by Francis Ray
“Aren’t you going to be busy?” she asked sweetly.
“I’ll make the time.”
“Don’t bother.” Her hands dropped to her sides. “Please assign Henderson or Conner.”
“They’ll be busy.”
Skylar looked ready to blow, but he wasn’t finished with her. “Keep the lock on at all times. If one of my men passes and the red light is not on, I’ll be notified and we’ll have a talk. Same goes if I pass and it’s not on. I can guarantee that you’re not going to like having that conversation.”
Her gaze sharpened to pinpoints of fury. “I think we’ve already had that conversation.”
“If Dakota decides he wants you to come in tonight, call me. If not, have a good night.”
“You’ve made that impossible!” She went into the room and slammed the door.
Rio lifted his hand to knock on the door and remind her about arming the lock just as it flashed red. If he ever got any gray hairs, Skylar would give them to him.
* * *
“Rio, I’m fine, but can you please come to my room?”
“On my way.” Replacing his cell phone, Rio left the control room fifty-seven minutes after his and Skylar’s last conversation. He knew she’d gone to the kitchen and eaten.
He stopped in front of her door and knocked. He really didn’t know what to expect, but at least the red light was on.
Skylar opened the door and stood aside for him to enter. As soon as he did, the door closed. “Dakota said I could view the tapes tomorrow after one.”
“We’ll leave after the last delivery.” She could have told him that on the phone. There was something else she wanted to say.
He waited until she worked it out in her mind—he owed her that. A lot had been thrust on her. She wasn’t used to being in danger. Danger was all he’d ever known.
“I don’t want to go to bed with us annoyed with each other. My parents had the same philosophy—of course, look what happened to them,” she finally said.
He heard the misery in his voice. It tugged at him. “My decisions were for your own safety.”
She blinked, then blinked again as if fighting tears. “You were going to send me away.”
“Nothing is as important as your safety,” he said, trying to keep his voice flat and for the first time failing.
She walked to him, curved her arms around his waist, rested her cheek on his chest. “I was so angry with you.”
He should have stopped her; he easily could have. He pulled her closer, his hands sweeping from the top of her head to the middle of her back. “You said annoyed.”
He felt her body shake. She lifted her head. “Did you just make a joke?”
“I don’t want you to take any chances.”
“I’m not stupid.” Her eyes narrowed.
He didn’t want them at odds, either. Anger made one reckless. “No, you’re not, but sometimes we can underestimate a situation.”
“Meaning my skills against his?”
“Meaning, for whatever reason, you’d rather put yourself out there than let me do what I’m trained for,” he said as patiently as he could.
She moved away from him. “So I’m supposed to wait on you? What if that’s not possible?”
The thought of her facing a determined attacker made his blood chill. “Do you have any athletic clothes?”
She frowned. The question had obviously thrown her. “I think so.”
Now he was the one frowning. “Didn’t you pack?”
She glanced away. “Mother came to visit and helped. She’s a firm believer in exercise although I can take or leave it. Mary was kind enough to help me unpack.”
Rio put his hands on his hips. “You had five suitcases and a trunk.”
Her chin went up. “I was more concerned with bringing clothes that a certain man would notice.”
“I did,” he admitted.
She launched herself at him, laughing and kissing his face. “You can certainly work my last nerve, as a friend of mine would say, but you can also make me very happy.”
He just shook his head. “Meet me in front of the room across from the command center at eight thirty tomorrow in something you don’t mind getting wrinkled.”
“Since I know you aren’t kinky, you probably want to test my technique.” She kissed his chin. “Why don’t we start now?”
He pulled her arms from around his neck. “Eight thirty.” He left. Outside, he waiting until the light blinked red. Yep, gray hair for sure.
* * *
Saturday morning, Skylar arrived promptly at eight twenty-nine at the room in front of the command center. Thanks to her mother, she wore a gray warm-up suit and tennis shoes. Mary remembered exactly where she’d placed them. Skylar was ready to show Rio she could take care of herself, thanks to her uncle and his friend. At eight thirty, she knocked.
“Come in.”
She opened the door to the room. There was nothing in it except a weight bench, Rio, and Conner. Rio wore jeans. Conner had on sweats. She felt a pang of disappointment. She had been looking forward to getting her hands on Rio’s body again. “Good morning.”
“Morning, Skylar,” Conner greeted.
Rio, back to being stoic, nodded. “Conner will test your defensive skills.”
She walked to within a foot of Rio. “Why not you?”
“I’m observing.”
Her eyebrow lifted. She wouldn’t dare call him chicken, but she hoped the brow said it for her.
“We’re ready when you are,” Rio said.
He’d gotten the message. Good. “Are there any rules?” she asked.
“Rules?” Rio repeated.
“Yes, rules. My uncle said in a fight for your life there were no rules, so I could do this”—she poked two fingers toward his eyes. When he caught her hand as expected, she went lower. He caught that one as well and simply held both hands. “Eyes and family jewels, as Grandmother Carrington delicately called them, weren’t off limits.”
He released her hands. “Today they are.”
She shrugged, tossed her jacket aside, and sat on the padded floor to remove her tennis shoes.
