Two
Clint
There was no way in hell I should have agreed to this. I know the crew back East needed a safe space for this lady, but now that she was on the way, I couldn’t help the second thoughts running through my mind.
Something about her story stuck with me. Yeah, I’ve helped other women escape from dangerous situations in the past, but when I got the call from Ebony and Stephen, it piqued my interest. Plus, with my son needing more of my time and attention, I needed to be closer to home. So instead of going to the fight. My son was over at my parents’ house for the day. My family owned about 100 acres of land, including the land my ranch set on. We were what you’d call old money, but none of us live our life lazing around and doing nothing. I was fourth-generation US Marine Corps and an eighth-generation horse breeder and trainer. Even when I left the Marines and came home, my commitment to helping others remained.
Overwatch security and helping with the lady guardians scratched the itch I had. Nasty shit happened in the world. If me and the people I knew didn’t do something about it, then who would? So here I was, on my large front porch, waiting for Brandon to arrive with our guests.
Seeing the car driving up the long driveway, my stomach clenched in anticipation. Okay, fine. Maybe I stared at her picture a bit too long. Tamara Wright was beautiful, and I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I noticed.
Dark brown eyes, smooth brown skin, and a smile that lit up her face. Even through a photo, I could feel the pull. Didn’t matter in the end. She was only going to be here for 30 days. I didn’t have time to worry about my attraction to her. My son Sammy was the only person I needed to focus on, and I had no time to deal with a woman’s needs. Sammy and I were doing just fine, thank you very much.
When I needed my itch scratched, there were plenty of women waiting for me to pay them some attention. I could call any of them, and they’d be more than happy to welcome me between their soft thighs. Just because this Tamara lady called to me through her fucking picture didn’t mean a damn thing.
As the car stopped in front of me, I leaned against the large front porch post and waited. It didn’t matter that Brandon was probably laughing at me right now. I volunteered to go to the airport and pick her up, which is not how things are done. I know it, Brandon knows it, and that made my request even odder.
I didn’t care what Brandon thought. Even if I wanted to be the first one to meet her, who cares if I wanted to know if the attraction I felt for her was as strong in person. Not that I do anything about it anyway. My heart sped up, and the muscles in my body tensed as Brandon opened the door for Tamara to exit. At the first glimpse of her face, my breath left my body.
She stood next to Brandon, laughing at something he said. There must’ve been an inside joke between the two of them. I didn’t like that shit one bit. I had no claim on her and no right to feel this way, but I wanted her smile and her laughter reserved only for me.
Then I caught myself. Didn’t I just give the whole damn lecture to myself about how I didn’t need another woman in my life? Or in my son’s life? In my type of work, I’d had people at the ranch before who needed help. Men. Women. Families. But this felt different somehow. It was pissing me off that I couldn’t pinpoint why.
Finally, they both turn in my direction. Brandon took one look at my face and smirked. Asshole.
Tamara looked at me as well, but she had a very different response. She took a step back, moving closer to Brandon. Surprised by her reaction, I knew I needed to take a breather. Yes, I’d seen her face and read her file more times than I should have. It felt like I knew her, but that wasn’t the truth. I don’t know what the hell was going on with me, but I needed to get my shit together.
Schooling my features, I unfurled my body and walked down the front porch steps, bringing me closer to them. Once I was within a few steps, I paused. I watched as her gaze traveled from the tips of my dusty boots to the top of my black hat.
“Tamara Wright? My name is Clint Sullivan. This is my ranch. All the land you can see around you belongs to my family and me. For the next 30 days, you are here under my protection. Brandon also lives here on the ranch, plus a couple of other trusted people. You’ll have a room in the main house. Gladys makes breakfast and lunch but were usually on our own for dinner. Any questions?”
Yeah, I threw a lot at her, but time was of the essence. If I didn’t get the hell away from her, I was going to do something stupid. Her picture didn’t do her justice. Her brown eyes held a hint of hazel, and her skin seemed to shine with a hint of gold. And when she looked up at me with those beautiful eyes full of fear and innocence, I wanted to promise her the flocking world if she’d always look at me that way.
“Um, No. I don’t think so. Thank you for allowing me to stay here.”
She put her hand out for me to shake, but I ignored it. I knew it would blow up in my face if I touched her, so I intentionally didn’t return the gesture. “No other choice. Ebony would hand my ass to me if I tried to say no. You’re here because you need to be. That’s the only thing that matters.” I watched as she lowered her hand back to her side, a frown creasing her brow.
“Well, damn. Tell me how you really feel.”
She glanced at Brandon again, which only pissed me off more. Glancing at my friend, I noticed he still had that stupid ass smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes at him. Childish? Yes. But my irrational jealousy was causing me to act out of character. “B, get our guests situated. I’m going to the stable to check on Serenity. She’s been favoring her right front leg. Need to see how she’s doing.” I glanced at Tamara and took a step back to put more space between us. Brandon looked at me as if I lost my mind. Maybe I had.
“You want me to get her settled?” Brandon questioned. At my nod, he smirked. “Yeah, sure. What time is the little man coming back?”
“Later tonight,” I responded, glancing again at Tamara standing close to Brandon. “Gladys should almost be done with lunch,” I said to them, not missing the way Tamara stuck by Brandon’s side. Looking over my shoulder at the stable, I knew I couldn’t stand here any longer unless things would get more awkward than they already are. Glancing down at Tamara, I touched the brim of my hat. “Ms. Wright.”
“Tamara.”
“Excuse me?”
“Even though I may be unwanted, I don’t want us to be so formal. Just call me Tamara.”
I couldn’t help but stare at her. Maybe my words had come across harsher than I wanted. “I never said….” I stopped talking. Because I knew if I continued in saying anything else, it would be something I couldn’t take back. “Okay. Tamara. Please make yourself at home. I’ll meet you both at the house once I take care of Serenity.”
Finally walking away, I had to force myself not to turn around to look back at her one more time. The further away I got, the harder it became. That’s how I knew just how much trouble I was really in.
Dammit.
I meant it when I said I was fine. My life was going exactly how it needed to. Yes, it hurt that my son cried for his mother at night. Who cares if the only women I allowed in my life were there for some good times before we both went back to our lives? None of that mattered. I was fine until Tamara Wright walked into my world and turned me inside out.
I just have to keep my distance. That would be easy, right?