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  “Sorry.” Billie turned the tap, reducing the amount of water gushing out. “Quick shower for you all.”

  The girls giggled together.

  “You gotta put your foot under the water,” said Ellie. “Otherwise, it’s not going to get clean.”

  “I know that.” Zoe wobbled as she lifted her foot from the edge of the trough and aimed it at the water. She grabbed Billie by the shoulder to help keep her balance.

  “Ow…” Billie stumbled forward.

  “Sorry.” Zoe kept her grip on her friend as the cool water rushed over her foot. She wasn’t about to fall over and get dirtier. This was enough of a country experience to last her for a lifetime.

  Zoe felt some relief as the shit washed away, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was some stuck on the inside of her sandals or even between her toes.

  “I’m going to take them off.” She reached down with her free hand to unbuckle the strap around her ankle. She wobbled.

  “Ow...” Billie moved with her. “Steady.”

  “You’re a country gal, you can handle it,” said Zoe with a giggle. This might have been a big enough country experience for her, but she wasn’t able to shy away from giving her friends cheek, just as they dished it up to her.

  “We’ve created a monster, Ellie.”

  Ellie laughed. “Let me do it for you.”

  Zoe breathed out hard from laughing and bending over. She straightened up, resting her foot back on the edge of the trough.

  “Need gloves?” asked Zoe. She looked at her sandal and didn’t think she wanted to actually touch her shoe.

  Ellie glanced up at her with a glare. “Billie, we need to educate our city friend.”

  “We’ve failed so far I don’t think there’s any hope for her.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  “Guys, I’m right here.”

  “Lesson one… you don’t need gloves.” Ellie reached down and quickly unbuckled the shoe and slipped it from Zoe’s foot.

  “Need any help?”

  Zoe turned her head to see Max walking up to them. Heat pooled low in Zoe’s belly at the sight of him standing there. He looked just as hot and sexy as before when he nearly knocked her over.

  “No.” Her voice had an edginess which he seemed to bring out of her. Yes. Her head answered silently. Her skin prickled at the thought of him taking her bare foot in his hand.

  “Just asking.” His face darkened. The abruptness and rudeness to his tone didn’t put Zoe off. If anything it made her more curious about this guy. I’m losing the plot.

  “And I’m just answering,” Zoe cut back with a comment before she’d thought about her retort. This was the right response to a man who was a stranger and rude to her. But this time she couldn’t help thinking that there was a hidden softness there, well under the surface yet, it was there. And she thought she might like to figure out how to bring such a gentleness to life. She always enjoyed a good challenge.

  No. Not with him. But the thought didn’t have purchase in her mind. Not this time. Something was already beginning to heat up within her. She’d been single for half a year and hadn’t managed to find a guy who excited her. Max had definite potential, there was lots of heated excited burning through her body.

  “Fine then.” He turned on his heel and stormed away, his boots heavy on the concrete ground.

  Zoe watched him. Tight backside, long strides, and she opened her mouth wanting to call him back. But the words didn’t come. She could feel herself shaking. To have seen him twice so quickly left her with a mix of emotions and thoughts.

  “I dunno about you gals but I need a beer.” Zoe put on her best country lilt to her voice.

  “Well, I think you might have passed lesson two. I thought you were more of a wine drinker?”

  “I am.” Zoe looked between her two friends, waiting who would tease her first. “It was a figure of speech. You know, I’m coming down to your level.”

  Billie looked at Ellie. Both women raised an eyebrow.

  “Don’t do it.” Zoe had no idea what they were about to do, but she wasn’t going anywhere with a barefoot in this dirty barn.

  In one swift motion, each of her friends grabbed her, picked her up, and tumbled her backward into the pile of clean straw behind them.

  Zoe screamed loudly, landing softly in the hay. She groaned, hating to think what she was really sitting in, but she burst into a fit of giggles. “I’m going to get you for this.”

  Max stood with a group of men drinking beer. On the outside, he was composed and his usual self, but on the inside he was furious.

