“Thank you, Jennie, that was delicious,” Adira said. “I’ve never had prunes before either.”

“Consider yourself lucky,” Maddox groused as he laid his fork across his plate. “God forbid we can actually have cake with real sugar and chocolate icing!”

Jennie smacked him on his shoulder as she began to clear the table. “Don’t you know your body is a temple?”

“Yup,” Maddox said, pushing back his chair. “But this temple deserves to be worshipped, and I’d have absolutely no problem placing some delicious treats on the altar for sacrifice.”

Adira giggled and rose, picking up her plate and glass. “I think it’s quite sweet for Jennie to be concerned about your health. And she’s right. You might have a body that feels like a slab of marble now, but if you don’t take care of it, you’ll become soft and flabby and end up like one of those, what’s it called? Oh, yes, a couch tomato, too out of shape to even move.”

Maddox’s roar of laughter had her jumping and the dishes threatening to slip from her hands until he reached out and took them from her. “It’s couch potato, not tomato,” he corrected with another chuckle. Her flush was adorable as she turned as red as the tomato that had been in his salad. “Come to think of it, it would be very nice to see a big fat baked potato every once in a while.”

“Nothing but carbs,” Jennie admonished, giving his shoulder another swat. “Turns into sugar, you lug head.”

Maddox set the dishes down on the counter and turned to Adira. “Come on, I’ll give you the tour before I’m too beat up to move.”

“Oh, I should help Jennie with the dishes…”

“That’s not necessary,” Jennie said, “you helped cook supper. The boys can clear the table while you and Maddox tour the house.”

As if that was their cue, Anson and Stryder stood and began gathering the dishes while Maddox reached for Adira’s hand. “Thanks for supper, Jennie,” Maddox said, stopping beside the woman and dropping a kiss on her cheek. “And for the joke. Just remember, pay backs can be a bitch.”

Jennie flapped her hand at him, her gray locks bouncing as she shook her head. “Promises, promises. Now, scat!”

Maddox pulled Adira from the room, grinning as their every step was accompanied by the chiming of bells from the belt of her skirt. Shaking his head, he said, “Why don’t we stop by your room first?”

“Why? Does my clothing really bother you?”

“Not at all, but I thought you might like to put some shoes on. Some of the places I want to show you don’t have such smooth floors.”

After Adira had slipped into her black flats, he led her down the hall.

“You’ve seen the great room and the kitchen. Jennie’s room is off the kitchen.” He continued the tour, taking her to the smaller family room, explaining that it was one of the most used rooms in the house.

“Does that ridiculous television have anything to do with that? Or is it all those huge chairs?” Adira asked.

Maddox pretended to be offended, his palm pressed against his chest. “Have you no knowledge of the sanctity of a man cave? I’ll have you know that these aren’t just recliners. No siree, these, little lady, are the thrones upon which the Steele men worship those who go into battle every week to fight for the ultimate victory,” he said, gesturing at the eighty-inch flat screen television mounted to the wall. When her head tilted to the side, her expression showing that she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, he gave a mock groan and shook his head. “Poor little girl. I’m talking about the game of champions… you know, football?”

“Football? You mean soccer?”

His groan was real this time. “Shhh, don’t let anyone hear you say that word! No, I’m talking about real football. The Dallas Cowboys, pigskin, quarterbacks and linebackers. Men facing off, the tension growing, the ball being thrown down the field. The chase and the tackle. The euphoria when you cross the goal line. You know, the greatest game on earth! I can see I’m going to need to educate you about more than just proper Texas cuisine.”

“Ahh,” she said and when she looked up at him, her eyes bright, the tip of her tongue peeking out to run across her bottom lip, he felt his cock jerk. And when she batted those thick eyelashes and said, “I can think of far more pleasant games I’d like to learn,” he forgot all about football. Those tinkling bells as she moved away drew his eyes to her waist and then, of course, all he could think about was what that ridiculous hippie skirt was hiding… perfectly formed legs and what lay between them.

