“What? I didn’t know we were going out.” She wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but Evan looked confident.

“Well, I wanna take you out. There’s a nice restaurant down river closer to where it flows into the ocean called The Overlook. I thought you’d like it. If you wanna go, I need to make reservations, plus it may give you an idea for an article.”

“Will it be safe?”

“Yes, darlin’. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

“Okay.”

“I left the number in the office. I’ll go—” Evan’s phone rang before he could finish the sentence. “Riverton.”

“Mr. Riverton, I’m done. I’m headin’ to the house like you asked.”

“I’ll meet you at the back door.” When he disconnected the call, he turned toward Ginger and reached for her hand. “Daniel’s on his way up. You may wanna put on some pants so I don’t have to kick his ass for looking at your legs. Remember, this is all mine and I don’t share.” He pulled her up as she cocked a brow at him so he added, “Anymore.”

She kissed him as she walked past. “Not that it was ever an option with me, but I’m glad you’ve had a change of heart.”

He swatted her ass. “Go.”

“Ow!” She rubbed her ass as she left the room, but the look she gave him over her shoulder told him it didn’t hurt. The smile he gave her in return told her that was information she may not have wanted him to know.

Evan was waiting for Daniel when he arrived. “See anything?”

“Yessir. Down close to where that Challenger flipped a couple weeks ago.”

“Come on. Show me on the map,” Evan said as he led Daniel toward the office. As they entered, Evan pointed to the aerial map on the wall.

“Right here in this corner. A man was lookin’ at the property through binoculars. When I got close, he jumped on a motorcycle headin’ toward town.”

“A motorcycle,” Evan mumbled. “Did you get a good look at him?”

“No, sir. I mean, I saw his beard and sunglasses. Oh, he had on a hat.”

“Could you recognize him if you saw him again?”

“I don’t know. If he wore the same clothes, I guess.” Daniel shrugged a shoulder.

“Have you ever seen those clothes around town before?”

Daniel chuckled. “Yessir, every day. Blue jeans and T-shirt. Hell Mr. Riverton, other than the color you’re dressed just like him.”

“So his clothes blend in. What about his beard? Is it a few days growth like mine or longer?”

“Longer, like down to here,” Daniel said as he held his hand a couple inches away from his face.

“So a full beard, not a goatee or a manicured beard?” Evan showed him what he meant with his hands.

“Yessir. Full beard.”

“Did you get close enough to tell his size? Was he like me or Mitchell?”

Daniel shook his head. “By the time I got that close he was already on his bike.”

“Have you seen the bike around town? Was it a serious bike like a Harley or a sports bike like a crotch rocket?”

“It wasn’t a crotch rocket, but I don’t know if it was a Harley, either.”

“What else can you tell me about it? Was it loud? Did you see the color?”

“It wasn’t loud enough to spook the horse, but it was loud.” A smile spread across Daniel’s face when he said, “It sounded sweet. Kinda like the motorcycle version of Mitchell’s Mustang, Shelby. I was behind him, but it appeared to be black.”

“All right, Daniel. You did good. Was there anything else?”

“No, sir. Everything else looked like it was s’posed to.”

“Ginger and I are about to eat some lunch. You wanna join us?”

“No, sir. If you don’t need me anymore, I’m gonna go see Elizabeth.”

As Evan and Daniel walked down the hall Evan asked, “Elizabeth?”

Daniel’s face turned red. “Yessir, Elizabeth Hamilton, next door.”

As they entered the kitchen, Evan leveled Daniel with a hard stare. “Well, y’all be careful. I don’t wanna hear gun shots this afternoon. I don’t have time to hire someone new because Mr. Hamilton shot you or put you in the hospital. Got me?”

“Yessir,” he said with a smile. “Need me to come back tomorrow?”

“That’d be great. I can’t keep an eye on Ginger and ride the ranch, too.”

“Yessir,” Daniel said as he walked out the side door.

“Does he need lunch before he leaves?” Ginger asked as she walked into the kitchen.

With a chuckle in his voice Evan said, “No darlin’. He’s going to see a young girl. At that age, boys don’t think about food. There’s only one thing on their minds.”

“Uh huh. And when do said boys grow out of that? Cause you haven’t, and I’d say you’ve got more than ten years on him.” Evan laughed and lunged for her, but when Ginger noticed his sudden move, she ran toward his bedroom. He was hot on her heels. He caught her at the door and threw her on the bed.

“Maybe at seventy,” he said as he straddled and tickled her.

She squirmed and giggled like a school girl. “Stop! Please stop! You’re gonna make me pee my pants!”

Evan moved off to lie beside her as she caught her breath. “Seven good with you for dinner?”

“Yes, what do I need to wear?”

“Did you bring a cocktail dress?”

“Yes.”

“That’ll work.”

