Riding the Line (20 page)
Dammit, she had to get back to work soon. She needed money for Leda’s hospital bills. Around her, the set went quiet until she could only hear the director’s voice. She opened her eyes and focused on Dakota. In the shot he was supposed to fall asleep on the bales of hay, while showing off the intricacies of the boot’s design.
He looked uncomfortable, a small frown between his eyes as he tried to find a relaxed position. After five takes he still hadn’t got it.
Joe, the director, turned away from him, his frustrated gaze alighting on Robyn. ‘Robyn? Go talk to him, will you?’
Robyn walked on to the set and smiled at Dakota. ‘Is the hay making you itch?’
‘Don’t try to be nice to me. I’m crap at this and you know it.’
She sat down beside him and took his hand. ‘All you have to do is pretend you’re watching the TV and that you fall asleep in your favorite chair. Just let it happen.’
He half smiled. ‘How about I imagine falling asleep with you?’
‘Would that do it for you?’
‘It would more than do it for me, honey, as long as they didn’t mind me having a hard-on in the shot.’
She squeezed his hand. ‘See, you’re getting the idea now. Just relax and let it come.’
He groaned. ‘Don’t say come, Robyn, or I’ll never get this done.’
She forgot about the people around them and found herself smiling into his hazel eyes. Jay didn’t need to tell her Dakota was a good guy. She’d known that from the start. She touched his cheek.
‘How about you think of it like this. The quicker you get this finished, the more time we can spend together in bed.’
His gaze narrowed as he considered her. ‘I like the way you think, honey. I like it a lot. Now go and sit down where I can see you and let me work.’
As she walked away she looked over her shoulder and winked. He winked back at her and settled onto the hay. Joe called for quiet and Dakota headed for his mark by the fake barn door.
‘Action.’
Robyn held her breath as Dakota strolled across the set, shirt over one shoulder, and stretched. He let go of the shirt, sank down on to the nearest straw bale and brought his hands behind his head. Robyn couldn’t help but appreciate the flex of his biceps and curve of his tight abs. The sighs of approval around her indicated that others were enjoying it too. He slowly brought his right leg up and propped his foot on the highest available bale, giving the camera a perfect view of the intricately patterned retro cowboy boot.
He held Robyn’s gaze, licked his lips and sank deeper into the hay, one hand drifted across the front of his jeans to settle over his cock.
‘Cut!’ Joe jumped up and punched the air. ‘That was great, Dakota! Now just do it one more time.’
Robyn squeaked as she walked into a hard male body and was held tight. She looked up into the eyes of Jay Turner and realized she didn’t have her sunglasses on. Fumbling, she replaced them on her nose.
‘Sorry, I didn’t see you there,’ she said.
He drew her further back, away from the front of the set and continued to hold her, his expression amused. ‘Damn, I almost had it then. I thought I knew who you were.’
‘Your brother’s personal assistant?’
‘After seeing you coach him through that take, I reckon you’re much more than that.’ Jay frowned. ‘He doesn’t look too happy out there.’
‘Mr Turner . . .’
‘Call me Jay.’
His dazzling smile transformed his face, made him look almost approachable. Robyn took a deep breath.
‘He’s having a difficult time getting used to being in front of the cameras but he’s doing great. Wait until you see the film.’
‘It’s OK. You don’t have to defend him. I knew he’d be good at this, the boot ads were great.’
‘Modeling and acting are very different disciplines. Being good at one thing doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be good at the other.’
‘Hell, I know that, but he’s such a smart guy, I knew he’d get it right eventually.’ Jay smiled again. ‘And with you coaching him, he’ll just get better.’
‘I did something right?’
‘You sure did, darlin’. I might not be able to work out who you are but I’m pleased you’re having such a great effect on my brother.’
Robyn fought a smile. If Jay only knew the hell she’d put Dakota through, he’d probably regret those words. But she was happy to take the compliment.
‘Hey, are you two talking about me?’ Dakota said.
