An opportunity to learn something entirely different than they were discussing.
A chance to see what was behind all that talk.
All she had to do was agree.
Leaning forward onto her tiptoes, she put a hand on his shoulder and said yes with a kiss that left them both shaking and gasping for air. A part of Sarah registered the sound of a helicopter nearby, but she was too absorbed by the look in Tony’s eyes to give it more than a passing thought. Sarah had kissed men before, and certainly done more than that with Doug, but she’d never felt wantonly out of control. She’d never experienced a desire for a man that was so strong it made everyone and everything else disappear, with nothing mattering beyond the touch of his lips and the feel of his skin.
A deep male voice pulled them harshly back to earth. “You might want to grab that horse before he runs off again. Guess I don’t have to ask how you lost him the first time.”
Tony straightened with a curse and turned toward a tan-uniform-clad man who, although he looked slightly older than Tony, shared enough of his physical features that Sarah wondered why neither seemed very happy about seeing each other. With a noticeable lack of gratitude in his tone, Tony said, “I appreciate your help today.” Now leave. He didn’t have to say the words for his meaning to be clear.
The other man smiled—an action as lacking in warmth as Tony’s words had been. “You’re not going to introduce me?”
When Tony made no move to do so, Sarah took a step away from him and put out her hand to the tall stranger who, no matter what, had come to help her that day. “Sarah Dery.” She noted the silver star on his shirt. Sheriff? Tony had called in the big guns for her. She looked back at him and would have thanked him again, but Tony’s expression was stone cold.
He needs to learn how to relax, she thought. That much anger can’t be good for you. Is it wrong that I can think of at least five ways I’d like to try to help him with that and all of them would require privacy?
Releasing her hand, the man said, “Dean Carlton. I’m the local law. You sound like you’re a long way from home. Are you here on vacation?”
Carlton?
Tony stepped in front of her, his aggressive stance a warning in itself. “Like I said, I appreciate you coming by.”
In spite of the fact that the two men looked on the verge of either a yelling match or coming to blows, Sarah felt for both of them. She placed her hand on Tony’s lower back and felt his muscles clench with tension beneath her light touch. She looked back and forth between them and felt a real sadness for whatever had happened that neither could seem to put aside long enough to see the other was hurting.
Dean leaned in and snarled, “One day I won’t.”
Tony shrugged dismissively, an act that appeared to anger the other man more.
Sarah understood their relationship even without knowing the details of it. Something causes a rift between two people, and time and pride only increases it. It may have taken driving hundreds of miles away from her problems, but now she saw them for what they were, and she felt grateful for the clarity she was gaining. It was that growing understanding of herself that made her say, “I appreciate your help, Dean. Maybe we could all have dinner together tomorrow night as a thank you to everyone who dropped everything to help me find Scooter.”
Two shocked Texans turned to stare down at her as if she’d suggested they both wear dresses and do a jig.
“No—” Tony said.
“That’s a mighty kind offer,” Dean said at the same time and turned to challenge Tony. “Better watch out, Tony, or your little lady will teach you manners.” He tipped his hat to Sarah and said, “I’m tempted to accept just to see if you could make the impossible happen.”
“Get the hell off my property,” Tony grated.
“With pleasure,” Dean answered and strode back to his helicopter.
Watching him go, Sarah asked, “Is Dean your brother?”
Tony turned his full attention back to Sarah, and she took an instinctive step back from the intensity of it. He pushed a hand beneath her hair and hauled her to him. His hand closed on her behind and lifted her onto her tiptoes against him. “I don’t want to talk about him. In fact, what I want has nothing to do with talking, but you need to understand something. I’m not one of those city boys who will do what you ask just because you bat those sexy brown eyes. You stay here, you stay on my terms, not yours.”
Sarah gulped. Normally she would have said there was nothing sexy about a domineering man, but her panties were soaked with evidence to the contrary. Domineer me all the way to the bedroom, cowboy. She rubbed herself against his already bulging erection. Unless this location would work for you, and then I’m totally okay with that option, too.