Half a Cowboy Read online

  Ashton groaned in frustration when Ben backed away. He missed Ben’s lips as soon as they were gone. “Ben… I….”

  “Not yet,” Ben told him softly.

  “Okay, but—” Ashton’s breath hitched as Ben leaned over him, pulling out the drawer in the nightstand.

  “God, I love a man who’s prepared,” Ben teased and pulled out a condom and a small bottle of lube Ashton had forgotten were in there. He groaned as Ben used his teeth to open the packet, then rolled the condom down Ashton’s length with just the right amount of pressure. Ashton whimpered softly, desperate to hold on to his control.

  Ben straddled him, reaching behind, presumably to prepare himself with slicked fingers before leaning back and slowly sinking onto him. Ashton hitched his breath as he was surrounded by heated pressure. It was almost too much, and not enough at the same time. He needed more, but Ben had to set the pace. The last thing he wanted was to hurt him in any way, so Ashton forced himself to stay still as Ben breathed deeply, his muscles clenching around Ashton.

  “Oh hell, you’re bigger than I thought,” Ben breathed, his eyes rolling, mouth hanging open. It was stunning to see, and the soft sounds Ben made were music to Ashton’s ears. Ben’s hands sent quivers of joy running through him as he held on to Ashton’s sides.

  “Just take your time,” Ashton breathed, and to his surprise, Ben began to move. He and Ben locked gazes, and Ashton took his cues from Ben, who had the most expressive eyes of anyone he had ever seen. When his eyes grew wider, Ashton thrust upward, and when they seemed to grow darker, he increased the pace.

  Ben’s breathing turned to pants, and Ashton felt his control waning. Ben had him in his hands, and Ashton loved being there.

  “Damn, don’t stop…,” Ben breathed.

  “I won’t, baby. I want to see you. Just let go for me,” Ashton pleaded.

  Ben stroked himself, leaning back, taking Ashton deeper. He held Ben’s sides, steadying him as they gave themselves over to their passion. It blew Ashton’s mind how in sync they were. Ashton held out as long as he possibly could, determined that Ben should find his release first. It required him to dig to the depths of his shattering control, but when Ben moaned from deep in his chest, clenching around him, Ashton lost the battle he’d been fighting so hard, and they both tumbled into release, a harmony of pleasure that went right to Ashton’s soul.

  He tingled from head to foot, not wanting to move. Ben seemed to feel the same way, and only when their bodies separated themselves did Ben roll off to the side to lie next to him. Ashton collapsed back onto the pillow, removing the condom and tying it off, disposing of it in the trash can near the bed. And then he smiled.

  ASHTON LAY still for hours, holding Ben as he listened for trouble, expecting it to come knocking at any moment. It didn’t help that his leg ached something terrible. Eventually he got up and pulled on boxers and a T-shirt so he didn’t flash everyone, and took a painkiller. A few of the pups wandered out behind him, and Ashton gave each of them a scratch, let them out the front door for a fast pee, and then followed the glow of a computer screen to the kitchen table.

  “See anything?” Ashton scratched his head and yawned.

  “It’s been quiet.” Guy lifted his gaze with a sigh. “We have the ranch buttoned up, but this is only half the job. We need to know what’s going on in town, if anyone is hanging around. I could bring in someone to do that, but they would be a stranger, and no one is going to tell them anything. Heck, whoever we brought in could raise suspicions themselves.”

  Ashton sighed and nodded. Guy was right. He could hole up on the ranch as long as he wanted, but if the threat was going to come from outside, he needed to have ears there too. “Let me think on it and we can talk about it tomorrow. Where is Reg?”

  “The rest of the team is sleeping. I’ll sit up as long as I can and then wake one of them in a few hours. We all need to sleep while we can so we don’t get worn out.” Guy stood and poured a mug of coffee from the pot. It must have been the last, because he started making a fresh pot. “You may as well try to sleep too.”

