and it was obvious it wasn't going to fall this time. By the time she got to the third, she jolted as Dario swatted her ass. Hard. She turned to stare at him, her mouth open in shock.
“Hey.”
“You'd better move before I take aim again.” He put a hand on the ladder.
“I don't like ladies putting themselves down, especially ones that I like. That's something you needed to remember.”
Maura started up the ladder again, his words echoing in her mind. Declan took her hand as she reached the top. She lifted her head to the sun, happy to be aboveground again. Then she jumped as Declan's hand came down on her ass.
“Hey! You two need to remember who's the boss here.”
Dario popped through the opening as if he were walking on air. He swung Declan's pack off his shoulder.
A Trick of the Moon
75
“Some bosses need lessons from their workers, right, Declan?”
“That's right. You can dock our pay for the swats you got just now, but when we're off the clock later, we'll finish what we just started.” They moved in unison toward the truck, and Maura stood in place, unable to move from the astonishment that had taken hold of her.
Did they mean they planned to spank her, together? Surely not. But then again, maybe so. With these two, you never knew.
76
Melinda Barron
Chapter Eight
“Tell me again what you want to do.” Maura took a sip from her bottle of tea, her gaze never leaving Declan, who had wolfed down two sandwiches and was now starting on his third. It was a good thing she'd packed a lot of food.
She'd done so thinking they might be out here for lunch and dinner.
But watching the way Declan and Dario were devouring the contents of the cooler let her know she'd only packed enough for lunch.
“I'm going to set up a camp,” Declan said, after swallowing his last bite. He pointed to an area just beyond the truck. “Right over there.”
“And you're going to do…what?” How could the two of them be so calm after being trapped in an underground hole by persons unknown?
“I'm going to survey the site,” he said, giving her a look that indicated she should have known that. “I'll check and see if there's any other traces of archeological interest. The kiva indicates there would be other things around, because either this was used by a small village, or it was a meeting place. Since it's so small, I'm guessing a village or just a few people. There are some larger sites that have been excavated that were used as a gathering place. Chaco Canyon is the main one, of course, and then there is Mesa Verde. Little is really known about the ancient ones. We can say that…”
Declan closed his mouth and glanced between her and Dario. “I'm doing it again, aren't I?”
Maura laughed, then nodded. “You're passionate about your work. That's good to know. But don't you think staying out here at night might be dangerous, considering what just happened?”
A Trick of the Moon
77
“I carry a gun, remember?” Dario's words made her wince.
“I don't like the idea that a gun might be needed.”
Dario leaned closer, and she inhaled the strong scent of man that drifted off him. It reminded her of him touching her last night, of them both touching her, and sent a jolt of desire straight to her clit, which tingled in response. “Do you like the idea of camping out with us better?”
She laughed nervously, trying to fight back the desire to jump them both.
This was about work, not pleasure. “Yeah, that's a fascinating idea. But I can't stay gone from the office all day. I'll have to go back and forth and check on things.”
“That's why you hired us,” Declan replied. “You don't have to stay, but we do. Of course we'd like to go back once a day to shower. Or else you might not be able to stand being around us.”
Oh she could stand it, all right. Being around them wouldn't be any problem at all. “Do you have a tent and other supplies?”
“I came fully prepared,” Declan said. “I have
“Hey.”
“You'd better move before I take aim again.” He put a hand on the ladder.
“I don't like ladies putting themselves down, especially ones that I like. That's something you needed to remember.”
Maura started up the ladder again, his words echoing in her mind. Declan took her hand as she reached the top. She lifted her head to the sun, happy to be aboveground again. Then she jumped as Declan's hand came down on her ass.
“Hey! You two need to remember who's the boss here.”
Dario popped through the opening as if he were walking on air. He swung Declan's pack off his shoulder.
A Trick of the Moon
75
“Some bosses need lessons from their workers, right, Declan?”
“That's right. You can dock our pay for the swats you got just now, but when we're off the clock later, we'll finish what we just started.” They moved in unison toward the truck, and Maura stood in place, unable to move from the astonishment that had taken hold of her.
Did they mean they planned to spank her, together? Surely not. But then again, maybe so. With these two, you never knew.
76
Melinda Barron
Chapter Eight
“Tell me again what you want to do.” Maura took a sip from her bottle of tea, her gaze never leaving Declan, who had wolfed down two sandwiches and was now starting on his third. It was a good thing she'd packed a lot of food.
She'd done so thinking they might be out here for lunch and dinner.
But watching the way Declan and Dario were devouring the contents of the cooler let her know she'd only packed enough for lunch.
“I'm going to set up a camp,” Declan said, after swallowing his last bite. He pointed to an area just beyond the truck. “Right over there.”
“And you're going to do…what?” How could the two of them be so calm after being trapped in an underground hole by persons unknown?
“I'm going to survey the site,” he said, giving her a look that indicated she should have known that. “I'll check and see if there's any other traces of archeological interest. The kiva indicates there would be other things around, because either this was used by a small village, or it was a meeting place. Since it's so small, I'm guessing a village or just a few people. There are some larger sites that have been excavated that were used as a gathering place. Chaco Canyon is the main one, of course, and then there is Mesa Verde. Little is really known about the ancient ones. We can say that…”
Declan closed his mouth and glanced between her and Dario. “I'm doing it again, aren't I?”
Maura laughed, then nodded. “You're passionate about your work. That's good to know. But don't you think staying out here at night might be dangerous, considering what just happened?”
A Trick of the Moon
77
“I carry a gun, remember?” Dario's words made her wince.
“I don't like the idea that a gun might be needed.”
Dario leaned closer, and she inhaled the strong scent of man that drifted off him. It reminded her of him touching her last night, of them both touching her, and sent a jolt of desire straight to her clit, which tingled in response. “Do you like the idea of camping out with us better?”
She laughed nervously, trying to fight back the desire to jump them both.
This was about work, not pleasure. “Yeah, that's a fascinating idea. But I can't stay gone from the office all day. I'll have to go back and forth and check on things.”
“That's why you hired us,” Declan replied. “You don't have to stay, but we do. Of course we'd like to go back once a day to shower. Or else you might not be able to stand being around us.”
Oh she could stand it, all right. Being around them wouldn't be any problem at all. “Do you have a tent and other supplies?”
“I came fully prepared,” Declan said. “I have
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