A Sense of Duty: A Former Navy SEAL Falls in Love and Begins a New Journey with his Private Consulting Company: Dark Horse Guardians (5 page)

Lara dutifully returned client phone calls and went through the motions of the afternoon of architectural design, consulting with co-workers and talking with contractors. Having a touch of obsessive-compulsive disorder actually made her life easier. She was rigid with schedules and rarely missed a detail. With a client list of wealthy individuals, the Portland architectural firm of Stone and Associates was well known and widely sought after. Grant Stone, Eliot's 80-year old father and the founder, personally selected Lara as an intern for the firm. Thirty-five other students applied for the coveted position, but Lara was chosen. The internship was a benefit to the firm and to her. She provided free labor for them and the work experience was great for her portfolio. She was now at the end of her two-year commitment. Although everything she did was overseen by Eliot, Lara was in charge of a team of contractors on six medium-sized renovations. She delighted in pulling permits, meeting with supervisors, and searching architectural salvage yards to find the perfect items for each project. Her days consisted of sorting through painstaking details, site visits and attending meetings that lasted hours. The most difficult part of the position was proving her leadership skills to a group of Neanderthal men. She was the project manager and every person who reported to her was male and older than she. However, every moment of this afternoon was spent consumed with the thought of one man, Ben Keegan.

Her chaotic day ended abruptly as she felt the vibration of her phone. She observed a text from Ben. "Where are you?" He was waiting for her at Professor Harris' office to walk Einstein. Lara sent a text, "Coming," and packed up her leather sack and parked the Fiat at home. She quickly strode toward the four square brick building that contained the most exciting man she had ever laid eyes on. She knew this minute Ben was standing in her professor's office awaiting her arrival. Lara's breath quickened with the thought of seeing him. Standing before the building's huge carved wooden door, she paused to take a deep breath and gain her composure. She opened the door and stepped into the wainscoted hallway that led to her professor's office. It was cool, dark and quiet inside. Her boots moved quietly across the ancient mosaic tile floor. She caught the distinct fragrance of Harris' pipe.

Harris was playing the piano softly as Lara walked down the hallway and she faintly heard their voices. As she moved toward the office, she overheard part of the conversation. "Have you told her?" Harris pressed Ben with an insistent tone. Lara wanted to hear more. But Einstein noticed her familiar footsteps and bounded through the door that was slightly ajar. Lara kneeled and took his English bull dog face in her hands, "Oh, I love you, too!" She took the dog treat out of her pocket and slipped it to Einstein. His tail wagged. Ben focused on Lara and said jokingly, "Thank goodness you came. I thought you might stand me up." Harris relit his pipe and bellowed, "She would never do that, not this one. She is very responsible, never late. She would never be rude." Lara smiled at this impromptu compliment from her favorite professor.

Ben grabbed Einstein's leash and touched Lara's arm. They started out for their walk, bidding goodnight to Harris. "Why don't you leave your knapsack here?" Ben asked her. Harris answered for Lara. "She will never leave it, Ben. She always has it with her." The door closed behind them and Ben teased her, "You never set your leather bag down. It is almost as big as you are. It must be heavy by the end of the day." Lara lied to Ben telling him the sack contained her make-up, cell phone and wallet, all things she needed to carry. It wasn't completely a lie. She had just omitted a few other items that she carried in the bag, like her loaded 9mm Glock, pepper spray, a stun gun, and a five-inch fixed blade knife. Carrying weapons made her feel less vulnerable. Telling Ben that right now might be too much information.

~Ben~

Ben could not suppress his excitement to be with her again and he felt a warm rush of happiness as he tucked Lara's arm under his during the walk. He observed everything she was wearing in a matter of seconds. A green top with a matching skirt; he knew she just came from her work at the firm. She wore a burgundy wool jacket and her perfect lips were slightly stained with lipstick that matched. Her long dark hair was pulled to one side and secured with a clasp. She wore beautiful vintage diamond earrings that moved when she turned her head. Her green eyes lit up when she spoke, "Thank you for the lovely flowers today, Ben. How did you know peonies are my favorite?" Ben had to force himself to stop staring at her exquisite face. He was taken by her sheer beauty and the fact that she was seemingly oblivious to it. "Glad you enjoyed them." Ben smiled, dimples fully displayed. "You mentioned peonies last night when I walked you home from the café."

