'Call him when you get to the hotel.'

He settled deeper into the seat. 'I sure will, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I know why he's not here. He knows how much I'll hate this and he wants me to suffer alone.'

'That's family for you.' She edged closer, laid her head on his shoulder. His arm came around her and held her tight. 'Jay is your half-brother, right?'

'Yeah, our father is a serial marrier. He's on his fifth wife now I think. Every couple of years he updates to a younger model.'

'Sounds like my mom and her men.'

He chuckled, the sound weary. 'I have two older half-brothers, Jay and Grayson, and two younger half-sisters on my father's side. I also have two half-sisters on my mother's side.'

'How did your mom feel about being downgraded?'

'She didn't. After her suicide attempt and his violence, she wised up real fast. It was enough to get her packing our bags.'

'She did the right thing. If a guy hits you once, he'll usually try it again.'

Robyn stared out of the window. The traffic moved with a glacial slowness that defied explanation. It probably would've been quicker to walk after all. He touched her cheek, made her look up at him.

'Why did that sound like you spoke from experience? Did that guy you lived with hit you?' Anger simmered in his hazel eyes and his arm tightened around her shoulders.

'Only once. That's why I ended up in New Mexico. I was running away from him.'

'And he's the guy in your apartment, right?'

Robyn stared at him. 'Yeah, but he doesn't live with me full-time. Dakota, you are not going near him, OK? He's not worth it. I'll handle him myself.'

Unfortunately, Damien wasn't just her ex-lover but her current agent. There was no way she ever wanted the two guys to meet. Damien held a lot more of her secrets than she was prepared to admit. He'd hit her when she'd refused to consider making p.o.r.n movies for an old buddy of his.

'Robyn, I like you. I want to help you. If all you need is some protection when you go back to your apartment to get your stuff, I can do that. I'll even promise not to mess with the d.i.c.khead.'

She had to smile at him. He was so transparent. After his own experiences with his mother, there was no way in h.e.l.l he'd let another man get away with physically abusing a woman. For the first time in many years, she felt safe and protected, no longer alone.

The car stopped again. Robyn abruptly sat up and took the dreamy smile off her face. There she was again, fantasizing about a man, this time a brave cowboy saving her from peril. She was a big girl, she would handle this herself.

'We're here, Dakota.'

He sat up too, his watchful gaze still fastened on her. She'd evaded a direct response to his offer of help but she knew he was stubborn enough to insist on an answer eventually. He yawned as he thanked the driver and stepped out of the car.

Robyn eyed him critically. After some food and s.e.x, she doubted he'd be moving far tonight. Maybe she could creep out after he'd gone to sleep and find a way back to her Long Beach apartment by herself.

Dakota watched as Robyn called in their food order to room service. He was way too tired to eat out. Who would've thought that it would take most of a day to capture two minuscule scenes of a two-minute commercial? Or that it would prove so exhausting? At least he didn't have to speak. Some other poor fool got to do the voiceover.

He'd put the fancy saddle in the back of the truck and then he'd taken a bale of hay out of the back of the truck. All frickin' day. d.a.m.n, he hoped Jay would pay him well for this. Family loyalty was the only thing that kept him here, apart from Robyn and her encouragement.

She was plotting something. It was amazing how well he knew her after just a few short days. He reckoned she planned to sneak out on him and go back to her apartment. There was no way she was going to do that without him by her side. The thought of her confronting the guy who'd hit her made him feel cold. In fact, he'd wait till Jay appeared and take his brother along too. No wussy woman-beater would be able to stand up to both of them in a fight, fair or dirty.

'The food should be here in about fifteen minutes,' Robyn said, her smile so bright his suspicions were instantly confirmed. 'Do you want to shower first, Dakota?'

'I thought you had plans for my chest.'

She sat on the couch beside him and eyed him dubiously. 'Are you sure you don't want to shower?'

'Are you sure you don't want to run your hands over my firm abs and pecs?' He winked at her and started on the snaps of his shirt.

She licked her lips as he revealed his chest, her gaze fixed on the play of his muscles in the soft lamplight.

'I know you hated it, but you sure looked good all buffed up like that.'

'Did I, honey? How good?'

She crawled along the seat toward him. 'Good enough to eat.'

'Then eat me and we'll worry about the rest of the feast later.'

He pulled his shirt free of his jeans and urged her even closer. She straddled his lap and placed her hands on his shoulders. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and slid her palms down over his warm-oiled skin. He shivered as she pa.s.sed over his nipples, which immediately tightened along with his c.o.c.k.

