Heat spread outward from her lips, fanning across her face, traveling down her neck, and descending further still.
She thought that would be the end of it.
A chaste kiss after the harrowing ordeal of her rescue, but his tongue pressed against the seam of her lips, demanding to be let in. And she obliged.
She opened her mouth in sweet surrender. He swept in, claiming with bruising aggression, as he took and plundered.
Her gut told her she shouldn’t let a man she just met kiss her with this much passion. There were many things about it that were wrong. Most concerning was her recent separation from Scott. There should be a mourning period before she allowed herself to fall under another man’s spell. Dax’s tongue slid against hers, bringing a gasp to her lips. The way he held her, gentle yet powerful, had to be one of the most intimate things she’d ever experienced.
She cracked an eye open and looked across the field at the stony countenance of her father.
Arms locked over his chest, her father pivoted and went inside.
Was he getting his gun?
Chapter 14
Dani
Dax left Dani in the horse barn and went to return the bull to its pasture. While she removed the saddle from Honey’s back, she brushed the pads of her fingers over the puffiness of her lips. His taste lingered there, coiling deep into her soul.
A kiss from Scott had never tasted that sweet, felt that overwhelming, or had the power to sweep her off her feet. In Dax’s arms, beneath the press of his lips, something fundamental shifted within her heart. It was as if a steel band encircling her heart sprang loose, releasing all her pain. Relieved of that burden, warmth poured in. Dax’s essence rushed into the crevices and cracks of her broken heart, healing her from the inside out. Was such a thing even possible?
She never imagined a force of such aching beauty. Splaying her fingers over her chest, the slow Lub-dub of her heart beat with not only the knowledge it was true, but with a sense of becoming whole.
Honey whinnied as Dani led her to her stall. She gave the mare a few treats before securing the latch to the stall, shutting her in for the night. When Dani turned around, a shadow fell across the opening of barn doors.
“Danielle.” Her father stepped into view, his tough features hidden by the bright light shining behind him.
“Hi.” She smoothed her hands on her jeans and stepped toward him. Straw crunched beneath her boots and dust motes danced in the sunbeams streaming through the cracks of the barn walls.
“Who was that you rode back with?”
A rhetorical question, he had to know the answer, but she played his game.
“That was Dax.”
“Why were you on his horse?” He took a long look at her. His astute gaze travelled from the crown of her head to the tips of her boots.
She couldn’t help but shift beneath that gaze and gulp at the hard tone of his words. He made her feel as if she’d done something wrong. She swallowed against the lump forming in her throat and glanced down.
“He helped me.”
“You don’t need help riding, Danielle, and that’s not an answer.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“That depends.” He shoved his hands into his deep pockets and rocked back on his heels. His hard gaze held her captive, and his stern expression hinted at a lecture to come.
“Depends? What do you mean by that?”
“He’s not for you.”
“But—”
Her father held up a hand. “Dax won’t be around for long. He’s moving through and not someone you should get attached to.”
“What does that mean?”
“A man like him isn’t for you.”
“Why would you say that?”
“I want you to be careful.” He stepped close and took her hands in his. Running his thumbs over the backs of her hands, his voice lowered and turned serious. “I know things between you and Scott are difficult right now, but you have your future to think about.”
“Things between Scott and I aren’t difficult.” She couldn’t believe she had to explain this. “They’re over. I thought you understood.”
“I understand you’re both dealing with a lot of stress, but you and Scott have history together and a future stretching out before you. He comes from a good, solid family, a family which can help ours.”
“Help ours?” She pulled her hands out of his. “What does that mean? Help us? Are we in some kind of trouble?” That didn’t make sense. Her father’s cattle operation had been running strong her entire life.
Their land had been in the family for generations, and they’d run cattle on it from day one. The land always turned a profit, but the shadows in her father’s eyes said otherwise.
“Daddy, is there something I need to know?”
He sucked in a deep breath and spun around. Digging his fingers into the thickness of his hair, he paced. “Nothing that needs to concern you, but don’t throw your future away on someone you don’t know.”
“If you’re talking about Dax, I think there’s something real there.” She clutched at her chest, feeling the warmth of Dax’s kiss simmering inside. “I can’t describe it, but it’s nothing like anything I ever felt for Scott.”
“Scott is a solid man.”
“Who cheated on me.” Her hands curled into fists and heat rose to fill her cheeks. Why was he arguing with her?
“Who made a mistake.” He spoke, but wouldn’t meet her eyes. That wasn’t like him. Shoving his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, he gave a slow look inside the barn. He examined everything, surveying the state of the barn without once looking at his daughter.
Slow and steady, his tone urged her to consider the unthinkable.
“Do you want me to be unhappy?” She didn’t believe that was the case, but the Scott he welcomed as his future son-in-law wasn’t the man she knew the bastard to be. Scott might care for her, he might still, but he made a huge mistake, and not just once. In her mind, it was unredeemable.
