Page 37 of Smoky Mountain K-9
Once all the cameras were up, Carter went up into the attic and attached the wires to the floor joists with a staple gun, running them all to the area over his closet. He’d already scouted the spot where he wanted to put the central data hub. His closet had an outlet in it, so he’d cut a hole in the wall beside it. The plan was to run the cables down through the wall and attach them to the hub in his closet.
One by one, he sent the cables down the wall to Ben, who used a bendable flashlight and a pair of long needle-nose pliers to pull the cables through the hole. When all the cables were down, Carter left the attic and headed to his room.
“How’s it looking?”
Ben glanced up from where he crouched in the closet. “Good. We get the last of the window sensors installed and I’ll turn it on.”
“They’re done.” Jake entered the room and peered around Carter at Ben. Tristan came up behind them.
Carter walked to his dresser and picked up his laptop. The system had a router and would run without the computer, but they needed it to set it up. Opening the lid, he crouched next to Ben. They plugged the hub in to both the wall and the computer, and Carter pressed the power button. Lights flashed as the system booted up, and the screen on his laptop changed as the software opened.
“Damn. I need this in my house,” Jake said.
“You do.” Tristan glanced at his partner. “We’ve got something similar, and it’s nice.”
“Same here,” Ben said. “Except I didn’t have to install mine.” His lips twitched, and he poked his tongue into his cheek as he glanced at Carter.
“Time crunch, remember?” Carter raised an eyebrow, fighting his own smile.
Chuckling, Ben turned back to the computer.
It didn’t take them long to verify everything was working. They were into the easy part. The software did all the heavy lifting.
Carter clicked on the menu, then the link for the camera feeds. They looked pretty good. He was glad he went with the fisheye style. They rotated faster and had a wider field of vision. As they watched, the camera on the left rear corner of the house turned. It had picked up on Maverick running around the yard.
“I’d say it’s working.” Ben glanced up.
“Yep. Awesome.” Carter let out a breath, some of the weight he’d carried for the last week and a half lifting. The system might not stop someone from vandalizing his property again, but it would help him catch them. He finally felt like he had a leg up in this case. Closing the lid, he glanced at his friends. “Thanks, guys. I appreciate the help.”
Ben slapped him on the back. “You’re welcome. Now, what are we doing for dinner? I’m starving.”
Chuckling, Carter led them out of the room. “How about Jester’s? My treat.”
Twenty-One
Mara swiped her hands on her skirt just before she reached for the doorknob to let Carter in. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. It wasn’t like this was their first date. But it was a test of their relationship. They were socializing as a couple. The only thing more momentous than that at this stage would be revealing him to her family. She still hadn’t done that, despite Shauna’s best efforts to get information out of her. Every time she tried, Mara managed to change the subject. She knew she needed to clue her in, but she didn’t want the phone calls and questions sure to come from her brothers. Not yet.
Grasping the knob, she twisted it and opened the door. Her nerves dissipated as she drank in the sight of the man on the other side. In dark slacks and a light-gray button-up under a black leather coat, he looked good enough to eat—and she planned to lick him later. She’d do it now if she thought they had enough time. But they were supposed to meet the others in less than an hour at a restaurant in Asheville.
He smiled and walked inside, sending shards of white-hot need to every nerve-ending in Mara’s body. They might be a little late to dinner.
“Hey, babe.” Carter leaned down to press a quick kiss to her lips.
Mara clutched his shoulders, then forced herself to let go. As much as she wanted to strip him naked, she really didn’t want to explain to Gemma and Brooke why they were late. Both women would be merciless in their teasing. So, instead, she stepped out of his arms and opened the closet door to get her coat.
“Don’t cover up on my account.” Carter’s voice held a slight rasp.
Mara glanced back to see the banked fire in his eyes as his gaze traveled over her.
She shivered, but it had nothing to do with the chill she’d let in with him. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m trying hard not to say screw it to dinner and drag you down the hall to the bedroom.”
The fire flared to life, turning his eyes to molten silver. “I’m okay with that.”
Mara smiled and zipped her coat. “I figured. But I’m not calling Gemma to tell her we aren’t coming because I need to ride you like my horse.”
His jaw worked and the blaze in his eyes grew hotter. He stalked toward her until he was only inches away. “And how do you ride your horse?”
She licked her lips, subconsciously anticipating the taste of him. “Fast and hard.”