Give Me Tonight(56)

"Jeff, what's the matter with you?" She pushed at him, infuriated, as she felt his knee thrust between her legs. "Don't make me hurt you. I will, Jeff—don't force me." He seemed not to hear her, his mouth hot on her skin as he covered her throat with kisses. Then his grip on her wrists loosened, and she reached for the horseshoe. Simultaneously the door swung open and a fast-moving shadow slipped into the shed.

Jeff was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and hauled away from her. Addie stumbled forward until his grip on her was broken. She retreated to the wall, her eyes dilating as she tried to see through the darkness. There was the sound of a brief skirmish, a man's heavy grunt of pain, the sound of a body hitting the ground.

"Who is it?" Addie asked tremulously, gripping the horseshoe so hard the tips of her fingers were numb. "Jeff? Jeff . . ."

She heard his pained gasps as he sat up, and Ben's voice, so cold and soft that it sent chills down her spine. "Horny little son of a bitch. If you lay a finger on her again, I'll kill you."

"You have no right," Jeff muttered.

"I have every right. It's my job to protect all Warner property, including her. Now, get out, or I'll finish this here and now. "

"I'll fix your hash real good for this, Hunter."

Ben snorted in disgust. "I hope you try."

Frozen, Addie watched the doorway as Jeff left. She sighed shakily. Ben closed the door with his foot and walked over to her, stopping a few inches away. She could just make out the outline of his head and shoul­ders. Although he was ominously quiet, she sensed the dark fury that consumed him. She dared not breathe a word. Without warning he took hold of her wrist, squeezing until she gasped in surprise and dropped the horseshoe. Pulling her arm away, she rubbed her sore wrist, bewildered.

"If y—you hadn't come in here," she stammered, "he might have—"

"There was a time," he said icily, "when I wouldn't have bothered."

"Ben . . . th—thank you for . . ." She shrank against the wall as he came closer. The familiar scent and shape of him did nothing to reassure her. Why was he so quiet? Why was she starting to sense that the real danger was just beginning? "Jeff acted so strange," she said, swallowing hard. "He was too liquored up to hear me. I think he was trying to—"

"And what if he had? What if he had raped you?"

"I wouldn't have let him."

"Do you think anyone would have heard you scream with all the music and drinking going on?"

"I was going to hit him with—"

"That horseshoe? Did you happen to notice how easy it was for me to take it away from you? Do you think it would've been any different for him?"

"Maybe."

"Or maybe not," he said savagely. "And if he'd succeeded in getting what he wanted, you would have run to Daddy with the news, and then all hell would have broken loose. You little fool. Don't you realize we're on the brink of a range war as it is? You almost provided everyone with the perfect excuse to start it. They're all waiting for the first opportunity, your fa­ther included." His hands closed around her upper arms, tightening as she gave a cry of pain.

"Ben, let go of me!"

"Do you like the idea of causing all that blood­shed?" he snarled. "Men dying over you, blood being spilled . . . does that appeal to your vanity?"

She flinched and shook her head wildly. "No. I didn't think about any of that. I just wanted to—"

"You wanted to prove to Russ that you're a big girl. And to hell with what he asked of you. Jesus, you think the world revolves around you, and you've got everyone else convinced of it! What have you done to make us all insane over you? Are you worth all the trouble you're trying to cause, Addie? Damn you, I've had enough of wondering!"

Her heart jumped with fear, and she made a move to escape. He caught her rigid body against his, easily holding her prisoner. Jeff had been strong, but not like this. Trying to fight Ben was useless. His muscles were as hard as steel, his body as tough as rawhide. "Now that you've gotten rid of Jeff," she gasped, "are you planning to take his place?"

"There's a big difference between him and me, dar­lin'." He sneered. "The consequences if he takes you are a lot different than if I do. If you need a man so badly you have to sneak out here with him, I'm more than willing to satisfy you. We're all better off if I'm the one who does it."

"I hate you." Wedging her hands against his chest, she shoved as hard as she could, managing to knock them both off balance. As they fell to the ground, Ben twisted to take the shock of the fall for both of them. Then Addie gave a muffled cry as he rolled on top of her. She tried to strike him, but he was too quick, catching her wrists and pinning them over her head. Outraged, she continued to struggle, stretched out un­derneath him while the ravaged neckline of her bodice sagged.

"Stop it, Ben! I've had to put up with enough of this for one night! If you don't let me go, I'm going to have you fired first thing tomorrow m—"

"Shut up."

"I will not! You let me go, you stinking bully—"

"I said shut up!" His tone was so vicious that Addie was startled into silence. "Count yourself lucky I'm trying to remember your father right now. It's only out of respect for him that I'm not going to give you what you deserve. Dammit, stop wiggling!'