by Aden Lowe
The risk was the same every time she, or any other woman, worked or lived in relative isolation with one or more men. The smart woman took it seriously and took sensible precautions. And Kate paid close attention.
Sorting through gear and determining how to distribute weight and bulk, and ensuring emergency materials were easily accessible took up most of the afternoon. Perhaps it would have gone more quickly if Jakob handled the task alone, but he said it was important for her to be aware of how everything was packed as well. With everything safely stashed in the big panniers and smaller packs that would be attached to the big pack saddles once they were on the horses, Jakob placed everything in the horse trailer to wait for morning.
"Ready to take care of your stuff?" He grinned and closed and locked the trailer. "I assume you have animals chosen?"
"Of course." One shoulder lifted in an offhand gesture. "Two riding horses and one pack, all experienced steady horses with plenty of bottom."
"What will they do with dogs or gunfire?"
"They'll stand. I'll bring my personal gear, of course, but is there anything else we'll need besides food? I'll have to get my stuff off the ATV."
Jakob shook his head and followed her toward the equipment shed where the ATVs she'd already had prepared waited. "You saw what I'm bringing and you know the area better."
Five minutes later, they transferred her things to another set of packs in preparation for morning. All her tack and equipment for the horses had to be inspected, since something as simple as a worn rivet could spell disaster under the kind of stress and heavy conditions they were about to face. Their lives literally depended on leather straps and brass buckles.
With that task completed, Jakob stood and pressed his knuckles into his lower back. "If you'll point me to where I can get some supper and bunk for the night, I'll make it an early night and study that topo map a little, and see if I can pin down anything about the lion."
Normally a male guest would stay at the old bunkhouse with the unmarried hands, and Kate nearly sent Jakob that way, until she noticed how early it was. "I think it's best if you take the guest room in the house. You'd never get any rest in the bunkhouse with all the comings and goings and noise." Too late, she remembered there would be no one else in the house but her. Not like it made any difference though, there wouldn't be anyone else to chaperone during the hunt.
One dark brow raised, but Jakob nodded without voicing any concerns he might have.
"As far as supper, we'll have to make do with something simple. My cook got sick a few weeks ago, and I kept hoping she'd recover enough to come back, but she hasn't. I'll have to look for a replacement when we get back." Kate walked and talked, limp nearly forgotten, because he adjusted naturally without her noticing.
In the kitchen, Kate's stomach growled, reminding her it had been a long time since the quick sandwich she'd had for lunch. The contents of the refrigerator confirmed she definitely needed to find Mandy's replacement as quickly as possible. "Hmm, this is a little embarrassing, but it might have to be cold sandwiches, from the looks of this sad fridge." Figured, a man to feed and she had nothing suitable. Hopefully he was too tired to care.
She stepped back to close the refrigerator in disgust, only to collide with a hard immoveable surface. Surprised, she stumbled and a pair of strong arms righted her quickly.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Jakob's breath on the back of her neck sent a flash of heat racing over her.
Kate slipped to the side to extricate herself with a nervous laugh. "I didn't mean to run over you."
His soft laughter sent another wave of heat chasing the first. "No, I shouldn't have been right on your heels. Can I take a look?" He leaned to inspect the contents of the fridge. "Hmm, I see potential, if you'll turn your kitchen over to me for a few minutes."
Kate's turn to laugh. "If you see potential in there, be my guest, it's all yours." She lifted her hands and stepped back.
"Good." The smile he sent her way would have melted butter. "Let's make a deal then. I cook, you clean?"
"Works for me. I'd do about anything to avoid another ham sandwich."
He paused in the middle of placing items on the counter. "Anything? Even give me that kiss I nearly had earlier?" Only a faint trace of humor curved his mouth and whatever his lowered eyelids concealed, it certainly wasn't funny.
A whole flock of butterflies took to wing in her belly, and instinct made Kate try to derail the tension. "Honey, I'd kiss a buffalo for a good supper."