  I went to help her! He shook his head. And she refused me.

  Women didn’t refuse Max.

  At least that’s how he remembered looking for women in his younger years before he was married.

  Is this what I’m doing? He swallowed hard. I can look and have fun. Nothing more. Not after how his ex-wife, Pam Richie, had burnt him. Bitch. And that was nearly eight years ago now. A ten-year marriage, down the drain, childless and costing him almost his arm and leg to finalise the divorce.

  “Ya did well with the ladies today,” Nick commented.

  Max looked up from gazing at the ground. His mind whirled from his internal thoughts to what Nick had said. All he’d done today was aggravate a very sassy woman who he wished he could see again. Even though there was no sign that anything could happen between them.

  “You pretty much cleaned out the competition,” said Sam, a fellow competitor from up North. His family life was treating him well, and Max had jealously observed his belly getting bigger each year from his wife’s great cooking.

  Max shrugged his shoulders. That’s what they were talking about. His cows. And they had outperformed his prize bull, which he wasn’t sure he was happy about or not. He would have to have a talk to Godzilla about letting the ladies show him up. He got the prizes he wasn’t desperate to get. Max couldn’t help thinking it was a little like his life, the women he found himself with weren’t always what he was hoping for. Like Zoe. With her city style clothing, sassy grin, and edgy confidence. He gripped his beer tighter, wanting the coolness from the glass to reduce the rising heat within him.

  “Argh, ya too hard on yourself, mate.” Nick laughed. “Anyone would be glowing and be bragging about champion and reserve champion cow.”

  “Don’t forget Grand Champion too,” added Sam.

  “Oh, yeah. What’s wrong, Max? Normally you’d be rubbing it in.”

  Max coughed as if hurt by their comments. He knew they were jesting. “Hey, what can I say, I’m standing next to the breeder of the stud bull at the show.”

  “You’re mellowing with age, mate.” Sam spoke with a big grin on his face.

  “What, you want me to gloat?”

  “It’s a bit weird without it, I must say,” Nick answered.

  “You didn’t do too bad either, Sam.”

  “Naah, but not as good as you two blokes.” He raised his beer. “To a successful show.”

  “Cheers.” Both Max and Nick raised their mugs of beer and clinked glasses, the amber liquid sloshing over the edge. They all drained the mugs.

  “Another round?” asked Max.

  “You’re not feeling right are ya?” Nick winked at him handing over his empty mug.

  Max shifted uneasily. He thought he was keeping how he was feeling to himself. Missing out on a ribbon with Godzilla he would get over, but Zoe was another matter.

  Who wore a dress to the show? Her legs were long, shapely and something he could run his hands up and down for hours.

  “Hey, don’t say anything, we should milk it while it lasts.” Sam nudged Nick, and both men laughed.

  “Don’t push it. Otherwise, I might not get this round.”

  “There we have the Max we know so well coming out. Now I feel more at ease.” Sam laughed.

  Max mumbled under his breath, “Fuck off.”

  “Yep, there’s the ol’ Max we know so wel
l, grumpy and aggressive. Like an old bull who hasn’t been allowed a cow for ten years.”

  Max bit his tongue as he turned from his mates. The comment was too close to the bone for his liking.

  “Good one, Sam.”

  “Thanks.”

  Max wanted to tell them to fuck off, but they were laughing, congratulating each other on their comments to him. Their words hit a target within Max that he didn’t wish to be reminded of. So much so, it took all his willpower to walk away without saying anything, because there was no come back from what they had said.

  Fuck it all. He knew he was like a bull without a cow for too long. Sure, he’d had a few encounters with women but nothing had lasted, and he almost didn’t want it to. He had his farm and that kept him busy, and after nearly losing it because of Pam, he had to work extra hard. With all of that it was all too easy to close off his heart. Bumping into someone like Zoe had made these feelings surface.

  Nothing that beer can’t deal with.

  Max put down the three glass mugs. “Same again.” He nodded to the young bloke behind the bar, who was polishing glasses.

