she wouldn’t give to watch him astride an untamed, powerful stallion. “You don’t ever feel overwhelmed? No fear of crashing?”
“It crosses my mind when it’s particularly windy, but when I’m at the controls, I understand why Andy—that’s my oldest brother—used to try to ride Brahmas.”
Maco wasn’t simply the owner of a construction company or even the man she’d had sex with. The youth he’d once been had returned. She envied what had to have been his carefree childhood. “Man against muscle? That’s the appeal?”
“Not against so much as connected with all that power.” He briefly closed his eyes. “Maybe if I say there are a lot of similarities between flying that chopper and good sex it’ll make sense.”
“Oh.” With his confession standing naked before her, she couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“You didn’t expect to hear that? What could wrapping my body around a woman’s and being surrounded by metal have in common?”
Although it took effort, she met his gaze. “Sex takes me away from the everyday world,” she admitted. “I become selfish and self-absorbed. That feels damn good.”
“Selfish? In other words, it’s all about your pleasure. If the man gets off, good for him, but it’s not your priority?”
“I plead the Fifth.” Damn, but a lighthearted conversation felt good. “Okay, admit it, when you’re about to come nothing but getting there matters, right?”
“Point taken.”
His smile said he’d learned something about her from the short exchange. Maybe more than she wanted him to. Then although she’d rather keep this line of conversation going, she took a breath in preparation for passing on what she had to.
“I didn’t want to do this over the phone,” she explained. “Bad news needs to be delivered in person.”
He leaned forward. “What kind of bad news?”
“I’m not sure.” No matter how hard it was, she had to keep her hands off him. Otherwise, no way could she stay on task. “It involves Greenspeakers.”
“Damn it, they didn’t come to your place, did they?”
“No,” she reassured him and passed on everything Rachele had told her. His nostrils flared and he clenched his teeth but didn’t interrupt.
“What a convoluted mess,” he said when she was done.
“Approaching Rachele the way they did doesn’t make much sense to me.”
“To me either. She saw right through their hard sale.”
“I need to ask you something.” Reaching out, he briefly squeezed her knee. “You trust Rachele? You don’t think she might have an ulterior motive?”
That hadn’t occurred to her. “What would it be?”
“I don’t know. I’m just trying to touch all bases. This Dyson character sounds like he’s missing a few screws.”
“Rachele says he’s no rocket scientist.”
“Which makes him an easy mark for Greenspeakers. Sounds like they have him in their clutches. He’s willing to give up his girlfriend to prove his loyalty. Damn them.”
For long minutes she’d pushed her awareness of Maco as a man to the back of her mind. Listening to his intensity, she thought back to when it was directed at her. “I don’t know what you can do with what I’ve told you. Maybe nothing.”
“I’ll mention it to the sheriff. Is Rachele willing to talk to him?”
“I didn’t ask. I don’t know what, if any, loyalty she has for Dyson.”
Spreading his hand over her knee again, he held on. “What bothers me the most is knowing Greenspeakers has learned you and I are working together. You’re exposed.”
Although she wouldn’t call their relationship working together, she didn’t bother trying to correct him. He was concerned for her safety when he needed to focus on himself and the company. “So the sheriff was out here,” she said in an attempt to redirect his thinking and get her mind off his warm hand. “What did he tell you?”
Shaking his head, Maco tightened his hold. “I wish you didn’t have to know.”
“But I do.”
“Yes, you do. For a woman, you have balls.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” And maybe someday I’ll want to tell you what it took to get to this point.
“It is.” Not taking his gaze off her, he began rubbing her knee. “He’s going to talk to Roe and his friends and try to do the same with others he knows are Greenspeakers members. A not-so-subtle friendly conversation aimed at letting them know he’s keeping an eye on them. Unfortunately, suspicion doesn’t make for grounds for an arrest.”
The weight of what he was having to deal with made its presence known in the tension in his body. She’d give anything to ease that responsibility for him. “So there’s nothing he can do?”
Maco shook his head. “Not as things stand. We’re going to offer a reward because Bill thinks greed might grease some wheels. Someone’s going to say more than he should and a greedy or broke someone else will hear. When that happens—hell, I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I don’t need this.”
“No, you don’t. I’m sorry.”
“That should be my line. Look, do you want me to work with the dogs? I don’t have much time, but—”
“I got them pretty familiar with their new turf,” she explained, resenting the have-to’s that were going to take him from her side. His cell phone had rung twice in the short time they’d been together. “If you feed and water them, that’ll make an impression on them. Then I’ll leave.”
