he felt, but the understanding that he had something more important than himself to fight for raged against his current situation.
He was a father to a girl with the spirit of a wild mare. Not only that, the woman he’d always loved and would always love still loved him too.
Where to from there? He had no idea except that he would work his soul and his fingers to the bone to be the best he could for them both. He’d never lose them again, ever.
“Le Roux!” the familiar voice rumbled across the air like a stampeding bull elephant.
Ray turned and came nose-to-nose with an angry Ben Meintjies.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Ben grabbed him by his shirt.
Ray’s instinct took hold. He slapped both his flat hands against the man’s chest. Ben, caught off-guard, stumbled backward, skidded, and, like a bull aiming for a red muleta, raced at Ray.
“You think you’re the bee’s fucking knees.” Spittle splattered across Ray’s cheeks as Ben grabbed him once again by the collar.
Sensibility settled Ray’s temper, and he bit back his retaliation. Ben was big, but bullies were always driven by their anger; he’d easily take him down except that the last thing Mina needed was him getting into a fight with her manager.
“I have work to get to, sir.” Ray gritted his teeth, took hold of Ben’s hand, and forced him to let go as he stepped away.
“Work? You think you still have a place left here after the shit you just pulled?” Ben yelled. “Pack your bags. You’re done.” Ben pointed in the direction of the farm’s gate.
“I’m done when the boss says I’m done,” Ray replied and tried to walk past Ben, who placed his hand on Ray’s chest.
“Are you stupid or deaf? I said you’re outta here. This is my farm and those two”—he pointed toward the farmhouse—“are my responsibility. And I believe you’re the reason this farm was targeted. I’ll protect them, which is more than I can say for you.”
Ray’s temper rose. He clenched a fist he badly wanted to land squarely in the man’s face. “Just let me get back to work, sir.”
Ben’s grip tightened around the fabric of Ray’s T-shirt. “Pack your blerrie things. You have no place here or in their lives. Lullu doesn’t need a piece of shit like you as a father.”
Ray’s head snapped to the side. He met Ben’s dark stare with one of his own. “It’s not your decision to make, nor is it any of your business.” God, he wanted to—no, needed to put this asshole down, but that could cost him dearly, and he wasn’t about to lose everything he’d fought so hard to regain.
Ben pulled back with his free arm. His large hurtled toward Ray’s jaw. Ray ducked, swung right, and retaliated with sharp jab to the man’s sternum effectively knocking the wind from his sails. This was the one of the few good moves he’d learned over the years drifting in and out of prison—how to fight and fight dirty.
“Enough!” a voice whipped across him as Thomas and Mina hurried toward them.
“Ray, get cleaned up and go to work. Ben, to my office, now,” she instructed, helping Ben up from where he’d fallen flat on his backside, heaving and spluttering.
Ray felt the smallest sliver of envy as Mina slid her arm beneath the burly bully’s and helped him to stand.
“You okay?” Thomas’s genuine concern caught Ray off-guard. He waved the man away.
“Yeah.” Ray nodded and returned to his cabin where he grabbed his toiletries and work uniform.
He’d have to watch his back from here on out. With Ben gunning for him, he wasn’t safe.
Hot water soaked the flesh of his stiff body.
While every one of his dreams had come true last night, the tarp had not made the cold concrete farmhouse floor any more comfortable to sleep on. The shower relieved some of the stiffness, but his back and neck still complained as he moved.
Ray grabbed his washcloth and cake of soap, then rubbed the two together before washing his body. Memories of how good she’d tasted and how she’d enjoyed riding his hard-on before they’d been reminded of Lullu asleep in the corner aroused him.
Looking over his shoulder to make sure he was alone in the cloakroom, Ray took himself in hand.
He imagined Mina naked and riding him, her breasts bouncing and her nipples puckered. In his mind’s eye, he felt the hard buds of her nipples as he rolled them between his thumb