Page 37 of Wyoming Bodyguard
“Come in and have a seat in the living room. I’ll let her know you’re here.” He retraced his steps back to Lily’s bathroom down in the basement. He knocked loudly, but she must not have heard him over the heavy spray of the shower.
He opened the door a crack, mindful not to peek inside. Steam rolled out and slid against his face. “Lily, deputies are here for your statement.”
“What?”
Christ. He’d rather walk barefoot over lava rock than set foot inside her bathroom right now. He’d had a hard enough time controlling himself before she was naked in the shower. “Deputies are here,” he said, practically yelling. “They want to talk to you.”
Nothing but the splatter of water drops on tile reached his ears. Gritting his teeth, he opened the door wider and took a tentative step into the room. Steam covered the glass of the shower, but he couldn’t miss the peach outline of her body on the other side.
She popped her head out of the now-open glass door, hiding the rest of her delicious body behind the shower stall. Her wheat-blond hair appeared darker when wet. The long strands hung over one shoulder and dripped water on the dark blue rug. Her eyes were hooded, her full lips parted in a small o-shape that had fire shooting from his core. “Madden?”
His name was spoken more like an invitation than a question, but one he couldn’t accept. Hell, he was probably hearing things. She was just wondering why he’d interrupted her shower. “Sheriff’s deputies are here to talk about what happened earlier. They want your statement.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll be right there.”
He swore he heard a note of disappointment in her voice, but instead of dwelling on what it meant, he got out of there before he forgot law enforcement waited in the living room to discuss a crime.
But the biggest crime in his mind was that there was a beautiful, interesting, naked woman mere feet away and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
* * *
The pulse between Lily’s legs had her groaning as she shut off the hot water and stepped out of the shower. She’d hoped standing under the hot spray would ease some of the soreness in her muscles. Instead, Madden’s unexpected interruption caused a different kind of tension to build in her core.
For one quick, crazy second, she’d thought he’d come to see her for a different reason.
As she patted her skin dry with the cotton towel, she rolled her eyes. She really needed to talk with him about where they stood. At least then they’d both have a better understanding of each other’s expectations.
But that was a problem for another time. Not now as she threw on a pair of red flannel shorts and a T-shirt. She didn’t bother to mess with her hair. Hopefully it would dry in nice, beachy waves and not like a chaotic bird’s nest.
Slowly making her way upstairs, she found the trio sitting in the living room. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
All three stood.
“No worries,” Deputy Silver said, her eyes kind but expression tight with concern. “We won’t take up too much of your time. We understand you’ve had a hard day. We need your statement. We’d also like to see your riding gear.”
“Yes, sure. That’s fine.”
“Why don’t you sit?” Madden asked, gesturing toward the spot on the couch next to where he’d sat.
She rounded the coffee table and sank onto the soft cushions. She wished she could close her eyes and sleep the rest of the evening away, but that wasn’t an option. At least not right now with law enforcement here to discuss what happened.
Steadying her nerves, she told her story. She started with the decision to take her horse for an evening ride and ended with her saddle sliding off the horse and realizing her cinch had been cut.
Deputy Silver frowned. “How often do you check your gear?”
She shrugged. “A few times a week, but not before every ride. When we have guests, everything is inspected before assigning it. I try to be as diligent as possible. I’ve never had an issue with mine, or anyone else’s equipment.”
“Who all has access to the tack room?” Deputy Hill asked. “Is the barn ever locked?”
She swallowed the bitterness creeping up her throat. She hated answering this question but understood the need for full transparency. “My dad and I, obviously, and we have two ranch hands who are still employed full time.”
“Charlie Wells and Daniel Winter?” Deputy Hill asked.
She nodded.
“We spoke with Charlie earlier this morning regarding the break-in last night. He said he hasn’t noticed anyone on the property recently who wasn’t supposed to be there, but we’ll speak with him again. See if he’s noticed any other equipment has been tampered with.” Deputy Silver leaned forward in her seat, resting his forearms on her knees. “We haven’t had a chance to talk to Daniel Winter yet. Have you spoken with him?”
Unease skittered down Lily’s spine. “No, but he was here this morning, though. Madden and I saw him working when we went into town. Charlie mentioned he wasn’t feeling well. I’ve wanted to reach out to make sure he’s all right, but things have been a little chaotic.”
