A Sense of Duty: A Former Navy SEAL Falls in Love and Begins a New Journey with his Private Consulting Company: Dark Horse Guardians by Ava Armstrong Read Free Book Online Page B

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.
     
    ~Lara~
    Sipping cold spring water, Lara sank into the down-filled sofa in her comfortable parlor. She turned on the lamp. Her apartment was quiet and she only heard the ticking of the wall clock in the background. It made her think about the clock ticking inside of her. She was twenty-four years old, almost twenty-five, and never had a real boyfriend, except for Eric Henderson. Yet, she didn't think about Eric as a boyfriend. He was more of a friend. Ben ignited something in her that she had never felt. She was worried about the intensity she felt when Ben kissed her hand and touched her hair. There were two reasons she was worried about physical contact with him. Number one was that he might be a married man. But, her second concern was regarding her own uneasiness with physical touch.
    She felt embarrassed by what happened to her years ago. After being beaten and raped, she had not been able to get close