Half a Cowboy Page 17

  Ashton’s eyes filled with amusement and then darkened. “How about we just make love.” Ashton kissed him hard, and Ben’s consciousness narrowed until it was just him and Ashton. Nothing else mattered. As the events of the day receded just like he hoped they would, his mind was filled with peace and passion. What an amazing combination. “Close your eyes,” Ashton whispered.

  “Why?”

  “I want you to just feel. Let go of whatever you’re holding on to.” Ashton stroked his chest and then moved his hand down Ben’s arm.

  “Okay,” Ben breathed and slowly sank into the glorious sensations that built with each touch until it seemed as if his skin was on fire, anticipating every coming touch. He wanted more, and Ashton pushed him higher as Ben arched his back, gasping when hands became lips that surrounded him, gliding down his cock, stealing his breath away. “Don’t stop.”

  “I won’t. But you need to keep your eyes closed. Listen, feel, touch, but turn off your sight and revel in your other senses.” Ashton kissed a path up his belly and chest, swirling his tongue around a nipple, then scraping lightly with his teeth.

  Ben gasped and stiffened, waiting for what was going to come next.

  Ashton seemed to come and go, and Ben had no idea where he’d be touched, licked, and teased next. It was deliciously captivating and as erotic as anything he had ever experienced. “Ashton,” Ben breathed through quick inhales as he held on to his wavering control.

  “Say it again,” Ashton breathed.

  “Ashton,” Ben said softly. “Cowboy… strong… passion… man….” He swallowed hard. “Mine.”

  Ashton stilled and his weight shifted. Ben slowly opened his eyes and found Ashton staring into them. “You want me to be yours?”

  “Of course I do.”

  Ashton rolled off him and onto his back. “Ben, that isn’t a good idea. I know you and I have been sleeping together, but am I enough?”

  “Ashton?” Ben lay still as death next to him. “Don’t you want me? Won’t you at least give this, whatever is between us, a try?” His own voice seemed disconnected. Ben wondered how he could have read things so wrong. Maybe Ashton was just being nice and a fucking stubborn cowboy unwilling to let anyone else win. Maybe he didn’t really care about Ben after all.

  “Of course I do,” Ashton said. “What I don’t understand is why in the hell you’d want me. I can’t walk without a cane, and it isn’t like things are going to get better. I can only do limited work, and I can’t even ride a fucking horse. If you stay with me, you’ll be saddled… so to speak… with a cripple. And you deserve more than that. A lot more.”

  Ben rolled his eyes. “You can shovel shit faster than your horses can poop it out, you know that?” He wanted to slug Ashton hard, but that would only leave him in more pain. Maybe a good slap upside the head would knock some sense into him. Ben sat up. “And you don’t listen very well either. Maybe your leg isn’t your only problem. Maybe you’re hard of hearing too.”

  “No, I heard you. I just find what you said hard to believe.”

  “Then you’re a fool.” Ben flopped back on the mattress. “The biggest fool I’ve ever met.” He rolled over until he was on top of Ashton. “Now get this through that thick cowboy head of yours. I know what I want, and this whole ‘my leg is messed up’ thing is getting old. If you don’t have the guts to be with me, then say so. But don’t use your stupid fucking leg as an excuse. Do you hear me?” He glared into Ashton’s eyes. He had no intention of backing down.

  Ashton shivered under him, and Ben knew his message had finally penetrated Ashton’s steel-hard skull. “Okay.”

  “Good. Does that mean we aren’t going to have any more bullshit conversations like this?” Ben smiled.

  Ashton nodded without breaking their gaze. “We may have to have them, but I’ll try to remember for the future.” Ben liked the amusement in Ashton’s voice. It meant that he had gotten through to him. “I guess I… sometimes I don’t feel whole.”

  “So what? You are, and you need to see yourself that way.” Ben rocked his ships back and forth. “Now, cowboy, are we going to talk and possibly say stupid things or…” He paused as Ashton sighed. “…do I get a chance to ride you?”

  Ashton’s breath hitched, and Ben had his answer.

