Page 62 of Tame Me

I waggled my head at her, acting like she was being silly, but of course, it was true.

It was eight-thirty by the time I returned to my room and showered. I had two hours to kill before I needed to get ready for Billy, which wasn’t enough time for a decent sleep.

Instead, I decided to watch a movie. I rummaged through my dusty collection of DVDs and settled on Letters to Juliet. After setting up the DVD, I grabbed a packet of corn chips and curled up in bed to watch it. Fearful that I may fall asleep, I set my alarm just in case.

The hours flew by, and at the sound of my alarm, I went to the kitchen and made myself a strong coffee. Between sips, I splashed water on my face, applied a touch of makeup, fixed my hair, and then went to my closet to decide on what to wear.

Jeans seemed the most appropriate for the Outback Spectacular, so I slipped into my underwear and tugged on the denim. I tucked the jeans into my long, tan, knee-high boots and put on a plain red button-up shirt. By the time I was dressed, thoughts of watching my sexy cowboy in action had my insides doing a little happy dance.

With my bag over my arm, I walked out the door and headed for the elevator. As I rode the elevator down to the lobby, I silently prayed John was busy.

The doors opened, and I sighed with relief at the sound of voices. As Needledick attended to two guests, I dashed across the marble tiles, stepped out into the sunshine, and pulled on my sunglasses.

I was only there a minute or so before a black Holden Rodeo pulled into the drop-off zone. The window glided down, and Billy was behind the steering wheel. “Going my way?” he said.

I laughed, and by the time I’d stepped down the stairs to him, he’d hopped out of his seat and walked around to greet me. He was a showstopper in his country-styled attire. Fitted jeans showed off the toning in his legs, and his chambray shirt, embroidered in intricate patterns across the lapels, finished off his Western style.

“Wow, look at you.”

His broad smile made his look all that more special. “Thanks.”

We kissed each other’s cheeks, and I inhaled his familiar manly scent.

He opened the passenger door, and as I slipped into the seat, I was grateful Lolly had been there when Billy had asked me to go with him today. The way I’d been feeling all morning, I would probably have said no, just so I could blob in bed all day long.

“Did you have a nice morning?” He climbed behind the wheel again.

“Yes, thanks. I watched a movie, Letters to Juliet.”

“Oh, I like that movie.”

“Me too.” We smiled at each other, and I sensed our relationship had just crept another inch closer.

I could have gazed into his molten honey eyes for another hour or two, but it was not to be. He turned his attention to the windshield, put the truck into gear, and drove onto the street.

Our conversation flowed nicely, and we talked about our weeks since we’d last met. While he’d fixed fences, bought and sold a few cattle, helped a cow give birth, and fixed a broken feed trough, I’d practically done nothing. At least nothing that didn’t involve the other men in my life. The only excitement I’d had was meeting the executive board. I told him what had happened.

“That manager of yours needs a reprimand.”

I shot a glance at Billy. If I hadn’t heard those words myself, I’d struggle to believe he’d say anything nasty about anyone. “Oh.”

“He’s never very friendly when I check out. It’s like I’m an inconvenience. That’s what I wrote on my survey, anyway.”

“You did the survey?”

“A few times. I like letting places know when the service is good or bad. If they ask, I tell them.”

“Oh.” I didn’t think anybody did those things. “Have you mentioned me in your comments?”

The dazzle in his eyes matched his brilliant smile. “Of course. I mention you to anyone who’ll listen.”

I returned his smile as a lovely warmth flooded my body.

The twenty-minute drive was over in a flash. Billy cruised off the highway along the service road, drove past the enormous car park designed for guests at the Outback Spectacular, and headed toward the back of the complex. We passed a staff parking sign and drove to the rear of several enormous buildings. Corrugated iron and heavy timbers gave the location an iconic Australian theme, along with the well-thought-out placement of the native plants.

We parked, and Billy raced around to open my door for me. After he shut the door, our fingers slotted together as if this were something we always did, and he led me to a door marked for staff only.

We entered without needing a key. The rustic, earthy smell of horses and hay filled the complex. Billy led me through a series of passages and then opened a door to a fancy horse stable. It was made to look rural with timber fencing and giant feature ropes draped from post to post, yet I was certain it would have all the modern commodities.

---