She was nothing like the women Ben had been with in the past. The females he had bedded were sultry temptress types with too much make-up, more like strippers, wearing false eyelashes and cheap perfume. He was usually drunk and close encounters were considered stress relief. He took what he could get in that department. Lara had a fresh innocence about her. There was depth and intellect. He decided he had to see her tonight. The autumn breeze chilled the air. "Would you consider having dinner with me tonight?" Ben asked with his subtle Irish inflection. "Sounds great." she said eagerly. "Seafood," Ben uttered, "I love it, especially in Maine." Lara agreed, "Where do you want to meet?" Ben stopped short and loosened his grip on the dog's leash. He turned and looked directly into Lara's eyes and said with his Irish brogue, "I don't want to
meet
you at the restaurant. I want to pick you up and bring you home, like a proper gentleman…if that's all right with you." Ben noticed Lara's surprise.

He sensed she hadn't been in dating mode lately, if at all. Most of the guys she spent time with probably met her at the restaurant or movie theater. Lara wasn't the average young woman. She was more than careful. Except for that Eliot character, he knew she didn't go out much at all. He got the feeling it was difficult for Lara to leave the plans for the evening in his hands. Lara smiled, "It's just that I'm used to paying for my own meal and driving myself. No one ever comes to my apartment to pick me up, ever." Ben listened carefully as she continued. "But, it would be a nice change. Okay, Ben, I'll be ready at 7:00?" Ben nodded, "Perfect." An engaging smile overtook his face and the dimples returned. Ben could not take his eyes off her as they resumed walking.

Making small talk on the walk back with Einstein, he noticed that Lara thoroughly enjoyed simple things like the natural beauty of the campus surrounding them as the late afternoon sun moved toward the horizon. The brick campus buildings framed a large courtyard of green space filled with mature maples, oaks, and elms. The leaves rustled lightly in the ancient trees as a light breeze blew through them. Autumn had been fair and warm thus far with a few cold snaps at night. He watched as Lara marveled at the beauty of the bright red and gold leaves. He was immersed in her appreciation for the smallest details as she held a bright red leaf in her hand studying the design of the veins.

~Lara~

They paused to sit on the granite steps at the professor's building as the late afternoon sun warmed their faces. Trying to be subtle, Lara scrutinized Ben from head to toe. Even with the sunlight directly on his face, Ben was handsome. Lara detected no flaws. He had attractive laugh lines in just the right places. He had logged many hours in the sun. His teeth were flawlessly white and without fault. His features had perfect symmetry and proportion. Lara appreciated his physical beauty as she would a magnificently handcrafted antique. She charted every detail, the shape of his brow, his chin, his nose, and those blue eyes: a beautiful pale blue in the sunshine.

Lara was sitting on the granite stairs next to Ben. Einstein was enjoying the warmth of the sun, too. Suddenly, the wind died and the courtyard became breathtakingly silent and empty for that moment. Ben stood in front of Lara and took her hands to help her up. As he did so, they were face to face in the envelope of warmth and silence of the courtyard. His eyes met hers and his hand moved slightly as he touched her long dark hair. "Your hair…it's beautiful," Ben whispered, "I'm sorry, I just needed to touch it." Her heart raced as his fingers lightly brushed against her hair. Lara smiled and removed the clasp. She shook her head slightly and her dark thick hair surrounded her. "I've been thinking of cutting it. It's time consuming to wash and dry every day." She was shamelessly flirting with him. She knew he was mesmerized. "You can touch my hair…Ben" she whispered. His face was close to hers; she felt he might lean in for a kiss. But he restrained himself from doing so. Ben was not pushing her boundaries. Gazing into her eyes, he accepted her invitation and delicately touched her silky dark hair, enthralled with the mass of waves. "Don't ever cut this," Ben whispered, "I think it suits you." Blushing, Lara gently pulled away as she heard students approaching. "Oh. Gosh." She suddenly glanced down and Ben felt her nervousness. "I'm sorry, Lara. I should keep my hands to myself." Ben apologized. "Can I pick you up at 7:00?" She touched his arm politely and smiled. "See you at 7:00." Lara briskly turned on her heel and headed in the general direction of her condo. Her mind was mixed with excitement and fear at the same time. She needed to take a long hot shower and process what just happened. Marching toward her apartment, Lara could not stop smiling. She was having dinner with Ben tonight and he had sent her flowers.

