Doc stuck his head in the door. “Heading down to the barn to see if there’s anything I can do to help.
“You’re going to rack up all sorts of “Atta-boys.” Tori grinned. “Just be back before dinner.”
Jacob nodded at his man and waited for the door to close. He pulled her back against him. “How long until dinner?” Tori sighed against his lips. “You smelled that delicious aroma too? Twenty minutes, maybe. We usually eat around this time. But don’t worry, my ravenous bear, you can have me for dessert as long as you promise to be good.”
Jacob kissed her slowly, probing her mouth with his tongue. He lifted his head to allow them both to catch their breath as he ground his hard dick into her. “I promise I’ll be good. The best you ever had.”
She put her forehead into his shoulder and whispered, “God, I don’t know what you see in me.”
“Tori look at me.” She shook her head. “Victoria Marshall, look at me now,” he commanded. His eyes locked with hers. “You make me happy. Do you understand?”
She held his stare. “No, I actually don’t. When I went back to Washington, I assumed we would have one date. If I were lucky, maybe, you would want me enough to make love to me, but never in a million years did I think I might have you for three months. What happens if you get tired of me?”
Jacob sighed and lowered his lips to hers, breathing his response on her lips. “Never going to happen. Stop thinking—start kissing.” Lust kicked him in the gut like the recoil of a fifty-caliber machine gun. He kissed her again and then groaned, “Check that. God, get me out of this room or your father will kick me off the ranch before I unpack.”
*
Tori couldn’t help the satisfaction warming her as her dad surveyed the entire table with his “impassive face.” He didn’t fool her. She knew he was a happy as a cat in cream to see a full headcount at the massive table. He cut into the roast beef and purposely avoided looking at her and Jacob…again. She laughed to herself. Knowing her dad, he was probably wondering how long before he was going to be a grandpa. If only. She knew she was falling…heck, who was she kidding, she’d fallen. But no way in hell was she going to be “that” woman. The clingy, whiny, marry-me type of woman that every man she had ever known ran from. Nope, if Jacob wanted anything more than what they had, he would have to make a play.
Keelee walked in late and took her seat next to Jacob. Tori couldn’t help but do a double take. Keelee’d brushed out her hair and put on clean clothes. Damn, Keelee never primped. Tori flicked her gaze down the table. The twins were engrossed in a conversation about horses with Chief. Doc was quiet and kept glancing at Keelee when he thought she wasn’t looking. Interesting. What had gone on in that barn while she and Jacob were occupied upstairs?
Her dad buttered a biscuit and nodded toward Jacob. “Where are you from, Jacob? Couldn’t help but notice you have a strong southern accent.”
The men at the table cast their eyes towards her father. She hid the amusement she felt. An interrogation by a father, no matter what you did for a living, had to be uncomfortable. Obviously these men were not immune and Jacob was smack-dab in the middle of it. Jacob finished a mouthful of roast and cleared his throat. “I grew up in southern Mississippi. My brothers and I moved to the east coast following job opportunities after the service. Four of us work together and my other brother, Justin, owns several restaurants.”
“Five boys, huh?” Frank shook his head as he knifed more butter on his hot bread.
“Yes sir, me, Jason, Jared, Justin, and the dark horse of the lot, Joseph.”
“Your momma have an infatuation for the letter J?” Frank chuckled.
“No sir, actually it is a tradition on my dad’s side. He has four brothers and two sisters, their names started with C. My grandfather’s brother’s and sister’s names all began with M. From what we know it goes back about six generations.”
“You still have family in Mississippi?”
Jacob nodded. “Yes sir, my mother. My father was killed a long time ago. My three sisters, Jasmine, Jade, and Jewel all work for my company as well. Jasmine and Jade’s work requires extensive travel. Jewel is a computer geek that wouldn’t travel if you paid her, and believe me I do pay her. We have asked Mom to move east to be closer to us, but she wants nothing to do with city life.”
“Really? You got sisters, Skipper?” Drake’s face split with an enormous smile.
Tori snorted softly when Jacob glared down the long table. Drake’s smile widened as Jacob growled, “Yeah, I do, and you two will never meet them.”
