you.”
“You can’t kiss me then,” she said, moving his hand to her waist, pushing aside the fabric of her T-shirt so that he touched her bare skin.
“Fine. I’ll kiss you now.”
His lips claimed hers, fierce and hungry. She gave into the kiss like a starved beggar, deprived of joy for too long. The weight of his muscle against her was enormous, both pushing her down and holding her up. She wanted to tear off his clothes so she could see his muscle for herself, feel it against her as he took her in the desert sand, their moans of pleasure heard beneath the moonlight.
The fireworks began, a warning in the sky above, summoning her back into reality. “I can’t,” she said, pushing his kiss away. It was almost impossible to do.
“Why?” he asked patiently, trying to understand. Knowing she couldn’t resist him a second time, she marched away, back towards the bonfire. He followed. “Don’t walk away from this.”
“From what? A quick screw before you head on to the next rodeo?”
He threw his arms up. “A quick screw can be fun. Dakota, why are you running away?”
She stopped, but she refused to look at him. “It’s complicated.”
Eddie was an outlaw. She understood his need to escape, to be free to roam, live life by his own terms. She understood because she was an outlaw too, but he could never know. No one could ever know, and not just for her own sake. For the sake of her brother too.
Chapter Three
Her room was dim, absent of light. It was how Dakota felt. A life in hiding wasn’t whole. It had no joy. It was freedom, but it wasn’t sanctuary. It wasn’t happiness. There was no light, no matter how bright the sun shone.
“Maybe I should go back home,” she mused to herself, refusing to get out of bed, to face another day on the run. “If I go home, then the next time I meet a man like Eddie, I can kiss him all I want. We can have our fireworks.”
Except she didn’t want a man like Eddie. She wanted Eddie, the real him, not the imitation. She wanted the bear.
“Miss Dakota!” Brianna hollered from the living room, summoning her, too perky for the morning. Miss Dakota was her nickname. She hated it, but she was getting along well with Brianna, so she endured it.
Reluctantly, Dakota managed to roll out of bed and pull a pair of denim shorts on under her red tank top, the same she’d worn the first day at the rodeo, her possessions few.
“I’m awake,” she said, dragging herself out of the room. “Is this a fire drill?”
“You have a package,” Brianna told her, shaking a box excitedly. “It’s from Eddie.”
“Let’s hope it’s not porcelain,” she mumbled. “How early do they deliver here?”
“It’s almost noon,” Brianna revealed, pointing to the clock.
“Noon?” She’d finally gotten her sleep. She felt better, a lot more refreshed than she had sleeping on the bus, but she could have easily gone back to bed for a few hours.
“Chickling, a handsome cowboy has left you a package, and I’m pretty sure it ain’t dynamite. Aren’t ya going to open it?” Brianna asked.
Obliging her, Dakota sat on the couch and pulled open the top of the box. Inside was the blanket with the apples woven into it. Delighted, she lifted the fabric to her cheek. Made of wool, it scratched her, but it smelled wonderful, like summers on the orchard.
“Awe, wasn’t that just sweet of him,” Brianna sang. “You’ve got him hooked like a fish.”
Dakota dropped the blanket, eyeing Brianna carefully. “Why are you being so supportive?” she asked. “Yesterday, you wanted push the entire Tyrell Clan off a mountainside.”
Brianna waved her hand dismissively. “All is forgiven. I got the sponsorship. They called this morning. I sign the papers today.”
“That’s great,” Dakota said. “Congratulations.” She wasn’t the type to throw hugs around, but she was genuinely happy for Brianna.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long
JENNIFER ALLISON
Michael Langlois
L. A. Kelly
Malcolm Macdonald
Komal Kant
Ashley Shayne
Ellen Miles
Chrissy Peebles
Bonnie Bryant
Terry Pratchett