Against the Edge (The Raines of Wind Can - By Kat Martin Page 0,78
many were there?”
“I counted fifteen men. All camo’d up. The place is like a fortress. Twelve-foot hog-wire fences. Some kind of alarm system that runs off a generator. The men take turns walking the perimeter. They’ve got a shooting range, smokehouse, root cellar, meat-drying rack, vegetable garden. They’re definitely self-sufficient. Aggie was the only woman I saw.”
She read the turmoil in his face, his fear for Sam. His anger.
“The good news is, the bayou side is open. They see it as a line of defense, kind of like a moat around a castle. It’s part of their food source, their way of life. And they’re right. It’s practically impenetrable. It was a bitch getting in and even harder getting out in the dark. But it can be done.”
“Maybe so, but I don’t see how you can do it alone. I think we should call the sheriff.”
Ben shook his head. “No way. Not until Sam’s out of there. After we’re out and he’s safe, they can go in after Troy and Hutchins.”
“You saw Hutchins in there?”
“I saw Troy but not Hutchins. I overheard a couple of guys talking. Apparently a few of the men were out hunting. One of them could be Hutchins.”
He took her hands, colder than they should have been. “You okay?”
She wasn’t. But Ben had enough on his mind without worrying about her. “I’m better now that you’re home.”
His eyes remained on her face, then he turned away. “I’m going in to take a shower. I smell like a swamp.”
She watched him walk away, his face still streaked with black, his features hard. He had never looked more in command, more a soldier, more a virile male, than he did tonight. She had never been more aware of him as a man.
She watched as he stripped off his clothes, noticed the puckered scar low on his back, the one on the opposite side that was pale and barely healed, the long legs, narrow hips and round buttocks. Naked, he walked into the tiny bathroom and turned on the shower.
She shouldn’t have been aroused, but she was. Her mouth felt dry, her skin tingled, moisture collected between her legs. If the shower had been bigger, she would have joined him.
It was a bad idea. Ben was exhausted. He was worried about what would happen tomorrow, just as she was. She reached back and unfastened the gold clip at the nape of her neck, shook out her hair, took off her clothes and pulled on her nightshirt. The shower went off as she walked barefoot over to the counter and turned on the tap, poured herself a glass of water.
When she turned, she saw him standing in the bathroom doorway, a towel slung low around his hips. Water beaded in the dark hair on his chest, glistened on his pecs, thick biceps and six-pack abs.
Her heart was beating, drumming in her ears, her breath coming fast and shallow. His eyes were the color of hot blue flame as he strode toward her, and she knew he’d read the hunger she felt for him.
He stopped in front of her, caught the hem of her nightshirt and peeled it off over her head. He was still in battle mode, all hot-blooded male. She felt a surge of arousal so wild and wanton it made her dizzy.
“If I take you tonight, it won’t be easy. I’ll be rough and hot.”
She looked up at him and couldn’t breathe. Her heart was hammering, her body throbbing. “Yes...please.”
He didn’t wait, just fisted a hand in her hair and dragged her mouth up to his for a fierce, erotic kiss. The towel fell away as his tongue slid in, delving deep, bending her to his will. He moved to her breasts, cupping them, taking each one into his mouth, suckling her hard. Her nipples throbbed. The muscles across her stomach quivered.
There wasn’t much room in the tiny cabin. He backed her up against the wall, kissing her hard again, then turned her toward the bed. “Put your palms on the mattress.”
She understood what he wanted and heat roared through her. He bent her over the bed and she went down on her elbows as he came up behind her, reached around and touched her, found her wet and more than ready.
He stroked her, gripped her hips as he drove into her, took her in a deep, pounding rhythm, took her until she came with a hollow moan and cried his name. Ben didn’t stop. Just drove into