“You can leave them on,” Rio said.
“He has his off. Besides, a kick to the face with a shoe hurts.” Finished, Skylar stood and went to Conner.
“We can do simulation,” Rio said. “I just want to get a sense of your skills.”
Or lack thereof, she thought. “Conner, how do you want to play this?”
“Play this?” He frowned, his gaze going to Rio.
Skylar blew out a breath. “You know, I come home one night and you’ve somehow managed to pick my lock and I go to the closet to hang up my jacket and you jump me, or I get into my car without checking the backseat and you try to strangle me, or you try to snatch my—”
“Skylar.”
“Yes, Rio. I’d turn, but you should never take your eyes off your opponent.”
Conner put his hands up to his mouth and glanced away. Skylar started to attack, but decided that wouldn’t be fair.
“Now.”
Conner grabbed both her arms. “Rio said family jewels were out. Right?”
His hands loosened a fraction and she slapped both of her hands on his ears. He came back with a slice of his hand. She blocked the maneuver, sent the heel of her hand into his nose, then winced.
“Stop.” Rio advanced on her. “Are you all right?” He picked up her hand and examined it.
She looked at Conner. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
“You didn’t,” Conner said with a smile. “You have some good moves.”
“That’s all, Conner. Thanks.”
The man quietly left the room. Rio released her hand. “I might have known. You don’t have the killer instinct.”
“Tell that to Freddy Haines. He didn’t take no for an answer, and his family jewels and I got acquainted in a way he didn’t expect,” she said with satisfaction. “You try to hurt me or someone I care about, and
it’s an entirely different story. No holds barred.”
She had the narrow-eyed look that said Proceed at your own risk. He believed her. “Little warrior.”
She flashed the smile that tugged at him and plastered her lips and her incredible body against his. His arms around her small waist, he lifted her off her feet. Immediately her long legs wrapped around his waist, her tongue stroking his in a hot, torrid kiss.
“My brain fuzzed.” She grinned. “Let’s do it again.” She lowered her head for a second helping of pleasure.
Rio sat on the bench. A strategic mistake. It placed Skylar’s breasts too close to his mouth, her woman’s softness too close to his throbbing manhood. The woman kissed like she had waited a lifetime to taste him. It was like holding a live wire: You understood that laying it down was potentially just as dangerous as continuing to hold it.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Her brain wasn’t the only one not clear. He had to stop while he could. He stood with his arm wrapped around her waist and pushed one of her legs down, then her other leg. “Stop that.”
“You started—oh, my! You’re holding me up with one arm,” she said and rubbed the tip of her finger across his lower lip. “I guess you know some of the women at Navarone headquarters have monster crushes on you. Blade and Shane are taken now, but they still get the look, too.”
“Skylar—”
“I know we’re not headed for the altar, I just want to enjoy this time with you.” She curved her arms around his neck again. “I never thought I’d be this close to you. Kiss you.” Giddy with happiness, she kissed him on the lips. “The last delivery today is scheduled for noon. What do you say, after we leave Dakota we come back here and grill those dogs? Maybe afterward take a walk?”
“Skylar.”
“Nobody has ever said my name the way you do sometimes.” She ran her finger over the frown lines in his forehead. “With exasperation and tenderness.”
“Skylar.”
“Just like that.” She kissed him again.
He placed her on her feet. “What if we don’t have any hot dogs?”
“I’ll check. We can stop at the store on the way back. We’ll even pick up some extra for your men, maybe some vegetables to grill. It will be fun. You’ll see.”
“I guess.” Concession wasn’t the same as surrendering.
Squealing, she kissed him again. “I’ll cook you breakfast.”
He set her firmly away from him. “I have to check on a few things.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You need to have more fun, just as Sierra said.”
Sierra had mentioned the same thing to Rio in so many words, but she’d added, So you won’t have time to interfere with my life. Two seconds later she was apologizing and was actually cooperative for three whole days to prove she was sincere. He understood. She wasn’t used to being restricted in her movements.
“Plan on eating before we leave. Watching the tapes could take a couple of hours,” Rio finally said. “It can be boring and tiring.”
“You’ll be with me, right?”
“Right.” He or one of his men would be with her until he was certain no one posed a threat to her.
“Then I won’t be bored or get tired.” She quickly kissed him on the lips, picked up her tennis shoes, and went to the door. “If you finish early, you know where to find me.” The door closed after her.
* * *
Rio didn’t get a chance to have breakfast with Skylar. He’d just arrived at the tent when Skylar came out of the castle’s front door in one of those dresses Rio guessed she’d picked out so he would notice her. He’d have to be blind not to.
The temperature had dropped last night and had only come up a few degrees. The chilly air wasn’t enough for him or his men to change the way they dressed. They were used to being in the elements. Skylar, however, had a different idea.
Her hair was pulled back from her exquisite face in a ponytail. Onyx-and-silver earrings dangled from her ears and stopped inches from her shoulders. She lightly bounded down the steps in black leather boots with five-inch heels. The boots zipped in front, the top disappearing beneath a long-sleeved, slim-fitting red-and-black dress that was zipped in back from neck to hem. Both made a man think about how ridiculously quickly—with just three tugs—he could have her undressed and in bed.