* * *

They ate lunch then worked separately. Ginger worked on the sofa in the living room while Evan was in the office. By the time Ginger finished her article it was mid-afternoon, and she decided to take a relaxing bubble bath before getting ready for their dinner date.

She had dozed off and woke to music playing through the house speakers. “Already Callin’ You Mine” by Parmalee was on and reminded her of the night she and Evan danced in the living room. It was the night before she met Nathan at the bar for Evan.

When Ginger was finished in the bathroom, she decided it’d be fun for them to dress separately. She was moving her make-up and hair items to the guest room when she came face-to-face with Evan. “Where have you been? I was looking for you.” Before she could answer he noticed what was in her hands. “What are you doing?”

The look of confusion on his face was priceless as Ginger stifled a giggle. “I was in the bathroom. Now, I’m moving my stuff to the guest room.”

“Why would you do that?” Evan massaged his forehead, confusion was etched across it. “Did I miss something? I thought things were going good. I mean, I know this weekend has taken some unexpected turns, but I thought we were working through that together.”

Ginger smiled at him warmly. “We are. I just thought it’d be fun to dress separately. That way when you pick me up at my door, you’ll be surprised. You know, like a real date?” Her smile grew wide by the time she’d said the last words.

Evan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, darlin’. When I couldn’t find you, I thought something else had happened. Then, I see you moving stuff and thought I’d somehow fucked this up and we haven’t even got started good, yet.”

“I know. I saw the concern all over your face. I shouldn’t have let that brain of yours go down that path.” She rose on her tiptoes with her face tilted up while he bowed his head for her to kiss him. “I know you’ll keep me safe. We didn’t start out like most couples do, so I thought tonight we could treat it like a date where you pick me up at my door.”

“So, you’re into role play? Ms. Monroe, you keep surprising me,” he said with a mischievous grin and a twinkle in his eye. When Ginger’s mouth fell open he said, “I like the way you’re thinking. I can get into role play.”

Through her giggle she asked, “What time can I expect you, Mr. Riverton?”

“I’ll knock on your door in an hour. See you soon.” He moved past her toward his room.

Ginger shut herself in the room Kayla made up for her, but never used. In the closet she found the black cocktail dress that a young designer custom made for her. The sheath matched her skin tone perfectly and fit her like a glove with an overlay of black lace. The front dipped low at the neckline with scalloped edges, while the back was open to the waist. The strappy black high-heeled shoes were the perfect complement. She knew how much Evan liked her neck so she put her hair in a French twist to give him access, and she added pearl earrings and a choker. Her make-up was flawless with a wine red lipstick to draw his attention. Her final touch was editable vanilla scented body glitter she dusted just between her breasts and across her chest.

This weekend he’d seemed to have the upper hand in their seduction games. Tonight, she hoped to take some of it back. She was making a final assessment in the mirror when she heard the tap on the door so she grabbed her clutch and opened it.

As the door opened, Ginger couldn’t believe the man standing in front of her. She’d only ever saw him in jeans or naked, but here he stood in a tailored charcoal grey suit with a back shirt opened at the collar and his black boots. She slowly scanned him from his dark hair to his blue eyes and his wide-receiver body as he did the same to her.

His smile was wide as he stood there with his hands in his pockets. “Turn around, darlin’. I want the whole picture before we leave.” She did as he requested. When her back was to him, she felt his finger at the lowest point of exposed skin before she felt his body. “You look absolutely stunning. It took me a second to see the material under the lace.” He moved to kiss her neck when he whispered, “Tell me, Gin, stockings with garters?”

“Yes,” she breathed.

“You aren’t wearing a bra, so what about panties?” He kissed across the back of her neck while he waited on her answer. The goosebumps spread across her skin when she shivered and her breathing had picked up. “Well?”

She took a steadying breath before she said, “I think you should have to think about that through dinner. Then maybe you can find out for yourself later.” She felt his smile against her skin and hoped he was enjoying this game, too.

“Does this mean you’re inviting me in for a night cap when we get home?” He pulled her close and she felt his erection against her ass. “This is the state I’ll be in through dinner while I imagine peeling that dress off you. Fantasizing about what’s underneath. Please tell me the garter is black lace to match the dress.”

Ginger moaned and rolled her head to the side for him to kiss her neck as she licked her lips. “Yes, it’s black lace.” What little she’d gained in this round of seduction slowly slipped away, and she didn’t care. He looked sexy as hell and made her feel irresistible.

When he loosened his grip on her hips and stepped back, she felt cheated out of his touch. As she turned back to face him, she was flushed, but he looked just as hungry. “As much as I’d like to say fuck it, I’m taking you out for a nice dinner. Before the sun rises, I’ll have ravaged your body several times. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve got the keys to your car. We’re not getting in Mitchell’s dirty truck dressed like this.”

“I was going to suggest that.”