"Are you still sore over that?"

He nodded his head.

"I apologized. Besides, you did sneak up on me."

"I didn't. This has been my route for the better part of a year. My team and I own a ranch four miles from here."

"Your team?" she asked.

"Yes. We all served in the SEALs together. We're more like brothers. We share everything," he said and eyed her over.

She immediately got the goose b.u.mps and her nipples hardened from his innuendo. She knew there were a lot of menage relationships in town. She had a friend who'd married two men back in New York. They loved her dearly.

"That must be interesting. You never fight?" she asked and started walking. He walked alongside her as they made their way from the woods and into the clearing. She wished he would put his shirt on so she could concentrate. But she also hoped he wouldn't, because he was so beautiful.

Harper couldn't help but to remain close to Lauren. He felt this instant protectiveness over her and he was trying so hard not to show it. He would surely scare her away if he indicated exactly what he wanted to do with her right now. He wanted so badly to take her to the ranch, to explore her s.e.xy body and find out why she favored her side so much. Was she hiding out here in town? Where did she live anyway? Who was she staying with? He hoped not a man or men. G.o.d, he instantly felt sick and jealous all at once.

"Where are you staying while you're visiting Pearl?" he questioned, and felt his voice shaking. He prayed Lauren couldn't hear it or sense his anxiousness.

"Harper, I think you should understand that I need my privacy. I'm afraid I shouldn't have let you kiss me like that back there. I got caught up in the moment and well." She had stopped walking, turned away from him, and was wringing her hands together in nervousness. It just made his mind ask more questions about her and her denial of this attraction between them.

He reached out and touched her shoulder, turning her back toward him. He then placed his one hand on her hip and the other hand, palm against her cheek.

He held her gaze. Her blue eyes appeared sad, yet they sparkled.

"We need to get a few things straight here, baby. For one, I don't plan on that kiss we shared being our last."

She tried to step back but he stepped forward and then eased his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his chest. She gripped his forearm. He cupped her head.

He held her gaze as his eyes trailed over her lips, the desire, the need to kiss her becoming impossible to ignore.

"You say you're only visiting, so be it. Let's enjoy this time together. Let's see where it goes."

"I can't, Harper. Please understand that I can't. It's bad timing for me. I have a lot on my plate and I'm probably going to have to leave sooner than later."

He shook his head. "I want to get to know you better. You have to feel what I'm feeling. This sensation, connection that seems so special."

"Harper."

"Lauren, admit to it. Tell me that you feel the attraction."

"I do. I'm not denying it but there are things going on in my life. Things I don't have control over that make it too difficult to pursue this right now."

"What things?" he pushed.

"Harper, please." She applied a slight bit of pressure to his forearms but barely enough to think she meant it.

He smiled softly down at her.

"Lauren, how about we just enjoy one another's company, and just take it minute by minute, hour by hour, or whatever?"

He gave her hip a squeeze then leaned down and brushed his lips gently over hers. She closed her eyes and even when he released her lips she held her eyes closed a little longer. She locked gazes with him.

"Are all Navy SEALs such good kissers?" she asked.

His lip curled up into a smile. "Baby, you can be the judge of that." He leaned down and kissed her again, until that kiss grew so wild, so hot, she forgot what he said, and they both parted to catch their breath and slow things down.

"I think I should go now," she told him, stepping away.

He reached for her hand and held her in place. "Where can I find you? How do I get in touch with you? When can we meet up again?" He was shocked at how desperate he sounded.

"How about we just wait and see what happens?" she replied.

He shook his head. "How about you meet me in town this afternoon for lunch? Francine's restaurant, or the Main Street Inn? Your choice. My treat."

She smiled at him. "I haven't gone into town yet. I don't think that's such a great idea."

"Why not?" he asked, his gut kicking in, telling him this woman was hiding something or maybe hiding from someone. He didn't want to engage any of the possibilities going through his mind.

"Harper, don't push me," she said, raising her voice, and stepped away.

