Jacob(13)

Tori smiled. “Yeah, that sounds like the cast of characters on a typical Saturday night at the local watering hole.”

“That so?” Without hesitation, Jacob grabbed her and pulled down to him. “Honey, if your town can absorb what I bring in my wake, I’ll consider coming back with you.”

Tori melted into his hard body. “Ahh…no, my town won’t absorb you, my dad’s ranch will.”

Jacob dropped his head. “Shit, Tori, how big is that ranch?

She took a deep breath. She hoped he liked wide, open spaces. “Six thousand acres with an additional four thousand deeded acres from the government. It’s the second largest ranch in South Dakota.”

Jacob lifted himself on his elbow with a groan, and Tori winced in sympathy. “Are you shitting me?”

She shook her head slowly. “Nope. Not shitting you. Daddy is pretty well off and my sister, Keelee, runs the business aspects of the ranch with an iron fist.” She paused momentarily, remembering the argument she’d had with Keelee before she left. “I love being home, but something is missing for me there. I want to work again. I enjoyed the intelligence work I used to do. But the ranch is a great place to recover, to refocus, and to heal. I’m sure Dad would welcome all your team.”



*



Jacob lay back on the pillow and propped his good arm behind his head. He couldn’t help feeling satidfied at the admiration in her eyes when they traveled the length of his body. He worked out religiously to stay fit for his job, but he sure didn’t mind the collateral benefit it gave him with the ladies—especially this lady. Yeah, if going to bum-fuck South Dakota would keep him close to her, he’d go all in.

Jacob waited until her eyes drifted back to his face. “Okay, but make sure we’re welcome. If we are, I’ll follow you home. We can recover from our battle wounds together. When we come back to D.C., you’ll have a job with me at Guardian Security if you want one.”

Her head snapped towards him. “You run Guardian Security? David Xavier’s company? The long arm of international law?” Her voice squeaked at the end of the question. With a wry twist of the lips, Jacob smiled. “Yeah.”

“Oh my God, Jacob. I thought you were a mercenary. You run a multi-billion dollar company!”

He corrected her. “Just the international branch. Stateside operations are run by my brothers Jared and Jason.”

Tori lay down next to him. “Will you be able to leave your responsibilities for three months?”

Jacob stroked her back enjoying her small tremors when his fingertips caressed her skin. Her body reacted to his slightest touch. He loved the rush of power those tiny involuntary reactions gave him. Damn this woman just blew him away.

“Jacob?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never tried to leave it behind before. I’ve run Alpha team operations for the last eight years and have semi-transitioned to the COO position recently. It’s all I’ve ever known since I left the Corps. I’ll do my best to take the time off, but there is still a lot of restructuring work that needs to be done. I’d planned on working those issues while my team was on stand down. Guardian and the men who work for it are my life.”

There was a resounding knock at the front door at the same time the doorbell chimed. “Oh crap!” Tori leapt from the bed and ran towards the bathroom.

Jacob laughed and pointed to the dresser. “Clothes.”

She slid to a stop, jerked open the top drawer, pulled a black t-shirt and a pair of black boxers out and bolted into the bathroom—just as Doc walked into the bedroom.

“Well, Skipper, looks like you are rested.”

Jacob glared at Doc. “Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. Your timing sucks.” The shower turned on in the bathroom.

Doc smiled and winked at his boss. “Glad to know you are in a good mood. Plant your ugly face in that pillow and let me take a look at those bullet holes.” Doc opened his kit and put on some gloves. “I was wondering how long you’d be out. Not too long obviously. Can’t believe you passed out on your woman. Had to carry your sorry ass in here from the living room. I never want to put your unconscious ass to bed again. Gave me nightmares.”

In the process of turning over, Jacob paused and looked back at his friend. “Tell me you didn’t undress me.”

A sharp bark of laughter gave Jacob the answer. “Nah man, I carried you in here and stitched you up. If you were sans clothes, your woman is to blame. I’ve seen you naked and I won’t volunteer to see it again. Now plant it. I need to admire my work.”

