Elle James - Hot Zone

The man was obviously in a lot of pain. His pale face broke out in a sweat as the EMTs lowered him onto the stretcher. Once he was settled, he held out a hand to Olivia.

She took it. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle the ranch.”

“No, Liv, you can’t. Things aren’t the same as when you left. You need help.”

Liv shook her head. “I can work the animals better than most men.”

Abe chuckled and winced. “You’re right, but you can’t do this alone. Promise me you’ll get help.” His gaze shifted to where Hawkeye stood a few feet away. “Make her get help.”

Liv frowned. “You can’t ask a stranger to do that.”

Abe nodded. “I just did.” He waved Hawkeye forward.

Not wanting to get into the midst of a family argument, Hawkeye eased forward. “Sir?”

“I’m Abe Masterson, and you are?”

“Trace Walsh, but my friends call me Hawkeye.”

“Hawkeye, this is Olivia Dawson. Olivia, Hawkeye.” Abe lay back, closing his eyes, the effort having cost him. “There, now you aren’t strangers. Please, Hawkeye, make sure Olivia doesn’t try to run the Stone Oak Ranch alone. She needs dedicated protection. Something’s not right out there.”

When Hawkeye hesitated, Abe opened his eyes, his gaze capturing Hawkeye’s. “Promise.”

To appease the injured man, Hawkeye said, “I promise.”

The EMT interrupted. “We really need to get Mr. Masterson to the hospital.”

“I’m riding with him,” Olivia said.

“No.” Abe opened his eyes again. “The horses need to be fed and the cattle need to be checked.”

“They can wait. You need someone to go with you as your advocate,” she insisted. “You might pass out again.”

“I didn’t pass out,” Abe grumbled. “I just closed my eyes.”

“Yeah.” Olivia snorted. “That’s a bunch of bullsh—”

“Uh-uh,” Abe interrupted. “You know how your daddy felt about you cursing.”

She glared and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not a child.”

“No, but you don’t have to worry about me. I’m alive and still kicking. I can take care of myself. You can visit me at the hospital, if it makes you feel better. But call first. I have a lady friend in Cody. I’m sure she’ll come keep me company and put me up until I can get around on my own.”

Liv pulled her lip between her teeth and chewed on it before answering. “Are you sure?”

The pucker of Liv’s brow and the worried look in her eyes made Hawkeye want to ease her mind. And pull her into his arms. He suspected she wouldn’t appreciate the gesture, no matter how well-intentioned. As far as she was concerned, he was the bad guy in this situation. Hawkeye had yet to set the record straight.

“I’m positive,” Abe said. “Now let the EMTs do their job. I’d like to get somewhere with a little pain medication. My leg hurts like hell.”

Liv backed up quickly, running into Hawkeye’s chest.

He reached out to steady her as the medical technicians rolled Abe’s gurney away.

“Do you need a ride back to the ranch, Miss Dawson?” Jonah asked. “I have a few errands to run before I head back your way.”

Liv nodded. “How long do you need?”

“No more than thirty minutes. I just need to pick up some feed at the feed store and a few groceries for the missus. You’re welcome to wait in the truck.”

She looked around as if in a daze. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to pick up dinner from the tavern. I don’t think I’ll have time to cook anything.”

Jonah nodded. “I’ll pick you up at the Blue Moose, then.”

Hawkeye bit down on his tongue to keep from offering the woman a ride out to her place. No doubt she’d turn it down, preferring a ride from a friend to one from a stranger she thought had caused the wreck.

After Jonah left in his truck, the only two people left on the street were Hawkeye and Liv.

Liv turned to him and poked a finger at his chest, fire burning in her emerald green eyes. “You!”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Me?”

“Don’t lay on the innocent act.” Her brows drew into a deep V. “Your reckless driving nearly got Abe killed. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t turn you over to the sheriff.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

Hawkeye glanced at the damning ATV. “I didn’t drive out in front of your pickup.”

“Like hell you didn’t.” Twin flags of pink flew high on her cheekbones. “You didn’t even look left or right before you barreled out onto the highway. What if we had been a van full of children? You could have killed an entire family.” She flung her arm out.

“It wasn’t me.” He shook his head. “I was chasing a guy on another four-wheeler.”

“Right. Why should I believe you?” Her finger shot out again and poked him in the chest. “You’re a stranger. For that matter, why were you on my property?” She jabbed him again. “You were trespassing. I could have you arrest—”

As a sniper, Hawkeye considered himself a patient man. But the finger in the chest was getting to him, and the woman with the green fire blazing from her eyes was far too pretty for him to slug—not that he would ever hit a woman. But she just wasn’t going to listen to him unless he did something drastic.

So he grabbed her finger, yanked her up against his body and clamped an arm around her waist, bringing her body tight against his. Then he slammed his lips down on hers. For the first time in the past five minutes, silence reigned.

With one hand captured in Hawkeye’s hand, Liv pressed the other to his chest and gave a pathetic attempt at pushing him away. Hawkeye strengthened his hold.

After a few seconds, she quit pushing against him, her fingers curling into his shirt.

Her lips were soft and full beneath his. Even though he’d stemmed her tirade, Hawkeye was in no hurry to raise his head. Instead, he raised his hand, his fingers sliding up to cup the back of her head.

She gasped, her mouth opening to his.

Taking it as an invitation, Hawkeye swept his tongue past her teeth to claim hers in a long, slow caress.

The tension in her body melted away and she leaned into him, her tongue toying with his, giving as good as he gave.

When he finally broke the kiss, he briefly leaned his cheek against her temple, careful not to disturb the bandage on her forehead, and then he straightened.

Liv touched her fingers to her lips, her eyes glazed. “Why did you do that?”

His lips quirked upward. “I couldn’t think of a better way to make you shut up long enough to listen.”

Her glaze cleared and her brows met in the middle the second before her hand snapped out and connected with his face in a hard slap.

She raised her hand again, but he caught it before she could hit him again.

“There was another four-wheeler,” he said. “I was chasing him. He was a good fifty yards ahead of me when he reached the road. I would have caught him if I hadn’t stopped to render aid.” He forced her wrist down to her side. “Now, you can choose to believe me or not. But that’s what happened.”

Liv rubbed her wrist, her eyes narrowing. “That doesn’t explain why you were on my land.”

“I started out on government land, up in the hills, when I ran across the other man, planting explosives in a valley. I thought it might be a good idea to ask him why he was doing that.”

* * *

LIV’S BREATH CAUGHT in her throat. “Explosives?”

“Yes.”

“Why would someone plant explosives in the hills?” she asked.

“I suspect it has something to do with the oil pipeline cutting through that area.”

“But why come through my property?”

“I don’t know, but if you have livestock, your fence is down in two places. You should get someone to help you put it back up.”