Riding the Line (14 page)
The woman squeezed Robyn’s cold fingers. ‘I don’t want to interrupt your evening, dear. I just wanted you to know how much Bill and I enjoyed your show. We were sorry when they took it off the air.’
Robyn had been ecstatic, but she didn’t see the point of saying that to the woman. Why not leave her with her happy memories?
‘Thanks for saying hi, then.’
‘Thanks for entertaining us with your sweet little voice for all those years.’
‘You’re welcome.’
Robyn managed to detach herself from the woman’s firm clasp and head for the door. She didn’t check to see if Dakota was following, but there he was, opening the door for her, taking her hand to lead her in the right direction back to the RV park. She realized she was trembling. Her legs felt like jelly.
Dakota squeezed her fingers. ‘It’s OK, honey, take a few deep breaths and you’ll be fine.’
She rounded on him. ‘What the hell would you know about it? She was nice to me, but most of the time it’s like being a dumb animal at the zoo surrounded by idiots who want to see a reaction, preferably an angry one.’
She stopped at the entrance to the park and faced him.
He took a step back and held up his hands. ‘Don’t start on me. You’re the one who should be apologizing.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you didn’t tell me who you are.’
‘I don’t have to tell you anything.’
He shrugged. ‘That’s true, but it would’ve been nice to know I’ve been harboring a celebrity.’
‘Fucking one you mean.’
His expression hardened. ‘What do you think I’m going to do? Run off and give all the intimate details to the
National Enquirer
?’
National Enquirer
?’
She let out her breath, aware of how ridiculously she was behaving. ‘They wouldn’t care anyway. I’m way too passé.’
He still looked mad, his gaze fixed on hers. ‘I don’t kiss and tell. A rodeo friend of mine ended up in the
Enquirer
and it wasn’t pretty.’
Enquirer
and it wasn’t pretty.’
Robyn wrapped her arms around herself, painfully aware of the lack of Dakota’s warmth and strength surrounding her. ‘Can we go back to the trailer? It’s too cold to argue out here.’
‘Sure, if it’s not too much of a hovel for you.’
Robyn pressed her lips together and started up the road. Dakota had a right to be angry with her. Her only hope was that he’d get over it and still be prepared to give her a ride back home. She waited by the door as he unlocked it and held it open for her.
The inside smelt of the toast and coffee they’d made for supper. Robyn halted in the kitchen. Where exactly did she intend to go? There wasn’t enough room to hide a cat in here, let alone a grown woman. She’d have to face him.
Dakota brushed past Robyn and put on a fresh pot of coffee. Not that he needed it, but he wanted something to do that didn’t involve Robyn. Despite the fact that he’d only known her for a short time, he felt hurt she hadn’t confided in him. Stupid, he knew, but there it was.
Robyn sighed. ‘I suppose you want to talk about it?’
He turned to look at her, noticed the tension in her shoulders, the apprehensive look in her brown eyes she tried so desperately to hide. ‘It’s up to you. It’s your life.’
Jeez, now he sounded like a sullen teenager when in reality, just like all the other jerks, he was dying to find out how one of America’s former darlings had ended up stealing pain medicine in a two-bit garage store.
‘I’d like to tell you.’
He stared at her, biting back the obvious retort that she could’ve saved them both a lot of trouble by telling him up front. He nodded and gestured to the couch. ‘Sure, I’ll get the coffee.’
She settled on the very edge of the seat, knees drawn up to her chin, arms around them. He put her coffee on the crate and cradled his own, glad of the warmth and for something to hold on to. He tried to sound relaxed.
‘It’s weird, now I know who you really are, I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier. I kept thinking I’d known you before and blanking on why.’
‘A lot of folks feel like that around celebrities.’ She hunched her shoulders. ‘And it was a long time ago. I keep hoping people will forget.’
‘Honey,
Sparrow’s Nest
, with you and your sisters was one of the top-rated shows on TV for years. Even I watched it and I’m a guy. How could you expect people to forget?’
