“Too far,” he said. “I’m sorry, Naomi.”
His eyes, when they met mine, held fire and passion and, yes, regret. They were conflicted and wounded, and the caring in them made me want to simply hold Clint and never let him go. I stared into them without speaking for a moment, still panting, enjoying the sight of his passion and the stormy blue of his eyes.
“Why?” I asked.
He shut his eyes, and it was as though the light had gone off in my world, I was no longer captivated by his gaze and his passion and I slumped a little against the wall.
I was breathing heavily, panting slightly with passion. I wanted to grab Clint and shake him, or kiss him, or throw him over my shoulder and drag him back to my cave.
He was so maddening, getting me worked up and then holding back. I shut my eyes and leaned back, regretting our agreement. I wanted him to take me to bed, not leave me frustrated - again.
After four deep breaths, I opened my eyes and looked at him.
"Are you angry with me?" he asked. His eyes were full of concern.
"No, of course not," I said, smiling up at him. "Wait," I said, almost immediately. "That's not true. I am tired of being frustrated, Clint."
He nodded.
"Me too," he said, "It's my fault, though, not yours, and you shouldn't have to deal with it."
I eyed him.
"What's going on with you?" I asked.
Clint shrugged.
"I'm serious. You blow hot and cold and you don't tell me what's going on. Why are you so afraid of those men?" I demanded.
I was stepping away from the wall now, pointing at Clint, just about jabbing my finger into his chest. He needed to explain himself to me.
The tall rancher glared a little.
"I'm not afraid of them," he said. "I'm afraid of you getting hurt. That's very different."
Spare me from masculine pride.
"Why are you afraid of those men hurting me?" I asked.
"Because they would," he said, simply. "They'd hurt you for fun, or to punish me for not selling, or because they had an opportunity, or because the day was ending in Y."
I blinked. "Are they seriously that much of a problem in the area?" I asked.
He nodded. "Brandon is the only hand who will live out here, no matter how much I offer to pay, because Will isn't to their taste. The men with wives or daughters, no way."
"Why hasn't anyone arrested them?" I asked.
He rolled his eyes.
"Sometimes I forget that you work for the government," he said.
I stiffened. I was so sick of him criticizing my job.
Before I could say anything, though, he continued. "A few girls have tried. The ranchers were out of the clink in twelve hours, and the girls or their fathers or boyfriends or brothers ended up in jail for a few years."
"Are you kidding me?" I demanded. "How on earth did that happen?"
"The government isn't always honorable, Naomi," he said. "The sheriff around here is in his pocket, and there are always a few judges that can be bribed. A few of us have thought about bribing them right back, but we know better than to try it, we'd all end up behind bars."