  Ashton nodded. “I keep wondering if all of this is for nothing. We have this place locked down tight. But what if they come at us differently… or leave us sitting here watching our backs while they do nothing at all.” Henderson had to know by now that he wasn’t going to get what he wanted. Of course, after their talk, he could get more desperate….

  “Get some rest when you can, and thanks,” Ashton said to Guy, then patted Clay, one of the recently arrived surveillance officers, on the shoulder as he walked by him on the way to the bedroom.

  “Brown-noser,” their compatriot Lisa said as she scrunched her nose and bumped his shoulder.

  “When you’re the best,” he retorted, puffing out his skinny chest.

  Lisa shook her head. “If you’re going to preen, at least have something to preen with.” She rolled her eyes but didn’t look away. Those two sometimes bickered like an old married couple.

  HIS SPACE had been co-opted by the dogs—a pile of them were lying in the spot he had left, all pressed up against Ben. They lifted their sleepy heads in near unison, and when he pointed to their bed, they sighed and one by one went back to where they should be sleeping. Ashton got back into bed, and when the medication finally kicked in, he fell into a restless sleep with disturbing dreams.

  “Ashton!” A voice intruded on his dark dream where he was running away from something he couldn’t see. At first he ran faster, trying to get away, but the voice came again, gentle and caring. Ashton stopped, and light poured into his dream along with a soft touch on his shoulder. He opened his eyes, looking into Ben’s as he stood beside the bed, dressed and ready for the day. “It was just a nightmare.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Ashton rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

  “Almost ten. Are you hungry?” Ben asked.

  “Ten? I have things to do.” A list of chores raced through his mind.

  Ben shook his head. “The horses have been fed and watered. Marcel is working at the far barn, and he’s already been out to check on the herd. Apparently Lucy is still at home, but he’s itching to get back to work. I told him to take one more day to make sure the wound has had a chance to heal.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “He swore at me.”

  “That’s a good sign.”

  “I thought so too. The work is getting done, and you need to be quiet. Clay is sleeping after being up for hours, and the others are outside checking around. They didn’t see anything all night.” Ben seemed a little nervous, and Ashton tugged him down onto the bed and held him because… well… just because. “I have some breakfast that I can heat up for you,” Ben said even as he snuggled closer. “This is nice.”

  “Yup.” Ashton needed to get out of bed and see to things, but this was too perfect. Eventually, though, his belly had other ideas, and Ben chuckled at the rumbling.

  Ashton got out of bed, pulled on some clothes, and made his way out to the kitchen, where he answered the house phone without much thought about it.

  “Ashton, it’s Marcel. We have fence down in the west pasture, with cattle roaming at will. I’ve called the guys in, and they’re on their way. Lucy insists on helping.” He growled. “It isn’t too bad. Apparently the cattle just found the opening. I’ll call if we need any help.” He hung up, and Ashton ground his teeth.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Some fence is down in the area you and I checked yesterday.” He wanted to wring Henderson’s neck. “I’m starting to think Henderson is delusional. This is my home, and I won’t be run off it. Not by the likes of him.” He grabbed his cane, hands shaking in anger.

  “I’ll go out and help them,” Ben said.

  Ashton loved that Ben was willing to help. The throaty sound of the ATV engines broke the morning quiet and then quickly faded. “I think they’re already gone.”

  Ben sighed. “Okay.” His posture slumped. “Damn, I hate feeling useless.”

 
; “Then let’s put on some more coffee. They’re going to need it when they come back.” He squeezed Ben’s shoulder and then started getting things ready for the guys when they returned.

  TWO HOURS later Marcel and Lucy had returned along with the other hands. Ben and Ashton filled them up with coffee and a hot breakfast, working easily together.

  “There’s more coffee in the kitchen,” Ben offered. Reg flashed a smile before leaving the living room, where Ben and Ashton sat after cleaning up. “I feel like this is my fault. This all started happening once I got here.”