He relaxed until his head met the soft couch behind him. 'Mm, honey, that's nice. I like your hands on me.' She kissed the corner of his mouth, nipped at his lower lip and sucked it into her mouth. He groaned as her fingers settled over his nipples and rolled his hard flesh into two aching peaks. So she thought to distract him as well, did she? h.e.l.l, he was more than willing to play that game.

Her hand slid lower, unzipped his jeans and cupped his b.a.l.l.s. He sighed as she gently squeezed.

'You did look good today, Dakota, so good I wanted to steal away with you into a dark corner and have my evil way with you.'

'So why didn't you? It would've been more fun than the rest of my day.'

She kissed his mouth, licked her way along the seam of his lips. 'I was too busy engaging in a little fantasy all my own. You and me down on the farm. Me watching you load that truck with hay, all bulging muscles and sweat until I was so hot for you I couldn't stand it anymore.'

'Yeah? Tell me more.' Dakota drew her tongue deep into his mouth for a long kiss. Her fingers gripped his shaft and started to slide up and down in a slow regular rhythm that drove him crazy. 'So what did you do then?'

'I got you a towel and a long tall gla.s.s of home-made lemonade, and as soon as my daddy's back was turned I came over to talk to you.'

'Did you shove your hand down my jeans in your fantasy too?'

She smiled down at him. 'Not so fast. I handed you the towel and watched you wipe away some of the sweat and drink the lemonade. Our fingers touched when you handed me back the gla.s.s.'

Dakota faked a sad sigh. 'Jeez, why do you women take so long to get to the point?' He shuddered as her fingernail grazed the crown of his c.o.c.k and dipped into his pre-come. 'Did I f.u.c.k you, or did you f.u.c.k me?'

She pushed his jeans down, exposing his a.s.s and his erection. He held his breath as she slowly stripped off her T-shirt, bra and black Capri pants. She gripped his c.o.c.k around the base, covered him with a condom and slowly lowered herself down. His shaft was swallowed into her heat and tightness.

'I think you f.u.c.ked me. I was just a sweet naive country girl in my fantasy.'

'Yeah, I can just picture that.'

She held still over him, her mouth a tantalizing two inches away from his, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and tight nipples teasing his chest. Her hands slid up his arms to his shoulders and gripped him hard. Internally, her muscles did the same thing to his c.o.c.k. He opened his eyes wide to fully appreciate her.

'Am I supposed to f.u.c.k you, now?' He tried to move his hips. 'It's complicated from down here.'

Her smile was as sweet as candy. 'Then I suppose I'll have to do it instead.'

'That's OK, honey, I've got it.' He wrapped his arms around her and fell sideways off the couch, his c.o.c.k still firmly wedged inside her.

'Dakota!'

He had her where he wanted her now, underneath him, his weight pinning her to the floor, his arms around her. He began to move hard and fast, grunted as her feet crept up the back of his legs and came to rest on his a.s.s, her heels digging into his flexing muscles.

No way was she going out tonight without him. He'd keep f.u.c.king her until she couldn't think, let alone move. All she needed to do was focus on him inside her, nothing else but him.

Robyn moaned as Dakota drove his c.o.c.k into her again and again. She was going to climax any second now and she desperately wanted him to come with her.

'That's it, honey, all nice and tight around my c.o.c.k, come on, give it to me.'

His s.e.xy murmur set her off into another series of spasms, his c.o.c.k keeping a steady pounding pace that made her climb higher with every powerful thrust of his hips. He gripped her a.s.s and angled her hips, pressing even deeper, until she gasped for breath and struggled to tear her mouth away from his in case she bit him.

His teeth closed over her bottom lip, held her captive as he increased his pace. He slammed into her with little finesse, just a hard grinding rocking presence that sent her spiraling into the unknown, into a s.e.xual plateau she had never reached before.

Dakota groaned. 'I'm gonna come, Robyn, right inside you, as deep as I can. G.o.d, I wish you could feel the heat of my come filling you, I want you to have it.'

Robyn couldn't believe how turned on she was by his hoa.r.s.e words. G.o.d, she wanted it too, wondered hazily how it would feel to hold his come deep inside her. She was on the pill, he was a good clean-living guy. Could she bear to risk it?

He started to groan, each deep thrust from crown to root pounding into her s.e.x. He reached between them found her c.l.i.t and set his thumb over her. Her body reacted like a live wire.