“I didn’t know you had sisters. You only talked about your brothers.”
“Yeah, well they’re…unique? Jewell works in the same building as Jason, Jared, and me. She keeps to herself, rarely leaves her secure computer rooms, but she’s extremely intelligent and plays well with computers. People not so much. Jasmine is a fireball, but you wouldn’t know it to look at her. Takes after Mom and has that look that makes you want to protect her. But God forbid anyone who tries. Then there’s Jade. Jade is hell on wheels and I thank God she works for Jared because that woman is insane.”
Doc looked across the table to Chief and quipped, “Jade would tear these two to pieces.”
Chief nodded and muttered, “She scares the hell out of me.”
Dixon looked at his brother. “They’ve met his sisters? What does that mean?”
He swiveled his head towards Jacob and his expression fell. “Skipper, you don’t trust us enough to meet your sisters?”
A small chuckle escaped from Jacob. “Jewel and Jasmine, you will never meet. If Jade ever shows up, I may introduce you. Not sure I want to punish you that much though.”
Tori’s dad shook his head at the younger men at the end of the table and turned to Jacob. “Big family. Any of your brothers or sisters married?”
“No. Jasmine was engaged once. Her fiancée cheated on her and knocked up his side game. So my mom waits with the patience of a saint for us to settle down.”
Frank chuckled at Jacob’s comic sigh after his declaration. “I think I would like to meet a woman who raised five boys and three girls.” After another bite of biscuit, he glanced over. “Tori says you work international issues. You ever work with her?”
Oh, shit! Tori stiffened and Jacob leaned back in his chair. Both men measured each other. “Indirectly, yes. That’s how we met.”
Keelee looked up from her dinner for the first time. “Your company deals with computer security issues?”
Tori watched as the men looked to Jacob and waited for his response. The silence at the table pulsed with pregnant anticipation. Tori felt her dad’s eyes examining her as Jacob sent her a silent look of assessment. She wondered how much he would tell them…what he would tell them…and she was suddenly grateful for the little she had eaten.
Finally, Jacob replied, “My company is Guardian Security. We are the world’s largest private security agency. We are employed by federal agencies and private concerns in our country and by nations around the world. Our missions deal with everything from computer security to privately funded military operations in hostile areas—the latter is my specialty.”
Oh, sweet baby Jesus, he was going with the truth. Her meal performed a circus high-wire act in her stomach and her gut clenched painfully as the double barrel roll failed in its landing. Well, if Jacob was going to out her, she would face the music. Damn could someone please change the radio station? She didn’t like this tune.
Keelee pressed the issue. “You said you met Tori when you worked together. Was she in a hostile area?”
What do I say? How much do I reveal? Tori pushed food around her plate and was about to speak, although God only knew what would come out of her mouth, when her dad responded.
“Yeah, if I know your sister, she was smack dab in the middle of one hell of a mess.”
Tori and all the men around the table laughed at the same time, welcoming the answer and the relief.
“Really? It would seem I’m the last to know anything around here. But when it concerns Tori that is nothing unusual, now is it?” With a look of irritation, Keelee shoved her chair away and stood. “I guess I’ll make myself useful and go get dessert.” She turned and pushed through the swinging door to the kitchen.
Tori counted on her fingers. She got to eight before Doc slid his chair back and followed after her sister.
“I’ll see if she needs any help.”
Tori took in the knowing look on her dad’s face. Holy shit, Sherlock. Now she really wanted to know what had happened in that barn.
Doc followed Keelee back into the dining room holding a gallon of vanilla ice cream and a scoop. Keelee put the baking pan full of peach cobbler on the table and motioned for everyone to dig in. Dixon and Drake put away half of the cobbler and the entire gallon of homemade ice cream was gone before the men at the table finished. Frank pushed his chair back and cast an eye at the people at the table.
“We have cattle to push.” He motioned to Dixon, Drake, and Chief. “Since we now have enough people to split into two teams, I will take you three to the northwest and head them down. Keelee and Tori, you take these two and head to the northeast corner and bring them south. We’ll meet at Hell’s Canyon. Take enough supplies for four days, although it should only take two. Betty will have the chuck packed and ready to load in the morning.”