“Is there more?”

“What?”

“More to tour?”

“Oh, um, yeah.” Maddox shook his head as if to clear it before leading her down another hallway. Shit, he needed to remember that his job was to protect this woman… not fantasize about fucking her.

“This is the office,” he said, opening a door and waving her inside.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” she said, running her hand over the back of the leather couch. A wall of windows looked out on a grove of trees through which she could see stone. “Oh, I didn’t realize the house was so close to the rocks.”

Maddox nodded. “Yes, the back of the house is built right up against the mountain. “While we do a lot of ranch business in this office, we don’t do everything here. Our other work requires a great deal more equipment, as well as secrecy.”

“I can understand that,” Adira said. “Jennie told me a little about what you do, and I think it is very wonderful to help people. I mean… I haven’t truly thanked you and your father, but… thank you for saving my life.”

“You’re welcome.” Moving to a set of built-in bookcases, he put his hand on a thick tome and looked over at her. He wasn’t quite sure why he felt the need, or why he trusted that his decision was the right one, but he didn’t hesitate, pulling the book out a few inches. Her eyes widened when the shelf began to swing away from the wall to reveal a door.

“Oh, it’s like a secret passageway!”

“That’s because it is a secret passageway,” he said, tapping his fingertip across a keyboard. There was a click, and placing his hand on the doorknob, he opened the door. “I’m going to show you where the real work is done.” After she’d stepped across the threshold, he pulled the door closed, instantly shrouding them in darkness. Her soft cry had him dropping a hand to her arm. “Hang on, I’ll get the light.” With a flick of a switch, the blackness fell away.

“It’s a tunnel?”

“Yes. It goes right into the mountain. When Pops bought the land, he discovered there was a series of natural caverns. We built the house so that we could access them and use the house to conceal their existence.” When she stumbled, he reached out again, this time taking her hand. “Careful, this floor isn’t flat.”

“This really is amazing,” she said, so softly he had to strain to hear her. Her free hand reached out to touch the stone wall. “How on earth did you do this?”

Maddox shrugged, though he was very proud of their accomplishment. It had taken years to cut through the rock to run conduits for electricity as well as water. Though they’d kept the rocks in their natural state, not covering them with sheetrock, they’d wanted to be able to truly function in the mountain. There were a series of antennas that had been installed after drilling through rock, the array invisible from the ground and extremely hard to spot from the air… he knew that for a fact, as he’d flown over the area several times. As they turned a corner at the tunnel’s end, he led her towards the first cavern. “I’ll show you the ops center first.”

She giggled and said, “I feel like some sort of, I don’t know, spy or something. I know that’s stupid but…”

Maddox chuckled. “You’re not the only one to feel that way. Stryder calls it the bat cave while Anson refers to it as Dr. Q’s laboratory.”

“Like in those 007 films?”

Surprised but pleased, he nodded. “Do you like Bond?”

“Don’t you mean, Bond… James Bond? Yes, I adore them. Do all of you pretend to be secret agents?”

Chuckling again, he grinned. “I can’t answer for my brothers, but I will confess that I am much more impressed by all those women characters. Pussy Galore, Xenia Onatopp, Octopussy, Holly Goodhead…” Her giggle had him continuing. “You gotta admit, Fleming had to be a little kinky to come up with some of those names.”

“So, are you saying you like the actresses or the kink?”

Fuck! His cock jerked to attention at the question, his eyes sliding to a door they were approaching. Perhaps this woman wasn’t just a bit of a rebel when it came to foregoing wearing the traditional clothing of her culture. Could it be that those delicate lace panties said more about her sexual desires than her love of fashion?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“You didn’t,” he said, realizing that his pause had made her feel uncomfortable. “To answer your question, I find women who are brave enough to know who they are and curious enough to try new things sexier than any actress on the movie screen.” He saw not only the widening of her eyes and the blush coloring her cheeks, but the pointed tips of her nipples pressing against that ridiculous tie-dyed tank top. He also saw her attempting to pull her hand from his, which he wouldn’t allow. But he would allow a change of topic… for the time being.

