Free Steal Me, Cowboy by Kim Boykin Page B

used. And yet he felt helpless. Rainey held all the cards. Rainey was in control and what had she’d wanted? To go back to that fucking dump of a motel.
    She’s probably talking to that asshole right now. His phone buzzed and he started to ignore it, but it was Dillon, and Beck hoped he could gain a little ground or at least know what was going on with Rainey’s car since he hadn’t asked her.
    “Dude, I was just at Rooster’s for a beer. Half your people were there complaining about you. What’s up?”
    “I don’t know. I just had a bad night; I’ll make it up to them. So what’s up with you?”
    “I got tired of listening to them dog cuss you. I’m walking over to The Watering Hole. Wanna go?”
    “No. I’d better not. So how are you coming on Rainey’s car?”
    “It’s so messed up from the anti-freeze bath the engine took. It’s bad. I don’t think I’ve ever had a car this bad. At least she kept her oil changed, but that hasn’t helped a whole lot.”
    “So you gonna get it fixed or not?”
    “Yeah, but I can’t cut her any slack on the price. I’d hoped once I got in there I could, but I can’t. I feel so bad because it’s Rainey. So if she gets within a hundred bucks, I’m just going to give it to her.”
    The thought of seeing her taillights pulling out of town, felt like a kick in the gut. “Do me a favor, Dillon?”
    “Yeah, man. Anything.” Beck heard him push through the door of the bar, and then the crowd noise.
    “Don’t spot her the money.”
    Dillon didn’t say anything for a minute. “You trying to keep her here, Beck?”
    “Something like that.”
    “I’d like that too.”

 
     
    CHAPTER NINE
     
    FRIDAY
     
    God, Beck was as bad as Dillon for wanting to keep Rainey. He had to do something to get this woman out of his system. He needed to get laid.
    He got dressed, drove into town and pulled in front of the Graff hotel. He went into bar. Brunette or redhead? Beck was good with either.
    He found her, sitting alone at one of the tables near the entrance. In her come-fuck-me-heels, she was almost as tall as him, legs up to her neck, long dark hair. She watched him watching her for almost an hour and then they both laughed, tired of playing the game.
    Before he could walk over her way, she started toward him. Gorgeous, short red dress, killer face. A man could forget a lot of things with that body.
    “Hi, I’m Courtney,” she shook his hand.
    “Hey Courtney. Where are you from?”
    The bartender put another beer in front of him. “From the lady beside you.”
    “Seattle,” she said. Beck grinned as she settled onto the stool beside him. “And you?”
    “Born and raised here.”
    She crossed her long legs and leaned forward. “They’re either busy or understaffed here tonight because you were supposed to have that drink fifteen minutes ago.”
    He glanced at his phone and then toasted her. “You like to cut to the chase, Courtney.” Good, Beck did too.
    “Exactly. So, what’s your name?”
    Beck needed this. But why in the hell was it all of a sudden so hard to stop thinking about everything this woman wasn’t? She wasn’t petite. She wasn’t blonde. She wasn’t Rainey.
    “Jim.” And where the hell did Jim come from? “Beck.”
    “You want to get out of here, Jim Beck?”
    She was facing him, her knees nudged slightly between his legs. This was what he came for; this is what he needed to get Rainey Brown out of his head.
    He looked at his phone. No texts. No calls. Why the hell was he doing that? He needed to get his ass to Courtney’s hotel room. Now. He leaned forward, his lips just below her ear, barely touching. “Yeah, let’s go.” He motioned to the bartender to pick up her tab too, then grabbed her hand and headed for the door.
    The way she was looking at him said she needed to get laid just as much as he did. He glanced at his phone and then turned all of his attention to her.
    Her dark brown eyes studied him, promising him he wouldn’t