Page 10 of Jillaroo from Jacaranda

‘Nope. I invited you out, I pay, otherwise my granddad will rise from his grave and give me a firm good slap over the noggin for being ungentlemanly.’ He shot to his feet before she could argue the point. ‘And when I return, you’re going to tell me all about your drama, and if you’re lucky, I might tell you some of mine, then we’ll be square, and we can veer off topic, to something a little more first date-ish, like the weather and what your favourite colour is.’

First date? What the …?

With a devilishly cheeky grin, he took off through the crowd before she could say that this was not a date. A spontaneous smirk tugged at her lips and butterfly wings fluttered in her belly as she watched him saunter away. His quiet confidence was downright sexy. So much so, she found herself wondering what his perfect butt would look like in a pair of chaps and then, in the very next breath, what he’d look like buck-naked. She could only imagine he’d be hard and strong in all the right places – heat and longing rushed through her with the erotic contemplation.

What in the hell am I doing?

Appalled by her lustful train of thought, she hurriedly slapped it away. There was no doubt about it, Ty Parker was danger with a capitol D.

But oh my god, he is so good-looking.

An hour and two drinks later, Rose was lost in conversation with this intriguing man. She’d told him a bit about her life, especially of late. After genuinely saying how sorry he was about her great-grandma’s passing, and how crazy Finley Cole must be letting a wonderful woman like her go, he’d referenced his father’s death in passing and brushed over his broken marriage – Rose was too polite to inquire for details about either – and how he was moving past it all by focusing on bull riding and his property. He briefly mentioned his time in Afghanistan, but she’d noticed he’d kept this conversation clipped too. His bright blue eyes had shadowed as he’d told her he was no longer enlisted, while his broad shoulders had slumped, as though the weight he carried from his time there was almost too much to bear. He’d very clearly been through hell and back. His problems had made her own burdens feel miniscule by comparison, and his stories of trials and tribulations had given him a depth she was extremely surprised to discover.

And it made her want to know more about him.

Square-jawed and laser-eyed with a razor-sharp intellect, an astonishing knowledge of animal husbandry and a haunting depth that only a man who’d served his country would have, this six-foot-something man was a hunk of heartbreak waiting to happen, she was damn certain of it. And she was also damn certain that women flocked to him like dizzy moths to a lightbulb everywhere he went. A few gutsy girls had tried to break up their conversation the past hour, covertly and blatantly, but to no avail. Ty’s focus was completely on her. And how that buoyed her broken heart.

But why her? What was it that had drawn Ty Parker in her direction?

She wasn’t going to overthink it right now – that could come later, when she got back home and her head hit the pillow. That was where she did most of her thinking, losing precious hours of sleep. For now, Ty was making her feel like the only woman in the room, and she both loved it, because it made her feel wanted after being discarded so hurtfully, and loathed it, because she was meant to be anguished over her break-up and staying the hell away from men completely, not swooning over some bull rider. She didn’t want to fall into the trap of a rebound fling; she and Ty were worth way more than that. Besides, she didn’t need the complications of whatever could come of this, for lack of a better word, magnetism between them.

Hang on a minute … why am I even weighing this up?

Panic fuelled her into blinding clarity. Glancing at her watch, she gasped when she spotted it was almost twelve. ‘Holy crap! Ty, I’m so sorry.’ She brought her gaze back to his. ‘I’m going to have to make a move, or I’ll be cactus for Christmas Day.’

‘Oh, yeah, I suppose it’s getting late, huh.’ His shoulders slumped a little as he raked fingers through his dark hair. But as quickly as he’d unravelled, he pulled himself back together, nice and tight. ‘Thanks for having a few drinks with me. It’s been real nice getting to know you, Miss Jones.’

Her smile was warm and genuine as she stood. ‘It’s been really nice getting to know you, too, Mr Parker.’

He sculled the last of his drink and shot to his feet. ‘I’ll walk you back to your trailer.’

‘You don’t have to do that.’

‘I know, but I want to.’ He stepped in beside her, nice and close.

‘Okay, thanks.’ Gathering her phone and keys from the table, she shoved them into her pocket. ‘Let’s try and squeeze our way through this sardine can then, shall we?’

It took a few detours to get through the rowdy crowd, but they finally made it to the front doors. Stepping from the hullabaloo of the bar and into the night, they left the thump of the band and noisy chatter behind them as they crossed the road then weaved through parked cars and swags spread out on the ground, some empty, some moving and others with almighty snores coming from the depths. Rose couldn’t help but chuckle as she stepped over a sleeping body, the young bloke clearly having pulled up camp precisely where he’d faceplanted the dirt, a beer can still in his hand.

‘Holy moly, he’s going to have one doozy of a hangover in the morning,’ Ty whispered.

Rose glanced around the camping grounds. ‘I reckon quite a few people are.’

Reaching her trailer way too soon, she stopped short of Buck, who whinnied at her arrival. ‘Well, Ty, this is me.’

‘Yes, it is.’ Ty replied. ‘You want a hand getting your mate into the trailer?’

‘Thanks, but I’ve got this.’ She turned to Buck. ‘You’re not going to be a pain in the arse this time round, are you, boy?’

Nickering, Buck nodded as he revealed his teeth in a horsey grin.

Ty chuckled. ‘I reckon he’s toying with you.’

‘Ya think?’ Rose’s eyes widened, as did her smile. ‘He’s got some sass, my boy, I’ll give him that.’

‘He’s a lot like his owner, then.’ Taking hold of her gaze with his, Ty’s eyes appeared to see right through her, into the depths of her heart and soul.

Her breath stolen, Rose took a little step back. She didn’t like how he could unravel her layers so effortlessly. Being vulnerable to a man had taught her why she shouldn’t be. ‘I can hear your cogs ticking from here,’ she said shyly, looking away in a bid to try to lighten the electrifying moment.