‘Nope, I was propositioning her and she was just about to agree, so go to hell,’ Jay said.
Dakota raised his eyebrows. ‘How are you going to explain that to Helen? And can I watch when you do?’
Jay smiled. ‘It would get very ugly very fast. You don’t want to be in Helen’s way when she gets a mad on.’
Dakota slid his arm around Robyn’s shoulders. ‘I’m not arguing with you about that. So what were you talking about?’
Jay looked at Robyn. ‘He’s turning into a real star, isn’t he? It’s all about him.’
‘If I am, it’s your fault. You asked me to do this crummy commercial.’
Jay looked offended. ‘It’s going to be great. My boots look fantastic and that’s all I care about. You just happen to have your big feet in them.’
‘That’s true. And you know what they say about big feet . . .’ Dakota winked at Robyn.
‘Big mouth?’
Dakota grinned. ‘And that as well.’
Robyn turned to Jay. ‘You know you’ve created a monster?’
Jay started to laugh. ‘Yeah, but I’m sure going to enjoy the ride. Now how about we get some lunch and talk about the rest of the shoot?’
Chapter Fifteen
Robyn glanced around the restaurant table. It was only two in the afternoon, but she was already tired. She grimaced. Was all the fantastic sex with Dakota turning her into a wussy? To her surprise, she’d ended up liking Jay Turner. Under that overbearing exterior was a nice guy. Not as nice as his brother, perhaps, but still he had a great sense of humor and a sharp brain.
‘Hey, bro!’
Robyn looked up as yet another tall cowboy strode toward the table. This one had dark hair and grey eyes. When he smiled, it only took her a second to guess exactly who he was.
‘Hey, Gray.’
Dakota and Jay stood up to greet the new arrival and the usual male ritual of punching, hugging and back slapping ensued. Robyn stayed where she was. She had no intention of standing up and being dwarfed by the three men. Better to wait until they were on her level.
Finally they sat and she found herself being observed by the new Turner brother whom she guessed must be Grayson, the oldest. His gaze was open and friendly, his smile warm. He held out his hand.
‘Hi, I’m Grayson Turner.’
‘I’m Robyn Cooper, Dakota’s personal assistant.’
Grayson’s eyebrows rose and he looked at Jay. ‘How much are you paying Dakota so that he can afford an assistant?’
‘Not enough, trust me,’ Dakota muttered.
Robyn shrugged. ‘Actually, I’m cheap. I work for food.’
Grayson laughed. ‘Damn, I wish you lived near me. I could do with a workforce like that.’
The waiter approached and Grayson picked up the menu and studied it before ordering a rare steak sandwich and fried onion rings. Dakota smiled encouragingly at Robyn and put his hand on her knee under the table. Did he think she was afraid? Despite his concern and the palpable wave of testosterone surrounding her, Robyn felt perfectly secure.
‘So how’s it going?’ Grayson looked inquiringly at Dakota and Jay. ‘Lauren wants all the details.’
Robyn sat up straight. Lauren did, did she?
‘It’s going OK.’ Dakota shrugged. ‘Although I feel like a complete idiot.’
‘He looks like one too.’ Jay laughed and punched Dakota’s shoulder. ‘They’ve got him made up like some super model.’
Grayson’s mouth twitched. ‘Dakota wears make-up?’
‘Everyone in a commercial has to wear make-up.’ Robyn smiled firmly at the two older brothers. ‘Their features wouldn’t show up so well on film if they weren’t exaggerated.’
Under the cover of the table, Dakota gave her hand a squeeze. She returned the pressure, glad to repay him for standing up for her earlier.
‘I suppose that’s true.’ Grayson nodded. ‘Lauren would know all about that. I’ll have to ask her.’
‘Where is Lauren?’ Jay craned his neck to look back at the door. ‘Isn’t she supposed to be here?’
‘She’s here all right.’ Grayson grinned. ‘I asked her if she wanted something to eat and she promptly went green and disappeared into the bathroom.’