“This is the heart of the Steele operation,” he said, leading her into a room on the left. He spent the next quarter hour answering her questions about various equipment, impressed with her knowledge of technology.

“I really do think it is amazing what you and your family does. You’ve helped a lot of people.”

“Yes, and they’ve helped us,” Maddox said. “We’ve had people leave to go on to become doctors, lawyers, even politicians. They all belong to a network we can use when helping the next person to move on.”

“Do they all move on?” she asked, turning towards a row of monitors, none currently on, but seemed to hold her attention anyway.

“Not all. Some choose to stay on the ranch and work with the horses. And, well, Jennie chose to stay as well.”

“Jennie?” Adira turned to look at him, shaking her head. “She seems too happy, so normal. I would never imagine she’d ever been in danger…”

Maddox hadn’t meant to remind her of her own reason for being in Texas. Going to her, he pulled her into his arms. “Perhaps she’ll share her story one day.” Bending to speak close to her ear, he said, “For now, I need to confess another secret.” His ploy to pull her mind away from the danger she was in worked, as she looked up at him, curiosity in her gaze. “Come on. There’s more of the bat cave to see.” He led her from the ops center, and after a short walk down the tunnel, gestured to precede him into another cavern.

“Wow!” She was looking around at the equipment which included treadmills, weight benches, an elliptical machine and a heavy bag. “How on earth did you get that up there?” she asked, her head tilted back as she stared at the ceiling. “Are those really stalactites?”

“Yes, and it took a really tall ladder, but it was worth it. Nothing quite like spending a half hour pounding a bag to release frustration.”

Walking to the bag, she gave it a punch and then giggled, shaking her hand as if to relieve the ache. “Hmm, maybe I need to do some punching of my own.”

“As I recall, you punch pretty well,” he said, rubbing his hand over his jaw. He watched as her cheeks turned pink though she didn’t counter his statement, changing the subject.

“So this room is the true secret of those hard abs? Not Jennie’s cooking? Is that why you keep the gym a secret?”

“Hell no,” Maddox said. “She knows about the gym and could use it if she wants, but she prefers yoga. But that’s not the secret.” He walked to a cabinet, crouched down and then looked around as if making sure they were alone. Motioning for her to come closer, he whispered, “Promise not to tell?” At her smile and nod, he held out his hand, his fingers all curled into a fist except for his extended pinkie finger. “Come on, this is a huge secret and requires more than a nod. It requires a pinkie swear.”

“What? No blood oath?” She giggled and joined her pinkie with his. “I swear I won’t tell.”

“That’s my good girl,” he said, not missing the way her eyes widened for an instant or her quick intake of breath at his words. He released her hand and opened the cabinet.

She was silent for a second and then broke out into laughter. “Seriously?” she asked, sitting down and gathering up several of the items that had spilled from the cabinet. “Your big secret is candy?”

“Hey, don’t knock it. You try being deprived of all things sweet! It’s enough to drive a man insane.” Picking up a package of M&Ms, he tore it open and grinned, pouring the candies into his palm and tossing the handful into his mouth. Closing his eyes, he moaned as if he’d been dying of thirst and had just plunged his head beneath the surface of a cool stream. When he opened them, tilting the bag to pour out more candy, he paused, his cock twitching again.

“What are you doing?”

