Gift of Fortune by Ilsa Mayr Read Free Book Online Page B

realizing by the widening of
Aileen's eyes that mentioning the groupies had been a mistake.
    Aileen folded her arms across her chest. She pictured
sexy young things wearing tight jeans and push-up bras
hanging on his arms, gazing at him adoringly. She didn't
particularly like the image. "Groupies? Of course. Every
male activity that has some glamour to it, even if it's
shoddy, will have a female following. And I bet they were
all over you."
    Quint shrugged, his expression as sober as he could manage. It was obvious that Aileen didn't like the idea of
groupies surrounding him. That pleased him. "I never encouraged them," he claimed.
    He wouldn't have to, she realized. This irritated her. He
wouldn't have to do a single thing and women would follow him, and the more disinterested he acted, the more
persistently they would try to catch his attention. They
probably unbuttoned their blouses, swished and swayed
their hips, and paraded shamelessly in front of him to get
him to notice them.
    "But I bet you didn't discourage them," she said, her
voice cold.
    Quint grinned. "When I was eighteen, nineteen, I naturally thought life couldn't get any better than having
women chase me. What red-blooded young buck wouldn't
think that?"
    "And when you got to be twenty-seven, twenty-eight?"
    He shrugged. "I still like women. I'm pretty sure I always will, so sue me."
    Aileen leveled a long look at him.
    Quickly he added, "But groupies no longer interest me."

    "Yeah, right.
    "Really. It's the truth."
    "Why not? Seems to me you wouldn't have to woo them,
or wine and dine them to charm them into your bed."
Aileen saw his jaw clench and his eyes narrow and knew
she had crossed a line.
    "Are you saying a rodeo bum isn't supposed to be
choosy? Have any standards? Is that what you're claiming?"
    "No. I'm sorry if I implied that. I didn't mean it. And I
didn't call you a rodeo bum."
    "You're too well brought up to say that out loud, but I
bet you thought it."
    "I wasn't thinking that. Until a few minutes ago, I didn't
even know you followed the rodeo circuit."
    "I never followed it full-time. I only entered events that
were near the spreads where I worked."
    "To earn extra money."
    "Primarily, but I won't deny that it wasn't also thrilling.
To a kid who'd been in and out of a half-dozen foster
homes and agencies, who'd been considered wild and incorrigible, a little applause, a little recognition, was like
salve on an open saddle sore. We didn't all grow up where
you were given gold stars or words of praise and validation."
    Aileen looked at him for a long moment. "I can't even
begin to imagine what your teenage years were like."
    "Darlin', you don't need to imagine my youth. I don't
need your pity," he snapped.
    She had hurt his feelings again without meaning to. With
a pang she realized that behind that handsome, reckless
facade, he hid barely healed wounds and an easily hurt
pride. She would have to be more careful with her words.

    "Looking at you, I'd never presume to offer you pity,"
she said. "I'm sure men envy you and women adore you."
    "Horses and dogs like me too," Quint said, his tone selfmocking.
    "I don't doubt that. You could probably charm the proverbial birds out of a tree as well," she said, matching his
ironic tone. Then growing serious, she said, "What I meant
was, I feel compassion for the boy who had no home."
    "Well, the boy's all grown up, so save your compassion."
    So much pain beneath that fierce pride. Aileen wanted
to touch him, to...What? He didn't want compassion, and
anything else was inappropriate. The tone of his voice told
her that the discussion of his past was closed. At least for
now. Aileen knew she wouldn't be able to leave it alone.
She was always interested in people, so how could she not
be intensely curious about Quint? She had never known a
man like him.
    She glanced at him. He hadn't shaved this morning. The
dark stubble reinforced the aura of quiet danger that