Wicked Ben (The Wicked #2)

Chapter One

High-fashion supermodel Sarah Lang moved through the mansion with sensual, come-hither grace, her diaphanous negligee flowing around her in frothy, breeze-blown wisps.

In only the barest of threads, the fabric clung to her body and gave the impression that at any moment it might fall away and leave her gloriously nude.

As though choreographed by a dancer, she was accompanied by soft, sultry music. Her slinky strides revealed long legs, bare arms, and slender hips. The color of honey, her hip-length blonde hair shimmered down her back in a gleaming, golden waterfall.

At an open bedroom door, with an enormous, turned-down bed visible just inside, she paused to glance over her shoulder.

Her perfect face revealed a strong jawline, aquiline nose, and huge tip-tilted eyes.

In youthful and feminine vigor, her skin glowed.

The music reached a sexy crescendo and at last she did the thing that got to Ben Paxton every time.

Her lips curved, and she raised her index finger, gave it an alluring little crook. Through her eyes, she conveyed a deeply erotic promise and invited him into her bedroom.

That was when the YouTube video of her commercial ended.

Bent over the desk in his cramped and cluttered Austin, Texas office, Ben Paxton pushed his laptop aside and groaned.

As usual, those particular YouTube images hit him with the force of a swinging sledgehammer.

He huffed in a deep breath. Then another.

Aroused beyond belief, he was now a prisoner of his desk until his body calmed down.

His office staff might notice the change in him and he didn’t need that.

With the heels of both hands, he dug into his eye sockets.

Over these past months, he didn’t know how many times he’d replayed Sarah Lang’s commercial for whatever product she was hawking.

Was it some sort of perfume? Or jewelry?

Could be, judging from the lavish diamond bracelet dripping off her wrist. He hadn’t noticed.

He didn’t care. He only knew that he never tired of watching her. Never.

And now he was tasked to save her life.

Now he was going to be her bodyguard.

The door burst open and his right-hand man rushed in and threw his big body into a chair. Rio Lang, Sarah’s brother, placed both his fists on his knees and leaned forward. “So, you’ll do it? You’ll head up to Montana and take care of this for me?”

Ben still couldn’t believe that the spectacular supermodel Sarah Lang, Super Sarah, as the press called her, was Rio’s sister.

The very same woman who’d bewitched him for months from flickering television screens, from freeway billboards, and from the pages of celebrity magazines.

Incredible, really, that she was actually related to his former teammate on the SEAL teams. Now, Rio was his trusted employee.

Ben hadn’t known of their family connection until today. Rio sure had kept that quiet.

“One thing’s for damn certain,” he said to Rio, “you can’t go.” Quickly, Ben closed his laptop and shuffled papers. Lord knew he didn’t need Rio seeing that particular video on his computer. “I’m considering sending one of our other guys.”

No, he wasn’t. Not even a little, but he couldn’t let Rio know how eager he was to at last meet Sarah. He wanted to so badly he could literally taste it. When he thought of her, his mouth watered.

Rio took the bait. “You’re right, I can’t go.

However, this is my sister we’re talking about.

Believe me, it’s been hard to think about anything else since she called an hour ago to tell me about this stalker.

It’s driving me crazy. I want to fly up to the ranch and shotgun everyone within a ten-mile radius. ”

Like her, Rio was tall, fit, tawny haired, and personally dynamic. Although both he and Sarah were adopted and unrelated by blood, he’d told Ben they’d grown up together on the Montana cattle ranch where she’d now returned to live.

Ben arched a brow. “Besides that, Becca is about to pop. You can’t miss the birth.”

“Yeah, Becca’s already a week past her due date.” Rio scratched his neck. “I think the doctors are going to induce her in the next day or so. I’ll be glad. My wife’s been pretty crabby lately. With twins coming, I can’t blame her.”

“You’ve got a lot going on,” Ben agreed.

“I recognize that. I’m freaked out. It’s why I want you to go, Ben. Unlike me, you’ll maintain a professional attitude. With the babies about to arrive, I can’t think straight. And you’re the best at what we do. For Sarah, I want the best.”

“I’m considering it.”

“One last thing.” Rio got up and stopped in the doorway.

“Sarah’s been through a lot—a tough several months.

She’s a little ornery. She won’t like you going up there, so don’t take any grief from her.

