“Oh,” she replied, picking up her brush and working alongside him.
Everything was quiet. Jasper slurped at some long strands of grass but was otherwise content to stand quietly while they groomed him. The sounds from the kids nearby were muted and soft. Mia felt hot and could tell that her cheeks were flushed as she worked next to Carter.
Having him this close was actually unnerving. She was trying her best not to think of how nicely his arms moved, or how good his jeans looked, or even just how he made her feel warm and tingly. She was becoming twitterpated and she knew it. The worst part was that she could feel her attraction to him growing with every moment they were alone together.
“Here,” he offered, handing her the stiff brush. Their hands touched briefly and Mia gasped. His touch was electric and sent desire and heat straight down her spine and into her toes. She hadn't been expecting her reaction to be so strong for such a simple, accidental caress.
She looked up and straight into Carter's eyes. They were so blue and held a smolder that made her insides go gooey. It didn't help when he gave her a cocky half-grin that told her he knew exactly the effect he was having.
“You're doing great,” he told her. He leaned toward her, tucking his head as though he might kiss her. Her back went against the fence post and every inch of her hoped that he would press her against the post and kiss her senseless. Yet, at the same time was nervous. It had been a while since she'd let someone other than kids into her life. Plus, she wasn't exactly feeling sexy and desirable. She was covered in horse sweat and grass, but then again, so was he.
She was past simply wanting a kiss. She wanted him to press her up against this fence post and take her completely. Even then, that might not be enough to put out the flames of desire growing in her core. If he didn't make a move, she was going to.
Instead of kissing her, he simply reached and put a grooming brush on the fence behind her before stepping back and out of her reach. Her heart was going a million miles an hour with the possibility, and it hadn't happened. Did she imagine the attraction between them? They'd come close to a kiss in the barn, but that was a week ago.
“Looks like you've got this under control,” he said, his voice low and gravely. He smiled that cocky grin again that told her he knew exactly the effect he was having and was enjoying teasing her with it. “I'll see you next week.”
He stepped back, leaving her wanting so, so much more. She was practically panting with wanting more. She watched, open mouthed as he sauntered away, nodded to the kids and went to speak with the security guard coming up the path toward him.
The stiff brush fell out of her hand. She'd forgotten that she'd even been holding it. Jasper nickered at her that she wasn't done grooming him yet.
Mia shook herself, trying to break the spell Carter had just put over her. She still ached to feel his touch, to taste his lips, and to release this energy. She reached down and picked up the brush, watching him walk away. She couldn't have wanted him more if she tried.
Chapter 11
Carter
The piece of fabric hanging from Carter's porch fluttered in the slight breeze. It would have been picturesque, if not for the words “YOUR FAULT”, which were written in what could either be blood or red paint. Carter hoped it was paint.
Carter's hands shook as he came back into the house. He no longer felt safe here. He felt like running to the nearest police station and simply taking up residence. But he was done running. Whoever was doing this was going to chase him across the globe. It was best to stay here, where he could control things and make plans. He held the high ground, even if it didn't feel like it at the moment.
“Are you okay, sir?” Brian asked, coming up behind him.
“I'm fine.” Carter already knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight. The dreams of fire were already in his mind.
“The bomb squad says that it would never have gone off,” Brian informed him. “The threading on the head of the pipe bomb wasn't tight enough.”
“That's comforting.” Carter turned from the open door and took a deep breath. The discovery of a pipe-bomb on his front porch with the note attached had him rattled. The fact that it wouldn't go off didn't bother him nearly as much as the fact that his enemy had gotten yet another bomb within killing range. “What other leads do you have? I want this to stop.”
“We're working on it, sir. The arrest the police made last week obviously wasn't the main perpetrator. Whoever did this was smart,” Brian told him. “They knew how to get past the cameras using reflective material. All that shows up on the film is a giant white spot.”
The two of them stared out at the front porch as the security team buzzed around like angry bees trying to find who had broken into the hive. Carter was going to have to give a large gift to the Denver bomb squad for their assistance in removing the bomb without alerting a news team.
“And they got past the manned patrols,” Carter added. His voice was hard, but inside he was scared which was exactly what the person doing this wanted. He was determined not to show how much this intrusion unsettled him. This wasn't supposed to happen here.
“I'm the head of security, but I have no idea how they got it on the porch without triggering an alert, sir,” Brian said quietly. His voice was low and dangerous. He obviously didn't like not knowing. “I'm looking into it possibly being an inside job.”
Carter looked out at the empty spot on his porch. That was an unsettling idea. Who would keep him safe from his own security team? “Who found it?”
“Johnson. Ben Johnson,” Brian replied. “He's one of the newer guys, but he came with a lot of recommendations. I doubt he had anything to do with this.”
“Was it his patrol?”
“No, sir. This side of the house is mine. I don't trust anyone else with it.” The big man's face grew hard and his shoulders somehow increased in size right in front of Carter's eyes. “This is personal now, sir. They messed with the wrong man. I won't let this stand.”
“You know I trust you, Brian.” Carter put his hand on Brian's shoulder. Brian was the only person Carter trusted with his security. He'd known him almost his entire adult life and the man had literally taken a bullet for him. Carter knew in his gut that Brian was going to get to the bottom of this and destroy whoever was terrorizing the ranch.
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