  He leant on the bar as if needing support to keep himself upright. The Royal Show was only just getting started. The major judging was just about over. His bull might come out tomorrow for Grand Champion reserve, and then it was party time for a few days, mixed in with a couple of agricultural meetings, and some networking to try and drum up some business with some of the breeders who were looking to improve their stock. Over a couple of beers, he would convince them he had the bulls back on his farm, and that they should come to his farm for the auction next month.

  Thinking and planning about who he should talk to, starting tomorrow. The hurt in his heart eased, and the tension dissipated, helped along with the effects of the amber liquid he’d just downed quickly.

  Max paid for the beers, scooped them up, balancing the third between the other two like he’d done so many times before. He was well practised at carrying multiple beers at the pub. He turned around to go back to his mates when someone bumped into him. All three beers went crashing, amber liquid splashed up his legs, and glass shattered all over the floor.

  “Taxi,” someone yelled out. There was always some idiot that called that out when glasses were dropped at a pub. Max never found it funny, but a few people laughed.

  He took a deep breath and looked for whoever the fuckhead was that couldn’t see where they were going. His temper boiling up again.

  “Are you all right, Zoe,” asked Billie. She moved to Zoe’s side, along with Ellie.

  “That’s not the way to offer a lady a drink, Max,” said Ellie.

  “You really need to get your eyes checked.” Zoe glared at him.

  It was her. Zoe. Standing there in front of him, beer on her dress, and a burning anger flashing in her eyes.

  Fuck. It turned him on and the anger burning inside of him turned up to a different sort of heat.

  “You again.” It was a pathetic response, even he cringed after he spoke.

  “Yeah, me. I don’t know what the fuck is your problem.”

  Zoe was under his skin, popping up in his thoughts and causing his body to react with anticipation of getting her naked and having sex all night long. So he decided for once in his life he would tell the truth.

  “You are.”

  Zoe’s eyes widened. “Like hell I am. It’s you.” She clenched her fists by her side. How dare he try and blame me.

  “You’re the one who keeps running into me. I’m starting to think you’ve got the hots for me or something.”

  “No way. You’re not worth a second glance.”

  “Ahh, but I do get one glance, so that’s why you keep bumping into me. Twice in only a matter of hours.”

  She hated the smirk he had on his face. If I had a drink in my hand, I’d throw it at him.

  “You’re just an arrogant prick, you might be used to the ladies falling over you but not me. It’s just plain bad luck I’ve bumped into you. Anyhow, weren’t you the one who came over to me in the barn? I’d say you’ve got the hots for me.” She lifted her chin proud of her come back. Heat flushed her cheeks. She hadn’t quite pulled off her retort, though. He was sexy hot, and the lie on her tongue burned in a reminder that she did want a second glance at him and more, like peeling his shirt off would be a great start. She looked up into his eyes, there was a little shock clouding there which gave her confidence a boost. The way her body was responding she couldn’t stand there in front of him without showing what she really thought of him. And she didn’t want to be doing that. Not now, not when he was rude to her again. She quickly looked away.

  “Fuck you.” He turned leaving the glass on the floor and stormed back over to his mates.

  “Good riddance to you too.” Zoe huffed.

  “I dunno, Zoe, I reckon there’s something going on between you and him,” said Ellie, chewing her bottom lip in thought.

  “I don’t need you to betray me over this,” answered Zoe.

  “Oh, I think she could be on to something,” piped up Billie.

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “Not you, too. I think this could well be the last year we meet up at the show.”

  Her friends laughed. Each hooked one of Zoe’s arms and dragged her to the bar.

  “Like hell it will be,” said Billie.

  “Did you see how red Zoe’s face was when she was talking to Max?” asked Ellie cheekily.

  “I know.” Billie plonked herself on a stool. “Now, Max is a well-known prick around here, but you know it could work out with you two.”