  BEN WOKE in the middle of the night. No illumination shone through the windows except for the lights on the barn. He pushed the covers down, slipped out of the bed, and pulled on his clothes, his body aching in the best way possible. He left the room, following the dim light to the kitchen table, where Clay sat at his computer. “Is it quiet?”

  “Yes. There’s nothing happening right now, though….” Clay brought up another window and replayed one of the videos. “Look.”

  He turned the computer, and Ben watched where Clay pointed on the screen. “There’s a bobcat prowling around. I don’t think he’s a threat to any of the cattle, but I’m keeping an eye on him.”

  “What will you do?”

  Clay smiled, and suddenly a light flashed on and off. “That’s from the camera.” The bobcat took off toward the woods at the edge of the property. “There’s another world out there at night.” He turned the screen back. “What are you doing up?”

  “Couldn’t sleep.” Ben poured himself a glass of juice and sat down. Poochie wandered into the room. When Ben slid his chair back, the dog jumped into his lap and settled right down. “You do this sort of thing all the time,” he said to Clay. “Have you ever seen anything like this?”

  “We set up systems like this for lots of homes in LA. People there need this kind of security. But I’ve never been in a situation where someone was being threatened, like this one.” Clay continued watching.

  “Have you known Ashton for a long time?”

  Clay shook his head. “I’ve worked for him and Reg for about two years. Mostly I work with Reg, but Ashton was the one who hired me, and I liked him right away. He doesn’t suffer fools, and he’s a straight shooter. According to Reg, he always has been.”

  Ben nodded. “So he doesn’t play games?” He sipped his orange juice.

  “Other than poker sometimes, nope. Ashton is one of those men who is exactly what he seems to be. What you see is what you get.” Clay pushed his computer back on the table. “He’s always told me what he wants, and expects me to deliver it. There’s never a hidden agenda or ulterior motive.” Ben nodded and finished his juice. “Why are you asking?” Clay asked. “Has he given you any indication otherwise?”

  Ben shook his head. “If something is too good to be true, then it usually is.” Lord knows he had found that out in spades with Dallas.

  “In this case, if it’s too good to be true, then hold on and never let it go, because it’s the real deal.” Clay lowered his gaze to the computer, and Ben got up, lifting Poochie in his arms, and said good night to Clay. He let Poochie outside, where the dog went potty before rushing back in. Then Ben took him back to bed with him, placing the dog at the foot of the bed and snuggling close to Ashton.

  “THIS ROLLER coaster has got to end,” Ashton said as they sat together at the breakfast table the following morning.

  Ben agreed with him but had nothing to offer on how to bring it about. “I wish the police would just find Dallas. That would end this.” He pushed his plate away, not really hungry. “I really need to go for a walk or something.”

  “Have you ever ridden a horse?” Lucy asked.

  “No. Why?”

  “I have to check on one of the herds, and the best way to get there is on horseback. I’d take you with me, but if you can’t ride….” Lucy finished eating and excused himself. “I’m going to check on the barns and then the herds. I’ll be out for a lot of the day.”

  “You shouldn’t go alone,” Reg cautioned.

  “I’ll go with him,” Lisa volunteered. “I know how to ride. Let me get dressed for the cold.” She left and quietly went down the hall. Clay was sleeping after being up all night.

  “I’m going to
take the dogs for a walk,” Ben announced. He left the table and went to the bedroom to pull on the warm clothes Ashton had given him. He called the dogs, and they all bundled around him as he headed outside into the yard.

  The air was clean, crisp, and cold, but it felt good to be out of the house. Ben hurried over to the barn and helped Lucy with some of the chores inside. It gave him something to do, and it was a chance for him to be helpful. The pups kept them company, mostly settling on one of the blankets after running around in the snow.

  “They sure like you,” Lucy said as he lugged a bale of hay and cut the ties. “So does Ashton.”

  “I like to think so,” Ben said as he helped distribute the hay to each of the horses, talking to each one and giving each inquisitive nose a gentle stroke. These huge creatures had also found a place in his heart.

