Page 3 of The Playboy Meets His Match
“Great grief,” he grumbled, wanting a stiff drink himself, but resisting, since he was driving.
“Where did you get your vocabulary—out of some 1920s dime novel? Outside of melodramas, I didn’t know anyone used that phrase have your way with me.”
“You’re too young yourself to know anything about 1920s dime novels, and I certainly don’t. And you know full well what I meant.”
“I gave you my word. You’re not my type anyway.”
“I can imagine your type.”
He glanced at her again, his curiosity growing. Silence stretched between them as he drove down Main Street, Royal, Texas, the place where he had grown up and lived a good part of his life. “So, what type do you imagine I’d like?” he asked finally.
“Someone beautiful, sexy, sophisticated and easy. Real easy.”
Amused, he looked at her, still unable to see anything except a huddle of black.
“You don’t think I have any charm to win over someone who isn’t easy?”
“You tackled me twice,” she said in the same haughty, aloof tone that he could recall early grade-school teachers lecturing him with. “That isn’t a winning approach.”
“I wasn’t trying a winning approach. I never intended seduction. I was trying to stop a criminal act. That’s not a fair judgment of me,” he remarked, amused by her in spite of his annoyance at being saddled with responsibility for keeping her away from the others.
He drove past Pine Valley, the exclusive, private-gated, residential community that held mansions, including one belonging to his family where his brother was currently residing. Jason could take her there, but he preferred her out on the Windover Ranch—far enough out of town so that she would have a hell of a hike if she decided to run away.
“It might be a good idea if we knew each other’s names. I’m Jason Windover.”
“I’m Meredith Silver,” she said.
“Well, hi, Meredith. Where are you from?”
“I’m from Dallas,” she said.
“And what do you do in Dallas?” he asked, slipping into old patterns of interrogation, avoiding the hot topics or accusations.
“I’m a computer programmer. I’m a freelance consultant.”
“Interesting profession—and gives you freedom to keep your own hours sometimes.”
“Yes, it does,” she answered while she stared out the window. “We’re out of town.”
“I’m taking you to the Windover family ranch.”
“You’re a cowboy?”
“Yes, I am. I’ve been with the government, but I recently retired to the ranch. So, Meredith, who’s your current boyfriend?”
“There isn’t one,” she replied. “But I’ll bet there’s a woman in your life.”
“As a matter of fact, there’s not at present.”
“I’m sure she’s not far in the past and there’s another lined up somewhere in the near future.”
“Now why do you think that? You don’t know me.”
“You have that easygoing manner of a man accustomed to always having a female in his life.”
“Do I really?” he asked, amused by her observations.
“You know darn well you do. You’re also egotistical and overbearing.”
