Page 10 of Lie for a Million

Jerking her close, he kissed her, not gently but hungrily. His arms crushed her against him, his mouth bruised her lips. The taste of her, the scent and feel of her, roused his senses to a frenzy. His body burned with the urge to take her. But somehow, he found the wit to mutter, “You’d better stop me now, Lila, or it’ll be too late.”

* * *

“No.”Lila caught fire in his arms, murmuring the words between kisses. “Don’t stop . . . don’t you dare stop.”

She pushed against the hard ridge that pressed her belly, needing him, needing the release he could give her. There was a world of rules and reasons why they shouldn’t be doing this. Right now, none of them mattered.

A small shed, built to shelter the sprinkler controls, stood next to the fence. Roper pulled her into it. The space inside the walls was barely enough to hide them from view, but it was all they had. Driven by a blazing urgency, she unfastened his belt and yanked down the zipper to open his jeans. Her hand found and clasped him. He was rock hard and ready. Wanting him was like wanting air to breathe.

Her slacks and panties dropped around her ankles. She shook one foot loose from its sandal, freeing her legs to wrap his hips. He lifted her against him, using her weight to lower her onto his jutting shaft. She moaned, her head falling back as he filled the hollowness inside her. Her legs pulled him deeper, meeting each thrust. This was what she’d denied herself for as long as she’d known him. And if she burned in hell for it, she wouldn’t be sorry.

Stars swam in her head as the dizzying sensations mounted to a shattering climax. With a cry and a whimper, she spiraled back to earth.

That was when he withdrew, turned away, and finished on his own. Her disappointment was tempered with gratitude. He had protected her the one way he could. That was Roper, keeping his presence of mind even as she lost hers.

Still quivering, she sagged against him, resting her head on his chest. He stroked her hair before he spoke. “Get your clothes on, Boss. It’s time we had our talk.”

Lila went rigid. Had he planned this? Was what had just happened his way of saying goodbye?

Without a word, she pulled on her clothes, tucked her shirt in her slacks, and found her missing sandal. For one wild, reckless moment, she’d almost imagined herself in love with Roper. Now she was prepared to hate him.

They stepped outside, the moon so bright that its light was almost harsh. Lila stumbled into a shallow ditch. He steadied her with a hand on her elbow. “My truck,” he said, nodding toward the employee lot.

Fighting angry tears, she let him usher her across the asphalt to where his pickup was parked. He unlocked the passenger door and helped her into the seat, then went around to the driver’s side.

“Spare me the suspense,” she said as he settled beside her. “Just tell me.”

“I’m not going to tell you, Lila,” he said. “I’m going to ask you.”

She gazed ahead, through the windshield, waiting.

“Hear me out,” he said, speaking to her profile. “When I’ve had my say, you can give me a yes or no. All I’m asking is that you listen.”

“Go ahead.”

He turned toward her in the seat. “You know I want to win the Run for a Million. And you know how I feel about using a thirteen-year-old stallion.”

“Yes. We’ve been through all that before.”

“Chet Barr is willing to lend me Fire Dance. In the morning, I plan to call Chet and tell him I want to use the horse—but I want to train with him here.”

“Here?” Lila’s pulse raced. So Roper might not be leaving after all. But he already knew how she felt about donating stable space, food, care, and arena time to someone else’s horse—especially if she had no stake in a win.

Was that why he’d made love to her? To soften her up for a favor? Lila seethed as the lingering pleasure faded. She didn’t want to believe Roper was taking advantage of her. But that was how it appeared. It was time to get tough.

“I want to be fair with you, Boss,” he said. “If you let me train here, I’ll still be able to do my regular work. I’ll pay you a boarding fee for the horse and extra for his arena time, so you shouldn’t be out anything for his keep. Does that sound all right?”

She gave him a stern look. “Maybe. But only if you don’t win. You say you want to be fair with me. Fine. If you finish in the money, I want a cut of your share.”

Roper gave a low whistle. “You drive a hard bargain, lady.”

“I’m not a lady, I’m your boss,” Lila said. “If you win, I’ll take twenty-five percent of your prize.”

Lila could see him doing the math in his head. If he were to win the Run for a Million, his share would be $500,000. One-quarter of that amount would be $125,000. It was a lot of money. But if she’d been a man and had demanded that much, Roper wouldn’t have been surprised.

“Another thing,” she said. “That little tangle back in the sprinkler shed—as far as you’re concerned, it never happened. And it’s never going to happen again. You can take it, or you can leave it and pack your gear. Let me know your final decision in the morning, after you’ve talked to Chet Barr. Maybe he’ll give you a better deal.”

With those words, Lila opened the door of the truck, slipped to the ground, and closed it behind her. As she strode toward the house, she forced herself not to look back. Her hands had begun to shake.

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