Page 96 of Wild Mustang Security Firm

“I don’t like being told what to do.”

“Do I look like a man who gives a damn? If I have to risk my life to come back there and make you follow my orders, you won’t like what happens when we get down to the Canyon floor.”

Finn lifted her chin defiantly. “You don’t scare me.”

“I don’t doubt it. You don’t have enough common sense not to be afraid of me. You don’t want to test me, and you should know, I don’t make idle threats. Are you going to do what I tell you or not?”

“Just lead on. I’ll be fine.”

Croft watched her sway in the saddle. Swearing under his breath, he carefully dismounted to the right, so the cliff wall, reaching skyward, was at his back. Inching his way toward her, he reached up to untie the lead, and she swatted at his hands.

“Knock it off,” he snarled. Untying the lead and clasping it in his hand, he reached around her for the safety strap. He tried to buckle her in, and she again pushed at his strong hands. He felt a loose stone give way and quickly found more stable ground. Finn gasped as he finished securing her in the saddle, so she would be safe. Taking Jasper’s lead, he slid by Sam’s rump, then swung up from the off-side.

“Just hang on to the saddle horn and try to stay in the middle of Jasper’s back. If you’re going to be sick, there’s an airsick bagbehind you in the pack. Grab it and keep it with you. We can dispose of it when we get to one of the trash collection areas.”

“I don’t think I can do this,” she said softly.

“You don’t have a choice,” he growled. “I’m going to move out, and Jasper is going to follow along. Everything will be fine.”

They rode the next couple hours in silence. The only sounds were the hard hooves of the mules as they walked down the trail, the screeches of the raptors overhead, and his client’s irregular, shallow breathing. Croft listened intently, and when he heard her breathing become more settled and take on an even rhythm, he glanced over his shoulder. The fool woman had finally closed her eyes.

He shook his head. Mac owed him for this. Mac had finally put his foot down with Willa and reminded her Croft was almost as good a tracker as she was. He had given her no choice about going—no choice in this instance meant he’d told Willa she could go either with a freshly spanked bottom or not, but they were going. He smiled, knowing Willa had most likely snarled back at him and left for their trip, needing a soft pillow to sit on. It didn’t take long for an observant man to figure out Ethan McDaniel was the dominant partner in that relationship. Not that Willa was submissive—not by a long shot—but when Mac laid down the law, Willa had little choice but to behave. She rarely did so without a fight, but in the end, she yielded.

Croft wondered if he’d ever find a woman like Willa. She was a handful, but she was strong, smart, and filled out a pair of chaps in a way guaranteed to make a heterosexual man hard. He shook his head. Funny thing was, after he got to know her and saw her around Mac, her beauty and charisma no longer affected him that way. Croft now saw her as his friend first, his boss’ wife second, and a woman whose tenacity and business acumen he admired. Fact was, he felt the same way about Mac.

“How you doing back there, Ms. Reid?”

“Would you please quit calling me Ms. Reid? If we’re going to be traveling together for several days, I think Finlay or Finn is more appropriate.”

“You Easterners are big on appropriate,” he said scornfully.

Although a cowboy through and through and far more western than eastern, Croft had been born and raised on the East Coast. His family had a long and distinguished history as Naval officers, and he had been raised to believe he would live and die as a member of the United States Navy. He had dutifully attended the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, and graduated as an officer. From there, he had applied for and been accepted into the vaunted SEAL training program and spent more than a decade as a member of one of its elite units.

“It has nothing to do with being an Easterner,” she responded disdainfully, “and everything to do with trying to be pleasant.”

Croft’s only response was a snort.

Irritated, Finn asked, “Why did you offer to take me along and help me locate my brother?”

This time his answer was a sound that resembled a cross between a bark and a laugh.

“I didn’t offer anything. My boss was set on getting away with his wife on a honeymoon that should have happened long before now. He assigned me the task of trying to find out what happened to your brother and dragging you along for the ride. I’ve been trying to figure out what I did that got him that pissed off at me.”

Finn made a strangled cry of irritation. “When we get down to the end of the trail, you can call your company and tell them to send someone else.”

“Apparently, you’re not familiar with how my firm works. You hired us, and Mac assigned you the best man for the job. That means you’re stuck with me.”

Croft was almost glad to hear her getting snarky. It meant she was focused on something other than how terrified she was on Jasper, going down a very challenging trail. He’d chosen this trail since it was the shortest route down, but it was one of the tougher ones to ride. Given the information he’d been supplied, he’d foolishly thought she was up for it.

Talking to her also meant he could focus on something other than how fine her ass had looked when her jeans were stretched tight across it as she mounted Jasper. He wouldn’t mind mounting the fair Ms. Reid… under different circumstances.

“If that’s true, you and your company are fired. I’ll go by myself.”

He glanced over his shoulder to look at her. “Let me get this straight, your new plan is to go wandering around the Grand Canyon on foot?”

“I would hope you would allow me to continue borrowing the mule.”

“That hope would be in vain. The animals and I are a package deal. You do know there are all kinds of things that can kill you down there, don’t you? Snakes, mountain lions, bears, dehydration, falls… lots of ways to die.”

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