  Ashton scoffed. “This has nothing to do with you. Henderson is an idiot, pure and simple. The guy is off his rocker.” He narrowed his gaze. “I think he’s got himself so worked up over what he wants that he can’t see straight.”

  “What else can we do?” Ben asked.

  “We stay here and wait. I’ll ask the sheriff to pay us a visit—this harassment has to stop.” Maybe it was time he and the sheriff buried the hatchet. He needed the man, as much as he hated to admit it. Ashton lightly kissed Ben on the lips. “I’m going to make some phone calls. Then when everyone is up, we’ll get together and figure out some next steps. I’m going to protect our home.”

  Ashton left the room, doing his best to keep his thoughts clear, even as he wished he could take another pain pill to stop his leg from throbbing. But he refused and went slowly to his room. There were times when he wondered if he would ever get any relief.

  “THEY’RE CHASING their tails,” Jake said as Dallas got up from dinner, snatching the bottle off the table. He had arrived back from Arizona, where his project was now progressing smoothly.

  “Excellent.” He downed his whiskey and stared out the window for a few seconds. Things were working out better than he’d planned. “They have no idea what’s going on?”

  “None. Our little distraction seems to have worked.” Jake gave him a hesitant smile. “Thanks to our new friend.”

  “Great. I’m going to let them scratch their heads a little while longer. Why not? I love a good game of cat and mouse, especially when the mouse has no idea who the cat is or what he’s up to. We’ll wear them down, and then, when I’m damned good and ready, I’ll take back what’s mine.” Maybe there was something to being patient after all.

  Chapter 7

  BEN WAS on edge. The past two days had been quiet. That should have reassured him, but it didn’t. Every morning when the sun came out, he kept looking for storm clouds on the horizon. Not that there was any indication that anything was wrong.

  The additional security officer, Lisa, had been here for a few days, and Ben liked her. She had a smile for him whenever he came into the room, and she was tough with hard eyes and a no-nonsense attitude. He sort of hoped that Dallas would have a chance to take her on, because she would give him a run for his money.

  “We have your back,” Lisa said from behind him as Ben stood at the window, facing west.

  “I know you do.” He took a deep breath and tried to let her words sink in. Lisa had asked for Dallas’s phone number, so he’d given her both—landline and mobile. One thing about Dallas—he preferred to do business the old way. He had a smartphone, but never did business on it in case he lost it and the phone was found. He knew that records could be taken from the phone, so he didn’t use it unless he had to. But landlines had their own drawbacks. “He was in Texas when I left, but that was a while ago.”

  “Well….” Lisa smiled. “He is still there. At least, he’s at that number.” She chuckled as she poured a cup of coffee. “I placed a call to him from a cell out of California last night offering to refinance his credit cards… and he answered.”

  “Yeah. He always answers with his own damn name,” Ben said. Lisa grinned. At least he felt he could breathe, for now. “But that just means he was there. It doesn’t mean he hasn’t sent someone here.”

  “I know.” She brought him some coffee. “But it’s been quiet, and maybe he has decided to move on. It isn’t like we can call and ask him what his intentions are. We’re monitoring the ranch, and the sheriff is keeping a close eye in town. He doesn’t want any trouble.”

  “Morning,” Ashton said as he came into the room, and Ben turned to smile. He couldn’t help it. Just seeing Ashton made him happy.

  “A car just pulled into the driveway,” Lisa said. “You stay here. I’m going to see what’s going on.” She stood and went to the door. “Can I help you?”

  “I need to speak to Ashton. I’m the sheriff,” he said.

  “Then why didn’t you come in an official car?” God, Lisa had guts, that was for sure. Not many people would question the sheriff when he came to visit.

  “What can I do for you?” Ashton asked, getting to his feet. “You may as well come on in. We have some coffee on.” He sat back down, and Ben shifted so he was sitting next to him.

  The sheriff pulled out the chair and sat down across from them, looking at Lisa and Reg.

