Straddling the Fence Read Online Free

walked toward the outer gate to wait for her.
Standing there with his forearms draped across the cold metal, the full
implications of their conversation sunk in.
    Bellamy was in Serenity, working for Doc Haile.
    No, she was the new and much improved Doc Haile. Talk about
your blind luck. And if she could be at the barn in ten minutes, she was fairly
close.
    A shitload of questions rattled around in his skull, but of
course, his wounded ego was the first to raise its hand. Why had she cut and
run that morning? He’d left a note on the dresser saying he was going out for
their breakfast and he’d be right back. Best he could recall, he didn’t do or
say anything to give her the impression that he didn’t want more than just one
night. Or that he regretted what they’d done. Regret never entered his mind,
only profound disappointment at discovering an empty motel room.
    At least he knew what she was doing behind the chutes at the
rodeo—working. Huh. He’d never met a female large-animal vet before. But
what had set her stomping off across that motel parking lot in search of a
stiff drink? A rough day? A bad break-up? Had he been the rebound guy,
available and eager to please? Wouldn’t be the first time he’d been a stand-in
for someone else. Normally the notion didn’t bother him. In fact, he sort of
preferred it. Easier to detach from those types of situations, walk away without
a commitment for more. A quick tumble and he was out the door, everyone’s
satisfied and nobody got hurt.
    The thought of being a substitute for some other dude in
Bellamy’s life made him uncomfortable. So did the idea of someone hurting her.
Angry even.
    Bright headlights cut through a dense, low-hanging fog
rolling in across the pasture. The dampness in the air made the temperature
feel cooler than it actually was, which they would more than likely appreciate
once they started working up a sweat in a few minutes.
    Eli unhooked the chain holding the gate closed and walked it
backward so she could pull through, closing it behind her. She parked close to
a narrow opening he’d left in the corral’s barrier of rolled steel panels and
climbed out of her truck, a battered silver crew-cab four-wheel drive with
several toolboxes mounted on the body and contact information printed across
the doors and tailgate.
    Seeing her again, even in the fading light, made his
heartbeat quicken and his hands clench. Tonight she was dressed for business in
faded jeans, brown work boots and a gray Henley, the sleeves shoved up to her
elbows. The look suited her—no nonsense, determined and not afraid to get
dirty. Prepared for it.
    Her hair was lifted off her slender neck in a high ponytail.
He could still remember how those strands of black silk felt sliding between
his fingers, tickling his stomach, catching in the bristle on his jaw. The way
she shuddered and sighed when he kissed her neck. Her eyes were the deep, rich
green of a magnolia leaf in spring, expressive and faithless to their owner
when she was turned-on, lying about her name or worrying over something.
    And that body…
    He hated to admit it, but he had a type when it came to
women. He usually liked them curvy, bold and willing. Bellamy was reed-thin and
toned, with soft golden skin. She possessed curves, but they were subtle and
hidden beneath simple clothing. Her small breasts fit perfectly in the cup of
his hands and they were extra sensitive to touch, even breath. When he’d kissed
a slow path from hipbone to hipbone, her stomach muscles had quivered beneath
his lips.
    “Don’t stop.”
    That night in Perry she’d been somewhat bold, but he could
tell it wasn’t in her true nature to be overly flirty and daring. And although
she’d been willing, he’d sensed her hesitancy, like she was trying hard not to
think about what she was doing. Or making internal peace with what they were
about to do—sleep together after knowing each other for only a few hours, a
practice that came second