again.
She evaded him by tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’ve been wondering. What happened to your cowboy accent?”
“Whatchew mean, li’l missy?”
“Uh-huh. That’s what I thought. Was it all an act, even the rodeo stories?”
“I entered a ro-day-o contest once on a dare. Stayed on the bronc for an entire three seconds. Broke my damn collarbone.”
“What about the cattle roundups? Where’d you learn the campfire songs?”
“I played guitar in a few honky-tonks in my day, so the songs were no trouble. The rest was acting.” Hewasn’t at all abashed. He tossed her a boastful look. “Damn good, ain’t I?”
“I guess.” Even though she’d suspected the truth, she couldn’t help being disappointed.
“Aw, honey. You’re disillusioned.”
The way he said honey made her feel as if she were spread with it. “I suppose you’re not from Texas, either.”
“Nevada. We lived in a lousy little mining town up in the mountains.”
“Who’s we?”
“Mom and Dad. My brother and sister.” Denver wiped his face. He sported a five-o’clock shadow that gave him a becoming rough-and-tumble look. She supposed that was also carefully cultivated. “The old man would park us in a run-down shack he’d won from some geezer on a bet, then hit the road, looking for his big break.”
“Did he ever find it?”
“We had some good times. Some not so good when Mom had to scramble to feed us.” Denver shrugged. “But I don’t blame the old man. I leave that to my big brother.”
“You sound as though you sympathize with your father. Maybe even admire him.”
He gave her that sneaky grin again, sneaky because it slid in under Alice’s skin even when she didn’t want it to. “I’m a rolling stone myself.”
“I’ll bet you’ve been in a few scrapes.”
“Some. I’ve been in lockup. Never got into trouble so bad that I was sent to prison, though.”
“Oh.” Now she wondered how bad a boy he was. And why he was interested in her. There’d been a lot of women after him tonight. Floozies, her mother would have called them. Big hair, big boobs, big appetites for Denver.
“What’s your last name?” she asked.
“I go by Lawless.”
She laughed. “Fitting. But what’s your real name?”
“Lawless is real enough for now.” He recaptured her hand. “Why so many questions, sweetheart?”
“Just trying to get to know you.”
He dipped his head, keeping his eyes on the pavement, but his knowing smile sent her senses spinning. “Allie, darlin’. There’re much better ways of doin’ that.”
K YLE KNEW he was as conspicuous as hell, pacing back and forth in the shadowed loggia outside of condo building two. There hadn’t been a lot of activity since nightfall, but the few folks who had passed by had stared so hard he thought their eyeballs would fall out. Several blinds had parted and curtains had lifted in neighboring windows. He’d waved.
He checked his watch. Time to give up. Denver might keep her out all night. And he didn’t need another night of insomnia.
Still, he stayed. Thinking how he’d never lost sleep or got particularly jealous with other women. Not even Jenna.
How come Alice had him so fired up? He’d told himself he was here to put a stop to Denver’s rule-breaking, but that wasn’t the entire reason. Alice was like a sliver under his skin. Unnoticeable at first, but slowly working deeper. He’d be rid of her when she went home, but until then…
Finally a car turned in, Denver’s battered Ford, rolling past the parking lot to the bricked courtyard that served as a convenient drop-off and pickup area. The engine sputtered and died.
No one got out, but Kyle could see them indistinctly through the dusty windshield. Talking?
Yes, talking. Just talking.
He went still. But it wasn’t a stony kind of stillness. No, he was jacked up inside, hyperalert, ready to spring at the first move Denver made.
What for? What business was it of his, just because he
She evaded him by tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’ve been wondering. What happened to your cowboy accent?”
“Whatchew mean, li’l missy?”
“Uh-huh. That’s what I thought. Was it all an act, even the rodeo stories?”
“I entered a ro-day-o contest once on a dare. Stayed on the bronc for an entire three seconds. Broke my damn collarbone.”
“What about the cattle roundups? Where’d you learn the campfire songs?”
“I played guitar in a few honky-tonks in my day, so the songs were no trouble. The rest was acting.” Hewasn’t at all abashed. He tossed her a boastful look. “Damn good, ain’t I?”
“I guess.” Even though she’d suspected the truth, she couldn’t help being disappointed.
“Aw, honey. You’re disillusioned.”
The way he said honey made her feel as if she were spread with it. “I suppose you’re not from Texas, either.”
“Nevada. We lived in a lousy little mining town up in the mountains.”
“Who’s we?”
“Mom and Dad. My brother and sister.” Denver wiped his face. He sported a five-o’clock shadow that gave him a becoming rough-and-tumble look. She supposed that was also carefully cultivated. “The old man would park us in a run-down shack he’d won from some geezer on a bet, then hit the road, looking for his big break.”
“Did he ever find it?”
“We had some good times. Some not so good when Mom had to scramble to feed us.” Denver shrugged. “But I don’t blame the old man. I leave that to my big brother.”
“You sound as though you sympathize with your father. Maybe even admire him.”
He gave her that sneaky grin again, sneaky because it slid in under Alice’s skin even when she didn’t want it to. “I’m a rolling stone myself.”
“I’ll bet you’ve been in a few scrapes.”
“Some. I’ve been in lockup. Never got into trouble so bad that I was sent to prison, though.”
“Oh.” Now she wondered how bad a boy he was. And why he was interested in her. There’d been a lot of women after him tonight. Floozies, her mother would have called them. Big hair, big boobs, big appetites for Denver.
“What’s your last name?” she asked.
“I go by Lawless.”
She laughed. “Fitting. But what’s your real name?”
“Lawless is real enough for now.” He recaptured her hand. “Why so many questions, sweetheart?”
“Just trying to get to know you.”
He dipped his head, keeping his eyes on the pavement, but his knowing smile sent her senses spinning. “Allie, darlin’. There’re much better ways of doin’ that.”
K YLE KNEW he was as conspicuous as hell, pacing back and forth in the shadowed loggia outside of condo building two. There hadn’t been a lot of activity since nightfall, but the few folks who had passed by had stared so hard he thought their eyeballs would fall out. Several blinds had parted and curtains had lifted in neighboring windows. He’d waved.
He checked his watch. Time to give up. Denver might keep her out all night. And he didn’t need another night of insomnia.
Still, he stayed. Thinking how he’d never lost sleep or got particularly jealous with other women. Not even Jenna.
How come Alice had him so fired up? He’d told himself he was here to put a stop to Denver’s rule-breaking, but that wasn’t the entire reason. Alice was like a sliver under his skin. Unnoticeable at first, but slowly working deeper. He’d be rid of her when she went home, but until then…
Finally a car turned in, Denver’s battered Ford, rolling past the parking lot to the bricked courtyard that served as a convenient drop-off and pickup area. The engine sputtered and died.
No one got out, but Kyle could see them indistinctly through the dusty windshield. Talking?
Yes, talking. Just talking.
He went still. But it wasn’t a stony kind of stillness. No, he was jacked up inside, hyperalert, ready to spring at the first move Denver made.
What for? What business was it of his, just because he
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