  “We’ll check on things. But call if you need us,” Reg said, and they left the house.

  “It seems that one of Henderson’s hands has run off. Josiah called me this morning and said he was gone. We searched his quarters and didn’t find a whole lot, but he left in a hurry, and there was a box of shells in the very back of one of the drawers. I think he forgot them in his haste. They match one of the shells we found out here. We’ve put out a bulletin, but it’s likely he’s already out of the state by now.” He pursed his lips, obviously not happy about the discovery.

  “So what do we do now?” Ben asked.

  “We’ll keep watch for him, but I don’t think Gully Hank’s going to be showing his face anywhere around here again.”

  “Great….” Ben leaned closer, getting more frustrated by the minute. “He shoots Lucy, and before we can find him, he takes off, and now we can’t do a fucking thing about it.” He stood and went to the window. “This guy was an amateur, so he got scared and ran.” Ben whirled around. “What are you going to do about Henderson? He had the guy in his employ. And what about if Dallas decides to make an appearance? His guys are professionals, and they aren’t going to fucking miss.” Ben’s blood ran hot. After telling the sheriff about the trouble he was in with Dallas the other day, Ben would have thought the guy would take the situation more seriously. But apparently not.

  “Now see here—”

  “No,” Ben interrupted. “You don’t get it. Dallas has people who specialize in making folks disappear.” He hated even talking about him. He needed to stop jumping to conclusions. There had been no sign that Dallas even knew where he was, and someone else seemed to be behind everything that had happened so far. Ben needed to get himself under control. Things were going well, and he felt safe. Suspicion was one thing; paranoia was another.

  “I’ve already called in some additional resources in case that happens. That was what I came to tell you. So just chill, will you?”

  “Sorry. This situation is getting to me,” Ben said, sitting back down. Ashton put an arm around his shoulder.

  The sheriff leaned across the table. “You are safer here than you are anywhere else or on your own. Ashton has military skills that none of my people have, and we couldn’t afford half the security gear he’s installed at this place.” The sheriff actually looked at Ashton with a bit of envy. “If anyone shows up that you don’t know, all I ask is that you call my office before you start shooting.”

  Ashton nodded. “You know I’ll do what I can, but I’m going to protect my ranch and the people on it.” He drew Ben closer, and a lump formed in Ben’s throat that he tried to swallow. It was nice to know that Ashton included him in that statement. “But I only have so much firepower, and if he comes at us and turns this place into a war zone, what then?”

  Sheriff Holmes nodded. “Contrary to popular belief, people didn’t always settle their differences in the old west with a gunfight. They happened, sure, but not nearly as often as some folks think. And I’m sure as hell not interested in hosting
the modern-day version of one.”

  “Then what do we do?” Ben asked. “We don’t really know where he is. Lisa called him on his landline yesterday acting as a telemarketer and he answered the phone, but we can’t continue to keep tabs on him that way. Dallas will become suspicious.” Lisa’s call made Ben feel a lot better, especially since he believed Dallas would play an active role in getting him back.

  Sheriff Holmes slowly sipped his coffee. “There has to be something more to this than just the fact that he wants you back.”

  “I agree,” Ashton said. “Ben, you’re a wonderful guy, but you must know something… or at least he thinks you do. What sort of things did you hear or see when you were in his house? People coming and going? Maybe him meeting with someone he shouldn’t have? Maybe…? You already told me that you think he killed someone.”

  Ben didn’t want to talk about Dallas right now. He’d expended enough effort worrying about him. But Dallas was still out there, and while it looked like Ben had gotten away, it was good to be prepared. “Yeah. But I didn’t see it and can’t prove anything. That’s the problem—I never saw anything. Dallas only does business in his office, and I was hardly ever in there. I didn’t get a look at his papers or shit like that. All I wanted was to get away from him.” He was so frustrated.

  “Just take it easy. What sort of people came and went from the house? Do you know names, or can you describe them?” Sheriff Holmes asked and pulled out a notebook.