“Counting,” she said, her cheeks hollowing slightly as his cock protested its confinement. Popping the candy from her mouth, she shook her head. “You can’t just gobble them up all at once. A proper thanks would be to honor the sacrifice by relishing every single bite.” He watched as her tongue flicked out to run over the rounded sphere, her eyes twinkling as she then slid the sweet between her lips, sucking hard. Pulling it free once again, she said, “Haven’t you ever heard that commercial? How many licks does it take to get to the center?” He could only shake his head, his eyes glued to her mouth… her tongue, as it swiped across the purple surface again. “I’ve found that it usually takes at least a hundred. I can usually lick and suck and make a single Tootsie-Pop last an hour but since grape is my favorite, sometimes I can’t help but bite a bit.”

Holy shit… just the thought of her sucking, licking, even biting… for an hour had him swallowing hard as she licked her lips, pursing them for an instant before opening them to slide the lollipop into her mouth. He’d never in his life considered the consumption of candy to be anything but a sugar rush… When she next slid the candy free, he didn’t even think. He bent forward and kissed her, lightly at first and then harder when her hand came up and went around his neck. Cupping the back of her head, he pressed his tongue between her lips, following the path of the candy she’d eaten. He could taste the grape flavoring but the best taste was what could only be Adira. It was her moan and the fingers curling into his hair that had him pulling back. Fuck… he couldn’t do this. His dad would have his hide if he thought for a single moment that his son was taking advantage of a client. Still, he didn’t have it within himself to apologize. Instead, he took her hand and led the treat back to her lips, thinking how fucking lucky the Tootsie-Pop was as she sucked it inside.

“You’re right. Savor it,” he said, clearing his throat when he realized his voice sounded far too husky. Grinning, he chuckled. “The only grapes you’ll get from Jennie grow on vines.” She smiled around the candy and he finished off the M&Ms. Throwing the bag into the trash, he began to toss the spilled contraband back into the cabinet, closing his eyes when he heard a little crunch and her sigh of what could have been disappointment that she’d failed to restrain from biting or, as he preferred to think, perhaps a sigh of regret that he’d ended the kiss.

Rising, he offered his hand, pulling her up to her feet. “You’re welcome to come work out anytime. Just don’t do any heavy lifting without a partner. There’s a bathroom through that door,” he said, gesturing. “It includes a steam room and a whirlpool.”

She nodded, her hands running down the sides of her skirt, causing the bells to chime. “You do take your workouts quite seriously, don’t you?”

“Yes. We might tease Jennie about all her kooky cooking, but she does have a point. Health is a vital ingredient in being able to take off at any moment to do our job. Ready to go back?”

At her nod, he led her out of the gym. “What’s behind that door?” she asked, pointing to a door opposite the gym and then looking behind her. “Why is it the only door with a keypad?” Smiling, she looked up at him. “Don’t tell me… that’s where you keep the Batmobile?”

No, the Batmobile had nothing with what was behind the door. Sure, it could go extremely fast getting you where you wanted to go, but with the right partner, every piece of equipment in that room could take you to heights you’d never even imagined yourself capable of reaching… or teaching someone to fly without benefits of any engine. However, he had no illusions that she’d ever lay eyes on a single item inside. It was a shame really but… it was also reality. “Just another room,” he said, shrugging. “Come on, it’s getting late and you’ve got to be about ready to drop.” He noticed she kept her eyes on the door as they passed, obviously not buying his casual statement. They retraced their steps down the tunnel and back into the office to find Drake seated behind one of the desks.

“Hey, Pops, what’s up?” Maddox asked, wondering why he suddenly felt as guilty as he had when having to come home from school to face the music after getting into some brawl.

“Not much,” Drake said. “Just thought I’d check some emails. What have you two been up to?”

“Nothing. I’m um, just following Jennie’s orders and giving Adira a tour.” Good grief, he even sounded like that teenager. Moving the book back into position to close the panel, he continued. “Adira, the code is 08021776. It’s the date the Declaration of Independence was signed.”

“I thought that date was July 4th.”

“That’s what most people believe, but no. America’s actual day of independence was August the second. Remember, if you’re going to do anything more than a basic workout, ask one of us to spot for you.”