Dakota reached for his water glass. ‘Food poisoning?’
‘Nope.’ Grayson’s expression softened. ‘She’s pregnant.’
Robyn couldn’t miss the pure joy in his smile. Lauren was obviously no threat to her and was even luckier than Robyn had thought. She wondered if a man would ever feel that way about her, whether it was even possible considering her history. Jay stared at his brother for a moment and then held out his hand.
‘Helen’s pregnant too.’
‘Are you kidding me?’ Grayson hesitated. ‘And how does she feel about that?’
Jay frowned. ‘Why does everyone say that?’
‘Probably because of Helen’s career.’ Dakota leant toward Robyn. ‘Helen’s a big-shot orthopedic surgeon. She treats most of the professional rodeo guys.’ He turned back to Jay. ‘She’ll be a great mother. When she puts her mind to something she won’t let anything get in her way.’
Jay visibly relaxed, his slow satisfied smile rivaling Grayson’s. Robyn was used to being the peacemaker in her own family. It was interesting to watch Dakota act the same way. Was it hard for him to deal with two such strong personalities? His defense of her against Jay seemed even more amazing now that she thought about it.
Dakota held up his glass. ‘Looks like I’m going to be an uncle twice in quick succession. I hope you both don’t ask me to babysit at the same time.’
‘Gray won’t need a babysitter,’ Jay said. ‘He’s so stinking rich, he’ll just hire a fleet of nannies and housekeepers and chauffeurs.’
‘I’d like to get a nanny but Lauren is dead set against it.’ Grayson sighed. ‘She wants to do it all herself.’
Dakota chuckled. ‘Hell, I saw my parents after my half-sisters were born. After a couple of weeks they looked like the walking dead. Lauren might be glad to change her mind after a month with no sleep.’
Grayson looked thoughtful. ‘Good to know. I might set up some interviews anyway.’ His food arrived and he started to eat.
Dakota kissed Robyn’s cheek. ‘You’ll like Lauren, honey. She’s a sweetie and she puts up with Grayson here, so she can’t be that bad.’
Abruptly, Robyn got to her feet. ‘I’d better get back to the set. I’m sure you guys have a lot of personal stuff to talk about.’
Dakota caught her hand. ‘Are you OK?’
She gently pulled out of his grip. ‘I’m fine. I just figured you need some family time.’
She smiled and walked away before he could say anymore. Of course, she’d also figured out that the cozy world they all belonged to was nothing like her own. Dakota was surrounded by family. A family that would stand by him and support his decisions. Not leech off him until he had nothing left to give.
She headed to the bathroom, her thoughts in turmoil. For a little while, she’d found herself imagining what it would be like to be part of the Turner clan, to be loved by one of those big strong men, to be included. To, God help her, look up and see Dakota’s smile when she told him she was pregnant.
Hadn’t she been hurt enough? Hadn’t she realized that happy ever after was not for people like her who’d screwed up big time? Dakota was just on loan to her for a little while and she should enjoy what they had together without spoiling it with regrets. He liked her, sure, but love her? Impossible when she still wasn’t sure if she even loved herself.
Robyn took a deep breath and focused on what she had achieved despite her earlier mistakes. It was a trick that had helped her through some bad times. She could only hope it would work with the good.
Dakota stared into the spotlights and threw yet another piece of kindling on the small blaze. What the TV audience wouldn’t know, was that he was surrounded by firefighters ready to extinguish the flames if they showed any sign of getting out of control. He’d had a good talk with some of the guys about juniper trees and fire hazards and gathered a few contacts for his future research.
‘OK, cut and we’re done for the day. We’ll be finishing up the last big scene tomorrow if we keep this up.’
Joe’s voice came as a welcome relief. Dakota wiped sweat from his forehead. Caught between the arc of lights and the fire, he was sweltering. He looked for Robyn, saw her talking to Lauren in the corner and smiled. He’d known they’d get along. They were both independent women who knew how to tie a man in knots for sure.
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