desperate to leave him. Of course, he’d tried to make it up to her by being the most perfect kid in America, not that she’d seemed to notice.
‘What the fuck?’ Robyn hissed.
He looked up, focused on the doll-sized cardigan she thrust right in front of his face. ‘What is it? Did we get someone else’s laundry?’
‘No, it’s my cashmere cardigan!’
He stared at the shrunken garment, felt the corner of his mouth kick up as he fought a smile. That was life for you: one moment full of pain, the next, laughter.
‘I think it shrunk.’
‘You think?’
‘Or you grew. Take your pick.’
‘You are so not funny, Dakota Scott.’
He smiled into her eyes, wondered if she’d picked a fight just to make him feel better. It was the kind of thing he suspected she did to get out of anything too close to the bone.
‘I know, honey, it’s all part of my charm.’
Chapter Nine
‘What do you mean, no TV?’
Robyn stood over Dakota, hands on her hips, as he settled into the narrow couch and put his feet on the crate that substituted for a coffee table.
‘No TV until after you help me with my homework.’
‘Homework? What kind of homework does a cowboy do?’
He grinned up at her, inviting her to share the joke, to relax and go along with whatever he wanted. Robyn stiffened her spine. Dakota was far too used to flashing that winning smile and getting his own way. Just because he happened to answer all her sexual prayers didn’t mean he got to push her around. She edged closer to the miniature TV set.
‘And, by the way, I’m not a kid. I don’t need your permission to put the TV on.’
He tilted his head back to look up at her properly. She clenched her fists to resist the urge to stroke the smooth line of his jaw. Damn, she had it bad and he knew it. The living quarters inside the horse trailer were probably OK for one person. With two of them occupying the space, it got a bit claustrophobic. Robyn could understand why Dakota usually preferred a motel room.
But at least they were moving toward California. With a rig this big, Dakota said it would take at least a couple of days. Robyn didn’t care. She still wasn’t sure exactly what she would do when she returned home and she wasn’t anxious to face her future, whatever it was.
‘You’ve forgotten your promise to me.’ Dakota wagged a finger at her. ‘You said you’d do anything if I gave you a ride to California.’
‘And I am, aren’t I?’ Robyn jutted out one hip. ‘Aren’t you getting the best sex of your life?’
His gaze heated up. ‘That’s a bonus. You promised to help me as well.’
‘Did I? I don’t remember saying that.’
‘Now there’s a surprise. Luckily I do.’
She raised her eyebrows at him. ‘Do you remember everything I say to you? How sweet.’
‘I remember the important bits, now sit down and listen.’ He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down on to the couch beside him. ‘I’ve got some notes to go over. Do you think you could test me on them?’
‘As I said, what the hell for?’
‘I’m working on a master’s.’
‘A master’s in what?’
Dakota shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘Nothing much. Just rangeland ecology and watershed management.’
It took at least a minute before Robyn stopped laughing and realized Dakota hadn’t joined in. She bit down on her lip. ‘Are you telling me you already have a bachelor’s degree?’
‘Yeah, in animal science, from Arizona State.’
She studied him for a long time. ‘I hate to repeat myself, but why would you do that when you already have a successful rodeo career and appear in ads?’
‘Because I want something to do when I’m older, something that uses my brain.’
She poked his ribs. ‘You don’t need brains, you’re way too pretty.’
He hunched a shoulder. ‘How do you feel when people say that about you?’
‘It sucks.’
‘Well, right back at you. I want a job where I can work with horses and make a
‘What the fuck?’ Robyn hissed.
He looked up, focused on the doll-sized cardigan she thrust right in front of his face. ‘What is it? Did we get someone else’s laundry?’
‘No, it’s my cashmere cardigan!’
He stared at the shrunken garment, felt the corner of his mouth kick up as he fought a smile. That was life for you: one moment full of pain, the next, laughter.
‘I think it shrunk.’
‘You think?’
‘Or you grew. Take your pick.’
‘You are so not funny, Dakota Scott.’
He smiled into her eyes, wondered if she’d picked a fight just to make him feel better. It was the kind of thing he suspected she did to get out of anything too close to the bone.
‘I know, honey, it’s all part of my charm.’
Chapter Nine
‘What do you mean, no TV?’
Robyn stood over Dakota, hands on her hips, as he settled into the narrow couch and put his feet on the crate that substituted for a coffee table.
‘No TV until after you help me with my homework.’
‘Homework? What kind of homework does a cowboy do?’
He grinned up at her, inviting her to share the joke, to relax and go along with whatever he wanted. Robyn stiffened her spine. Dakota was far too used to flashing that winning smile and getting his own way. Just because he happened to answer all her sexual prayers didn’t mean he got to push her around. She edged closer to the miniature TV set.
‘And, by the way, I’m not a kid. I don’t need your permission to put the TV on.’
He tilted his head back to look up at her properly. She clenched her fists to resist the urge to stroke the smooth line of his jaw. Damn, she had it bad and he knew it. The living quarters inside the horse trailer were probably OK for one person. With two of them occupying the space, it got a bit claustrophobic. Robyn could understand why Dakota usually preferred a motel room.
But at least they were moving toward California. With a rig this big, Dakota said it would take at least a couple of days. Robyn didn’t care. She still wasn’t sure exactly what she would do when she returned home and she wasn’t anxious to face her future, whatever it was.
‘You’ve forgotten your promise to me.’ Dakota wagged a finger at her. ‘You said you’d do anything if I gave you a ride to California.’
‘And I am, aren’t I?’ Robyn jutted out one hip. ‘Aren’t you getting the best sex of your life?’
His gaze heated up. ‘That’s a bonus. You promised to help me as well.’
‘Did I? I don’t remember saying that.’
‘Now there’s a surprise. Luckily I do.’
She raised her eyebrows at him. ‘Do you remember everything I say to you? How sweet.’
‘I remember the important bits, now sit down and listen.’ He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down on to the couch beside him. ‘I’ve got some notes to go over. Do you think you could test me on them?’
‘As I said, what the hell for?’
‘I’m working on a master’s.’
‘A master’s in what?’
Dakota shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘Nothing much. Just rangeland ecology and watershed management.’
It took at least a minute before Robyn stopped laughing and realized Dakota hadn’t joined in. She bit down on her lip. ‘Are you telling me you already have a bachelor’s degree?’
‘Yeah, in animal science, from Arizona State.’
She studied him for a long time. ‘I hate to repeat myself, but why would you do that when you already have a successful rodeo career and appear in ads?’
‘Because I want something to do when I’m older, something that uses my brain.’
She poked his ribs. ‘You don’t need brains, you’re way too pretty.’
He hunched a shoulder. ‘How do you feel when people say that about you?’
‘It sucks.’
‘Well, right back at you. I want a job where I can work with horses and make a
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