His eyes widened, worrying her for an instant, then he laughed. Out loud.
The sound of male laughter rumbling through her kitchen had a paradoxical effect on Kate. Rather than laugh with him, she suddenly wanted nothing so much as to kiss him.
Jakob turned back to his task, still chuckling. Kate sank to her favorite chair and watched as he concocted something, occasionally pausing to ask where to find something. She wanted to talk, to ask questions, and make plans for the hunt, but something about the way he moved kept her quiet, mesmerized.
In less than half an hour he set a steaming plate before her, with a thick grilled sandwich giving off irresistible aromas. His own plate went next, along with glasses brimming with iced tea, and a third plate filled with thick slices of fresh tomato and cucumber.
"How did you make a few leftovers and stale bread look and smell so amazing?"
"Taste it first and let me know if it's worthy of a buffalo kiss."
Kate nodded and lifted half her sandwich for a bite. Crisply grilled bread gave way to rich melted cheeses and shredded chicken, chopped mushrooms and sautéed onions. Incredible flavors exploded over her tongue and her eyes threatened to roll back in her head. "Good grief, why are you hunting lions or anything else when you can cook like this? What a waste." She dove in for another bite.
Jakob finally seemed to relax a little, as if relieved that she approved, and picked up his own sandwich. "This is nothing special. When we get back, I'll cook you a real meal to celebrate."
"Promise?"
The half hour passed far too quickly while they ate, and Kate was reluctant to leave the table and break the spell. The instant she stood, he would be reminded why he really didn't want to pursue anything with her. Eventually she would have to, though, and better sooner than before her imagination ran any further away with possibilities. Jakob stretched, reminding her he'd been tired earlier.
Kate rose and started clearing the table. "You have your map?"
"I do." He fished the folded paper from his hip pocket and spread it on the table. "Do you have a pen handy?"
Directing him to the calendar and notepad beside the door gave Kate an odd feeling of domestic intimacy. What would it be like, sharing all the little bits of her home with a man? Too bad she'd probably never find out.
Chapter Seven
Jakob lay awake a long time despite being exhausted. His mind refused to let go of the puzzle of Kate Holt. Everything about her intrigued him, from her innocent responses to his advances, to the way she suddenly went cold in the blink of an eye. He looked forward to the chance to observe and study her, to learn all those intricacies.
When he finally slept, dreams of a woman with long dark hair and light eyes tormented him through endless scenes, tempting him beyond reason. Mercurial moods went from hot to cold in a flash, leaving him desperate for more. Waking in the pre-dawn with his heart pounding and a raging hard-on striving toward orgasm warned of a short temper for the day ahead. Sexual frustration was so not his best mood.
The cool hardwood floor felt good on his feet, but refused to help deflate his erection. Kate had showed him around before he crashed, so he could shower before starting the day. At the moment, a shower seemed like a great idea. As long as he could get to the bathroom without being seen with a circus tent for underwear.
He slipped into the hall quietly and headed in the right direction. A faint sound, a moan, stopped him in his tracks. A repeat, and then another, deeper, came from
an open door directly across from the bathroom. Was something wrong? Worried, he rushed for the open door only to freeze in his tracks.
Kate's big four poster bed stood framed between two windows and her pale skin showed in stark relief against dark sheets. She moaned again and moved restlessly, rolling to her back. The snug tank top and white cotton panties she wore left little to the imagination, displaying the contours of muscle and feminine curve to sheer perfection.
When one hand dropped to those delicious panties, Jakob swallowed hard to keep from groaning his need aloud. Fuck! He clenched his eyes hard and forced himself to back slowly away from her door before his hard-on could lead him into that bed with her. Dear God in Heaven, he would never be the same again.
The bathroom door stopped his flight and he managed to get himself together enough to open it and go inside. What the hell was wrong with him? It wasn't like he was a rank virgin, to react to a woman that way. He hadn't even been forever without a woman. An old girlfriend had been happy to welcome him home.
