'Well, right back at you. I want a job where I can work with horses and make a difference.'

'And the land eco thingy is what you want to do?'

He sat forward and took her hand, his sincerity almost palpable. 'Yeah. I'll try to get a job with the Bureau of Land Management, and work with the ranchers and the conservationists so that everyone's happy.'

'It sounds, um, fascinating.'

His warm laughter filled the small s.p.a.ce. 'It's OK, I know I sound like a do-gooding dork, but I really do think it's time for the government, the environmentalists and the ranchers to work together instead of all this constant bureaucratic bickering.'

She found herself nodding. 'I'm all for the environment and keeping the Earth turning.' Yet another side to the complex man in front of her, yet another layer to break through.

He squeezed her fingers. 'Did you go to college?'

Her faint smile died and she eased her hand away. 'I never really got the chance. I was too busy smoking weed, drinking and snorting c.o.ke. I think they call that the college of life.'

He studied her, his expression deliberately neutral. 'It's never too late to get an education.'

She got up from the couch and stood over him, arms folded across her chest. 'You sound like a pain-in-the-a.s.s parent again.'

'So your parents did encourage you to go to college?'

'My dad only turned up when he wanted money and my mom . . .' She paused, suddenly aware of her own breathing, of the hurt that lingered just beneath her skin. 'My mom had other plans for me.'

'Such as?'

'Keeping her in the luxury she'd become accustomed to.'

'That's a cliche if ever I heard one.'

'And it's a cliche because in this case it happens to be true.'

He shifted in his seat. 'I'm not doubting what you said. I'm just trying to understand you.'

'Don't.' She flashed him her best dismissive smile. 'Just be grateful that I spent my formative years having too much s.e.x and that you get to benefit from it.'

He stood up and the room seemed to shrink. 'Why do you put yourself down all the time?'

She shrugged. 'Before someone else can? It's not exactly hard to see that I'm a mess, Dakota, a f.u.c.ked-up mess.'

'Did your last lover tell you that as well?'

She held his gaze. 'No, everyone told me that, and to some extent they were right. There are some years of my life that are almost a total blank. I can't remember them or what I did at all.' All she had were the ripped-out photographs from glossy magazines of her falling out of cars, and dresses, of faceless men and bodyguards carrying her home in their arms.

He tried to touch her but she stepped back and came up short against the kitchen countertop.

'Don't try to make me feel better about myself, Dakota. I really don't want to hear it.'

He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets, his hazel eyes steady on hers. 'No point me telling you something you've already worked out for yourself, is there? In my book, knowing what you did wrong is halfway to knowing how to fix it.'

She found herself smiling. 'I haven't got that far, but I'm working on it.'

'You're here, aren't you?' He moved forward and kissed her cheek. 'Now will you sit down and help me get through this application form?'

Robyn sank down onto the couch again, her legs trembled as if she'd just survived a near miss. What had she expected him to do? Cast her out? Start telling her how to fix things like most men did? How the h.e.l.l did he get to be so non-judgmental?

'Are you a Christian?' she asked.

'What's that got to do with anything?' Dakota stopped rummaging in the bag at his feet and looked up at her.

'I just wondered.'

His slow grin made her feel heated. 'Because you've finally realized what a saint I am?'

'No, because you seem to be intent on early martyrdom.'

His smile widened. 'Saint Dakota. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?'

She shrugged. 'Sure, just as long as you realize everyone will think you're a girly saint.'

He threw a notepad at her. She just about caught it before he launched another heavier one. She flipped open the cover. The pages were lined with neat writing.

'What's this?'

He returned to sit beside her, another book in his hand. 'That's my notes for my thesis proposal. I'm going to study the effects of a regular fire regime on juniper trees.'

'You're kidding, right?'

'Nope, that's about it.'

'Why would you want to burn down trees? Isn't that the opposite of saving the environment?'

'You'd think so, wouldn't you? But left to themselves, junipers take over the land, suck it dry and change the habitat.'

'Sounds just like my mom,' Robyn muttered before refocusing on Dakota. 'And that's what you want to study?'

'Yeah.'

'And someone is going to let you do that.'

'I hope so.' He took the notebook off her and turned the pages before returning it. 'In the interview I've got to sound like I know what I'm talking about so I'm going to tell you the main points of my opening argument and you're going to check them off and tell me what I've missed.'

Robyn sighed. 'I suppose this isn't a good time to tell you that I never learnt to read.'

He chuckled. 'Liar, get on with it. If you're good I'll show you my favorite s.e.xual position when we're done.'

'I already know what that is.'

'You don't.'

'You're a male. It's the missionary. That's all men's favorite position.'

'Not me, honey. But I'm not sharing until we get this done.'

She grimaced at the closely written pages. 'OK, you're on. I just hope I don't have a headache by the time we're finished.'

'You see, honey? Much better than the good old missionary position.'

He had her face down over the fake pine kitchen counter-top, one strong arm beneath her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the other working her c.l.i.t as he thrust into her from behind.

'Why, because you don't have to look at me?'

He bit her neck, felt her shudder, increased the tempo of his strokes.

'Because I can keep you right where I want you, and I have access to all my favorite things.' He slowed down until his c.o.c.k just rested inside her. 'Something so s.e.xy about doing a woman like this.'

'So primitive you mean.'

'Maybe.' He used his fingertips to pinch her c.l.i.t. 'You're still talking, honey, and you know how I feel about that. I'd better try harder.'