  “What?” Zoe glared at her friend. One minute she was angry at Max, and the next she was lusting after him. She was already a turmoil of conflicting emotions, she didn’t need her friend to be encouraging her to start something she wasn’t sure she could handle.

  Billie laughed. “Steady on.” She lowered her voice and leaned in closer to Zoe. “It’s been a while, right?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Zoe played dumb. She wasn’t about to admit anything, even to her friend.

  “Since you had sex,” clarified Ellie. She sat on the other side of Zoe on a stool. “Even I know what she’s talking about.”

  “Shhh.” Zoe was pretty sure all the people in the bar heard what Ellie said, and since most of them were men she wasn’t sure how much hot water she might have just been pushed in to.

  “Well then, why not have some fun with him?” Billie raised an eyebrow.

  “Billie!” Zoe couldn’t believe what her friend had just suggested.

  “Why not?” Billie shrugged a shoulder. “You like older men, there’s an obvious attraction there.”

  “I couldn’t.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s a prick.”

  “Yeah, and you’ve just busted his balls, so I reckon he’s all ready for you now,” Ellie said with a cheeky grin.

  “I don’t…”

  “We know you like older guys. We know Max, well we’ve heard of him, and he’s an arrogant arsehole, but you know he wouldn’t hurt you as such.”

  “Like anything would happen, all we do is sling off at each other. So no, not him.” She slapped a hand down on the bar. “Now I need a drink, especially since I already stink of beer.”

  Heat burned so hotly on her cheeks she thought there would be flames on her skin. She did like what her friends were suggesting, a bit of sexy fun with Max. He had the body for it, and stamina, and hell she was turned on just at the sight of him. But, what she didn’t like was the attitude, though she had put a dent in that. Maybe? She shook her head. Too risky. Though it was the risk which added to the tension in the muscles between her legs, and the desire for release made her squirm on the seat.

  “At least it would cover the smell of shit.” Ellie waved the barman over. “Three pale ales.”

  Zoe spun around to Ellie. “You said I didn’t smell like cow shit.”

  “Yeah, well, I had to stop you from going hom
e, we’re only just starting to have fun.”

  “Thanks.” Zoe huffed. She crossed her arms in front of her body. This wasn’t how she thought the day at the Royal Show would unfold. Having her foot in shit, being thrown into hay, smelling like beer, and bumping into a hot guy, twice. So far it was fun. Like hell.

  She glanced over her shoulder, immediately she saw Max. Her abdomen muscles clenched with desire.

  And if she was honest with herself, she was up for a lot more fun. As long as it involved Max.

  For nearly two hours Max had stayed at the pub, the laughter of the women grating at his ears. He couldn’t leave. Something was holding him there and it wasn’t his mates. He longed to go over to speak to Zoe. But, he had no idea what to say, and since she’d busted his balls already, he wasn’t about to go back and make a fool of himself. Again.

  He wasn’t the sort who apologised. But they were the words building on his tongue. Why? he asked himself. Because he could hear her talking, her loud voice, sweet and confident, and now a little beer affected. She sounded like a fun woman to be with, and he wasn’t thinking in the sexual way, not fully.

  “Max, mate, what’s her name?’ Sam’s words slurred slightly as he spoke, his breath heavy with alcohol and yeast. His wife was going to bust his balls tonight when he made it back to the caravan park where his family were staying.

  Zoe. He nearly said her name out loud. But that would be stupid. Even though it was the truth. In all likelihood, after he finished this beer, he would leave here and not see that woman again. He glanced over his shoulder and saw her sitting on the stool, laughing with her friends. Jealousy stabbed at him. He wanted to be the one talking to her, laughing and building a rapport to see what sort of path that would lead down.

  “Her.” Sam swung his arm over Max’s shoulder. “Listen, mate, she ain’t going to give you anything if you sit here sulking over ya beer.” He turned his head. “Ain’t that right, Nick?”

  “What?”

  “I said—”

  “Hey, do you think it’s time to go?” Max interrupted quickly. He didn’t need another scene in the pub.