“I will, and thank you. I enjoy working out to relieve stress or, as you said, frustration.”

Maddox had nothing to say to that and led her out of the room. They toured the upstairs where the men’s bedrooms were, Maddox only giving her a brief glimpse into each one. “The alarms are set at night, so don’t go outside if the red light is on, and don’t open any windows.”

“Isn’t the code the same as the tunnel?”

He shook his head and almost grinned when her eyes shifted to the side. Sneaky, but he could deal with that. “No, it’s not and, Nancy Drew, the code to that room isn’t the same either.”

“Who’s Nancy Drew? That doesn’t sound like a good kinky secret agent name.” He noticed that she hadn’t denied her casual inquiry to see if all the keypads in the house operated off the same code.

“She’s a girl detective… more your speed I believe, no kink. It can be dangerous playing games you know nothing about. Now, we’ll go over the rules tomorrow when we’re both not so tired.”

“Rules?”

Nodding, he led her back towards the hall that would lead to her bedroom. “Yes, rules, and you’ll need to follow them all.”

“And if I break one?”

Shit, even the innocent question had his cock throbbing but then… was it really innocent? Stopping in the hallway, he waited until she stopped as well, her head tilted back in order to look at his face. “Break one on accident and we’ll discuss it and you’ll be reminded why the rule is in place. But break one on purpose, and you’ll be punished.”

“Pun… punished? Like… spanked?”

“Spanked at the very least and, if required, additional discipline will be doled out if I feel you aren’t understanding or accepting of the lesson.” He watched her eyes widen and her tongue lick her lips again. The hand that had cupped the back of her head only a short while earlier was now itching to caress and slap her bare ass. The finger he’d joined with hers for their childish pact wanted to delve between her thighs to discover if that spanking made her wet. Forcing himself to get a grip, he began walking again. “Get a good night’s sleep. I’ll show you more of the ranch in the morning.”

“All right… um, thank you, Maddox.”

“You’re welcome.” She entered her room, softly closing the door. After a moment, he turned and stomped towards the den and once there, straight to the bar. Pouring himself a generous shot of bourbon, he downed it in one swallow. He’d just poured another when Anson walked in.

“I like her,” Anson said.

“She’s a client,” Maddox growled, knocking back the second drink. “Remember that.”

“Whoa,” Anson said, lifting his hands in the air. “I just said I liked her… I didn’t say I wanted to—”

“Say it and I swear to God, you’ll find yourself flat on your ass.” Maddox slammed down the decanter, making the glass he’d used bounce.

“What the fuck’s gotten into you?” Anson asked, evidently not the least bit intimidated by the threat.

Maddox took a deep breath and then shrugged. “Hell, I don’t know. I’m just exhausted. Here, have a drink.” He poured his brother a shot and then capped the crystal decanter. “It was a long trip.”

Anson sipped his drink and nodded. “I imagine, but hey, you did good.”

Shrugging, Maddox said, “Not good enough. I’ll see you tomorrow. Sorry for getting on your case. Just ignore what I said, I didn’t mean it.”

A deep chuckle preceded Anson’s next words. “Bullshit. This one is different and we both know it.” Maddox pretended not to hear, but knew his brother had nailed it on the head… Adira was different, but that didn’t give him license to even think about her behind that door in the mountainside. Despite his exhaustion, he knew he would be unable to sleep. Going outside, he walked down the ridge and then through the woods to reach the stables.

“How are they settling in?” he asked, moving to the first stall and reaching in to stroke the stallion’s face.

“Good, boss,” Kurt said. “You brought some beautiful horses home.”

“I don’t think there was a single one at the auction who wasn’t a fine specimen,” Maddox said, moving to the next stall. “We’ll work out a schedule in a couple of days. Until then, give them time. They need to rest from the flight before you start working them.” Reaching Zephyr’s stall, he smiled. He’d seen thousands of horses and yet, he had to admit, none as magnificent as this animal.