Sparrow’s Nest
, with you and your sisters was one of the top-rated shows on TV for years. Even I watched it and I’m a guy. How could you expect people to forget?’
‘Because I want to forget?’
‘Was it that bad?’
As he studied Robyn’s haunted expression, he thought about all the child stars that had crashed and burnt over the years.
‘It wasn’t at first. But then we all got famous and things started to fall apart.’
‘Were you a real family?’
A smile flickered over her face. ‘Just us three sisters. Our mom and dad were played by actors. We were supposed to be the late-80s version of the Partridge Family.’
Dakota drank some coffee. ‘You must’ve been kind of young when you got into it.’
‘I was five. I wasn’t given a choice. My mom was the classic stage mother, always shopping us girls around the studios, making us take classes, impress at auditions. It was a strange existence.’
‘I bet.’
‘Of course it all went to my head.’ Her smile this time was bitter. ‘By the time the show came off the air, I was fifteen, already abusing alcohol, taking drugs and well on my way to becoming anorexic. I was also a first-class spoilt brat used to getting what I wanted.’
‘Wow, now that does surprise me.’
Robyn shot him a narrow glance. ‘Funny, Dakota, real funny.’ She sighed. ‘You would not have liked me at all. I didn’t like myself much either.’
‘I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like,’ he mused aloud. ‘Growing up in the spotlight.’ He smiled cautiously at her. ‘I hate being recognized now and I’m an adult.’
She picked up her coffee, took a small sip before looking directly at him for the first time since they’d come inside. ‘Are you OK with this?’
‘That you’re a big star?’
‘That I’m hitching a ride back to the coast with you.’
There it was, that hint of vulnerability, the little catch in her voice that he’d begun to realize made him want to hold her tight and never let go. No chance of that now. Once they hit LA he reckoned she’d be gone. He forced a smile.
‘You’re still welcome to tag along.’
She bit down on her lip. ‘Thanks, Dakota, I really appreciate it.’
He raised his eyebrows at her. ‘That’s it?’
‘What?’
‘No sarcasm, no telling me that I should be grateful that a big star like you deigns to stay in my company?’
Her expression darkened and she got to her feet. ‘I’m trying to be gracious here.’
‘Yeah, I got that. I’m still in shock.’ He moved his coffee off the couch and on to the countertop behind his head, just in case.
Her hands came to rest on her hips. ‘Would you prefer me to get mad at you?’
He tilted his chin to look up at her. ‘I’m not sure. It’s kind of nice having you grovel, but . . .’
Her fist missed his cheek by a whisker. He caught her wrists and pulled her down on to his lap. She struggled to get free.
‘Dakota Scott, you are a pain in the ass.’
‘Yup, I haven’t changed, still the same old guy.’ He nipped her ear, avoided the snap of her teeth and kissed the corner of her mouth. ‘Still want to make love to you all night, too.’
She stopped wiggling. He froze as she framed his face with her hands. ‘I haven’t put you off?’
‘Not at all. I’m looking forward to all that money I’m going to make when I sell my story.’
She smiled at him, her real smile – the one that came straight from the heart. Her hand slid down toward his groin and she cupped him. ‘If you do that, I’ll cut your family jewels off.’
He slid his hand over hers, pressed their entwined fingers over his rapidly hardening flesh. ‘If you do that, you’ll be a very sad woman.’
She kissed his mouth, kissed him until he strained against her luscious lips, eager for more. When she moved back, he struggled to breathe. Her fingers worked the snaps of his shirt, baring his chest.
‘How about we compromise?’
‘I like compromise,’ Dakota said hoarsely as she started on his belt.
‘You don’t sell my story and I keep having sex with you. How does that sound?’
He slid his hand into the back of her hair and brought her mouth down to his. ‘Just fine to me.’
Chapter Eleven
Dakota opened one eye and quickly closed it again. Life was weird. Three days ago he’d been alone, happy and looking forward to seeing his horses again. Now he lay in bed, his body being used as a mattress by a Hollywood child-star who had a temper and a wicked sense of humor to match his own, and he’d never felt so content.
