“Army, huh?” He gave her a sidelong look. “No wonder you want to quit.”
She bristled at the comment, even though she knew his teasing was reflexive. Rivalry was always alive and well between the branches of the military. He probably thought he was flirting with her, but she wasn’t going there. “I notice you high-tailed it out of the Navy, SEALman. Probably got sick of being embarrassed all the time.” She hoped he realized now she could give as well as she could take. She wasn’t going to fall for him just because he had credentials. She slid a glance in his direction. Although he was awfully good-looking.
“Truce, truce!” Mason held up his hands. “You two need to get along. Sarah, Dan’s looking for investors and partners in his new business. I thought maybe you’d be interested.”
His statement caught her off guard. She’d love to work at a job that kept her active and physically fit. It sounded like a real challenge too—exactly what she wanted from a career. She couldn’t let Dan know that, though; one look at him told her he was as thunderstruck as she was at Mason’s suggestion. She figured he didn’t think she fit the bill, so she kept her answer conversational. “What are you looking for in a partner?”
Only after the words were out of her mouth did she realize they could be taken in two ways. A slow grin spread over Dan’s face as if he’d realized the same thing, but when he replied he was all business. “Not just anyone, obviously. If I’m going to offer a real Navy SEAL experience to my clients, then my partners have to be as well trained as I am.” He shook his head at her in mock sorrow. “Sorry, I doubt a soldier could keep up.”
Mason scowled, and Sarah bit back the first expletive-laden answer that came to mind. She allowed her gaze to trail over Dan from head to toe and, raising an eyebrow, spoke before Regan’s husband could step in to mediate.
“I doubt a soldier would want to keep up. Regan, where should I stow this stuff?”
“I’ll take you to your room.” Regan took her arm and led her quickly upstairs. “Sorry about that,” she said when they’d gained the second floor and accessed the much narrower stairway that led up to the third. “I didn’t realize he’d act that way. Mason and I both thought you two might work well together.”
“That’s a SEAL for you.” Sarah tossed her bag onto the bed in the room that Regan led her to. Many years ago, it had probably once belonged to a servant, so it was small, but neat as a pin. She caught sight of herself in the mirror over the dresser and blinked. There was a spark in her eyes and color in her cheeks she hadn’t seen in months. Anyone who saw her would think she’d enjoyed sparring with Dan. She allowed a grin to turn up one corner of her mouth. It had been fun to put him back in his place. She’d do it again if she got the chance.
“Mason doesn’t act like that.”
Sarah crossed to the window to look out over the ranch. “Maybe not around you. Back in the military I bet he had as sharp a tongue as everyone else. Don’t worry; I’m used to it.” Far below her the front door opened and shut and Mason and Dan crossed the yard toward one of the outbuildings. She could barely make out Dan’s handsome features, but everything about him exuded a kind of confidence she found all too sexy. It wasn’t the bravura of a younger man—it was the knowledge of a competent warrior that he could face whatever life threw at him. It was too bad he was such a cocky jerk.
He looked like he could be a heck of a lot of fun in bed.
Sarah closed her eyes. Damn her hormones. She’d been like this for months, scanning every man she met, searching for something although she wasn’t sure what. It was like her heart had taken on a mission without informing her mind. Not that it mattered; she was determined to stay single, which might explain why so far no man had measured up.
Dan might measure up, she thought, then scowled. She didn’t care if he was handsome; she refused to get involved with that SEAL.
“Lunch will be in half an hour.” Regan broke into her thoughts. “You have plenty of time if you want a quick shower or rest beforehand.”
Sarah nodded. A cold shower just might do the trick.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to do the obstacle course when there’s snow on the ground,” Regan said later as she helped serve lunch to the gathered crowd. Mason nudged Dan. “Told you she’d say that.” Dan and several others laughed. He was enjoying the hustle and bustle of this gathering. Aside from Mason, his brothers and their wives, two other couples had come to stay for Christmas. John Bowton and Rafe Feuerstein both had served with Zane in the Marines, and their wives, May and Carolyn, knew each other well. The happy clamor in the dining room made it hard to hear.