"I need to go. When I see you, I see you. Please respect my privacy." She headed down the hill and toward the woods again. He wanted to stop her, to follow her, to investigate where she went and what she was hiding, but he didn't want to lose the ounce of hope that she would meet him or make an effort to be in the same place tomorrow that she was today. He wasn't sure what to do, but being involved with the different jobs he a.s.sisted with recently, he had a feeling she was in some kind of trouble. Perhaps it was time to talk with Galvin and his team?

Chapter 7.

"How was your run?" Mary asked Lauren as Lauren came down from her shower. She sat down on the couch in Mary's home office and curled her legs under her b.u.t.t as she sat.

"It was okay."

"Just okay?" Mary asked, scrunching up her eyebrows and immediately filled with concern for Lauren. "Were you in pain again, like last week?" Mary asked her.

"No, nothing like that," Lauren replied then looked out toward the window.

"What do you mean then?"

Lauren didn't answer right away.

"Can you tell me more about the people who live in Pearl? I mean, the relationships they have?"

Mary smiled. "You mean the menage relationships?" she asked, joining her by the couch.

Mary took a seat and Lauren turned toward her. "Are there a lot of military men and women living around here?"

"There sure are. There are lots of people from all walks of life. But I must say that the majority are retired military or law enforcement and first responders. That's really what makes Pearl such a safe place to live. It's where I hope you, May, and your sisters will come to live and maybe set up shop," she said and winked.

Lauren smiled. "I hope someday it would be safe enough for me to see Aunt May and my sisters again. It seems impossible right now. Not with what may or may not be happening in New York. I wish there was someone to contact. Someone that I could safely call while hiding out. Like Jonathan Mathews, my commander."

"Don't worry about New York. Those men can't find you here and they won't find your sisters or May. My friends are taking good care of them."

"Who exactly are these friends of yours, Mary? Why can't I contact my commander? I don't even know if Frankie is dead or alive."

"From my understanding, Frankie is still alive. But he was in bad shape."

"My G.o.d. He was shot so many times. I swear I didn't think he would live through something like that. He's always been a tough son of a gun," Lauren said, her eyes filled with emotion. "Your friends seems to have a lot of connections. Who exactly are they?"

"Let's just say my family ties extend in different directions. Your family is safe. You're safe here. I've already talked with the sheriff and so have my friends."

"The sheriff? Why? He could leak information. He could be bought out or something," Lauren stated and stood up.

She was so distrusting and Mary understood that. She smiled. "Not a man like Wyatt Cantrell. He's the heart of this town. His family established the town many generations ago. He has experience in dealing with the types of men who are after you. He also has a lot of friends. Men, military and law enforcement, that would protect you and keep watch so the bad guys can't get close."

"Protect me? Why would they? Who are these men?"

"Lauren, when I explained that Pearl was a special town, I meant it. By you being here. By stepping foot in this town and now under my roof as a citizen and woman of Pearl, you have the protection and support of all the men. Women are very special here."

Lauren gulped. "I can take care of myself."

"You don't need to handle this alone. You've got backup."

"You mean because of the menage thing? These men protect the women because men can share a woman here?"

"No, sweetie. You don't understand. If a set of men stake a claim to a woman or seek guardianship of that woman and she accepts them, then there are no other men allowed to court her."

Lauren was quiet a moment, her cheeks turning a nice shade of red. Mary couldn't help but to wonder if she'd met someone already. Lauren was gorgeous and a.s.sertive. She wondered who it might have been.

"Guardianship? Like some child who needs a man or men to survive?"

"No. Like a woman is supposed to be treated, protected, loved, and cherished. Not abused, neglected, left to fend for her own and all alone."

"Is this sharing thing automatic?" Lauren asked.

"Automatic? What do you mean?" Mary asked and she was feeling more and more like Lauren met someone now.

"I mean if you meet one guy, does it mean if he has a team, friends, that they'll share that woman?"