  “Are you going to stay?” Lucy asked, pausing in his work. “You’re a city boy, and our lives out here don’t have any of the conveniences you’re used to. No clubs, no nightlife. It’s just work and more work.” He hefted another bale and placed it against one of the stall walls for easy access later. Ben had noticed that there was almost always a bale there in case it was needed.

  “Why would I leave?” Ben asked, stilling his hands by sliding them into his pockets.

  “Really?” Lucy dropped a second bale on the first and glared at Ben as though he had done something wrong. “You want to give up the life you had for hay, horses, cattle, and shoveling shit out of stalls.”

  Ben narrowed his gaze. “You do it,” he countered.

  “Yeah, I do. But I was born out here, and I love being a cowboy. There are things about this life that are better than anything else in the world.” Lucy motioned, and Ben followed him to the window in the back. “See those mountain peaks? You won’t find them anywhere else, but I get to see them every day. And spring out here is stunning. But the work doesn’t end, ever.”

  Ben nodded and wondered what exactly Lucy was getting at. “Why are you telling me all this?”

  “I’m trying to make sure you know what you’re doing. Ashton is a good boss, and this probably isn’t my place, but I don’t want to see him hurt.”

  “So you want to warn me off?” Ben asked, getting a little pissed at Lucy’s line of questioning. He didn’t think he deserved the third degree. What happened between him and Ashton was their business.

  “No. I want you to look at the world around you. Ashton cares for you. That’s obvious. But if you aren’t going to stay, or if you decide that this life is too hard and you leave in a year, it will devastate him. Ashton is the kind of guy who builds a home and nests. This ranch is that nest, and he seems to have included you in it—just like he did with Marcel and me.” He paused. “Look, if you’re going to leave, do it when this shit is over and don’t drag it out. That will only hurt him worse.”

  Lucy turned away and returned to work, lugging bales of hay, while Ben silently carried buckets of water.

  He continued working until Lucy said they were done and that he was heading to the other barn with Lisa.

  Ben went back to the house with the dogs trooping along behind him.

  “What do you want?” Ashton’s voice cut through Ben’s thoughts. “Just go away and leave him alone. Do you understand?” The phone dinged as Ashton smacked the receiver back in the cradle.

  Ben tensed as he came into the kitchen. “Was that Dallas?” He hated to even ask. When Ashton nodded, Ben pulled out a chair and slumped into it. “I really thought he might have given up by now.”

  “No. He sounded—desperate. Maybe even out of control.”

  Ben stared at the phone as though he expected it to ring again, but it stayed silent.

  Ashton stuck his tongue out. “I think I need some whiskey or something to get the taste of his bullshit out of my mouth.” He shook his head. “One thing we do know… it’s pretty obvious that he’s becoming unstable.”

  Ben and Ashton both turned when Reg came into the room. “I was able to get the call traced to a cell phone,” he said. “It looks like the call originated somewhere near Denver, Colorado. I just passed the information on to the sheriff, who promised to get it to the various agencies. He told me to expect a call from federal investigators.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful,” Ben groused, then wished he hadn’t. Whatever put Dallas behind bars only made him safer. And now he knew that Dallas was a state away. Still, it was closer than he would have liked. “Maybe they’ll help.”

  “We can only hope.”

  “The sheriff said to expect a call soon, but those guys do things on their own time. Still, I don’t think they’ll take too long to contact us.”

  Ben figured any information that he could provide would be good for the investigators and great for him, because stopping Dallas from getting closer would keep them all safe. “What did Dallas say to you?”

  Ashton relayed the brief conversation. “He seemed rattled and erratic, going from threats to trying to reason in a few seconds.”

  Reg nodded. “I think this might help confirm our suspicions that he’s using. There are plenty of drugs that create those kinds of mood swings. If he’s using those to try to cope with the perilous position he’s in, then when he comes down, he’s going to act like a rabid dog.” He paused. “There’s also the possibility that he’s perfectly in control and his call had a specific purpose.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful. Why can’t the damned drugs make him feel good all the time so he will leave me the fuck alone?” Ben was tired of all of this. “You know what they do to rabid dogs, right?”

