Against the Edge (The Raines of Wind Can - By Kat Martin Page 0,65
back. It was long and jagged, puckered as if it had been treated by an amateur rather than a professional. And there was another scar on his thigh.
“I know you were injured when you were in the SEALs. I noticed the scars. How did it happen?”
He didn’t answer for so long she thought he might not. Then he released a slow sigh. “We were in the Philippines. Lot of terrorist action there. I can’t say much about it, just that the mission went south and I wound up in the hospital for a couple months. I couldn’t do the job—not the way I wanted—so I left and eventually wound up here.”
Claire leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. “I’m glad you did.”
“Me, too.” Ben moved to deepen the kiss but Claire broke away.
“You need to rest. Tomorrow we’re going into the office to work with Sol. We need to be sharp when we get there.”
“I’m going into the office.”
“I’m going with you.”
He came up on an elbow, his pale eyes fixed on her face. “Tell you what. We both need a good night’s sleep. I know how to make that happen.”
She didn’t protest when he kissed her, came up over her, slid himself deeply inside. They made love again, slower this time, but in a different way just as intense.
Ben Slocum was a force to be reckoned with, a man she already cared too much about. A man who left a trail of broken hearts, and hers would surely be among them.
Claire sighed into the darkness. She would worry about that tomorrow, she told herself as she curled against his warm, hard-muscled body and listened to the sound of his deep, even breathing.
But the worry was there, tugging at the back of her mind, keeping her awake. Claire sighed into the darkness. At least one of them would be getting a good night’s sleep.
Nineteen
By the time Ben’s eyes cracked open at seven o’clock the next morning, Claire was already dressed, waiting impatiently to leave for his office. He yawned and hauled his ass out of bed, way later than usual for him.
It had only been a little over a week since he’d been released from the hospital. He wasn’t completely recovered, he had to concede, but he was getting stronger every day.
Claire had toast, eggs and coffee ready when he padded into the kitchen, freshly showered and dressed in jeans and a dark blue lightweight sweatshirt with a Houston Texans steer head on the front. Though he waited all through the breakfast, she didn’t mention the heated night they’d spent together, and neither did he.
They were back to the same old pattern, pretending nothing had happened. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the night before—not that the sex hadn’t been great. Better than great. Still, he hadn’t had a serious relationship with a woman since Laura, and he didn’t want to go down that painful road again.
They left the house and Ben drove the short distance to his Atlas Security office in the University District, arriving a few minutes after 8:00 a.m. The bell rang above the door as they walked into the reception area.
“Hey, Ice! You’re lookin’ good, man.” Sol Greenway was the first to greet him. Tall and rangy, with a goofy grin, longish brown hair and horn-rimmed glasses, the computer whiz kid was a major asset to the company.
“You remember Claire.” At one time or another, they’d all been by the house to check on him, all been introduced to Claire.
She leaned over and kissed his lean cheek. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you, Sol, for everything you’ve done.”
A little shy with women, Sol’s face turned red. “Hey, no problem. Ice is back on his feet and we’re just getting started. I’ve got some new ideas. I figure if we all put our heads together we’ll find this chump and Ben’s kid.”
Annie walked out of the employees’ lounge just then. “’Bout time you quit loafin’ and got back to work.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling Claire, but she can be almost as pushy as you.”
Annie laughed and turned to Claire. “So His Crankiness hasn’t run you off yet?”
“Not yet,” Claire said, grinning. Clearly the women liked each other. Which was never a good thing for a single man.
Trace walked out of the conference room in his usual cowboy boots, Western shirt and jeans, Jake right behind him in a dark brown suit, probably working a protection detail.