Doc’s voice dropped a level and became serious as he removed the dressing. “Skipper, you weren’t supposed to leave the hospital. That little detour could’ve had a far more serious ending. You could’ve bled out. What the fuck made you do it?”

Jacob lifted his head and looked at his best friend. “You saw how she was on the Evac plane. Tell me you wouldn’t have left to meet her.”

Doc shook his head. “I honestly can’t, Skipper. Jacob scrubbed his face. “I may be following her home, Doc. Gabriel grounded us all for three months anyway, and if he finds out about last night, he could very well fire me.”

Jacob exchanged wry looks with his medic as both men spoke simultaneously. “Again.”

Jacob chuckled. “Anyway, I’m heading west to hang out at her ranch and recover. You, Chief, Dixon, and Drake are welcome if I go. No obligation, just come if you want.”

Doc rubbed the back of his neck. “A ranch you say?”

Jacob nodded. “Uh-huh. A ten-thousand-acre ranch in South Dakota.”

“Alright, if you make the trip I’m in. Nothing for me here; besides, someone needs to make sure you don’t end up dead. I’ll call the team and let them know what’s up when you decide.”

Jacob heard the shower turn off. “Thanks. Now get the fuck out of here. I’ll call you with the logistics.”

Doc cocked his head and listened to Tori singing in the bathroom. He pointed directly at his boss. “No driving, no strenuous exercise, or lifting more than thirty pounds for at least two days. Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen if you need it for pain, no aspirin or any NSAID that will thin your blood. I’m being a gentleman by not defining what would constitute strenuous exercise, but I think you get my drift.” He picked up his bag. “Of course you can disregard my directions and necessitate another emergency call in the middle of the night. I wouldn’t mind spending some more time with your woman.”

Jacob chuffed and shook his head, his eyes locked on the bathroom door. “Your definition will be disregarded. Completely. Now get out. You don’t get any more alone time with her.”

Doc laughed at Jacob’s territorial warning. “You got it. I’m out of here.” He gave Jacob a salute at the door and said over his shoulder as he left, “You are one lucky son of a bitch, Skipper.”

Jacob stood up and had to wait until the room stopped swaying. He briefly considered putting some clothes on. Nah. He walked to the bathroom and opened the door. She stood bent over the sink in his black boxers and T-shirt and looked sexier than sin. Her wet hair hung straight down her back. She had washed off all her makeup and still looked absolutely beautiful. She smiled hesitantly as she put his toothbrush back in the holder and turned to him. “Love the view, cowboy. Hope you didn’t mind, but I figured we were past asking about sharing a toothbrush.”

He walked over to her and pulled her close. “Mmmm…didn’t think I needed to be modest after this morning and you may use my toothbrush anytime.”

He looked longingly at the shower and sighed. Fucking bandages.

He kissed her forehead and walked to the massive tub at the end of the room and turned on the water. His wound and the remnants of the drugs and alcohol from the previous night zapped his strength more than he cared to admit. Of course, his early morning blowjob could have factored in also. “Come here, baby.” He sat on the edge of the tub and pulled Tori onto his lap. She kissed him sweetly. “Are you sure your father won’t have any problem with me coming back with you?”

Tori shrugged. “I am. It’s how he is. But just to reassure you, how about I call him and you can listen. That should let you know for sure, right?”

“Yeah, that works for me.”

Tori smiled. “The next challenge is finding my purse.” With another lingering kiss, she rose and sauntered out of the bathroom. He liked the going away view as well as the frontal. She had one beautiful ass. Damn. She was going to kill him, but he’d die a happy man.

His slow descent into the hot water felt good. He reached over and turned on the jets welcoming the massage on his sore muscles. Too bad he couldn’t sink up to his neck. Damn bandages.

Tori walked back into the bathroom, her focus on her phone. Jacob turned off the jets. She hit speaker and Jacob could hear the phone ring on the other end of the call.

A gruff voice answered the phone. “Hello.”

“Hi, Daddy!”

“Hi, baby, what’s wrong?”

She giggled and shook her head. “Nothing is wrong, Daddy. You know that guy I came back to see?”

“Yeah, seem to recall something about that.”