She gave him that little grin he was learning to be suspicious of. “Good morning, everyone. This is going to be a glorious day. I just feel it.”
“Good morning, Skylar,” his men greeted.
Skylar took her seat and opened her iPad. The hem of the dress slid up her thighs. Rio caught himself watching to see how far the leather of the boot went and if he’d see naked flesh. Aware of what he’d been doing he turned away, then whirled back around to see if Conner or Henderson had been doing the same thing. They were staring toward the garage, the opposite direction to the road.
They looked. Rio felt his temper spike, then just as quickly cool. So had he. The Man With No Name had taught him to look inward before he judged looking outward. They were men, not robots. His men. They depended on one another for their lives. Skylar was a beautiful woman.
His gaze went to her. She looked up, gave him that smile that made him think about how fast he could unzip those three zippers. He’d bet she had thought the same thing when she packed the clothes. She was waging an all-out campaign against him, testing his defenses.
She’d find them impregnable. He knew his face wasn’t inviting. It didn’t appear to matter to Skylar. She winked, put her finger to her lips, turned it toward him, and went back to her iPad.
They weren’t you.
She wasn’t interested in any other man except him. Rio crossed his arms and scanned the grounds. He sighed inwardly. All right, so they weren’t so impregnable. The Man With No Name had also taught him to be truthful with himself. Only then could he find the courage to face any situation.
He wanted Skylar. He could admit that and, more important, he could control the desire to have her. If, and it was a big if, the time came and they became lovers, it would be a mutual decision and with a clear understanding that it wasn’t forever.
She was a valuable employee. She often worked closely with Blade. Rio didn’t want her to feel awkward when they saw each other again after it was over—if it ever began.
No matter what she said, Skylar wasn’t the easy-affair type. He doubted if there had been many men in her life. She didn’t kiss like it, though. She put her whole body into making a man’s blood heat, his body ache with wanting.
Skylar Dupree was a dangerous woman.
He saw the delivery truck and left the tent. He felt Skylar three steps behind him. He kept walking until he was four feet from the edge of the stone driveway. Skylar stopped beside him.
He caught a whiff of the orange blossom and amber fragrance she wore. She usually stayed beneath the tent and waited. Seems, as she said, she was ready to do some touching and was reminding him.
But what about afterward?
* * *
Skylar stood beside Rio. She might as well have been invisible. He never glanced her way, just kept his gaze on the approaching delivery truck.
She hadn’t thought Rio would easily yield, but she was finding that that was what made their getting to know each other so interesting and fun. She actually admired him for his restraint. He probably knew she was his for the taking, but he hadn’t acted on it. His first priority was caring for the estate, but he also was concerned about her safety.
She mattered to him. And he’d shown her. It was a big step for Rio, and she wasn’t going to take it lightly.
When he’d reverted to the old uninterested Rio after she came outside this morning, she just remembered him holding her so tenderly, his passionate mouth on hers, hers on his.
She’d caught him looking at her when she sat down. Her stomach muscles had clenched at the blaze of desire in his eyes.
“I wore this for you,”
she said softly. “You’re the reason the day is so wonderful for me. You.” Louder she said as the delivery van came to a stop in front of them, “I’ll get my iPad and be ready when you open the boxes.”
She passed Conner and Henderson on the way back to the tent. They could have hung back for any number of reasons. She wasn’t sure Rio wanted his men to know their relationship had changed. She’d try to be circumspect, but she wasn’t sure about her willpower where Rio was concerned.
The man just did it for her.
* * *
Rio’s conclusion that Skylar was a dangerous woman proved correct as the morning lengthened. She was in a playful mood, laughing and joking with the men, teasing and flirting with him. Every chance she got when she thought his men weren’t looking, she’d touch him or rub against him. If he took an item inside, she’d offer to go “open the door” or help.
Rio would have put a stop to her tempting him, except for two things: He liked seeing her smile, and he knew looking at the tapes would bring back memories of the night she was followed.
He placed the sculpture that Phoenix Bannister-Grayson had delivered by special courier on the table as assigned. Morgan’s wife was world-renowned as a sculptress. This piece was very sensual. It was of a man standing behind a woman, his arms around her waist, his lips against her neck. Her arms were folded over his, her eyes closed, her head leaning to one side.
Skylar walked up beside him. She reached out a finger and traced it over the arms of the couple. “My paternal grandparents wanted to bid on this piece. You can feel the love and happiness of the couple. Pure Bliss is aptly named.”
“That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
She stepped in front of the sculpture and faced him. “I want you, however and for as long as I can have you.”
He shook his head. “That isn’t you.”
She glanced toward the closed door, then placed her hands on his chest. “Have you ever wanted and waited for something really important for a long, long time, hoping for a chance to have it? But each day you seemed farther away than the day before, until you were almost afraid to hope any longer?”
A true friend, he almost said. “Yes.”
“Did you ever get what you wanted?”
He’d met Blade and Shane in training for the Army Rangers. They’d known almost from the first that they would be lifelong friends. “Yes.”
