Wild About the Wrangler Read Online Free PDF Page A

just now.”
    â€œI sure as hell hope so.” His expression was forbiddingly stern.
    â€œMy interest in . . . in . . .”
    â€œMy package?” His tone was mild but he was no longer relaxed. He’d squared up his stance and now stood with feet apart and arms crossed.
    â€œNot just that! You in general! It’s purely artistic, I promise!”
    â€œAre you sure?” His brown gaze issued a challenge. “Because after Ida’s comment, I—”
    â€œWhat comment?”
    â€œShe thinks you like me.”
    â€œOf course I do. I always have. You’re a great guy.”
    â€œShe wasn’t talking about liking as in friendship. She meant liking as in wanting to be more than friends.”
    The conversation was affecting her heart rate for some stupid reason. But she didn’t want him to know that, so she sighed and rolled her eyes. “You know not to listen to Ida. She loves to stir things up.”
    â€œThat’s what I told myself, and then I caught you staring at my package.”
    â€œI can explain that.” She just needed to do it without making him self-conscious about sticking his thumbs in his belt loops.
    He continued to stand there with his arms crossed in a defensive posture. “Go ahead.”
    â€œNow that I’m excited about drawing again, I’m constantly seeing things I want to draw.”
    â€œLike my crotch?” He looked horrified.
    â€œNo! All of you! While we stood there talking, I noticed your relaxed stance and thought it would make a nice sketch, but I couldn’t very well whip out some paper and start drawing you on the spot. You’d think I’m crazy.”
    His mouth turned up at the corners.
    â€œYou already think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
    â€œKind of. But in a good way.” His shoulders lost their rigidity.
    â€œOkay, I’ll own that. I can get a little manic sometimes, especially about my art. In this case, I wanted to memorize every detail of how you were standing there so I could get the lines right when I went up to my room and started drawing. And the way the denim fits . . . in that area . . . is . . . complicated.”
    His eyes sparkled with repressed laughter. “Sometimes more than others.”
    â€œI suppose.” Her cheeks felt so hot. They must be stop-sign red about now. “The point is, I’m viewing you through the eyes of an artist and that requires concentration.”
    â€œYou were definitely concentrating.” His mouth twitched.
    â€œI do that all the time. Like if I decided to draw a— oh, I don’t know—an earthworm, for example, I’d study it just as closely as I was studying—”
    He lost it. “An
earthworm
?” His laughter boomed out. “I think I’ve been insulted!”
    â€œBad example.” She’d made him laugh without trying to, but it still worked to ease the tension. She seriously doubted he had the equivalent of an earthworm tucked into his jeans or that he was the least bit insecure about what lay behind that zippered fly. She also wasn’t convinced he believed her elaborate explanation as to why she was staring at it.
    He finally composed himself enough to be able to talk. “Listen, do you have anything you have to do right now?”
    â€œOther than going upstairs to draw a picture of your crotch?”
    â€œStop. Just stop. So, nothing you have to do?”
    â€œNot really. Why?”
    â€œAfter all this talk about you drawing things constantly, I have an idea. We’re only a little ways from Ed’s stable. Let’s wander over there.”
    Her chest tightened. “For a lesson? Now?”
    â€œNo. You have your sketch pad with you. How about if you draw a horse?”
    She stared at him as the idea registered. “That’s brilliant.”
    â€œHave you ever drawn one from real life?”
    â€œLike I