his throat woke Eboni up fully. She opened her eyes to see Simon standing naked staring out the window into the darkened night. Damn, he looked divine from the rear, too. An ass you could bounce a quarter off.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
Simon turned around and came back to her. She sat up as he sat down beside her, wrapping her in the Afghan they’d managed to kick off. “No everything is fine. I think Gunner here smelled an animal outside, or something.
“Oh.” She yawned.
“Let’s get you to bed.” Shifting to a squatting position, he slid his hands under her butt and waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he stood with her in his arms. Gunner continued to growl watching the front door.
“It’s okay boy,” Simon said. He walked her down to the bedroom and put her on the bed. Instead of joining her there, he straightened up and opened a drawer taking out a pair of sweats.
She frowned, although he couldn’t see her since he didn’t face her. “What’s with the sweats?”
“I’m just going to take Gunner for a short walk, and check and make sure there aren’t any bears around.” He stuck his feet in a pair of sneakers by the closet.
“Bears! Is that a good idea to have Gunner with you then? For that matter, is it a good idea for you to be out if there is one?”
He came back to the bed and sat down beside her. With the back of his hand, he caressed the side of her face. “He’ll be fine. He heeds me. I’ll tell him to stay at my side, and I’ll be fine. Bears are more wary of humans than we are of them.” He bent down and gave her a quick kiss before straightening up and standing. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back to finish it.”
She lay back on the bed and sighed. Damn it, she’d promised herself not to get mixed up with him, again. Yeah, right. How could she not! But she still knew next to nothing about him. Eboni didn’t have the nerve to ask him about his background. Time and time again she’d stopped herself, knowing he probably would react like other times and change the subject. Like the time she’d asked about his parents, he’d totally clammed up. Hell, she didn’t even know if he had any siblings. For some reason, she thought perhaps he did. She’d been in all of the rooms of the house. The room at the end could have belonged to a sibling, or it could have been a guest room. She had no clue. She saw absolutely no evidence of the family who once lived there. The house didn’t have a lot of space to hide things either. There weren’t even any trunks in the bedrooms. She’d checked, as well as the closets those held nothing but empty hangers and cedar rods.
***
Simon held Gunner in his arms put his gun in his pocket as he opened the front door. He didn’t say anything to Eboni but he took no chances with her. Bennis had not been found. He put the animal down. “Stay,” he commanded. Gunner lifted his head to look at him and then swung his head around in the direction of the road. Simon pulled the gun out of his pocket, trusting the instincts of the little dog. “Go!” The animal took off like a rock released from a slingshot. Simon jogged behind him, and a half-moon hung high about the trees providing enough light in the clearing for Simon to see. Sure ‘nough the mutt headed right for the road and stopped about fifty yards from the house. He sniffed around an area, walked in circles a few times then sat down waiting on Simon.
“Good dog,” Simon said. “Stay.” He approached the area where Gunner continued to sit. He picked up the dog and moved him to the side. “Stay,” he repeated. Bending down, and using the light from the moon, he examined the ground where his pet first stopped and the area around it. The wild grass around the base of the tree looked trampled, could have been by booted feet. Simon straightened up, glanced around at whatever could be seen from there, and the blood in his veins iced. If a person stood in
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
Simon turned around and came back to her. She sat up as he sat down beside her, wrapping her in the Afghan they’d managed to kick off. “No everything is fine. I think Gunner here smelled an animal outside, or something.
“Oh.” She yawned.
“Let’s get you to bed.” Shifting to a squatting position, he slid his hands under her butt and waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he stood with her in his arms. Gunner continued to growl watching the front door.
“It’s okay boy,” Simon said. He walked her down to the bedroom and put her on the bed. Instead of joining her there, he straightened up and opened a drawer taking out a pair of sweats.
She frowned, although he couldn’t see her since he didn’t face her. “What’s with the sweats?”
“I’m just going to take Gunner for a short walk, and check and make sure there aren’t any bears around.” He stuck his feet in a pair of sneakers by the closet.
“Bears! Is that a good idea to have Gunner with you then? For that matter, is it a good idea for you to be out if there is one?”
He came back to the bed and sat down beside her. With the back of his hand, he caressed the side of her face. “He’ll be fine. He heeds me. I’ll tell him to stay at my side, and I’ll be fine. Bears are more wary of humans than we are of them.” He bent down and gave her a quick kiss before straightening up and standing. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back to finish it.”
She lay back on the bed and sighed. Damn it, she’d promised herself not to get mixed up with him, again. Yeah, right. How could she not! But she still knew next to nothing about him. Eboni didn’t have the nerve to ask him about his background. Time and time again she’d stopped herself, knowing he probably would react like other times and change the subject. Like the time she’d asked about his parents, he’d totally clammed up. Hell, she didn’t even know if he had any siblings. For some reason, she thought perhaps he did. She’d been in all of the rooms of the house. The room at the end could have belonged to a sibling, or it could have been a guest room. She had no clue. She saw absolutely no evidence of the family who once lived there. The house didn’t have a lot of space to hide things either. There weren’t even any trunks in the bedrooms. She’d checked, as well as the closets those held nothing but empty hangers and cedar rods.
***
Simon held Gunner in his arms put his gun in his pocket as he opened the front door. He didn’t say anything to Eboni but he took no chances with her. Bennis had not been found. He put the animal down. “Stay,” he commanded. Gunner lifted his head to look at him and then swung his head around in the direction of the road. Simon pulled the gun out of his pocket, trusting the instincts of the little dog. “Go!” The animal took off like a rock released from a slingshot. Simon jogged behind him, and a half-moon hung high about the trees providing enough light in the clearing for Simon to see. Sure ‘nough the mutt headed right for the road and stopped about fifty yards from the house. He sniffed around an area, walked in circles a few times then sat down waiting on Simon.
“Good dog,” Simon said. “Stay.” He approached the area where Gunner continued to sit. He picked up the dog and moved him to the side. “Stay,” he repeated. Bending down, and using the light from the moon, he examined the ground where his pet first stopped and the area around it. The wild grass around the base of the tree looked trampled, could have been by booted feet. Simon straightened up, glanced around at whatever could be seen from there, and the blood in his veins iced. If a person stood in
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