Erection throbbing in desperation, he managed to get the water started and climb into the shower. The blast of ice shards should have eliminated the issue, but if anything, he only became harder and more needy. Stubborn, he forced himself to lather up despite the bone chilling effect, and thereby discovered an entirely new form of torture. And still his hips arched reflexively.
Biting his lip to contain yet another groan he finally allowed his fingers to circle the base of his shaft. No sense fighting the inevitable. In just a few strokes he found the right rhythm and let his forehead rest against the shower wall while his harsh breathing filled the small space. His orgasm blasted forth on one final thrust with a groan that started in the depths of his soul. He sagged against the shower wall, the image of Kate pinned under him etched on his brain forever.
A sharp rap at the bathroom door jolted his heart to a standstill. "Jakob? Are you okay?"
Fuck, that voice sent heat pooling into his groin once more.
She knocked again. "Jakob?"
"Uh, sorry. I'm okay, be out in a minute." Good God.
A moment of warmer water to rinse, and he started to feel like something that almost resembled human once more. Though he was pretty sure the next few days were going to be among the longest of his life, and the nights even longer.
He felt a whole lot safer once his jeans were over his hips, and headed for the guest room while trying to keep his mind on the morning ahead.
Ten feet ahead, Kate rounded a corner, still wearing her skimpy little tank and white panties, all that dark hair still tousled from sleep. The way her eyes widened with surprise tempted him to say boo or do something to make her repeat it.
Chapter Eight
Kate tried really hard. She did. Really. But it too much to ask. She simply could not just sit there on her horse and not glare hatefully at Jakob's back where he rode just ahead, with the pack animals and dogs strung out between them. Even with the noise created by the other animals, she still heard it clearly.
Snorting and blowing with every breath, the big black horse he'd called Ajax pranced along with exaggerated movements, big head impossibly high. Despite Jakob's assurance to the contrary, she was certain the animal would be exhausted in the first mile, useless by the end of the second. If not for the waste of time, she wouldn't give a damn, but they'd lose most, or even all, of a day just going back to get suitable horses for him. And it increased the likelihood of the lion killing another of her horses.
She had no patience for stubborn pride any time, but even less when insistence on that pride endangered her horses. Damn it, for all she cared, he could walk. She wasn't turning around to get him fresh stock when his fidgety animals were too exhausted to go, with all the energy they wasted tossing heads and high stepping. Her own pride swelled as she watched her horses proceed calmly, with an all-business attitude. They were there to do a job, not take a romp in the park.
The annoyance with Jakob had absolutely nothing to do with his expression when he spotted her scars. Really, she expected that every time someone saw her leg. It didn't matter that his shock and disgust crushed any half-formed sort of interest she might have in him. It wasn't like anything with him would ever be more than very short and light flirtation. That look just saved her the heartache of getting attached and let down. She didn't need that in her life.
An hour at a steady jog later, her horses' hides glistened with sweat. Jakob's horses had settled a little, no longer snorting and prancing, but still very animated with their heads up and necks arched. Even though they sweated, they showed no signs of slowing down, surprisingly. She might need to reassess her opinion of the breed, because they were certainly holding up better than she'd expected.
No matter what she might want to think of Jakob, she had to admit, he and that horse of his were a striking pair. Big and broad shouldered, Jakob sat low and back in the saddle with the loose-jointed ease of one born to it. Ajax, head up and eyes rolling, gave the impression of allowing Jakob only scant control, while responding to the slightest command. He was slightly taller than her horses, but his way of going made him seem far larger, looming over them.
Kate sighed. If only that drunk driver hadn't hit their car, her life would have been vastly different. Experience told her to get that thought out of her head, immediately. It could lead only to places best left closed up. A quick glance around at the landmarks reminded her of their location.
Sunny responded easily to her urge for a quicker pace, and they quickly moved around the rest of the stock and up beside Ajax and Jakob. "There's a stock tank about a half mile away. We should stop and let them drink and rest a bit for midday. It's the last reliable water until this evening."