“I wish you didn’t have to.”
That was both exactly what she wanted to hear and more than her nervous system was ready for. Discussing vandalism and suspects was easier.
“I’m not going to tiptoe around what happened between us earlier,” he told her. “We’re not a couple of kids.”
“No, we’re not.” How had her body become so heavy so fast? “What is it, acquaintances with benefits?”
“Maybe. Look, I’m going to come right out and ask. Is there a man in your life?”
“No.”
“Why not? You’re an attractive and desirable woman.”
I also have callouses, worn jeans, and baggage from the past. “I
appreciate the compliment. As for the lack of a relationship, there hasn’t been time.”
“Good. Shari, I’d like to take you out for an unfortunately late dinner tonight.”
“You would?” Stupid.
“Then, if you agree, we could go to my place.”
Her lips didn’t want to work, and her pussy pulsed against the denim prison. “For how long?”
“Can you spend the night?”
“No,” she whispered. It was the last thing she wanted to say. “I don’t want to leave Rachele there by herself.”
“If you’re concerned she won’t be safe, it’s the same for you. Darn it, Shari, get security out there.”
“Easier said than done. Besides, we’ve already had this conversation. You wouldn’t leave your business unprotected. It’s the same for me.”
“Is it? I have Bruce, Tucker, and an Original Rodeo revolver. You have Ona and a bunch of half-trained dogs.”
Determined to switch the conversation to something without the potential to put them on opposite sides of the old argument, she said, “I’m used to having my own back.”
“Because you lost your dad at a young age and had no one to turn to?”
“Something like that.”
The way he stared at her, she wondered if he could see through her clothes, but maybe that wasn’t what he was interested in. “What are you looking at?” she asked nevertheless.
“The walls you’ve erected around yourself.”
“Everyone has those.”
“Yeah, we do. Tell me something, is there anything you’re afraid of?”
“Nothing.” Anymore. “Not even spiders, needles, or the IRS. Are you impressed?”
“Awesomely so.”
His cell phone rang again. Watching him get to his feet and pull it out of his pocket, she thought back to when he’d received the news about the vandalism. She stood. If this was bad, she wanted to be eye to eye with him. Then again, sharing unwanted news might have nothing to do with it.
“You’re right,” he said after listening for a short while. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll call you back with a figure.”
“Sheriff Bill,” he explained as he hung up. “He’s calling a press conference and wants to dangle a reward in front of folks’ noses. I need to number crunch. Then, unfortunately, it’s back to work. For a while. I don’t suppose you’d stay here.”
“I can’t.”
Lifting his leg, he ran his boot over the inside of her left calf. “Later then?”
“Later.”
13
“Fifty thousand dollars,” Rachele muttered. “That’s a lot of money.”
“Let’s hope it’s more than the idiots responsible can ignore. I wish it didn’t have to come down to this. That kind of money can’t come easily for Maco and Jason.”
“No kidding. I don’t know anyone who can pull fifty grand out of their bank account.”
Rachele might have said more if the sheriff wasn’t still being interviewed by the Channel 10 reporter. As the two women sipped wine in Shari’s living room, the sheriff detailed the damage that had been done to an unspecified piece of machinery at the Graves River Dam site. Although the reporter tried to turn the conversation to the earlier lawsuits, Sheriff Bill went on to explain that his department, with the assistance of Homeland Security, had identified several people of interest and would be interviewing them.
“This wasn’t a juvenile prank,” the sheriff insisted. “Whoever is responsible has an ax to grind, which makes narrowing the suspect list easier.”
“Then you anticipate making an arrest?”
Sheriff Bill nodded, which set his trademark baseball cap to moving. “Absolutely.”
“Do you think he means it?” Rachele asked.
“I don’t know, but what else can he say?”
“You’re right.”
“We have another reporter on the scene,” the news anchor announced as soon as the reporter who’d been interviewing the sheriff had signed off. “We’re now going live to where the dam is being built.”
The words were barely out of the anchor’s mouth when the screen filled with Maco, Jason, and a vivacious young woman with ash brown hair and a microphone she kept waving between Maco and his brother. Shari had seen the youthful reporter before and had concluded she had her sights on moving up the communication ladder by combining sex appeal and smarts. Seeing her so close to Maco made Shari contemplate burying her nails in the heavily made-up eyes.
Where had that come from? She’d never been the jealous type.
“The Durant brothers were awarded the construction contract shortly after the last appeal had been decided,” Ms. Sex Appeal said. “According to our sources, there were only two other bids, perhaps because other companies were reluctant to get involved. It was their equipment that was vandalized. How do you feel about whoever was responsible?”
