Page 49 of SEAL by Fate

17

GRAY TRIED NOT to stare at Stormy as she surveyed the ranch. He hadn’t brought a woman home in…well, not since Hannah.

“You didn’t tell me.” Stormy brought her chin up, nailing him with a narrowed gaze.

“Tell you what?”

“That you’re rich. This place is more than just a ranch. It’s a mansion.”

“Not a mansion.”

“My last apartment would fit into the foyer.”

He laughed and the sound echoed off the backsplash of the modern kitchen. “I’m not rich. My father is. Big difference. He was one of the most prominent attorneys in Wyoming and he had a golden thumb in real estate investments. He likes to stay busy.”

“Ah, so you came by it honestly.”

“I remind him of that when he complains that I don’t visit enough.”

He watched her run her fingers along the smooth tip of the granite countertop and how she admired the space. Unfortunately, the kitchen was designed for a chef, but there was none in sight.

“And this is the place you’re running from?” She smiled. “I’d have to say you might be a little crazy.”

“Not running, sweetheart. Good news is, no one gets onto the property unless they’re buzzed in first. Also, watch this…” He stepped over to two folding doors at the backside of the kitchen and opened them, revealing a row of legitimate looking monitors and keyboards. He flipped a switch and the screens came alive. “You can see every angle.”

“This is a bit overwhelming.”

“If it helps, we’ve never had any issues out here. My dad built the fortress after he had a client threaten him. That’s when my mom was still alive and I think he did it for her peace of mind.”

“Your mom passed away? You didn’t tell me.”

He shrugged. “I guess that’s another thing that I don’t open up about often.” He stepped away from the monitors. “How about I show you to your room? Do you have a preference in color?”

“I have that choice?” Her eyes widened.

“I think I know which you’d like. Follow me.”

He grabbed her luggage and led her up the back-winding stairs to the closest room on the right. He set her bags down and opened the door, pushing it all the way open with his foot. He motioned for her to step in first.

She took several steps, stopped, then turned on her heel. “Wait. What. This is your room, right?”

“I needed to make sure you knew how to get to me if you needed me in the middle of the night.”

Her cheeks flushed. “How considerate of you.” She quickly turned and he wondered if she was wanting to hide her obvious flustered reaction.

Once they were back out into the hallway, he showed her to the closest guest room and left her alone. He guessed she’d like to shower and clean up and he wanted to scrub the last few days off his body too Then he had some work to do. The Ghost Hawks were onto Phantom. Although he wasn’t in their grasp yet, they were very close to nailing him. The bastard thought he had the upper hand, but he’d find the end of his rope and there he’d find Gray waiting ready to throw his ass behind bars.

Back in his bedroom, he stripped his clothing, turned the shower temperature as hot as he could stand, and stood under the spray until he felt some of the tension ease from his body. When he finished scrubbing, he climbed out, dried off and decided it was high time he shaved. Although he was anxious to check in with Jamison, he also wanted to leave a good impression on his guest. Maybe even provide her with a good meal. His stomach growled at the thought of eating something that didn’t come out of a can. Although growing up they had a cook who prepared their meals, when Gray enlisted in the Navy he’d learned right quick that if he wanted to survive, he had to learn some skills and cooking was one of them. If he said so himself, he could grill a mean steak and mix up a salad, and maybe even dessert. And truthfully, he wanted to impress Stormy. He’d never wanted to with anyone else, wanting a woman to take him as he was, but he was learning if a man really cared for someone, he had to change some.

Once his jaw was smooth and he was dressed in clean clothes, he strolled down the hall and stopped momentarily at Stormy’s closed door. He could hear the water running and an image of her naked in the shower, soap running down her body certainly did test the seam of his jeans.

Dragging himself away from the position and the fantasy, he hurried down the stairs. At the refrigerator he grabbed two fresh steaks and laid them on the counter on his way to the office off the kitchen. Sitting behind the desk, he picked up the phone receiver and dialed a familiar number. If Jamison was still on the mountain, he wouldn’t have service, but when the phone was picked up on the second ring, Gray’s heart hitched. “Nail the bastard?”

“Sorry, man. I searched the cabin where they were staying and both were long gone. I did find something that’ll make you a happy though.”

“You found a print, didn’t you?” He leaned forward, grabbed a pen and clicked it in restless energy.

“I found bloody gauze in the trash can and, drumroll please, a hairbrush that had fallen underneath the vanity. I’ll send both to the lab for top priority. However, I did find a partial print. Could be his or hers, but I’ll run them through the scanner and see what we come up with. Once I get a face, you’ll be the first to know, but it might take some time. As far as catching a trail, I saw evidence of more than two people at their location, which means your first thought of them having help was right on. Also, it appears our terrorist has come up in the world. They had a helicopter pick them up at a nearby clearing. You know what that means.”

---