Big Jim, our dad, will help protect her, but he can’t be with her every second, and she won’t follow orders anyway.

” He added, “Thanks, I really appreciate this.” Then he was gone.

Ben tapped a pencil on the desk. This wasn’t a good time. He needed to be here, in Austin, building his company, Paxton Security.

Earlier that morning, he’d discovered that another business similar to his, founded in Dallas, was closing its doors. The owner, a long-time buddy, had phoned with an offer Ben couldn’t refuse: for a nominal fee, his buddy would turn over all his equipment and fifteen good men.

In less than a week’s time, Paxton Security would be flooded with new people.

They would need processing, direction, and tasking.

It was the shot in the arm he’d been waiting for and could catapult his company into the next level.

With this new, already-trained cadre, his business could go for bigger contracts, land even more lucrative jobs.

Acclimating the new guys and coaching them to his particular standards should be managed quickly. Then, they could be assigned to appropriate posts and start bringing in a new influx of capital.

Because Ben’s firm trained its own operatives and tried to draft them from ex-Special Forces or former law enforcement, this unexpected offer was an amazing boon. Experienced, quality people were hard to find. When they arrived, he should be there.

Still ... Rio had asked this very personal favor, and both events had happened all in one day! Ben felt the need to think, to consider every angle.

In addition to the office building, he owned a next-door shoot house where new recruits were trained. Their proficiencies in close quarters combat were sharpened. To perfect their skill on the gun, they spent a lot of time at a nearby range.

In addition, he was big on fitness and hired only the best trainers to school his men.

When they were ready, he hired out teams to corporations or wealthy individuals who needed ramped-up protection and safekeeping. Paxton Security maintained the highest standards. His reputation in the industry was unparalleled; he guarded it jealously. Ben worked hard and he made money.

Not supermodel money, but still. Now, with the new men coming in, he could expand.

It wasn’t a good time to leave. Thinking long and hard, in the end, he realized he was powerless to resist. Sarah Lang had gotten herself in trouble and he had to answer that call.

He punched the intercom button. “Marge, get me a flight out to Billings, Montana.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said without question. Marge was accustomed to his barked orders, unconventional schedule, and sudden departures. In the front office, she was a gem.

Drumming his fingers on the desk, he hesitated one last time. His own eagerness was enough to give him pause.

Could he handle this? Was Rio right about him? Could he rely upon years of professional distance and clarity of mind to find out who was stalking Sarah Lang, and then neutralize him?

Or ... when clear consideration was vitally needed, would his secret crush on her cloud his judgment?

The stalker’s threats must be taken seriously, and Sarah’s life might well hang in the balance.

To be properly prepared, he needed the Zen calmness, the internal strength he’d honed in many trial-by-fire battles he’d lived through in the SEAL Teams.

He was desperate to go, yet he must be honest or it wouldn’t serve her. If he couldn’t be objective, he’d be forced to choose another to go to get the job done.

Pushing up from the desk, Ben walked to the window that overlooked the adjacent concrete yard.

In bright sunlight, the outside area was filled with workout equipment and sweating men.

Named after the iconic yard, The Grinder, at Naval Base Coronado in California, where all SEAL candidates met their personal come-to-Jesus moments, this place, too, they’d dubbed The Grinder, and the nickname stuck.

Crossing his arms, he watched a group of men perform endless pushups, jumping jacks, and flutter kicks, just as BUD/s aspirants were required to do. In that moment, he knew a quiet satisfaction.

Here, he fashioned his regimen to closely resemble the Navy’s difficult program, and he turned out competent military-style guardians. Paxton Security was a fine business, and growing. Ben was proud of its achievements. He’d done it. He’d carved out a useful place in the world.

Still observing the trainees, he figured it was, on occasion, a good thing to question one’s motives. A man shouldn’t get so full of himself that he couldn’t look inward, do a little introspection. The stakes for Sarah were high.

Now he’d worked through that process. At thirty-eight he’d pretty much seen and done it all. He really had no reason to doubt his own capabilities.

Abruptly, Ben straightened and asked himself, then why the mental gymnastics? Why was he dicking around? He’d already made his decision. He’d made it the instant he heard that Sarah’s life was in jeopardy.

By God, he was going to Montana.

With his very last breath he’d protect her from the threat.