Her father spent his entire life protecting her. Some would say overprotecting her, but his heart was in a good place. He wanted only what was best. What did he know about Dax that she didn’t? Was there something she needed to know?
It was possible.
Her father hired Dax. Maybe there was something in Dax’s past which concerned her father? Either way, she couldn’t get past what Scott had done.
She stamped her foot. “Scott cheated on me with his first cousin. How can you take his side?”
“I’m not taking his side, but I’m asking you to think about things, think about your future before you throw everything away. People make mistakes, just be careful you don’t make a mistake that Scott won’t be able to forgive. A spring break fling isn’t proper, and it’s not the way to get back at your fiancé. It could ruin everything.”
“What do you mean ruin everything? There’s nothing to ruin. Scott is out of the picture and that’s that.”
“I just want you to think about your future and the security Scott can promise you.”
“He can promise me a lifetime of heartbreak never knowing if he’s cheating on me. You can’t want a man like that for me. Please, Daddy, tell me that isn’t so.”
“Love isn’t everything. He comes from a wealthy family. That’s not something you should walk away from. Security like that is worth a little forgiveness. You’re a smart girl. Think about it.”
“I don’t need Scott’s money. Once I graduate and get my business up and running, money won’t be a problem.”
Her father told her not to worry about the cost of her education. He always said he would handle it.
“Starting a business costs money. That’s an investment I don’t have.”
“I can get a loan.” She’d mortgage her future to see her dream become a reality.
“We already have loans.” Shadows fell across his face as he glanced at her. Yet again, he refused to look her in the eye. That wasn�
�t like him and sent a shiver fluttering down her spine. A lightness settled in her belly when his features sagged, telling a story she didn’t want to hear.
“Is something wrong?” It felt like he was keeping something from her.
“No honey…” He ran a shaky hand through the unkempt mop of his head. “It’s just your school was more than I thought. I needed to borrow against capitol for the ranch and those loans need to be paid back.”
“You did what? I could have taken out loans. I can still take out loans. All I have to do is go to Student Aid…”
“I have the money, Dani, but it comes with an agreement, obligations we can’t back out of.”
“I don’t understand.”
He breathed out a deep sigh and turned toward the door. “You shouldn’t have to worry about this. I told you I’d take care of you, but you’ll need to step up and do what’s expected. I’m sorry, Dani.”
“What do you mean?”
He shook his head. “What’s done is done. We need to think about what happens next. Think about what Scott can do for you. What his family can do for us. He’s not a bad man, just one who stumbled. All men make mistakes, but he’ll be good to you in the end. I’ll talk to him and explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain, daddy. I’m not understanding why you’re pushing Scott on me. I like Dax.”
“You need to leave Dax alone. He’s a drifter; a wounded man. It’s charity that I gave him work at all.”
She sensed greatness in Dax, not something broken. Her father was wrong, and she would show him how very wrong he was.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“All I’m asking is that you give it time. Don’t do something you’ll regret, at least not until I have a chance to sort things out.”
She wasn’t sure what there was to sort out, but her father seemed to think her future rested in his hands. That may have been true growing up, but she was a year away from graduating. Finances tied her to her father, an unfortunate situation which shouldn’t be a problem. There was something she was missing, and she would get to the bottom of it.
Dani brushed passed her father, jerking out of the way when he tried to grab her arm. She stomped outside and looked around. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Dax.
Not wanting to appear needy, or have her father’s troubled gaze follow her, she went into the house and called her good friend. There was a chance Caitlyn knew something she did not.
“How’s it going?” Caitlyn’s bubbly greeting brought a smile to Dani’s face, replacing the frown from the barn.
“It’s been an interesting day.”
“Really?” Caitlyn’s voice rose in pitch and Dani could practically see her friend leaning forward for something juicy.
“I met someone.”
“Yes?”
“You remember that guy from the diner?”
“Flat tire guy? The one who left you on the side of the road? The one you couldn’t stop drooling over at Marge’s?”
“Okay, okay. That’s enough, but yeah, that one.”
“That guy really knows how to fill out a pair of jeans.”
“Doesn’t Caleb get mad when you check out other men?”
“Oh no, he knows where I sleep, but tell me about your guy. How interesting is interesting?”
“Well, I thought he was a cattle thief.”
“You know he works for your dad?”
“Well, I do now.” She explained about seeing the campfire last night and tracking him down.
“You saw him naked!” Caitlyn gave a squeal through the phone loud enough that Dani pulled the phone from her ear. “Is he as hot naked as I’m imagining?”
“Yeah.” A flush heated her face. Dax was more than hot. He had one of those bodies women drooled over.
“So, when you say naked…is that full frontal or just the ass cheeks.”
“Caitlyn!”
“Well, a girl has to know. And like did he cover up or let you look?”
“It wasn’t exactly like that. He was in the water.”
“Oh, you mean shrinkage.”
“No. Not that.” There had been no shrinkage and she’d seen him fully erect. “I pulled a gun on him.”
“Holy shit! You don’t mess around.”