'Dakota . . .'

He began to pump into her, losing his rhythm as the urge to come pressed down on his b.a.l.l.s, tightening them against his body. Robyn made him forget about anything but the feel of her, the scent of her arousal and the fierceness of her complete response to him. He'd never had a woman who challenged him both physically and mentally before. He wasn't sure if he'd ever meet her like again, or wanted to.

Her climax rolled through him. He gritted his teeth and held still while her p.u.s.s.y clenched and released his c.o.c.k like a fist. When she'd finished, he pulled out, picked her up and deposited her on the countertop. Her skin was flushed and her eyes alight with pleasure. He gathered her face in his hands and stepped back between her legs, filling her with his c.o.c.k again as he filled her mouth with his tongue.

She responded instantly, her mouth a warm wet cavern, her p.u.s.s.y even hotter. He kept moving, never wanted to stop, never wanted to leave her, but he couldn't hold back the wave of need crashing over him. He rocked harder, his c.o.c.k slamming into her, his mouth locked over hers, capturing her cries.

Grabbing her ankles, he brought her feet up to the edge of the countertop, opening her even wider to him. He came hard, held himself rigid and still while his hot seed pumped into her. He almost shouted out when she came again, wringing every last drop of come from his overexcited c.o.c.k until he thought his heart would explode.

He held her close, rocking her back and forth until his mind decided to function again, until his legs would hold him up. She nuzzled his neck, her teeth grazing his skin. His c.o.c.k jerked inside her and she rubbed herself against him again. He sighed into her ear. 'I love f.u.c.king you.'

'I f.u.c.k you too.' She tilted her head back to look at him.

'd.a.m.n, you're so persnickety.' He kissed her mouth, used a little tongue, felt her body's instant response to the small caress.

'No one uses words like that anymore.'

'Like d.a.m.n?' He kissed her again, took his time until she kissed him back.

'You know what I mean. You ain't no stoopid cowboy.'

'Never said I was.' His c.o.c.k stirred and started to fill out. He wondered if she was aware of it yet. 'Never said d.a.m.n till I met you either.'

She nipped his lip, sighed when he returned the favor and wrapped one hand around his neck. Smiling, he lifted her into his arms and backed up toward the small bed. He liked her like this, s.e.xually replete, purring in his arms, ready to be f.u.c.ked again.

Her eyes widened as he leant over her and braced himself on his forearms.

'I thought you'd already come,' she said.

'You thought right.' She swallowed hard as he pulled back and then went deep, his shaft filling out with every long measured stroke. 'But if you get to come more than once, I should too.'

Her answering smile was so s.e.xy he almost lost what little control he had left. Every time they made love, he got to see the real Robyn beneath the flippant mask, the sensuous woman he wanted to hold on to for as long as he could.

'Tell me your name.' He licked her ear, kept his thrusts slow and unhurried.

'You know my name.'

He eased up again, his strokes so shallow, her hips arched against his, seeking more. 'Your last name.'

He winced as she dug her nails into his shoulders and shoved him off her. Her voice was high and unsteady. 'If you already came, you need a new condom. I don't want to get pregnant.'

He tried to gather his thoughts, to work out how to get back to the answers he wanted. 'You're on the pill, aren't you?'

'Of course I am, but I don't particularly want to settle down and have your babies right now.'

'Why not?'

'Maybe I can't see myself as mother of the year and, h.e.l.l, we both know that's what you'd want, isn't it?'

Robyn moved away from him and sat against the headboard, arms wrapped around her knees. Dakota got off the bed and found his jeans, put them on over his aching c.o.c.k. Unaccustomed anger simmered low in his gut. He knew exactly why she was getting at him but it didn't mean he had to like it.

'No woman is perfect,' Dakota said.

'Not even your mom?'

'Don't talk about her.' He found his T-shirt, shoved it over his head. 'I know you're p.i.s.sed because I asked your full name, but don't go there.'

'You should be glad I reminded you about the condom, Dakota.'

'Why's that?'

'Because if I did get pregnant, you'd probably ask me to marry you and then where would we be?'

'Married?'

Her smile was as angry as he felt. 'Married and miserable because how could you ever make me happy?'

He turned his back on her, picked up his notebooks and pens and stuffed them into his backpack. When he swung around she flinched away from him. The ache in his gut intensified.

'You know what? You're right. I couldn't make you happy, because that's not allowed in your world, is it? You're so cynical about men that I could be a frickin' saint and you'd still find fault with me.'

She widened her eyes at him, tears glinted in their depths. 'You're back to being a saint now, are you?'

He grabbed his keys off the countertop and headed for the door. 'I'm just a guy who's had about all he can take this evening.' He tipped his hat to her. 'I'll be back later, OK?'

It was a relief to slam the door behind him and step out into the cool night air. He'd parked the horse rig in a small RV camp about half a mile from the nearest town. Pine trees shaded the site, giving it a gloomy closed-in look. Dried pine needles crunched beneath his boots as he walked to the main road. For the first time ever he wished he smoked, just to give his hands something to do.

The neon signs and red and green lights from a roadside bar he'd pa.s.sed earlier beckoned him like a siren. G.o.d, he was a fool, thinking stupid soft stuffabout a woman who didn't give a d.a.m.n about him. He wouldn't want her to be perfect anyway. He liked her just the way she was.