Riding the Line Read Free Page A

he’d imagined.
    With a groan he stripped off his jacket and shirt and splashed lukewarm water over his grimy skin. The soap smelt of peaches but he didn’t care. At least he’d be clean again. He filled the basin with water and lowered his head. Behind him, the door opened and hit his ass, shoving him face first into the water.
    ‘I’m sorry, are you OK?’
    Dakota raised his head, eyes streaming, and reached blindly for a towel. After a few moments of hawking, spitting and general mopping up, he managed to look at Jane.
    She was staring at his naked chest.
    ‘Knock next time, will you?’
    He smiled to show he wasn’t really mad. Her gaze slid up to meet his and he realized he could finally see her face. Her eyes were dark brown, her skin slightly olive and her mouth a perfect ‘O’. She looked vaguely familiar. She reached out a hand and stroked his chest. Despite his tiredness, his body tightened with anticipation.
    ‘You have a great body. Do you work out?’
    He blinked at her. ‘What?’
    She kept her hand on his flat stomach. ‘I said, do you work out or are you naturally ripped?’
    ‘I ride bulls for a living. I have to be fit or I’m dead.’
    Uncomfortable with her scrutiny, he took a step back, difficult in such a small space. ‘Are you ready to eat?’
    She blushed and stuffed her hand back in her pocket. ‘Yeah, whatever.’
    ‘I’ll just grab a clean T-shirt.’
    ‘Don’t bother on my account.’
    She spoke over her shoulder as he followed her out into the main room. He found his duffle bag and hunkered down beside it to search for a shirt. Hell, was she coming on to him? Had he totally misjudged her? She sat back down on the bed, her body posture dejected. Dakota found an old white T-shirt and pulled it over his head.
    ‘Look, if you’re hoping to earn some money here . . .’
    She shot to her feet and stormed across to him. He stood up as well, unwilling to let her tower over him and flinched as she poked him in the chest.
    ‘I am not a whore!’
    ‘I didn’t say you were. I just want you to be clear about what’s going on here.’ He met her gaze. ‘I’m offering you a place to sleep tonight, that’s all. I’ve never paid for sex and I don’t intend to start now.’
    She raised her eyebrows. ‘So you must still be a virgin, right?’
    Even though she was deliberately getting in his face, he caught the note of desperation in her voice.
    ‘Yeah, that’s right. I’m saving myself for marriage. It’s all the rage with us cowboys, now. That Brokeback Mountain movie was one hell of a wake-up call.’
    ‘You’re not at all funny, you know.’ She held his gaze, her luscious lips tightly pressed together as if she was afraid to speak again.
    ‘Are you sure about that?’
    She stepped back, wrapped her arms around her waist and sat down with a decided thump on the bed. He turned his back on her and continued to sort out the stuffin his bag. He put his toothbrush and shaving gear in the bathroom and filled up the coffee jug.
    After setting the coffee to brew he busied himself putting out the meager contents of the shopping bag. Occasionally he glanced at his silent companion. Why did he feel as if he knew her? Was she one of the buckle bunnies who followed the rodeo cowboys from venue to venue and fucked as many of them as they could?
    She didn’t seem the type and yet she was definitely familiar. He opened the bag of barbecue chips and crunched on a handful.
    ‘Do you follow the rodeo circuit, Jane?’
    ‘The what?’
    ‘The rodeo. You know, cowboys, horses, cattle, that kind of thing.’
    ‘Why on earth would I want to waste my time doing that?’
    He fought a smile. She was getting spunkier by the minute. Why had he ever thought she was in need of his help? He continued to munch on the chips, held the bag out to her and shrugged as she shook her head.
    ‘Because you look familiar.’
    ‘I get that a lot.’
    ‘So you don’t follow the rodeo and this isn’t some