Page 33 of Rugged

My phone buzzed with an incoming text.

He handed me my pile of clothes, and I pulled it from my jeans pocket. Opened the screen. It was a photo text from Lyssa. For some reason, I didn’t want Johnny to see it. To see her.

Didn't want him to know there was a better twin. Maybe not prettier, since we were identical, but definitely sexier. Lyssa embraced and embodied sexuality.

If he saw Lyssa, I would have to explain that the sister I mentioned was actually my twin. And then the fact that I was playing my twin right now might come out, and this whole fantastical experience would unravel.

I’d been lying to him and still was.

No, I wanted him to keep believing I was Lyssa. Theone and only Lyssa who nailed hot cowboys within an hour of meeting them.

Or at least this hot cowboy.

I closed the screen and set it down.

“That wasn’t Chapman, was it?”

Right. He needed information about Chapman. I should probably call Lyssa to find out more for him. I wasn’t ready to tell him my real name, but I could at least try to do the job I was pretending to have. And Johnny had a job, and I was keeping him from his work. If Rob needed to connect with Chapman, then I should try to make that happen.

I shook my head. “No, it was my sister. I should probably call her.” I pushed on his shoulder to try to climb out of his lap, but he was already lifting me by my waist to my feet.

Wow. I could get used to having such a strong guy around.

I could get used to a lot of Johnny’s attributes.

Including that glorious one between his legs.

Ha–now I was being as dirty-minded as my twin.

I dialed Lyssa and walked away to get out of earshot.

“Whasuuuup?” Lyssa called into the phone when she answered. It made me smile. “Did you get my text?”

I reopened the text now that Johnny wasn’t looking over my shoulder. It was of Lyssa, in a black bikini on a yacht, with a very hot middle-aged man beside her.

I put the phone back up to my ear. “Yes. It looks amazing! Are you having a ball?”

“So much fun. The sultan is treating me like a princess. How’s the ranch?”

I bit my lip, then grinned. “Well, actually, I’m not there right now. That’s okay, right? If I left it for a couple of days?” Ms. Responsible kicked in a day late, probably in response to my carefree twin.

“Oh, totally. Chapman doesn’t even need a caretaker. I mean,pffft.Who cares if his mail gets brought in and placed on the kitchen counter everyday?”

Chapman probably did, but Lyssa wasn’t going to overthink that like I would.

“Where are you, Emmie? Please say you didn’t go back to your job.”

“No. I, um. Well, I met this guy.” I lowered my voice.

“What?” Lyssa practically shrieked into the phone. “Good for you! Give me all the deets.”

“He’s a hot cowboy,” I whispered. “He works as a ranch hand a couple of hours from Chapman’s, so that’s where I am now.”

“Are you serious? You’re getting well laid by a hot cowboy? This is the best news ever. I knew you quitting your job and coming to Montana was the best thing you could do!”

“I agree. Right now, Los Angeles and my old job feel like a sickness I’m still getting over.”

“Well, heal, sis, heal. Ride that hot cowboy until it’s a distant memory!”

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