Free Riding the Line by Kate Pearce

money Dakota had given her.
    Lent her, she reminded herself sternly. When she got back to LA she was going to demand her sister and mom pay back some of the money they’d borrowed from her over the years. It was about time she got something from them to help pay the bills. Her mom, in the role of her manager, had screwed Robyn over financially and emotionally. As a young adult dependent on drugs and alcohol, she’d let herself be taken advantage of over and over again.
    She started on the last bag of stuff, found a large box of condoms buried amongst the make-up and cleanser she’d bought. Perhaps she shouldn’t have got them after all. What right had she to tell Dakota how to live his life? Despite his over-nice streak he seemed pretty together. She sighed. At least she’d stopped being a doormat to her family and her lovers. Perhaps running away had been the answer all along. It had given her a breathing space to sort the truth from the lies and remember exactly what was important to her. At least now she could go back and focus on Leda’s needs.
    ‘Hey, I borrowed some plates and cutlery from Dorothy, so we’re all set.’
    Robyn fixed a smile on her face and hurried across to the small table where Dakota had placed the food.
    ‘Sorry, I was putting my stuffaway. I’ll get the salad.’
    ‘It’s OK, I can get it.’
    She snatched the bag from him. ‘I can do it!’ She ripped into the plastic so hard that half the leaves ended up on the table.
    ‘Thanks for tossing it so well.’
    She looked up, her teeth hurt from grinding them together. ‘I’ll have that bit. You can have the rest.’
    He held out his hands in a placatory gesture. ‘No worries, it’s only salad.’
    ‘I know!’ Robyn sat down abruptly in her chair, her anger evaporating as rapidly as it had arisen. ‘I can fix it just fine if you’d stop interfering.’
    ‘ OK – there’s no need to go nuts.’ He sat opposite her and a muscle flicked near his jaw. ‘Dammit, woman, are you going to eat your dinner or not?’
    She fluttered her eyelashes at him. ‘It depends. Are you going to get mad at me?’
    ‘Nope, I’m going to eat my food and shut up before I say anything else stupid, all right?’
    He glared back at her, actually glared, and Robyn found herself smiling.
    ‘Good because if you do shut up I might be persuaded to do something interesting later with that chocolate pudding you bought.’
    His eyebrows rose and he settled back in his seat and picked up his fork. ‘Shutting up.’

Chapter Seven
     
    Dakota put down his fork and looked at Robyn, who sat opposite him at the diner. Despite taking a shower, he still smelt like chocolate. Four tubs of dessert had turned the night into a series of sucking and licking chocolate from each other’s orifices until the bed was smeared with sweetness and they were both giggling like school kids.
    Despite the closeness, he hadn’t come inside her, yet. Her mouth, yeah, but not the full works. He was still waiting to be asked nicely. His mouth quirked up at the corner. As if that would ever happen, with the prickly contrary individual sitting opposite him. But that was what he wanted, her begging for him, begging for his cock . . .
    ‘Why are you staring at me?’
    ‘What?’ He blinked hard at her as she swiped at the corner of her mouth.
    ‘Do I have egg on my face or something?’
    ‘Nope, I was just thinking.’
    She snorted. ‘I bet I know what about.’
    He smiled into her suspicious eyes. ‘My truck, of course.’
    ‘Yeah, right.’
    ‘I’m hoping those guys will be able to fix it today so we can get going.’
    ‘That would be cool, so I’ll forgive you for lying.’
    He picked up his coffee and swallowed half of it before looking back at her. ‘Actually, I was thinking about you begging me for sex. Of shoving my cock inside you while you screamed for more.’
    ‘Dakota!’ Color rose on her cheeks and she put down her fork.
    ‘What’s up, honey, are you getting