“Now there’s a stupid question,” Rachele muttered. “No wonder that bimbo is all over Maco. He’s one macho male.”
Although she would have preferred to listen to what Maco had to say than respond to Rachele, Shari was certain she already knew. He’d be in control, his answers short and to the point. “That’s how you see him?”
“Hell yes. I’m not dead. And his brother’s not bad either. What’s it like being around Maco?”
“He saved Ona’s life. Of course I’m grateful.”
“But that’s not all.”
“What are—?”
“Come on.” Rachele took a sip of her wine. “I’ve felt your energy pick up over the past few days, specifically a brand of energy that isn’t entirely connected to the shit that’s been happening lately. It’s about damn time.”
Her thinking going nowhere, Shari stared at Maco’s image. Ms. Sex Appeal had positioned him and Jason so the aircrane was in the background, which only added to the impression that this was a man’s world. Thanks to his cowboy persona, height, physical fitness, and surroundings, Maco looked as if he could hold his own against anything. He’d invited her to have dinner with him, followed by ...
Increased sensitivity in a particular area of her body distracted her. She couldn’t take her attention off the confident, take-charge man staring back at her from the TV screen.
“That dinner thing I told you about, I’ll be late getting back.” She didn’t look at Rachele.
“Oh? Does it have anything to do with him? Damn, but he’s hot.”
“Yes.”
Rachele didn’t say anything as Jason explained to the reporter that their construction company was behind the reward because his brother and he were determined to do what they could to put the criminals responsible behind bars.
“I like the way he put it. They’re criminals, all right,” Rachele said after the interview had ended and the anchor explained that there’d be interviews with the group opposed to the dam later in the newscast. “You told him about me and Dyson, did you?”
“Yes, of course. He was going to pass that on to the sheriff. We didn’t have time to talk about it in length. Hopefully tonight.”
“No, not tonight. For once give this shit a rest. It’ll wait.”
“It won’t for him. The sheriff’s probably going to want to talk to you.”
“We already discussed that. I’ll do what I need to, damn it.”
“Damn?”
“Dyson isn’t an evil person, at least I don’t believe he is. Say, any chance you’re going to get laid? Or should I say ridden? Damn, but I’d love to see those two on horseback.”
“Chance?” An image of sweating naked bodies clinging to each other while they thrashed about on an oversized bed took her from her living room into fantasy. The awareness between her legs increased so she could hardly sit still. “I’d say better than that.”
“Then stay the night.”
A darkened room, sexy music, masculine fingers lightly painting every inch of her flesh. Whispered discussions of what their lives had been before this moment
, honesty and openness on both parts followed by sex. Sex lasting for hours. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Flushed and short of breath, Shari brought the glass to her lips and swallowed the bit of wine that was left. She reached for the bottle. “Something might happen here.”
Rachele’s expression sobered. “You can’t get that out of your head, can you?”
I’m not going to tell you what’s in my head right now. “No,” she lied.
“All right, damn it. Let’s do this again. Maybe Ona’s shooting was an accident; maybe it wasn’t. Maybe the dogs picked up on someone skulking around last night, but maybe it was coyotes.”
Think. Concentrate. “Coyotes don’t come up to the window,” Shari muttered.
“No, they don’t. To reiterate the obvious, I’m no detective, but I’m guessing that what’s happening here and at the dam site are connected. If you don’t agree, blame Dyson and that weird Greenspeakers meeting for making me suspicious.”
“You aren’t the only one.” She moaned. “I hate thinking that someone has it in for me simply because I supplied Mustang Construction with a couple of dogs.”
Rachele stared at the TV where an ad for a car dealership blared. Picking up the remote, she muted the sound. “I’m going to call the sheriff.”
“You aren’t going to wait for him to contact you?”
“No. I want to tell him everything I can remember about what took place last night before the memory fades.”
“Good idea.”
Rocking forward, Rachele stared at the floor. “Is it?”
“What are you talking about?”
Rachele sighed. “Complications. Dyson left a message on my cell phone today apologizing for what he did.”
Her employee’s revelation made it possible for her to dismiss the sexual awareness still simmering through her. “That’s good. Proof he has redeeming qualities, right?”
“He does.” Looking sober, Rachele continued her study of the floor. “He gave me flowers several times, which is something that seldom happens to me.”
“It sounds as if you still have feelings for him.”
“I don’t know.” Rachele met her gaze. “The only thing I’m sure of is that his apology sounded genuine. Maybe he’s sorry enough that he’ll turn on the group.”