Overheated (4 page)

Sara was a little alarmed with herself that she was not trying harder to assert her independence. Surely a thoroughly modern woman who had run halfway across the country to get away from a controlling man should balk at having her life overtaken by another one, but even she could see there was a difference between the two men.

In the past months, Dash had often asked her opinion about business matters, politics, and every subject under the sun, and seemed to love it when she infrequently disagreed with him. He teased and reassured her, encouraged her to try new job capabilities, and never downplayed her talents.

Today she had discovered that he gave himself freely for her pleasure, and was deeply concerned for her emotional wellbeing.

But when it came to security, he knew his business and he didn’t back down. He just steamrolled over any and all protests to do what he knew was right. She was free to argue all she wanted, but it was made perfectly clear that she would be following his instructions to the letter, anyway. He was knowledgeable and persistent, almost arrogant in his certainty that his way was the best way.

He was infuriating, Sara thought, but she didn’t fear him. She could see that his instincts were good, his plans thoughtful and sound. He was closely observing her, she knew, waiting for the inevitable protests against his high-handedness, but she didn’t feel like protesting at the moment.

It was a novelty for her to spend so much time with a man and feel nothing but pleasure in his company. She wanted to explore these delicious new feelings with the man causing them. She didn’t know where it could lead, but she was going to find out.

* * * *

Dash glanced over at Sara periodically as he drove. He didn’t speak, trying to give her some space if she needed it, and it seemed she did. They had been on the road for half an hour with nary a word out of his reluctant passenger. A few gentle sighs kept his cock interested, but there was no conversation.

He almost snorted at his own thoughts. It had to be the first time in Dash’s history that he had wanted a woman to talk more.

But Sara was a mystery to him. How a woman with her gentle nature had managed to escape and elude a stalker for months, uprooting her whole life and recreating it in another state, was a question he continued to ask himself. It showed a strength she didn’t seem to realize she had.

She was damned smart, he knew, and it had saved her so far, but she would not be able to keep running for the rest of her life. The idea enraged him. He was going to make certain the man tormenting her was caught and put away so Sara could choose to live the life she wanted.

He wanted her to choose a life with him.

“We must be getting close to your ranch,” Sara said, turning slightly to face him.

“We’re on the ranch. That last turn marked the boundary,” Dash said. Was that pride in his voice? “This is my property, mine and my partners’.”

Sara shifted in her seat, twisting so she could look behind them. “Already? How big is it?”

“It’s big. Big enough for three men who need a lot of space.”

“Isaac and Grange?”

“Yeah, we own the ranch and the business jointly. Since the days in the Rangers, we’ve developed a close bond. If I had to choose brothers, Isaac and Grange would be my brothers.”

Sara was suddenly still, and Dash could almost hear her mind racing. The rumors. Of course she would have heard stories of their wild escapades. And he couldn’t deny them, since most of the stories were true. Hell, the rumors weren’t a patch on what they’d actually gotten up to. They had always been adventurous, highly sexual, and they had openly shared their women. The men didn’t brag about it, but some of the women did. It wasn’t a secret.

In recent months, Dash had been pulling away from the sharing, but he knew Isaac and Grange were still partners in that way as well. They probably always would be. Although they had been slowing down some lately, as well. Maybe they were all reaching an age where they would settle down a bit, stop raising hell and start raising kids.

He glanced over at Sara and his cock hardened, pushing aggressively against his zipper. He could do kids with Sara. He really could. Just the barest thought, and he was straining and sweating like a stallion, wanting to drag her into his home and keep her beneath him until the first of those mythical children was created. But first, he had to reassure her of her place in his life.

* * * *

“We shared women,” he said. “I know you’ve heard it, and it’s true.” His voice was dark, slow, and seductive in the intimate space of the vehicle. “Sara, you need to know that I won’t share you. You’re not part of that. I wouldn’t ask you to be part of that.”

She had thought about it, worried about it, kept her distance in part because of it. But now, she only felt a perverse sense of disappointment.

“Is it because you think I’m not sexy like the women you shared? I know Nina at the office was one of them. She talks about you three all the time. Carolyn tries to get her to stop, but she...talks.” Sara tried to make her voice even, but she knew it came out achy and needy. “You don’t have to answer that,” she tacked on hurriedly. Suddenly, she wanted the conversation over before this gorgeous man began to list her shortcomings, or worse, was kind to her about them.

Dash whipped the truck around a stand of trees, pulled up to the house and cut the engine. He released her seat belt with a snap and she was dragged into his arms. His hot mouth silenced her cry of surprise, tongue pressing in, stabbing and retreating, making her melt. One hand fisted in her long hair and the other gripped and kneaded her buttocks sensually, causing her panties to flood. She groaned aloud into his mouth, swept into the whirlwind of sensation he created.

Dash was devouring her as if he couldn’t get enough, would never get enough, and she loved it.

* * * *

“Sara, God, baby, if you were any sexier, I’d come just looking at you.” He groaned, kissing down her throat, nuzzling under her ear. He tried to slow them down, made an effort to still his roving hands. He wanted her to feel how special she was, to feel cherished in his arms, but if he didn’t quit now, he’d have his dick inside her in thirty seconds flat. She drove him that high, that fast. And it was the same for her. He could feel it, could sense the rise of passion in her, and it made him wild.

He wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head into his neck. Stroked her hair. Tried to remember the security men watching the house and forget his aching erection.

“You’ve already had more of me than Nina ever did. She chased us, baby, and caught a one-night run. She wasn’t an employee of ours at that time, either. I’ve never considered a replay, and neither have the guys.”

Sara was rubbing her face against him, scenting his skin.
 
She had a tiny smile on her face and her utterly natural sensuality was driving him mad.

“Sara, honey, you’ve got to stop doing that. I’ll do you in the front seat, baby, if that’s what you want. But I really don’t want any of the security men seeing you. They’re all over the place here. I think Grange called in half our guys from other assignments to augment the system we already have in place.”

Sara gulped, raising her head and pushing at him frantically. “Let me up, you crazy man. I don’t want anyone watching, either.” She straightened her skirt and top, popped back into her own seat. With her hand on the door, she turned back to fix him with a cool stare. “And don’t think you can snow me. I know that if Grange populated the ranch with extra security, it was because you ordered it, you—you closet dictator.”

Dash barked out a laugh.

“I’m a
real
dictator, honey. I never tried to hide that. I’ll keep you safe, Sara, whatever it takes.”

Something in his tone must have reached her, for she looked back into blazing blue eyes.

“Whatever it takes,” he said again. She paused, searching his eyes. Then she nodded slowly.

He came around to her side of the vehicle and opened the door for her, holding out his hand. When she placed her smaller hand in his larger one, he turned and led her up the steps and into his home.

Chapter 5

“Carolyn must think Sara will just move in for good,” Isaac complained, heaving the second large suitcase into the kitchen of Dash’s house. Dropping it to the floor with a thud, he looked around the darkened kitchen. “Where is Sara?”

“She’s having a bath.” After a quick meal of soup and sandwiches, she had immediately gone upstairs to the tub. “Apparently, she loves bubble baths and hasn’t felt safe having one at her apartment lately.” Dash almost put his fist through the wall at the thought of Sara giving up so many pleasures, great and small, just to survive.

“Man, I can’t wait to hear the reason why a bachelor has bubble bath in the house.” Isaac was grinning.

Dash threw his friend a dirty look. “You’ve seen that huge shoulder bag Sara has. She says she carries ‘the essentials’ with her at all times, in case she has to run again. She’s been terrified.”

Isaac sobered. “Yeah, terrified, but smart. She’s still thinking, planning. She’s still alive.”

Both men had seen too many women in their careers who had ignored the warning signs, made excuses for men, stayed too long in abusive relationships. The women who survived were often deeply scarred, but far too many didn’t survive. The stats were shocking. For men who cherished women, enjoyed their company, their soft bodies and complex minds, men like Dash and his partners, the reality was something they fought to change every day. One woman at a time.

Isaac helped himself to a beer from the fridge. “Dash, man, you need to know when we went into Sara’s place, that tiny bird was still on the bed. Its head was twisted half off. It’s fucking sick. We bagged it for evidence, called David down at the Sheriff’s office, and he did up a report.” He took a deep drink from the bottle. “Carolyn was feeling it, Dash. She’s strong, but—”

“But she’s a woman and Sara is her friend.”

“Yeah. This son of a bitch knows how to get to a woman, how to torture her. He’s dangerous. I’m not sure Carolyn should be involved.”

Dash snorted. “You gonna be the one to tell her she can’t be involved?”

“Shit.”

“Anyway, she suggested a decoy at Sara’s, someone turning lights on and off, just being there. Along with surveillance outside. And making sure they drive to the office every morning. Visible, not accessible, until we can lay a trap.”

“That needs a woman willing to decoy for a psycho, Dash. Not so many of those, even in security work.”

“Carolyn volunteered.”

“No.” Isaac slammed his beer on the table. “Hell, no.”

Dash held out both hands. “Relax. I have a different plan. The decoy wouldn’t work, anyway. Carolyn’s so much taller. And Sara walks differently.” He smiled and glanced involuntarily toward the stairs. “I want her, Isaac.”

Isaac laughed. “Yeah, I got that. But she works for us. That could make things really awkward when it’s over between you.” He sounded genuinely concerned, but his voice had an edge.

“It will never be over,” he answered simply. “I’m keeping her.”

“She’s already got a stalker, man,” Isaac said pointedly. “That job has been filled.”

Unexpectedly, Dash laughed. “That did sound bad, didn’t it? Her choice, Isaac. If she wants to leave, once she’s safe, she can leave.” He looked at his friend and brother in arms. “If she decides to stay, it’ll be permanent.”

Isaac watched him. “Does she know it?”

“She will,” he answered complacently.

Isaac just shook his head, laughed, and waved his way out the door.

Dash took the stairs two at a time, eager to get to Sara. Damn, just thinking of her in a tub full of slowly disappearing bubbles was keeping him on the edge of arousal. Isaac, the bastard, had seen it, and his knowing smirk had been almost too much to take.

Pausing at the bathroom door, he listened carefully. Nothing. He pushed the door open slowly, wondering if Sara had fallen asleep in the warm water. He would have a hard time getting her out of the tub without waking her if that was the case.

* * * *

Sara stood on the mat, clutching a fluffy towel to her chest. “You could knock,” she said crisply.

“I didn’t want to wake you if you had dozed off.”

His consideration took the fire out of her complaint. “I was falling asleep. That’s why I got out,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to drown myself by accident.”