Outback Dreams by Rachael Johns Page B

a lemon-lime and bitters,’ Ruby announced eventually, ‘and I’ll buy it.’
    â€˜No way,’ Monty argued. ‘I invited you. I’m buying.’
    Ruby relented with a flutter of her eyelashes and a smile that made Faith nauseous. Until the other woman had arrived, she’d been happily trading quips with Monty’s friends—many of whom were good-looking, all of whom were friendly, interesting and nice. She’d only been teasing Monty when she’d said she wanted someone to take her home. She’d never been easy and didn’t plan to start now, but keeping an eye on Ruby would make chatting with the guys harder.
    If only the gold-digger had stayed home with her horses.
    A warm hand at Faith’s elbow jolted her thoughts. She looked up to see Curtis’s bemused smile. He gestured to her barely touched glass of wine now resting on the bar in front of them. ‘The wine not good?’
    She shook her head. ‘It’s not really my thing,’ she admitted. Then she turned to Liam behind the bar, ‘Can I have a rum and Coke instead, please?’
    Curtis laughed. ‘Now there’s a girl after my own heart.’ He downed the remnants of his beer and said to Liam, ‘Make that two.’
    â€˜Here you go.’ Liam placed the glasses in front of them and Curtis paid for both.
    â€˜I could buy my own drink, you know,’ Faith told him.
    â€˜I know.’ Curtis winked. ‘But that would mean you weren’t indebted to at least stay talking to me for as long as it takes to drink it.’
    â€˜I can drink fast.’ To prove this, and simply because she needed it, she downed half the contents of her glass. God it tasted good.
    Curtis raised his eyebrows, having not even tasted his first sip. ‘I’m impressed.’
    She grinned, something deep inside her heating at the way he said those two words. As she took the next sip slower, she tried not to be obvious in checking him out. He wasn’t what you’d call traditionally spunky. A bit skinny despite years of hard labour on fishing trawlers, his hair was neither long nor short and its colour neither light not dark, but he had a nice smile. A larrikin’s smile, and Lord knew she was partial to larrikins.
    â€˜So, if you can drink like a man, does that mean you can play pool like one too?’ Curtis asked.
    Like a man?
    Damnit, she’d wanted to present a different persona tonight. Hence the clothes, hence the wine… Bugger Ruby for putting her off balance. ‘Um.’
    Ryan, who’d been leaning against the bar ordering a second drink, overheard their exchange. He wrapped an arm around Faith’s shoulder and pulled her against him. ‘Can she ever. I taught her myself.’
    â€˜Bloody brilliant.’ Curtis downed his drink, ordered another round from Liam and called to a couple of his mates. ‘Who wants to play me and Faith in a round of pool?’
    So somehow Faith found herself at the other end of the pub with a bunch of rowdy but lovely blokes, playing pool. She was so far away from Monty and Ruby she could barely see them, never mind eavesdrop. Try as she might, she soon found that playing the incompetent female just wasn’t her either. The first time she deliberately missed the ball almost killed her. So, after another couple of pretend attempts, she gave up on her feminine ploys.
    She played pool like a pro, drank as much rum and Coke as any of the men and had the time of her life. She even managed to forget about Ruby and Monty and simply enjoy being around his friends. Curtis barely left her side, not allowing anyone else the chance of being her pool partner. Not that she minded. In fact, she thought she might fancy the crayfisherman pants off him. She wouldn’t go back to his place tonight, but she planned on sending him home with her number.
    â€˜That sounds awesome,’ Monty said, trying to focus on Ruby. She’d