~ Ben ~

As he made his way back to his office Ben hoped he hadn't been too bold with her. He knew she was introverted and shy and had been known to kick guys to the curb for being too forward. The sudden intimacy would either intrigue her or put her off entirely, but it was a chance he had to take. He suspected she enjoyed the touch of his hand much more than she let on. He found her delightful, but knew he had to walk a fine line to win her over. Lara would certainly be smitten with him once he worked his boyish charm on her, or at least he hoped so. He was getting into this relationship for the long haul. He had to be on his best behavior, no easy task for him. Since his failed marriage, he had been in and out of the sack with plenty of women. Some were pretty, but they were one night stands or lasted a weekend. He did not consider them relationships. He cautiously used protection and never lingered after the physical enjoyment was over. He didn't want more unplanned children or, worse, life threatening diseases. It had been a very long time since he had touched a woman's hair and looked into her eyes longing to kiss her. He wanted everything with Lara to be perfect. He was willing to wait until she was ready.

Standing in his stark new campus office void of any furnishings except for an old mahogany desk and a leather chair, an idea occurred to Ben. He would hire Lara to renovate his office. His phone vibrated and it was Rusty McManus with the background information on Eliot Stone. Eliot was now the owner of the architectural firm started by his 80-year old father, Grant Stone. Now thirty-two Eliot Stone was divorced from his former wife, Bridget. He had no children. Bridget received a large divorce settlement, ten million to be exact, to go away and leave him alone. He did not have a criminal record, not so much as a speeding ticket. He lived in the family estate located on Casco Bay in Falmouth Foreside. It was six acres directly on the ocean and included a small spit of sandy beach. The 1925 estate was a Tudor Style home with 6,000 square feet of living space, a pool and extensive botanical gardens. Eliot Stone was also a member of the Falmouth Yacht Club and dined there often. He owned a 40-foot Hinckley sailboat moored at the club. He prided himself on winning sailing competitions and earned several prestigious cups. Ten months ago he had dissolved a relationship with Elizabeth Wellington, a wealthy widow in his small circle of friends. There were reports of his Bentley picking up Lara on a regular basis and delivering her to the yacht club or to his home in Falmouth. The Bentley also made frequent trips to the symphony and the art museum in Portland. Rusty added an ominous postscript: "There is one other guy she sees once in a while. He lives in Boston. His name is Eric Henderson. He is the nephew of Don Henderson, her grand master at the dojo. Lara is very close to Don Henderson. Lara got set up with Eric on a blind date several months ago and he's been pursuing her ever since, although I don't think he's made much progress. That's all I've got." This piqued Ben's curiosity and he would focus on obtaining more information about Eric Henderson, hoping it would come from Lara. He thanked Rusty for the details and hung up. His attention turned back to his stark office. He had plenty to do in preparation for his teaching duties and to run his operation for Dark Horse. He hit the campus gym for a sweaty hour and a half; then drove to his uncle's old colonial to shower and change for dinner tonight. He felt like a teenager, hungry with anticipation to see Lara again.

Ben had been watching Lara Reagan O'Connell from afar for two years. At first, she was brought to his attention by his uncle, Professor Harris. Fond of Lara, Harris told Ben she was a genius, albeit a bit anxiety ridden. Harris even shared some of Lara's coursework with him. Ben found Lara's intellect far superior to many he had vetted for military purposes. Then their mutual friend, Rusty McManus, discussed the dark-haired beauty with him. Ben asked for photos of her and a dossier, which Rusty readily supplied. Even more intriguing, however, was the fact that she had killed a man and never been detected. He knew she was a black belt and highly proficient with guns and other weapons. The more he learned about Lara, the more obsessed he became with meeting her. Their first encounter had been carefully arranged through Harris. Ben had to relocate to the Northeast quadrant of the United States for his consulting work anyway, so the job at the university was conveniently arranged. Although a practical person, Ben sometimes wondered if fate played a hand in some of the events of his life. He sensed Lara was a special woman. He felt drawn to Portland Maine and to her.