Learnin' The Ropes by Shanna Hatfield Read Free Book Online

top of the microwave, out of the way.
    He chose a song from the band Poison from his downloaded tunes and turned the music loud enough to keep him revved up but not loud enough to blast anyone walking by.
    Lost in his work, he buried himself in finishing the repair to the tractor. Finally realizing the lateness of the hour, he was washing grease from his hands at the sink when the shop door opened and Lexi stuck her head inside.
    “Oh, I didn’t realize you were in here,” she said, stepping in and closing the door to keep the warmth from escaping. “I saw the light on and thought maybe someone forgot to turn it off. You don’t have to put in such long hours, especially on your first day.”
    Enchanted by the sight of her, Ty tried to remember how to speak. Lexi’s hair was a rich, raven black and hung down her back in a long braid. Although she still wore the bulky coat, she literally stole his breath away.
    “I… uh, just wanted to finish what I was working on. I’m heading in now,” Ty said, walking across the shop, turning off lights and taking his phone off the speakers as he went.
    “You’re a big hair band fan?” Lexi asked as she turned off the overhead lights and closed the door behind her.
    Ty looked down at her in the moonlight and the desire to kiss her swept over him. It had taken less than 24-hours for him to lose his mind out here in no-man’s land. “Yeah, I grew up listening to eighties music. Makes me think of my mom.”
    Lexi laughed. “My dad listened to Aerosmith right along with George Jones.”
    “Sounds like you had an interesting musical upbringing.” Ty smiled as he walked her to the house, not even aware he’d done so. She stopped when they reached the picket fence.
    “Thanks again for coming to the Rockin’ R Ranch. Swede thinks you’re the best thing since sliced bread,” Lexi said with a grin before turning and walking up the steps and into the house.
    Ty watched her go then strolled to the bunkhouse. He really needed to get his head on straight before he found himself in trouble. Big trouble… with beautiful green eyes, rosy red lips, and perfect white teeth that gleamed behind an irresistible smile.
     

     
    Lexi leaned against the door as she closed it, waiting for her pounding heart to return to a steady beat and her breathing to return to some degree of normalcy.
    Darn that Swede! He should have warned her about the new mechanic. He seemed to find it inordinately funny when she turned around and swallowed her gum at the sight of Ty standing behind her, looking all brooding, dark, and hunky.
    Under the assumption her new mechanic would be gaunt and thin the months he spent homeless, Ty appeared to be as physically fit as she’d ever seen a guy. At least she imagined impressive, bulging muscles strained against the fabric of his sweatshirt. She had to tip back her head to look in his face and figured he had to be around six-four, because she was nearly six-foot tall in her cowboy boots.
    His hair was a little too long, but it fell in finger-tempting tousled waves of brown tipped with sun-bleached highlights. It looked too natural to be from a salon and a man who had been unemployed as long as he had, not to mention as virile as he appeared, wouldn’t be getting his hair highlighted anyway.
    His lips were full and enticing, his chin strong and solid. Then there were those eyes, those beautiful blue eyes that seemed to bore right into her soul.
    It had been way too long since she had a date. That had to be the reason her heart tripped at the sound of his resonant voice and sparks shot up her arm when they shook hands this morning.
    With a haircut and a shave, the man would be positively dazzling. As it was, his longer hair and scruffy stubble made him look mysterious and dangerous.
    Way more dangerous than a girl who obviously needed to get out more could handle. Thoughts of running her fingers through that rich hair or seeing if those inviting lips would be as warm as