"Not necessarily. Lauren, nothing is forced here. If there's a mutual attraction, a spark for a relationship to grow then it happens naturally. If not then so be it," she told Lauren and Lauren looked away.

Mary got the courage to ask her. "Lauren, did you meet someone?"

Lauren looked at her. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess sort of. There was this guy last week who appeared out of nowhere while I was jogging. I kind of freaked out, thinking it was one of Miklos's buddies, and I drew my weapon."

"Oh my," Mary said and covered her mouth in shock. But really she was chuckling inside. Especially if this man had this effect on Lauren. If she was attracted to him so instantly, Mary wanted to know who he was.

"Yeah well, I didn't shoot him, so that was a plus there. Anyway, we talked and then he challenged me."

"Challenged you?" Mary asked and as Lauren explained about the race up the hill and her aching side, Mary chuckled.

"So I avoided the route for the last week, but today he appeared again, just as some wild dogs were in the vicinity."

"Oh no. There shouldn't be any wild dogs around those woods. The sheriff's deputies usually get calls on the far end of town and take care of it. That's not a good thing. We should let Wyatt know about this."

Lauren nodded her head and then stared at her hands a moment.

"What happened next?" she asked Lauren, and Lauren shyly tried to change the direction and talk about the town.

"What was his name, this retired soldier you met twice?"

"Harper. I think Calloway was his last name."

Mary was shocked. He was part of Galvin's team and they did special jobs for Storm and even Dmitri. She wondered if Dmitri had told them about Lauren and who she was and asked they watch over her. That would make some sense. She would have to call Dmitri and ask him. Or maybe just call Galvin.

"Do you know him?" she asked.

"Oh yes. I know Harper and the rest of his team of Navy SEALs. There's their leader, Galvin. Then Gus, Orin, and Mace. They are very hard men. Almost unapproachable in a lot of ways. They look so angry or just disinterested in socializing in town. It's interesting, because they know the men who helped me get you out of the hospital and to get May and your sisters to safety."

Lauren widened her eyes and then sat up straight on the couch.

"Five of them? Are you serious? Do you think he purposely showed up in the woods? That he is trying to be friend me to get close so him and his team can keep an eye on me?" Mary could tell that Lauren was getting angry.

"I don't believe so. My friend wouldn't tell a soul you were here. He agreed that Pearl was a safe place for you. I doubt Harper and his team even know about you. Well I mean Harper does now, but that was surely coincidence."

Lauren stood up.

"I don't exactly buy coincidences like this one. The d.a.m.n guy was just trying to get close to me. I don't believe it. I fell for his words, his charms, and that d.a.m.n kiss," Lauren said as she paced the small area in front of the couch.

"Kiss? You kissed him?" Mary asked, feeling very excited now, even though it seemed she might have made a mess of things by encouraging Lauren's a.s.sumption about Harper.

"Well, he kissed me. But hey, I guess that's typical. If this Harper guy works for your friend with the heavy connections, he must sway a little on the dark side. That was why he was so vague about what he did for a living. He only mentioned being a Navy SEAL. My G.o.d, he totally tried to seduce me. He wanted to meet in town. I should meet him and give him a piece of my mind. Or better. I should lead him on then stomp on his little game of his. Maybe that would send a clear message."

"Calm down, Lauren. I think you're making too many a.s.sumptions and jumping the gun here. I doubt Harper even knows why you're here."

"Well I'm not taking any chances. He better keep his distance and so better these other men who like to claim guardianship of women they don't even know. No man or men are claiming me. I take care of myself like always. This is ludicrous."

Mary watched Lauren storm out of the room.

That must have been some h.e.l.l of a kiss. Lauren was insulted and truly hurt. Could Dmitri have asked Harper to watch over Lauren? It didn't make sense. Plus Dmitri wouldn't do that. It wasn't even necessary. She hoped she didn't just screw up any chances for Lauren to find happiness. Maybe she needed to look further into this. She needed to talk to Dmitri and then Wyatt.