The grin he gave her did something funny to her stomach, despite her determination not to be drawn into the fascination of him. "Sounds good to me. One step closer to you admitting my horses are better suited for this work and getting to have dinner with you and listen to Metallica."
Kate forcibly contained the little thrill that wanted to send her pulse rate skyward. "Not at all. Just being practical. It's hot, and all the animals need water. Stopping at the tank will conserve what we're carrying for later when they need it."
They rode on in silence, veering slightly from their planned route in order to reach the tank. The horses smelled the fresh water and quickened their pace in eagerness. The tops of the willow trees that had taken root next to the tank came into view, and soon, the tank itself, and the solar powered pump that kept it filled from the well.
"The dogs will drink first, then the horses can have a small drink. We'll stop long enough to let them cool down a bit and have another drink."
Kate had to admire the precision of the operation. The dogs reacted to a whistled command and drank until another signal sent them to lie under the willows to rest, and the horses moved forward for a small drink.
Sunny and Kate's other horses had their drink when Jakob led his animals over to the willows. Kate monitored their intake carefully, as too much water could result in a crippling illness or death for a hot horse, and moved them away to cool off. Handfuls of grass rubbed some of the sweat off their hides and relieved some of the heat.
Finished tending her horses' needs, Kate dropped reins to allow them to rest, and went to sit on the ground not far away. Jakob bent over his dogs, one by one, inspecting footpads and toenails for injury, and slipped each a small treat before moving to the next.
Finally, he came and dropped down beside Kate and rolled onto his back. "It's been a minute since I put more than an hour at a time in the saddle. I almost forgot how painful it can be after a while."
His groan of misery drew a smile from Kate even if she would have preferred to be annoyed with him. "It is unique, for certain."
"The closest I've come to it since leaving home is a few endless hours crossing rough so-called plains in the back of a beat-up old pickup."
"What were you doing?"
Her questio
n immediately changed his face from smiling and almost relaxed to tense and closed-off. "I was working for a defense contractor at the time. The Taliban decided they really wanted to ask me some questions I preferred not to answer."
"Taliban? Why were you in Afghanistan?"
Green eyes, gone almost gray in the softened light under the willows, watched her through a fringe of dark lashes, as if he were deciding how much he could trust her. "I was investigating claims locals had made regarding a group of this contractor's operators. Uncle Sam prefers his employees not be in league with the opposition. Someone blew my cover and I had to get out fast." He closed his eyes, like slamming the door on a nightmare, and slowly reopened them. "Your turn. What happened?" He gestured toward the general vicinity of her left leg.
Kate's chest froze up, just like it always did when anyone asked. How much of it could she trust him with, if any? But he'd answered her, given at least a sanitized version of the events. Could she do any less? "Our car was hit by a drunk driver when I was a baby. My mom was killed. By the time I was eighteen, I had more than three dozen surgical procedures, and almost two dozen actual open surgeries, on my hip and leg. They wanted to do more but I refused. Haven't gone to a doctor since. They predicted I would never walk independently, and I'm not supposed to do anything that will stress the old breaks and surgical sites."
"Yet you're out here? Doing all this?"
"That I am." Kate let her head fall back, prepared for the coming lecture.
"Cool."
She waited for him to say more. And waited. Cool? That was it? "What do you mean, cool?"
He looked at her from under that fringe of lashes again. "I mean it's cool you don't let anyone else set your limits."
Well, that was a first. And it left her at a loss for how to react. Instead, she changed the subject. "So, I take it you haven't hunted for a while?"
"A little while. I enlisted right out of school, and turns out, I have a knack for languages and I'm good at improvising. I got tapped for a special mission, and more followed. Next thing I know, I'm right in the middle of it, hot on the tail of a high-value target. But lately I've been homesick a lot, and my tour is up. I was taking leave to decide whether to re-up or not, but Uncle Frank died before I got home. Your call caught me trying to figure out what do with his animals." He fell silent and closed his eyes, leaving her to wonder if he'd fallen asleep.