“Well, I thought he was stealing daddy’s bull, and I was already kind of pissed at him. But I didn’t really get to see anything until after I fell.”
“Fell? What do you mean fell?”
She explained about the edge of the bluff giving way and Dax’s rescue.
“You should have seen him, Caitlyn. He was amazing.”
“I just want to know if he put clothes on before or after he strapped you to his body?”
She blushed fully now. That visual led to only one thing, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit she’d like a little closer contact with Dax.
They talked about her ordeal. Caitlyn screamed and squealed as she dug for all the juicy bits. Dani told her about the kiss.
“I bet he’s a good kisser.” Caitlyn sighed through the phone. “Men like ours usually are. Caleb knows him. Did you know that?”
“No. How so?”
“He said they ran a few missions while they were on active duty. He was medically discharged like Caleb. That man is a Para Jumper, special ops and medical. You two will be perfect together.”
“Really?” She sat on her bed and crossed her legs. “Tell me. I know nothing about him.”
“How about you bring him over for dinner? Then we can grill him together and it won’t seem so obvious you’re digging for information. Caleb said he invited Dax over, but Dax can’t come until next Friday. You think you can get him over here this weekend?”
“I’d love to, but I bet my dad is keeping him busy, and honestly I bet he tries to keep us apart. He really wasn’t happy when he saw us riding back together.”
“Why’s that?”
Dani explained about the very odd conversation with her father.
“What about the Spring Fair? It’s going on this weekend. We can get together. The men can do their cattle thing while we hang out. Then we can tag team and interrogate Dax.”
“Interrogate?”
“Sounds more fun than ask questions. Besides, he’s one of those special ops guys. I’m going to ask Caleb tonight what he knows.”
“Do that, then tell me everything.” Dani glanced out her bedroom window and watched her father walk toward the house. Head bowed, he was deep in thought.
“Look, daddy is coming in for supper. You talk to Caleb and I’ll work on tomorrow.”
“Gotcha. Let me know how it goes.”
“I will.” Fortunately, her father had to go to the Spring Fair. It’s where all the deals were made for the coming year. He wouldn’t miss it. All she had to do was make sure Dax went with him.
Chapter 15
Dax
Dax returned Studer’s bull to its pasture. The ordeal with Dani took most of his morning, putting him hours behind in his work. He went back to the sweltering heat and herding cows, loving every minute of the backbreaking work. Dynamo lived up to his name as he buzzed around the herd, nipping at their legs and using his short yippy bark to gather them as he desired.
They worked well as a pair. Dax identified a heavy and used his horse to separate it from the herd. This went against the cow’s instinct which was to seek protection with others.
Dynamo keyed in on the chosen cow, snapping at the legs of the others to move them away. Together, they separated the heavy, corralling it into the near pasture closest to the calving barn. Cows dropped their calves in the fields, but if a cow had difficulties with the birth, they would guide her into the barn and help the process along.
He worked with one of the other ranch hands, a silent man named Henry, who tended to keep to himself. A longtime resident of the local area, Henry didn’t trust newcomers and had given Dax a wide girth until Dax proved his worth. They worked in relative peace ever since.
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As the sun sank below the horizon, the sweat on his back chilled. Days were hot. The nights could be brutally cold. Winter was not done with this land, but had yet to showcase one of its infamous Montana springtime blizzards. There would be frost on the ground come morning, but hopefully no snow.
With the day drawing to a close, he tipped his hat to Henry saying goodnight. While Henry sought the seclusion of the barracks, he and Dynamo headed out to the fields where they would spend another night under a star-filled sky.
Light streamed out from the windows of the main house, leaving him to wonder which one looked into Dani’s bedroom. Something shifted within him, and he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind, or his mouth. Her sweet taste lingered on his tongue. It was probably his imagination, but her essence seemed to surround him all day.
That kiss.
From the moment he first saw her, a protectiveness toward her rose within him. It’s why he waited to make sure that flat got fixed, and how he found himself bumbling like an idiot in Marge’s diner asking for a dog treat for Dynamo.
His teammates would have something to say about his behavior because he’d never met a woman he couldn’t walk away from. Hell, some women he ran away from, clingy women who thought one night meant they were soulmates forever.
He always laughed at that—soulmates—but he wasn’t laughing now.
There was something wrong, a pain in his chest, a yawning emptiness which gutted him from the inside out. Dani’s absence made him desperate to seek her out, if only to see what she might be doing.
That kind of obsession made zero sense, because he wasn’t that kind of man.
“Come ‘Mo!” He barked at Dynamo. It was time to head out for the night.
His preference for sleeping outside had more to do with avoiding the other ranch hands in the barracks than anything else. The itchy anxiety which had been growing inside of him eased with solitude and the noisy barracks didn’t give him that.
Dynamo cocked an ear and gave a low woof when Dax angled his horse back toward the main house.
What the hell was he thinking?
Dax: Military Heroes (The One I Want Series Book 4) Page 11