Kurt, who’d been following him, taking notes, asked, “And this one? I can’t wait to see what he can do.”

“No, leave this one alone. This is Adira’s stallion. She’s the only one allowed to…” He paused, thinking of her riding… not Zephyr but his cock as he stared up into her beautiful dark eyes…

“You okay, boss?”

“What? Oh, yes, I’m fine. Just hands off this one, all right?”

“Sure thing. Why don’t you get some sleep? You look a bit ragged.”

Nodding, knowing he must look more than a bit ragged, Maddox took another moment to stroke Zephyr’s face and then returned to the house. He was about to climb the stairs to find his bed when Jennie called out to him. Turning, he waited for her to approach.

“Really, Maddox, how many times do I have to remind you to empty your pockets before tossing your clothes on the floor?” When he didn’t respond quickly enough, she continued. “I know you boys do a lot of things outside the lines, but I’m hoping that thievery is not yet one of those things,” she said but had a grin on her face.

“What do you mean?” Maddox asked, too tired to enjoy the teasing.

“Oh, just these,” she said, pulling something from her pocket. “I found these in your jeans pocket.”

“Shit, I forgot all about those,” Maddox said.

“Then you are even more exhausted than I thought,” Jennie said, holding the pendant up to the light. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say these are the real thing.”

“Believe me, they are,” Maddox said, reaching for the bracelet and necklace. “They belong to Adira. Thank you for being so diligent in searching my pockets.” In answer, she just patted his cheek and then lifted herself on her tip toes and kissed it.

“Get some sleep. Things will look better in the morning. Good night.” He watched as she walked towards the kitchen, pausing and turning back. “I like her, Maddox. What happened to that girl is horrific, but something tells me she’ll make it through. She’s a tiny thing but she’s strong. I can see it in her eyes.”

“Good night, Jennie.” Once she disappeared, he moved off the stairs, going towards Adira’s room. He’d just lifted his hand to knock when he realized he could hear her through the door… and he didn’t like the sounds that wrenched at him. Instead of knocking, he opened the door, slipping inside.

Moving across the room, he placed the jewelry down on the bedside table and bent to give her shoulder a gentle shake. “Wake up, honey, you’re having a nightmare,” he said softly. At his touch, she jerked up, her eyes opening even as she gave a shrill cry.

“Shhh, it’s just me, Adira, you’re safe. It’s all right. You just need to get some sleep…”

She shook her head, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks. “I can’t… don’t leave me.” Her hand reached out to clench his shirt. “Please… just hold me… I know you don’t want me but… please, just for tonight.”

She had no idea how much he wanted her, but that didn’t matter. Taking her hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed her palm. “All right.” After kicking off his boots, he climbed onto the bed and within seconds, he had her cradled in his arms, her head tucked beneath his chin, his lips pressed to the top of her head as she shuddered and then began to sob against his chest.

“Shhh, honey, it’s all going to get better. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but I swear to you it will. Until then, just cry. I won’t let you go.” He held her for hours, grateful when he felt her body go limp and her whimpers stopped. He knew that the nightmares would not simply go away, that she would suffer through many more until hopefully, one day, she’d find a bit of peace and then a bit more. It was only when he heard the clock chiming three o’clock that he moved to lay her down, pulling the quilt up over her and brushing the hair off her cheek before bending to press a kiss to her forehead. “Sleep, little one. Tomorrow will be a better day.” Prepared to slip off the bed, the moment he had one foot on the floor, she whimpered. Fuck, he wasn’t going anywhere. Stretching out on top of the covers, he had to sigh. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in bed with a woman, fully dressed, not holding his naked bed partner, hell, not even lying between the sheets. Closing his eyes, he tried not to think about the fact that all Adira was wearing was a camisole and a pair of panties. He tried not to think about the hand that she’d moved to lay on his chest. It was another hour before his mind finally granted him mercy and allowed his body to slip into sleep.