He stroked Robyn’s long hair and she moved restlessly against his naked chest, her mouth grazing his nipple. He jerked and his cock filled out and rubbed against her stomach. How come he felt more for her than for any other woman he’d met? She made him as mad as fire, yet he still wanted her with an obsession he hadn’t believed he was capable of.
Maybe that was it. Maybe being able to get mad at her and not feeling he always had to be perfect was a good thing. He kissed the top of her head, moved his hips as his cock thickened and lengthened against the satin of her skin. The question was, how did she feel about him? She liked his lovemaking, he was sure of that, but the rest of him? The pleasant, amiable cowboy? He wasn’t so confident about that.
‘Stop thinking so hard.’
Robyn’s raspy whisper made him jump. He looked down into her sleepy face. ‘Good morning, honey.’
‘Go back to sleep, Dakota.’
‘OK.’
He kissed her mouth, slid his tongue deep until she started to respond. They’d made love three times in the night and he still wanted her. He slid his hand down to her pussy, found her wet and ready for him. Her fingers closed around his wrist.
‘You are insatiable.’
‘Yeah.’
He kissed her again, swirled his fingertips over her clit and labia, opened her to his touch. With a satisfied grunt he moved down her body, pushed her knees wide and settled his mouth over her sex. God, he loved using his tongue and teeth on her, loved the way she shoved her pussy into his face so that all he could do was breathe her in, swallow her cream and enjoy.
Her hand threaded through his hair and cupped the back of his head as he lapped at her. He teased her clit with the tip of his tongue until it was hard and hypersensitive. She moaned and bucked her hips. His cock drilled a hole in the mattress as his body rocked in time to the rhythm of his mouth.
‘Dakota . . . that’s so good.’
‘Let’s make it even better.’
He levered himself away from her and reversed position, straddling her until his cock hovered over her face.
‘Suck my cock, honey, make it good for me too.’
He lowered his hips, moaned against her pussy as her mouth closed over his thick wet shaft. She started to suck him, long smooth pulls keeping him deep in her throat, making him shudder with pleasure. He returned to his task of making her come, matched his more delicate strokes to the demands of her mouth.
He thrust his tongue deep inside her and she rocked against him, grinding her swollen wet pussy into his face while she climaxed. He kept licking as she continued to suck him until he could no longer keep either rhythm. His hips jerked and his whole body shook trying to maintain his composure. He came hard, his come flooded down her throat as she came again against his mouth.
He rolled away from her, his heart beating so fast he thought he might need a paramedic. ‘You are a dangerous woman, Ms Sparrow.’
She came up on one elbow and turned to look at him. ‘That isn’t my real name either.’
He studied her for a long moment, his brain still focused on his dick. ‘I suppose Robyn Sparrow is a bit too much to swallow.’
Her smile was complacent. ‘I’m good at that.’
‘Swallowing?’ He smiled back, felt his cock twitch. ‘I noticed.’
‘My real name is Robyn Cooper, but no one calls me that anymore.’ She frowned. ‘I
think
my mom had it legally changed to Sparrow at some point, I can’t remember.’
think
my mom had it legally changed to Sparrow at some point, I can’t remember.’
He touched her cheek. ‘It’s OK, I’ll try not to call you Ms Sparrow in public. Wouldn’t want to attract a crowd.’
‘That’s unlikely. I’m pretty much washed up in Hollywood terms.’
He made himself more comfortable, came up on his elbow to rest his head on his hand. ‘Didn’t you make another show after
Sparrow’s Nest
?’
Sparrow’s Nest
?’
She grimaced. ‘Yeah,
Robyn’s Quest
, it was supposed to be all about me becoming a teenager and setting out with my own band to tour the USA.’
Robyn’s Quest
, it was supposed to be all about me becoming a teenager and setting out with my own band to tour the USA.’
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