'No, Dakota, I can't take anymore, I can't . . .'

'Yeah, you can, come with me.'

He started to come and she fell with him, his thumb working her c.l.i.t sending her into a frenzy of s.e.xual pleasure. He slumped over her, his c.o.c.k still pulsing within her, his breathing ragged. She wasn't sure how long they lay tangled together, time measured by the frantic beating of her heart.

There was a knock at the door and a cheery voice said, 'Room service.'

Dakota muttered a curse and hurried to pull up his jeans. Robyn managed to crawl behind the couch so that she was invisible from the door. She closed her eyes as Dakota spoke a few words to the guy and got rid of him. The savory scent of coffee and fries mingled with the smell of s.e.x.

When she opened her eyes and crawled back, Dakota was placing the tray on the table in front of her.

'Are you hungry?'

She smiled. 'I am now. How about you? Are you too tired to eat?'

His answering smile was brilliant. 'Nope, I feel great. That s.e.x invigorated more than just my d.i.c.k.' He gestured at the tray. 'Thanks for ordering me a burger. I need some red meat.'

Robyn eyed him cautiously as she headed for the couch. So much for wearing him out. He looked better than she did now. Where on earth were her panties?

'Don't worry about getting dressed, honey.' Dakota grinned and patted his knee. 'Come and sit here with me.'

'You expect me to eat naked?'

His eyebrows rose. 'Why not? It sure saves on laundry bills.'

With a sigh, she got off the carpet. She squeaked as Dakota wrapped his arm around her waist and planted her firmly on his knee. She wrinkled her nose as he picked up his dripping burger.

'Don't make me eat that.'

'I'm not sharing, it's all for me.'

He took a huge bite and focused on chewing. Fascinated, she watched his jaw muscles work on the burger. A blob of ketchup decorated the corner of his lower lip. Robyn leant forward and licked it clean.

He took another bite. Half the burger was now gone as he set it back on the plate. With a flourish, he picked up some fries.

'Try these, honey.'

Robyn opened her mouth to speak and found the s.p.a.ce filled with hot crispy goodness. She almost moaned as the taste swept through her mouth and then settled in her stomach. He picked up more fries and waved them in front of her nose.

She smiled at him. 'You don't have to feed me.'

'I know.' He slid another fry into her mouth, watched her eat it and then picked up half of her chicken sandwich. 'Try this.'

She sank her teeth into the toasted sesame bun and enjoyed the succulent taste. One of the great things about being with Dakota was that she felt she could eat what she wanted. Being back in LA, surrounded by all the skinny people, had suddenly made her aware of her less than perfect eating habits.

'Do you think I'm fat?'

Dakota paused, another pile of fries halfway to his mouth. 'You don't want me to answer that, right?'

She frowned at him. 'Of course I do. What's wrong? Do you think I'm fat?'

He sighed and put the fries back on the plate. 'I hate this game. Women keep changing the rules.' He focused his gaze on Robyn. 'No, I do not think you are fat. I think you are perfect just the way you are, as long as you are happy with the way you are. Is that the right answer?'

'How many sisters did you say you had?'

'At least four that I know of. Of course, knowing Beau, it could be more by now.'

She picked up some fries and stuffed them into Dakota's mouth. 'You are the first man I've ever met who hasn't tried to tell me what to eat, how to dress or how to behave.'

He chewed hard, swallowed and returned his gaze to her. 'You're a grown woman. Why would I tell you what to do?'

Robyn sighed. 'Because a lot of guys wanted to control me, I suppose. To some of them I was an investment or their meal ticket. For others, I think they felt they had to show me I wasn't as good as I obviously thought I was.'

His expression softened. 'It's hard being a celebrity, right?'

'Hard being a kid celebrity. Everyone was so used to me doing what I was told that when I first started to question the people who owned me, I was totally ignored.'

'That's probably why you did all that crazy stuff.' He nodded wisely. 'Cla.s.sic anti-celebrity behavior.'

'Now you're starting to worry me. You sound like Doctor Phil.'

She fed him more fries and put the rest of his burger in his hand. He devoured it in just over a minute and waited for her to finish. His lips were greasy from the fries and more ketchup dotted his chin. With a sigh, Robyn leant in to him and licked him clean.

He chuckled, the sound loud in her ear. 'I like this personal grooming stuff. Do all movie stars get this?'

She nipped his lower lip. 'You are not a movie star yet, just a lowly bit-part player.'