Free Falling For A Cowboy by Anne Carrole Page A

. Are you okay ? I was scared out of my wits . Wondering if I had sent a psycho over there . ” Tara Lynn ’ s voice sounded strained with worry .
    Dusty could barely catch her breath her heart was pounding so fast . “ Everything is fine. ” Now was not the time to have a conversation about what Tara Lynn had done and whether or not she should have done it .
    “ You ’ re not mad ? ”
    “ I ’ ll call you tomorrow. ”
    “ Okay, but you ’ re not mad ? Tell me I did right? I had Andy check him out and all. ”
    “ Everything is fine. Really . I ’ ll call you tomorrow. ”
    “ Promise ? And you ’ ll tell me everything? ”
    One of Clay ’ s talented hands massaged her back . His other was inching toward her breast.
    Dusty had to get off the phone. “ Yes. Bye. ” She clicked off before Tara Lynn could say more.
    Then she rolled off Clay , before his hand could touch her nipple , and put the phone back in its holder. What had she been thinking? He didn ’ t want her, Dusty . He was just after a warm and willing woman.
    With a satisfied grin on his face and a prominent erection under those jeans , Clay reach ed for her . She sat back and tucked her legs under her .
    “ Come here, honey . We were just getting started, ” he said.
    She shook her head . Though her body was crying out for more, t his wasn ’ t what she wanted. Wasn ’ t what she needed . H e was just fill ing in the time between rides .
    His grin turned to a frown . “ She didn ’ t say something bad about me ? ” He raised a hand. “ I swear, Dusty, I ’ ve never been on the wrong side of the law . If she told you something, it was either a lie or a mistake. ”
    “ No , Tara Lynn didn ’ t say anything . She was just checking up on me . Just being a good friend. ”
    His frown relaxed . “ Well then, come here. ” He patted his nicely rounded thigh. “ Those kisses of yours are scorching me alive a nd I like to feel the burn . ”
    She shook her head again . “ No . I don ’ t think so . Besides, I ’ m not your type. ” Sometimes you had to tell the truth even if it hurt.
    The frown came back, deeper this time . He narrowed his eyes, making them look darker . “ How can you know my type when I don ’ t have a clue ? Le a st not anymore. ”
    She settled back against the couch . He knew darn well what type. “ You know, the ‘ let ’ s have fun ’ type . The sexy ones with the big boobs who every man wants from the moment they walk in a place. ” Not the petite blonde who looks like a kid wearing her sister ’ s clothes . “ Just w hat are you doing here with me? ”
    He rubbed his chin as if stalling for time . Because he knew she was right. Because he just needed a room and she was convenient.
    “ Maybe I like you? ” h e said , as if angry at the thought.
    “ You don ’ t even know me. ”
    “ Maybe I ’ d like to get to know you better. ”
    “ Does that mean starting with the bedroom? ” Now she felt the anger. Anger was good . Anger would help keep some distance between them .
    He shrugged. A non- committal , “ does it matter ” shrug . And yes, it mattered to her . “ I said we ’ d just start with kissing. And I asked, remember? ”
    Yes, she sure did remember . And she ’ d let her hormones do the answering. “ Well, now I ’ m saying no. ” She swung her legs out and stood up.
    “ Where are you going, Dusty? W hat the hell did Tara Lynn say? ” Frustration deepened the weathered line s of his face.
    “ I ’ m getting the bed linens . This is a folding couch and you ’ ll be sleeping down here. ” Their spare room had been turned into a sewing room and study since her father ’ s friends no longer came to bunk down during the rodeo season .
    His mouth tightened into a flat line . “ Okay. That ’ s fine . But I don ’ t understand why you ’ re so all fired angry with me. ”
    She took a deep breath. “ I ’ m not angry with you , Clay . I ’ m angry with myself. I was close to