Southern Star: Destiny Romance Read Online Free

planet who wouldn’t know. As she came forward out of the sunlight into the gloom of the barn, he got the full impact. The wild fall of auburn hair, the golden eyes, rounded breasts inside a tight T-shirt, and jeans that hugged every inch of her spectacular hips and legs. Despite the ten-centimetre heeled boots that were quite clearly not intended to set foot on a working cattle station, she moved with grace and confidence as she extended her right hand.
    Lewis had the good sense to wipe his damp palm on his filthy jeans before brushing her fingers with his.
    ‘I’m looking for the boss,’ she said. ‘Macauley Black. Or at least I assume this is his place. He kind of kidnapped me yesterday.’
    ‘Kidnapped?’ Lewis stammered, his eyes widening. Not only was he in lust with Blaze Gillespie, he was in awe of Macauley Black. The man was already fiercely admired around these parts for the way he’d built a thriving cattle station out of nothing but belief, balls and sheer bloody-mindedness. If people knew he’d also abducted a movie star like some latter-day pirate, he’d be a dead-set legend.
    ‘Kind of,’ Blaze continued. ‘Anyway, I need to get to my property, Sweet Springs, and I don’t have transport.’ She looked at him in a way that made Lewis wish he’d succumbed to his father’s nagging to get a haircut. Or at least that he’d washed it this week. He ran a hand nervously through the dirty blond mop.
    ‘Ah, the boss, he’s —’
    ‘Actually, you know what?’ She smiled again, looking at him as if he was the only man in the world; more than a man – a champion. Lewis’s puny chest puffed out a little. ‘Seeing as how he’s not here and you are,’ she paused to flick a piece of straw from his shoulder and Lewis felt suddenly light-headed as though he hadn’t had lunch when in fact he’d had two helpings of Peg’s meat pie, ‘maybe you’d be able to give me a lift.’
    ‘In a car?’ he blurted and died inside. What else would she want a lift in? A pumpkin?
    She shrugged, her body language immediately making the question the smartest one in the world. ‘Sure. Car, truck, whatever. I’m not very good on horseback, though.’
    ‘Uh,’ Lewis responded, panicking. He did have his father’s battered old pick-up, but it was filled with dog hair and empty Coke cans. And as he only had his Ps, he was under strict instructions from his dad not to carry passengers. But he wanted Blaze Gillespie reclining in the passenger seat like he’d never wanted anything before.
    ‘It would only take a few minutes. No one would even notice we were gone.’ She came a little closer, smiling that smile, her eyes only for him. His chest puffed a little further, and he wondered if he could make it out to Sweet Springs without crunching the gears.
    ‘Okay, well —’ He came to a halt as the large dark shadow at the barn door materialised into his boss, temper written all over his face.
    ‘Thank you, Lewis. Amos could do with a hand. I’ll finish up here.’ The polite words did nothing to conceal the fact that he was being dismissed.
    Jerkily, Lewis nodded and brushed past them, tripping over the broom as he went. He caught himself before he fell on his face, looked back briefly and fled.
    Mac righted the broom, propping it against the wall where well-worn saddles and tack hung. He took his time. His voice when he spoke was low and cold.
    ‘You need something, you come to me. You don’t go sweet-talking my men. They’re station hands, not chauffeurs. Is that clear?’ His mouth tightened. ‘Is that clear?’ he repeated.
    ‘Crystal,’ Blaze snapped back, her chin lifting. ‘My bags are packed. Collect me at the front door in ten minutes.’ She stalked past him as though the stable was the Chateau Marmont and he a doorman.
    On her way past he caught her arm, spinning her around, his grip firm but not painful. ‘My place, my car, my time. I say when we go,’ he growled.
    ‘I’m quite sure you