Rocky Mountain Rebel by Vivian Arend Read Free Book Online Page A

darling, are you ever wrong.”
    A flash of anger struck, and she turned away to hide her reaction.
    She’d asked for this. He’d done nothing wrong, and taking it out on him would be stupid and ignorant, not to mention screw everything up before they even began.
    She needed a minute to figure out how to deal with her conflicting emotions. Vicki forced all the enthusiasm into her voice she could muster, that is, she lied her fucking ass off. “Why don’t you take her for a spin. I’m going to hang out and relax for a minute.”
    “Vicki? You okay?”
    “Hell, yeah, just—like I said, I’ve never been here before.” She pointed down the riverbank. “I’m going for a walk. Take your time. You need a hand?”
    Joel caved. There was no other reason her pathetic excuses worked, because he looked suspicious as hell. But he nodded and lifted the bike to vertical, rolling her out from under the tree and aiming her toward the main highway. “I’ll just try her for a bit. Always wanted a bike, just never seemed to get around to buying one.”
    “She’s nice on the highway. Take as long as you want.” Vicki grabbed the helmet off the bars and pressed it to his side. “It’s not going to fit great, but wear it anyway.”
    She waited until he’d cooperated, both of them real careful and polite. By the time Joel had mounted up, she was ready for him to be gone. She needed some space.
    Vicki slipped down the bank before he even fired up the engine. The rush of water grew as the bike’s motor faded. The farther Joel got away, the more her surroundings were nothing but wilderness. Birds chirping every now and then. Mostly the water, and this weird creaking sound she finally figured out were the trees themselves shifting in the wind.
    She found a flat rock right at the water’s edge and sat, a handful of pebbles at the ready.
    Talk about an unexpected twist. Joel’s help with the horses was awesome. His promise to help her get a better name in the community, and keep Jesse out of it— Well, the first part of the deal had been wholly dependent on the second. She couldn’t get involved with two guys and make things anything but worse.
    But being his actual girlfriend? Asking him to have sex with her?
    My God, she’d slipped down the exact same path her sister and mother were walking. Using sex to get what she wanted. Only…
    Only what she wanted was sex.
    The first rock she tossed barely made a ripple. The current was strong enough the slight weight broke through the surface and vanished as if she hadn’t even been there. Vicki stared at the remaining rocks resting in her palm.
    What she’d said she wanted was true. A way out. Which meant a future to look forward to. A little redemption from her past, in terms of people seeing her with new eyes.
    And a present filled with pleasure. What the hell was wrong with that?
    She wasn’t sure how long she’d sat there, stewing, tossing one stone after the other before a loud rumble sounded from the top of the ridge and Joel’s face popped into view. Vicki rose and brushed the dirt from her hands, adjusting her T-shirt before she stepped up the narrow path to his side.
    He wore a huge grin. “That was awesome. Come on, I want to show you something.”
    She took the helmet he offered. “Where are we going?”
    He slipped forward on the seat. “Hop on. It’s better seen than explained.”

Chapter Five
     
    For a moment, he wasn’t sure she would cooperate. Stubborn was too light a word to describe what he’d already discovered about Vicki.
    “You don’t have a helmet,” she pointed out, the one he’d returned dangling from her fingertips as she clutched the straps.
    “I’ll be real careful, and we’re not leaving Six Pack land. Come on, trust me.”
    She slipped the helmet over her shining hair, and Joel twisted in the seat to let her hop on without him staring.
    He wanted to stare. Oh my God, he wanted to strip her down and look his fill. He’d never thought