  The house phone rang again, but Ben didn’t want to answer.

  Reg went over and picked up the receiver, then handed it over to Ben. “It’s the feds.”

  “They didn’t waste much time.”

  BEN SPENT a good hour answering the agency’s questions as best he could. Then he put Reg on to explain about the call and how he’d traced it. By the time they all hung up, Ben was exhausted and wanted a damn cigarette. Too bad he didn’t smoke. “At least we told them everything we know.” He pushed his hand through his hair. “I hope it was enough for them to catch up with him.”

  “I doubt Dallas is still there,” Reg pronounced. “If I were him, I’d have made the call and then moved on. But then, I’m not crazy.”

  “Dallas definitely seems crazy.” Ben groaned softly. “I wish to hell I knew where he was now and what his plans were. He usually doesn’t do his own dirty work. But with him on the run, who knows?”

  Ashton leaned over the table. “I hate to say this, but no matter how he reacted, I think he’s on his way here. If he knows the phone number, then he knows where we are.”

  Ben sighed. “Nothing has changed.” He should have known that Dallas would never give up. He certainly hadn’t in the past. All he had discovered from today’s call was that Dallas’s cheese had fallen off his cracker—which probably made him an even greater threat to them all. If Dallas wasn’t thinking rationally, that only increased the chances of him lashing out and hurting someone.

  “No. Except we know he’s closer, and so do the feds. Hopefully they’ll intercept him before he gets here.” Reg got up and called his team together in the living room. Ashton stayed in the kitchen.

  “Go on with them,” Ben said.

  “But….”

  Ben patted Ashton’s hand. “I’ll be fine. Poochie will keep me company. Besides, I’m still not used to getting up at six thirty in the morning.” Though he wasn’t going to complain about the fresh air. He lifted Poochie into his arms, figuring he would lie down for a little while and let the others discuss strategy.

  “Ben, come on in here,” Reg called, so Ben changed direction, taking Poochie into the other room with him.

  “What can I do?”

  Clay wiped his eyes. “If my calculations are right, I suspect that Dallas could be here as early as tomorrow or the following day. He can’t fly because that will put him in contact with transp
ortation officials, so he’s going to be driving. Chances are he’ll pass through town and probably stop there before coming here. He might even get a room somewhere, so the sheriff is passing out pictures and information to all of the hotels and motels in town.”

  Reg cleared his throat. “I have two more people on their way. I’m going to post them in town to keep a lookout for Dallas. I know it’s a long shot, but if we’re lucky and he isn’t hiding who he is, then we might just spot him and get the authorities to move in before he reaches the ranch.”

  “And if he does get here?”

  Reg turned to Ashton. “We have weapons, and I don’t intend to let him get too close. If we see him or his men, don’t be afraid to fire. They mean us all harm, and we have the right to protect ourselves.”

  “Wait!” Ben cried. Everyone turned to him. “I don’t care what you think. You are not going to fire on just anyone who pulls into the yard.” He met Ashton’s gaze.

  “Of course not. However, we will not wait for someone else to start shooting. If we see a gun, we open fire. Is that understood?” Ashton asked firmly, and all the others nodded. “I won’t be responsible for killing an innocent bystander. So we’ll be careful.”

  Ben nodded. “But I don’t want any of you hurt.” God, this was nerve-racking. What he really hoped was that Dallas wouldn’t come at all, but that was more than he had a right to expect. Especially since Dallas knew where he was.

  “Don’t answer that phone under any circumstances now,” Reg said, and Ben nodded. Reg got up and left the room, returning a few minutes later. “The ringer is off, so it will stay silent. If you have to make a call, use this cell.” He tossed him a phone.

  “What do we do if we spot something?” Ben asked.

  “Raise the alarm.” Reg glanced around the room. “But I want this clear—no one is to panic. We can fully expect some sort of diversion when Dallas and/or his men come. I don’t know what it will be, but they will want us looking east while they come at us from the west. So let everyone know, and Ashton or I will determine what action needs to be taken.”